Been working on this for about 2 1/2 months. I just about have the first fender done. Here is the buck. And here is the first fender. The fender is coming out good for the first shot. I've learned a little along the way, so I feel the next one will go quicker, and hope it turns out better. It's not quite done yet. I'm hoping to have it done this weekend. Then I plan on finishing the buck for the right side. I have a bunch more pictures here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=8333 Jeff
A few reasons. The biggest reason would be I don't have much for woodworking tools. I also wanted to be able to heat and weld the fender on it without catching fire.
It is nice to be able to weld to your buck. Your doin a great job keep you the updates. I seen in the one pix that your wheel looks like you used a old axle can you post a pix of it for me. Tom
I have some pictures here in this album. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=1911 I made it so I could run 1" wide anvils. I don't like the upper adjuster I made for it though. The sides hang to low and interfere when you are doing reverse curves. It is a whole axle, but I had to box it in to make it more ridgid.
I gas weld everything. I've run gas welds through shrinking dies with no cracking. They wheel nice. It's what I'm used to since I don't have a decent tig welder. I have one, but it dosn't have remote amprage.
Great ones to reproduce, as anyone who has a '36 Ford knows, these are HARD to find. I bought a pair last summer for $900 and I am going to have countless hours in them to make them decent. But they'll never be as nice as those!! Good work, will be anxious to see how they turn out.
That's is another reason I made the buck out of steel. I do plan on making more fenders. Limited production.... The fender I am using as a pattern was $600.00. It needs work too. I'm really hoping to finish it within the next week. I'll post an update.... Jeff
Jeff, they are looking good. So how many of these fenders are you going to build? You should advertise them.
To start I'm making 2 pairs. How many more beyond that depends how much time the second set takes me. So far I think I could get a job in a factory in China and make more money then I'll make on the first set. Jeff
Jeff, That's just part of the learning curve, hahahahaha. The more you make the faster you will get. Larry
Very nice work! Those bucks are works of art as well. There is a demand for those coupe fenders as I am sure you know.
Dyce, I'd love to see this in person, great work man, now let's see some 37 Ford Coupe rear fenders from you!
Jeff great buck I know all about the hrs to build 36 rear fenders I have built 5 set & 99.5% of the people that called or emaild did not want to pay even 1/2 of what it takes in hrs to build a set great job Danny.
I've seen pictures of some of the fenders you did Dan and they are nice!! You are right about the time. That's what is going to likly keep me from making to many. If all I had to do is make fenders it wouldn't be so bad, but I have a couple more projects waiting. John and everyone else thank you for the positive comments!!
Very Nice Work!! not having a Tig and having to make your own wheel have made you a better craftsman.A metal buck now thats alot of work,but just as beautiful as the fender!
I finished the second fender. I had to redo, both bucks. Mainly because the fenders I used for reference were junk... Saddly I had to use a fiberglass reproduction as a reference. Here is the final product. It is straight, and will need very little if any mud, but it took alot of work. I plan on buying a tig welder before I do the next fender. I have used gas welding for 2 fenders now and the finishing is just taking to long.
WOW that turned out great What are you using to knock down your weld? I ask because I picked up a new grinder that uses a 2in wheel and it is so much faster than anything else I have tried Chicago Pneumatic CP7500 check it out money well spent Tom
I use cutoff wheels in a electric grinder. I've found at the top of a crown where the weld is high a file works best. It's hand work but the control is well worth the effort. If the weld is low and for some reason I can't bump it up, or I'm hitting sheet metal more then the weld I grab the grinder. After the file and grinder I used a DA with 40 grit. Thanks!!
Wow - nice work. I saw a reasonable one sell on 'a well known internet auction site' for $980 just yesterday. The drivers side was worse & went for $127. I bought a pair for my Roadster, here in the UK, for £60 (about $100). When I got through the 3/4" of filler they were pretty grim - a TV aerial formed the wheel opening! You dont expect much for that money though. I have 8 weeks in the repairs at the moment and more to go. They will still need a good 'skim' when they are finished. The tragic thing is that I had a NOS pair four years ago that I sold, for £400, 'cos I thought I'd never find a Roadster.
I have one that cost about $1000.00 that was like swiss cheese after we blasted it. They are very hard to find, and if you do they need tons of work.