Wood questionn for panel beaters??

I know it sounds off topic and I dont know s##t about wood but what type of log or stump is best to use when shaping panels? also what is best when building a buck? I have a neighbor who cuts trees so its free. He has already furnished many organic jack stands. Thank you..

 

this isnt off topic at all..

actually I've used damn near anything that I could get ahold of.. but last fall at metalmeet someone had the forethought to bring sections of an old oak tree trunk that we used.. they were sliced (with a chain saw I presume) to be about 5 - 6 inches think that way you could use them on a post of some sort or table or bench or whatever.. and they were "more Portable" than say a 4 or 5 foot tall stump.. (sorry I dont have a photo)

as for a buck.. most if not all I have seen were plywood****emblies with a large number of holes to allow clamping action to occur..

sounds like your going to be doing some serious metalshaping.. make sure to check out metalshapers.org

and good luck

sawZall

 

Using tree stumps for panel beating is something that the old Italian coachbuilders (carrozzeria) used. Usually they would use a hollowed-out stump that served as a female hammerform. They tended to use smaller panels welded together to form a shape.

So you could really use any size or shape of tree parts as long as it had the same curve that you wanted to see in your metal. You might want a larger stump with a variety of curves.

Although your tree source is the right price, I think you'll find it easier to use a sandbag to put shape into something, and then hammer onto a block of wood to planish out the bag-of-walnuts look.

You might also find that MDF (medium denisty fiberboard) is a little easier to use for body bucks than plywood. It cuts very easily, stays very straight, and holds pushpins to secure whatever panel you're working on.

--Matt

 

Thanks for the info. I went to a small saw mill this afternoon and picked up a small load of various size oak. The next question is on sandbags. what type of material should the bag holding the sand be made of? I dont want to knock holes and spill sand. Thanks again.

 

my sand bag is made of leather.. its about 15 inches around... i bought it from gulley.. GULLEY

however watch for a tech post this week.. about a low budget sandbag..

 

I hope I'm not going to steal sawzall's sandbag tech post, but here's an alternative suggested by a HAMBer: a canvas bag that's used by banks and casinos for carrying a large quantity of coins.

Eastwood's bag is very nice, with the right suppleness to the leather, and a velcro closure for filling, but it ain't cheap.

 

i use bags that are scraps from my biker friend that sell chaps. i get the scraps from the legs and have them sew one end shut and put velcro in the other and i fill them with shot from a gun shop.

 

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You might also find that MDF (medium denisty fiberboard) is a little easier to use for body bucks than plywood. It cuts very easily, stays very straight, and holds pushpins to secure whatever panel you're working on.

--Matt

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I will second the MDF suggestion. I have used it for hammer forms and it works real nice. It is conistent without voids or grain variation like solid wood or plywood, plus it finishes well.

Neal