TOOLS, LOW LOW BUCK louver press.. TECH

[sawzall]

the "how too" stuff on here has kinda slowed down a bit so i decided it was time to unveil my low buck louver press..
Let me first say its crude, its rough but it works. I WOULDNT use this to punch holes in your PERFECT deuce hood top but for functional venting This setup is perfect.

here we go

[sawzall]

as you can see in the photo above I started with a nice big piece of rectangle tubing it was scrap.. I only used it because its big, heavy, and was free.. next the louver dies were made.. this turned out to be easier than I ever thought. I started with a piece of 1 inch by half inch steel stock and cut it to 4 inches of length (If you wanted a shorter louver cut it shorter. next I created a "female die by cutting more 1 inch by 1/2 inch thick stock to create a reciever for the upper die. as seen here

[sawzall]

heres a photo of the "lower die" again its just a simple metal square that I made up out of 1 by 1/2 inch square stock. the white thing in the bottom is a piece of derlin (a type of plastic) that I heated and pressed the upper die into to create a lower die.

[sawzall]

as you can see in the photo above the derlin insert isnt perfect.. but it works ok for now.. I intend to make a better insert a some point. the insert helps the louver take shape when the metal is compressed in the dies.
in this photo you can see where I had to add metal plates to effectively "planish" out the metal after the stretching of the dies commenced.

[Tuck]

oh thank god a post of real content... nice job sawzall... tell tokyo im NOT shipping his hood out to philly http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Kevin Lee]

DIRTY Please oh please tell me you're going to punch the lover with a big effing hammer.

[kustumizer]

Have any examples of it working? Thanks Nate

[sawzall]

[ QUOTE ]
Have any examples of it working? Thanks Nate

[/ QUOTE ]

I am gettin there

[delaware george]

that's cool jeff http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Tuck]

Grimlock yer ass would MISS and hit the hood... a GRIM version would need a bigger target http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif --- f'n with ya bro

[Spike!]

Quit fuckin around with those damn toys and help me in my garage. Theres things that need fixing! Bring your welder. Oh yeah..bring that pie along too. Its probably cold by now... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Spike

[sawzall]

ok so now that we have established basically what this looks like lets see how it works heres a photo of the "slam PAN" I wanted to make for my oldsmobile. Basically it goes UNDER the motor between the front crossmember and the trans crossmember. the middle of it is 1/8 inch crs that will be reinforced with square stock to protect the bottom of the engine and trans when I am runnin low.. the sides I intended to make out of aluminum and LOUVER for air flow.

[sawzall]

when TOke and I made this we planned that we would need to clearance for the lower control arms.. such was not the case.. so it ended up lookin like this

[sawzall]

as you may be able to see I kinda goofed a little and "FORGOT" to cut a hole in the one side for the oil filter to be removed. but at any rate heres a photo of the mess "semi" installed in my chassis

[sawzall]

lasty heres a diagram to see how it all works. and some notes to ensure that everyone understands..

number 3 read my instructions first (back here I wrote if your a dumbass dont use this!)
number 1 place metal (aluminum sheet) in this area Between DIES.
number 2 HIT with BFH here to drive upper die into lower die
number 4 Later I decided that I needed to clamp the press down right here to ensure that nothin moved around.

[delaware george]

where did all the wood and stuff go?? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[sawzall]

last bit of info for now... please note that theres NO clearance between the rear of the upper die and the rear of the lower die (that way the aluminum gets cut. also when the upper die is all the way down the upper die flanges (the locations of which are shown above) planish the metal around the louver as the louver itself is stretched

let me stress that its CRITICAL that there is NO clearance at the back of the upper and lower dies.

also it takes about 2-3 hammer strikes with the BFH for each louver.. which I dont think is bad (maybe I need a bigger hammer??) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

also I am workin on creating another set of these dies for a hydraulic powered louver press.

please note that these dies are not perfect and I doubt if they are perfectly symmetrical (I created the dies with my little 4 inch angle grinder and a bench grinder (oh and a little finesse file work at the end) but I think they work fine for something thats going to be flying 6 inches off the ground..

[sawzall]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifgeorge this is just the chassis.. all the wood is "in production" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Unkl Ian]

Brilliant !
Are those panel Aluminum or Steel?

[sawzall]

I should have more photos of the machine in operation after this weekend as tokyo, edmurder and I are gonna do some serious punchin..

[Kevin Lee]

This rules. I'm going home right now to carve out some dies in the shape of an iron cross and a number five. Look for my hood panels on ebay.

Tuck - Maybe I'll just put a picture of your flathead hoarding mellon on top of the die? Surely I won't miss then. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[sawzall]

[ QUOTE ]
Brilliant !
Are those panel Aluminum or Steel?

[/ QUOTE ]

the sides are aluminum and they are pretty thin like maybe .060. I am keeping the patterns around so if (and when) I destroy them (which I will) I can make new ones quickly.

I KNOW that I can punch THIN steel I did punch a couple just for fun (the steel was 22 gauge) but i doubt the dies will last a long long time.. of course then again who cares! it was so cheap..

[porknbeaner]

Kool,
I been rolling a crude louvre press around in my head for a couple of years. But never got around to the hard part.
Got a friend thats a tool and die man. Maybe I can get him to make me some ultra slick punches. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Louvres here run about a 1.00-1.50, and you're at the mercy of the guy with the press.
Thanks for gettin around to the hard part.

[sawzall]

[ QUOTE ]
tell tokyo im NOT shipping his hood out to philly http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

tuck

again I wouldnt punch these in anything I cared alot about.. only stuff that could be replaced easily. but if a guy was building a modified or similar this is THE way to go..

[lucky_1974]

SawZall that thing is crazy traditional hot rodding, very cool. I love when you build something and it actually works...doesn't happen as much as I would like, but cool when it does. Thanks for the great TECH>>>>

[redpunk]

That is awesome, I dig it. Heres one we are just putting some fininshing touches on.

[Tinbender]

Very cool! thanks!

[redpunk]

heres the die

[Fat Hack]

Way too cool for words!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Homegrown hackin' is where it's at!!!

Great post!!

[Curly]

[ QUOTE ]
lasty heres a diagram to see how it all works. and some notes to ensure that everyone understands..

number 3 read my instructions first (back here I wrote if your a dumbass dont use this!)
number 1 place metal (aluminum sheet) in this area Between DIES.
number 2 HIT with BFH here to drive upper die into lower die
number 4 Later I decided that I needed to clamp the press down right here to ensure that nothin moved around.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmmm lets see...put metal here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif...hit with BFH http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif... and then...Oh shit http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I'm a dumbass, I can't use this http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif! Well at least I got one louver in http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Maybe #3 should be #1? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[flt-blk]

I think I can make that, MarkX you in??

Now I need something to punch the louvers into.
TZ

[Elrod]

I'm wanting a louvered visor on my A rod. Flt-Blk.. Let's make this at Marks.

[50mercfan]

sawzall, do you have to cut a line for the opening, or do the dies cut it as it forms the louvre?

[beatnik]

Great post Sawzall, genuine hot rod material.

Thanks

[old beet]

For you AZ. guys, UNKL AL in Bullhead City has a louver press and 3 or 4 sizes of dies. Bobbers and rods too!!.....OLDBEET

[tokyo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
tell tokyo im NOT shipping his hood out to philly http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

tuck

again I wouldnt punch these in anything I cared alot about.. only stuff that could be replaced easily. but if a guy was building a modified or similar this is THE way to go..

[/ QUOTE ]

ya i know...i saw that panel, looked at sawzall with a BIG grin on my face...the first words out of his mouth, "no....tokyo.....stop what ur thinking..."....this is gonna be fun...

hey tuck....how about a fender or two.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif cmon.....pulllleeesssse...

I LOVE LOUVERS!!!!

[sawzall]

[ QUOTE ]
sawzall, do you have to cut a line for the opening, or do the dies cut it as it forms the louvre?

[/ QUOTE ]

mercfan..

nope the dies do the cutting.. well they do if you have the rear edge of the dies clearanced correctly.. or actually NOT clearanced correctly.. as the top die passes into the bottom die it cuts the metal..

[sawzall]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
lasty heres a diagram to see how it all works. and some notes to ensure that everyone understands..

number 3 read my instructions first (back here I wrote if your a dumbass dont use this!)
number 1 place metal (aluminum sheet) in this area Between DIES.
number 2 HIT with BFH here to drive upper die into lower die
number 4 Later I decided that I needed to clamp the press down right here to ensure that nothin moved around.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmmm lets see...put metal here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif...hit with BFH http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif... and then...Oh shit http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I'm a dumbass, I can't use this http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif! Well at least I got one louver in http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Maybe #3 should be #1? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


curley

I put the "dont use if your a dumbass" sticker on for my friends.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

seriously though the label reads "safety glasses required when using this machine" because after I punch a few more holes with it the machine will become a permanent fixture in my high school shop classroom.

later

sawzall

[MetalFlaked60]

I dont understand how ya make the top die. Im gonna try this. lol....Jamie

[sawzall]

heres a diagraham of how I made the top die.. its not a science its an art.. I basically started with 1/2 inch thick by 1 inch wide bar stock that I cut to 4 inches of length, then I started shaping it with my grinder, then a bench grinder then a file etc till I got the shape I wanted.. again I doubt that this is perfectally symetrical.. but its OK for what I am doing if you wanted perfect lookin louver you'd need to have some way of machining it.. I didnt want to waste the time makin in perfect.. and since its not hardened I dont know if.. and dont care if it lasts forever so again for me why worry about it being perfect

[SlowLearner]

BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks, sawzall! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[johnnylonghair]

Hey wife Jeff you are the coolest person I know, next to myself of corse. You are so smrt I mean SMART.HAHAHAHA

[Flat Ernie]

That is too cool!

TECHOMATIC!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[46mopar]

I am glad to see my tax dollars at work.School shop tool ya right http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ikillspies]

[ QUOTE ]
DIRTY Please oh please tell me you're going to punch the lover with a big effing hammer.

[/ QUOTE ]

sounds kinda kinky.