Let's see some sheet metal shaping

This thread is AMAZING!
I am trying to learn all I can just mess around in my garage. I need to buy/make an english wheel so I can start trying more.

 

Rod know the drill , the mudguard is shrunk down with pullmax thumbnail dies and wheeled out on the Englishs wheel. Hoosier pattern E wheel kit would be a good start to making your own english wheel, don't waste your money on a weak (cheap) wheel, make a strong frame. Here is some more panels made with the Pullmax. 40 Ford running boards and pickup bed sides.




Cheers Steve

 

I am just learning so nowhere near the quality I see here, these are my first try making wheel tubs for my VW bus. Only real tool I used was my stretcher/shrinker once I get it were I want it to be I will roll a few beads and then hopefully it still fits.

 

For the bottom lip I just beat the edge over a piece of wood since it steps.
Would a tipping die on my bead roller be better for something like that?

 

Absobloodylootly

 

I just have a cheap woodward fab roller that I beefed up. Can I get dies for it or am I better off making them? Mine have set screws in the sides, I have seen some that seem to be a press fit.
Here are the only "real" tools I have in my ghettofab garage.

 

I have really enjoyed going through this thread, I like seeing I am not alone with inventing a tool for a job or try things outside the box. I'm all for keeping this thread going

 

I am sure this is an easy thing to answer, I have a few ideas on it.
How do most people finish a bead roll? I was thinking maybe a wood block with the shape router'd out and just hammer it out. Or maybe making a small male/female press mold just welded to a c-clamp.

 

Here is a great way to do it shown by Lazze:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxwstKY_yNI

 

Yeah!
This works well (been doing it like that for a few years)
I use to just use a drift to finish them off........ what ever you can get your hands on really

 

Here's some of mine....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=862713

 

Nice work mate!!

 

Thanks K13 and Lazze !! ...now why didn't I think of that!!

 

The fact that you did this with very minimal tools is amazing. It's not wasted space. Keep posting as you finish.

 

Just spent the last couple night's reading all this! Even after 40 plus year's of hammering sheet metal and building custom car's I still discover new tricks from someone else's abilities. and that this post has lasted for year's! hope it continue's later Larry

 

This isn't much shaping in this post, but brings it all together from the previous ones on the lift gate fabrications...


Before closing up the lift gate, we have a couple more items to cross off the list. A rubber bumper gets installed at the bottom in case the gates are closed in the wrong order, you won't scar up the paint on the top of the tailgate...

The old sample only had one good hole location for us to use...










Next, the floating nut plate cage was plug welded to the bottom....




With that done, we could prep for closing up the bottom. In order to use the spot welder along the bottom seam, we needed to clean off some epoxy primer where the spot welds would be located. Used and even spacing of 2" and marked both flanges...






In order to remove as little epoxy primer as possible, we decided to use the modified plug weld drill bit (the flattened one) over all the errant marks a roloc sander would make. In order that the flat drill bit didn't walk all over the place, another specialized tool was made....










Here's another close up of the modified bit...



.....and the "prepped" flanges...





Ends tacked in place, and spot welded the bottom flanges together...

 

And the wrap up, a bit more welding.......





Cleaned up....





Other side.....









Only thing left on this piece is the plug welds in the window opening. Need to put the rubber on the window glass and fit it to the opening to see if this part needs shifting prior to welding...



This might even work....

 

Wow, that is some amazing metal work,,,Whats the story behind you and your talent ?

 

Probably no different than many of the guys on this thread. Started making patch panels and doing rust repairs 20-25 years ago. Some of the first "attempts" I'm probably glad today I didn't take pictures of, but they would serve well to show how not to do something. I've tried to continually improve with each new challenge, learning as I go through videos, books, and metal shaping events. With each completed job I have typically used any of the funds generated to buy machinery that would improve capabilities based on what part of the recently completed job was giving me the most fits.. I've always had a McGuyver type personality, so it seems the best work gets done when backed into a corner..

 

MP&C, what abrasives do you use to finish off your welds?

 

For all the weld "dots", they get planishing individually and then ground to just above panel height. Then weld the next and repeat. For a long weld, I'll hold off on the final dressing with a sander until the end, as it helps to limit the inadvertent sanding of the parent metal to the sides of the weld, so in my mind D) it should help prevent thinning of the panel..

For the grinding I use a 3" cutoff wheel, in either 1/16 or .035 thick, working perpendicular to the panel, and back and forth across the weld.

See here, same grinding process as on this plug weld:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2WHT_zMOE8


The thin cutoff wheel will give you the smallest abrasive contact patch over any other type, for about the least amount of heat buildup, and also gives the best unobstructed view, to help insure you don't inadvertently grind to the sides of the weld in the good metal. I also don't use the cheap garbage from HF or swap meets. I'll use premium discs that are made for stainless steel. Costs more? yep. Also lasts much longer, less change-out, and less of that brown cloud in the air that you see from a cheap disc disintegrating. IMO cheaper in the long run. After getting the weld dots done from one end to the other, and planished and ground individually from one end to the other, then they get sanded down with an 80 grit roloc sander and final cleanup using a DA .

 

I want to thank every one who has contributed to this thread...about a month ago I started planning to duplicate an old body (OT here though) and now when I look back at my first plans, they look like a brick...worthlesss. Now from the shared knowledge here my body is detailed and well built, and most of all refined. All these photos and descriptions of "how Henry did it" and how to mke tools for sheet metal, all the tricks. All I can say is WOW and thank you! It's like a college course in sheet metal and now my project is going to look great- people will say "Nice job on restoring that vintage body".

 

Spent Friday and Saturday at Gatormeet for a metal shaping workshop.
The first day started with a tuck shrinking demo, and showing the basics of the process and how the metal reacts. Today, we also had the tuck shrinking fixture to use.









Camaro quarter panels are being fitted with gills for installation on a Firebird. This included fit up, trimming, Tig welding, and planishing..















The International farm truck had returned, so we were able to see the finished fenders from last year..









The rear fenders need reproducing as well, so the wire edging this year used bead roller dies..

 

Also discussed was using hammer forms, and various pattern methods to determine shape..





















Our new attendee this year learning some shaping...



Some rear corners fabricated for a truck bed..



Some practice at fusion welding using the Tig, here's the front showing some slight undercutting..



The rear side shows some good weld penetration in some areas and needs more practice in others..



David tells us that slight undercutting on fusion welding is not an issue in the joint's strength, and to show this the seam was clamped in the apron brake and bent to 135 degrees, with no detriment to the weld..





This afternoon we spent some time discussing tips and tricks to help productivity and also to help open up to new methods and ideas. Here is a rotisserie style mount for a door, helping to locate it for ease of welding or other panel repairs....





All in all, an awesome weekend for sharing and learning methods and ideas..

 

Hey Mac,

Thanx for posting your photos of Gatormeet! It looks like everyone had a great time & probably learned much in the process!

On the tuck shrinking fixture.........did the vise grips help to trap the tuck, and keep it from escaping, whyle it was being compressed into itself?

That IHC truck looks killer!

 

Yeah, exactly! They keep the tuck from wanting to spread back open, for a more effective shrink. Nice for a small part but not so much for something on a car..


I've got some more pics of the International, I'll have to post them up..

 

that door rotisserie is a slick idea!

 

Thanks for the post. Love the door rotisserie.

 

Was just at 2014 Rt.56 Spring Metalshaping Event had a great time got to sit through a lecture with Cass Norwauki,(sure I spelled that wrong) I'll try to put pics,but my computer wont download pics now that XP is unsupported.

 

Robert
Thanks for the help at Gators and taking pics/documenting everything. It was good working with you.

J.