This project is useable for just about any shape you want to do, but in this case, I needed an oval recess for a Painless door contact, because there was not enough room for both contact halves between the jam and the door. The thickness of material will vary depending on how deep you need to go, but for this one, I needed 1/8". I used steel, but you could also use aluminum depending on how many parts you want to make. The first pic shows the contact. What you need is a male and female die. I made the bottom out of 1/4", and cut the opening with a hole saw and file. The top die I made from 1/8" again the depth I needed to go. I also used another piece of 1/8 ( should have been thicker) for the backing plate, which will be the piece you are going to push with as well as flatening the surrounding metal as it streches. The next pic shows that the hole is bigger than the die, which will give the metal a place to go. You need the opening to be at least twice the metal thickness. The more gap you give it, the rounder the outer edge will be. I start by laying the metal under the bottom die, and square up two edges for reference. I then mark the hole onto the metal. Then, I put the metal on top of the bottom die and square up the two edges again. (where my fingers are) This now places the scribed hole directly over the opening. Now you can lay the top die within the scribed hole, lay the backing plate on top of that and give it a push in the press. You can do this in a vice, but it takes a lot of squeeze. If all goes well, it should look something like this. After some carefull measuring, welding, grinding and painting, you should have a recess that looks like it belongs there.
This is a great idea, to inset lights in Dash panels as well. Maybe you would not have to cut & weld the piece in, for instance a Model a panel below the windshield & above the gas tank
looks straight forward. what about different thicknesses? ever run across something that might require heat or lubricant?
This is great Terry! I really like how, in your particular application, the recessed contact matches the recess on the door hinges. It really gives it that "factory look". It's all in the details, plus it solved a problem!
It will work with any thickness, but you would have to use heat for anything over 14 gauge, (or a really big press) and as I mentioned the thicker the metal the more clearance between the top & bottom die. You could do it without the cut & paste method I used by using a bolt through the top & bottom dies, but for 16-18 gauge it would need at least a 3/8 bolt, and I didn't have that much room. It would also weaken the top die by quite a lot. I have done it for dash knobs, and it looks really good.
Very cool indeed, I was wondering if something like that would actually work. I'm gonna make one for myself.
Hmmm, I could use two of those recess pieces and it seems almost silly for me to spend time making those dies so.... How much?
I never would have thought of that I would have peened it in with a hammer and mudded it up hahaha. cool post.
Its so simple.... i swear I learn something new here everyday! Some of them seem so obvious too. I love this place.
Terry, that is cool! Especially when you finish with something that makes normal people go "howdy do it?!"!! This finger?! Hahahahaaaaaaaa
heres some pics of emboss tooling i made, the first is of my company logo, the parts were punched out on a turret punch press and assembled using 1/8" pins and plug welded from the rear, the second is of a bay window for a gas fireplace, the emboss was to give the effect of the part being a cast iron piece.
The Jalopy Journal
