Technical Scratch-built '32 grill shell...

[lowtruck]

I’ll be the first to admit that this was a little crazy. It would make far more sense to just order a reproduction deuce shell for a couple hundred and be done with it, but that’s not really what this was about. I’m a student in the auto restoration program at McPherson College in Kansas, and as such have access to a well equipped shop and the desire to learn as much as possible while I’m there. So this was really more of a learning exercise than anything else.

This thread isn’t really meant to be a “how to make your own at home” kind of deal, but if anyone wants to try it, this might give you some ideas.

I must start by thanking my pal Ryan (oldsboy here on the hamb), who was kind enough to loan me his repro shell to be used as a pattern/buck.

After much hemming and hawing over where to begin, I started with the inside upper corners, first bending them in the brake to form the lip that the insert will sit against, then using the hand shrinker to make the curve.





Once that was close, I started forming the reverse curve, first using a hammer and a stake in the bench vise, then moving on the the planishing hammer with a lateral stretching die in the bottom and a slightly crowned die in the top. (I guess I didn't get any pictures of that part, I was having too much fun playing with the loud tool.)



At that point it was close enough to move on to the next piece, trimming and final fitting would come later. It may not look like much at this point, but I was pretty darn thrilled to have the first little piece done.



The mirror-image piece on the other side was formed in the same way, then the two were trimmed and tacked together.





Now may be a good time to mention that it wasn't quite as easy as these pictures may lead you to believe. I'm not good enough at this yet to always hit it on the first try. Here are a few failed attempts on their way to the scrap heap...



The inner-side pieces were much easier to make, requiring that the metal only bend, not stretch or shrink. A hammer and stake made quick work of these, then they were trimmed and tacked.




I moved on to the outer-sides next. These took some tinkering before I figured out the right sequence to make them. I ended up shrinking the upper corners, then smoothing the tool marks in the english wheel.



Once the shape was close, I scribed the contour of the trailing edge of the shell. There is a ridge around the back where it meets the hood/sides, and this was formed by following the scribe line in the bead roller. This bead became a fold line where the back edge was hammered over, then additional tweaking was done by putting this edge in the hand shrinker.







At this point it was pretty close...



With one side done, the other went much more smoothly.

[chaddilac]

Awesome dude!!!!!!

[lowtruck]

With the sides completed, I started working on the lower inside corners. These were a bit trickier than the upper corners, and after the usual trial and error, I figured out that the flange could not be made in the brake, but rather needed to be curved. The bead roller was once again put to work, followed once again by the hand shrinker. I don’t know how I’ve lived without one of these…they’re useful for almost any sheet metal project.)





The curve was once again formed with the planishing hammer, then tweaked with a hammer and stake until it the fit was right.



Once the other side was made, I couldn’t resist clamping everything together to see how it looked.



The outside-bottom pieces were fairly easy to make, first using the hand shrinker (seriously...the handiest little tool ever) to shrink the front edge, then the English wheel to stretch out the corners. These were made bigger than they needed to be and trimmed later.





Both sides…



I had to stop and clamp it all together again, just to take a look. Everything still needed to be trimmed and fit together, but I couldn’t resist having a look at all that shiny metal that was starting to resemble a deuce shell.



(I spent way more time walking around my workbench looking at it like this than I should have.)

On to the inner pan behind the shell. If you’ve ever looked at one of these, you know that this is kind of an odd shape. It needs to stretch in the middle, but shrink at the corners. I tried a few things (which I won’t go into here, it wasn’t pretty) before settling on the planishing hammer to raise the center.



There is also a bead at the top of this piece, which was “traced” from the original shell, then run through the bead roller using the dies pictured. With a little tweaking on the pressure, these dies made the perfect “step” to match the original.




Pictured here is the contact patch of the lateral stretching die in the planishing hammer that was used to form the “eyebrow” in the center.

[Malcolm]

Very cool project, Joe --- nice work!!



Malcolm

[lowtruck]

On to the top. The shell that I was borrowing had the original-style hole for the radiator cap at the center. I wanted to make a filled and peaked center, so I had to get a little creative. I would have liked to have formed this part in only two pieces, but the area around the radiator fill hole is raised, preventing me from fitting my pieces flush against the shell. To get around this, I formed a left and right side, then a separate piece in the middle.

The left and right pieces were formed by shrinking the edges, then smoothing and stretching at the corners with the english wheel.







As with the sides, a bead needed to be rolled at the rear of these pieces as well. This picture shows the right-side after its trip through the bead roller and some additional tweaking of the shape with a hammer and stake.



…and the left. This picture shows the bead before being hammered over.



With both sides done, it was time to move on to the center. I had to play with this shape a little to get it right, but in the end a little work with the english wheel and the hand shrinker produced the desired shape. I wanted a bit of a raised peak at the center, gently tapering toward the rear. This was accomplished with a sharp die in the bead roller against the flat part of a soft die. I slowly backed off the tension as I got closer to the back. I’m happy with the way it came out. It has sort of a “Rocketeer” look to it.



With all the pieces made, it was time for the arduous task of fitting the edges together. I planned to TIG weld all of the seams, so the fit had to be pretty good. This joint proved particularly harrowing…



I used a MIG welder for the initial tacks, as it’s much easier to keep the desired alignment with one hand and “point and click” with the MIG in the other hand.

The “chin” was the first sub-assembly to be tacked together.



It was then attached to the rest of the inner pieces. Kinda starting to look like something at this point…



…then the sides…



…and the outside pieces of the top…





…and the center.



This was kind of a big moment for me. I knew that there was a ton of work still to come, but I was thrilled to have made it this far. It’s a grill shell!

[lowtruck]

With the bottom tacked in place…



…it was time to TIG weld. The wood is there to serve as a jig to keep the whole works from turning into a pretzel while welding.







The next step was to finish all the welds. I used a 5” grinder with 36 grit Rolocs to knock down the high spots. To keep from over-grinding the rest was done with a file, 80 grit paper on a block, and finally with 150 on a DA sander. The high and low spots were worked out with a hammer and dolly.





Almost looks like a grill shell…





Not quite done yet. I had yet to make the part around the back where the welting goes and where the hood and sides would rest. After some trial and error, I found that one of the 90 degree bends could be made in the brake, then the piece could be run through the bead roller to make the raised part in the middle, then the finger-brake could be used to make the other 90. The curve was made with…you guessed it…the hand shrinker/stretcher.



The sides were tacked on…



…then the top…



…and finally it was all welded up.





That pretty much brings us up to date. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the metals instructor at McPherson, Ed Barr. Not only is he insanely good at shaping and welding, but he’s an incredibly patient teacher. During this project, he was quick to offer suggestions, but stayed out of my way enough to let me screw up and learn from my mistakes. Thanks Ed, I couldn’t have done this without you.

My wife caught me making a few tweaks. There may be a bit more planishing to be done before paint, but I’m calling it good for now.



Here it is clamped in place on my Model A, where it will someday reside permanently. The car is just mocked-up at this point, if you look closely you can see the c-clamps and vise grips holding it all together. When a few of the vise grips are no-longer necessary, I’ll start a build thread for the rest of the car.

[Crookshanks]

Nicely done. I give more props to the man with skills and motivation than the one with a bottomless wallet.

[Uptown83]

You knocked it out of the park!

[Kramer]

Nicely done!

[mink]

Nice work! How long did it take to form? Is that a custom built english wheel with hoosier wheel and anvils?

[Jen......]

very nicely done

Jen

[Don's Hot Rods]

Impressive isn't a strong enough word. So, will you be going into mass production ?

If this is any indication, the rest of the car should be amazing.

Don

[Gremlinguy]

That looks great man!!

[uncle buck]

Very nice!

[falconsprint63]

well done!

[big duece]

Now, crank out 50 of them a day! Nice work, ever thought of doing the 3 window body?

[heyitsnate]

Sweet!

[j_johnson]

Very nice work!

[tinmann]

Impressive work.

I just gave my shrinker/stretcher a workout today so I know what you mean when you say it's just so darn handy.

[OLLIN]

Good work, you've got skills!

[landseaandair]

Here's another "nicely done" and a Wow!

[Homemade44]

Very impressive work on the grill shell. You understand what needs to be done to the metal and how to make it move where you want it to go. You are correct, if you are going to shape metal a set of Lancaster shrinker and stretchers are a must have tool. A set of stippled dies will reduce the marking of the metal and reduce cleanup time. Can't wait to see the complete build thread.

[NealinCA]

Very nice work...a little more authentic than my ho-made 32 grille I did a few years ago.

Neal

[kuztomklaus]

That's just plain and simple awesome work here! Can't hardly wait for the build thread of the rest of the car! I really like the peak on the top and I'm sure the completed car will be just as well crafted and thought out!


Sent from my iPhone using TJJ app

[510madmav]

That was impressive. Thanks for sharing

[rustymetal]

very nice

[Kevinsrodshop]

Well done! It turned out really good.

[slddnmatt]

very well done. great job, did you keep track of your hours????

[fleet-master]

good work Lowtruck, nice project to learn on for sure. Looks great on your car too!! Keep it up!

[Mooseman]

Wow thats awesome, one thing I have often wondered about using an original as a buck is does the new part end up the same size or a little bigger then the original?

[jimbob]

Very nice work!

[rockabillybassman]

Stunning!

[gnichols]

Amazing. And a couple more WOWs. Gary

[go-twichy]

my wife asked me, "what are you doing?" i said i'm bowing to some young kid in kansas! perfect little project to hone your skills.

[Phil Stevens]

great work, that's for sure, always thought a '32 grille was a complex shape and your work
confirms it.
now, can you make me one too

[VoodooTwin]

Fantastic work! Its so great to see someone with mad skills and YOUTH get involved in this great line of work. Stay with it!!

[oj]

Nice piece of work!

[oldandkrusty]

Incredible workmanship! Nuff said...

[FourBangNCanuck]

Turned out awesome Joe! Great job man!

[bobscogin]

Kid, you've got a real gift there! Nice work!

Bob

[HOTRODPRIMER]

Congratulations to you and your instructor,,you have incredible talent and I look forward to following your project as it progresses. HRP

[alfin32]

Fantastic work, keep it up.
We have 3 former McPherson grads at our shop, and they're all great.
Give us a call when you graduate.

[general gow]

very impressive work. looks great on your car.

[lowtruck]

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I'm consistently humbled by the talent on this board, so the compliments mean a lot.

[34toddster]

I F'ing Quit! Nice work Kid!

[BBYBMR]

A true craftsman. Great job.

[pitman]

Lot of older, and impressed among us here! Your pics and story bring into the possible.
Thanks for this.

[ChuckleHead_Al]

Wow great job.

[pumpman]

Outstanding! What's left to say. Great job.

[ronzmtrwrx]

Nice work, young man! It's much more satisfying to make something from scratch than just plunking down dollars for a repop. Keep up the good work and attitude.

[067chevy]

Very Nice!!!

[Kevin Lee]

That looks really nice.

[ken1939]

Tremendous! Thats all I can say. I am planning to duplicate my 32 Aussie Tub in Aluminum, and I was thinking about things like the Fenders and the Rad Shell, wondering how would I approach it. I must say you had a great plan, and did a great job in execution.

Now I cant wait to get my material and order my english wheel to get started!

Super job!

[HOTRODPRIMER]

I've never had any formal training with metal working tools such as shrinker -stretchers and bead rollers but have used both quiet a bit over the years,,I've played with the cheap harbor freight English wheels.

I am in awe of your talent,,If I needed a shell I would have to buy one. HRP

[Flowmeister]

Great work and results!
Look forward to your build thread.

[Da Tinman]

Well done!

[hallrods]

Wow build me a 3 window to go with it.

[kingpins]

Originally Posted by hallrods

Wow build me a 3 window to go with it.

lol exactly. i bet you cant build a 32 three window and send it to my house for final inspection

amazing job man. i love to see someone with serious skills

[Larry W]

Great work, I'm impressed.

[monster]

I went to wyotech 6 years ago and wish i would have known of McPherson then. Great job dude

[exStreamliner]

Your talent and desire will take you far... Amazing skill at any age... thanks for sharing...

[flatoz]

Now your going to have to build the insert for that, a repro just wouldn't do!

[maybelene]

That's what I'm talking about right there, the real deal. You can use those same tactics over and over in this world full of parts replacers. Great job!

[captainjunk#2]

great job on the grill shell ,

[Irrational Metalworks]

Nice job. You have what it takes to succeed in this trade!

[ZZ-IRON]

choice
real nice work

[cuznbrucie]

Fuckin' showoff!!.................

...but seriously......that is some impressive work you've done......you have my respect!

CB

[Tman]

Very nice job! And awesome documenting here for us to see!

[EnragedHawk]

Man, that is hella awesome. I really hope I can find the time to go back to school for this stuff eventually. Amazing work!

[lowtruck]

Originally Posted by NealinCA

Very nice work...a little more authentic than my ho-made 32 grille I did a few years ago.
Neal

I spotted your thread on that shell before I started this one. I thought it was awesome. I don't think I would have had the imagination to look at that truck grill and see a deuce shell.

Originally Posted by slddnmatt

very well done. great job, did you keep track of your hours????

I wish I would have payed more attention to my hours. I think there were three 30-40 hour weeks to get it to the point where it was all tacked together, then the better part of second semester working on it when I had time.

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Wow thats awesome, one thing I have often wondered about using an original as a buck is does the new part end up the same size or a little bigger then the original?

I considered that, too, but if it's done right, it's bigger only by the thickness of the metal, which isn't much. If you were looking to use a stock insert, you might want to pay extra attention around that area, but I don't think it would matter anywhere else.

Originally Posted by FourBangNCanuck

Turned out awesome Joe! Great job man!

Thanks Pete! You get yours running yet? I'm expecting a ride in that beast this fall.

Originally Posted by flatoz

Now your going to have to build the insert for that, a repro just wouldn't do!

Agreed. I have the remains of a '32 truck "insert" that somebody torched out of the original shell. It ain't pretty, but I think I can use it as a pattern.

Thanks again to everybody who posted comments. I really appreciate the encouragement, and it means an awful lot coming from the HAMB crowd. The work I've seen on here is a huge inspiration to me.

[Mopar Jack]

Amazing...

[Tim]

Damn joe! I'll be in Witchita the weekend after KKOA I might need to check out this piece of fine art in person

[lowtruck]

Do it! I'd love to catch up man.

[tubman]

Like everyone else says, just excellent. I really appreciate your including some of your "false starts" in the thread. For someone like me, they are probably the most important part.

[Pete]

One word........WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you taking orders????? How much????

Pete-

[sr808]

That's very impressive metal work.

[GaryC.]

Wow! Excellent work!

[gnarlytyler]

clean man... give yourself a pat on the back... i'll second what hrp said.. If I wanted a 32 grill shell, id have to buy it... lots of talent on the hamb..

[oldsboy]

Thanks for the mention Joe, glad I could help out; but I'm really glad to see this documented and up...all of your descriptions just didn't live up to the photos and end product.

Boy have our plans changed from about 4 years ago...but definitely changed for the better.

[edwardlloyd]

Want to come and work for me in Germany for a few months?

[chevy3755]

very nice fab work.........you should be proud

[pila38]

Wow, beautiful work. I'm in awe and may just want to be you right now.

[lowtruck]

Originally Posted by Pete

One word........WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you taking orders????? How much????

Pete-

Thanks man. I'm afraid it wouldn't really be financially viable to go into the grill shell business. With some practice, you could probably get this process down to 100 hours or so, but you'd have to charge more than people would want to pay when they can just order a repro for $200. This would, however, be worthwhile if the car you were working on didn't have the aftermarket support of the '32. Maybe I need to start making Ferrari noses or something.

Originally Posted by oldsboy

Thanks for the mention Joe, glad I could help out; but I'm really glad to see this documented and up...all of your descriptions just didn't live up to the photos and end product.

Boy have our plans changed from about 4 years ago...but definitely changed for the better.

Thank you sir, couldn't have done it without you. And yes, our cars are now headed in a much better direction than they may once have been.

Originally Posted by edwardlloyd

Want to come and work for me in Germany for a few months?

Haha...that's cool, I've never been to Germany.

[shockley_67]

VERY NICE!!! metal shaping is one art i wish i new. if we had a class out here that i could take without spending a small fortune or someone that could steer me in the right direction that would be great. right now i would just end up with a pile of steel for the scrap yard!

your grill sheel is pure art!!!

[nitrousnut]

That is motivating. very well done. I am an fng with a 28-29 coupe and I will start a build thread when I have enough parts to get going. The HAMB has allowed me to find many things I need and I have never had a problem with any members yet. great job, I will be watching

[Jen......]

very well done ,

wish i had your talent , i wouldnt be buying so many grill shells that are mangled trying to make one complete one out of this mess


Jen

[The37Kid]

WOW! Very impressive! How do the rules work here on the HAMB, can this be submitted as a Tech Week item, or does he have to make something else? Bob

[LeaBlender]

Impressive work! really very good!

[Rob Paul]

thats awesome!!

[Saxman]

Really impressive!! I wish I had the equipment and the skills to go with it.

[dustdevil]

Looks awesome!! I'm jealous. Cant wait to find time to learn how to do this!! Keep up the great work!!

[TV]

Nicely done my man, keep at it you will be great someday.--TV

[Hogdriver]

Most impressive!

[Mopar Jack]

WOW!!!...thats all i can say...

[Tank]

That looks great man!

[KIRK!]

I think you lost your mind! Incredible work though!!!

[ironrodder]

With that quality of work the finished car should be great. Well done

[davo461]

That is beautiful!
BTW, do all Kansans electric weld with no skin cover? Seems a little risky to me.

[fitzee]

now this is top notch.. I enjoy post like this.. give us great ideas..

[Mindover]

Originally Posted by lowtruck

Thanks man. I'm afraid it wouldn't really be financially viable to go into the grill shell business. With some practice, you could probably get this process down to 100 hours or so, but you'd have to charge more than people would want to pay when they can just order a repro for $200. This would, however, be worthwhile if the car you were working on didn't have the aftermarket support of the '32. Maybe I need to start making Ferrari noses or something.

You did a very nice job of the shell, your metal finishing skills are very good.

I make shells for lots of exotic cars, I made one for a Ferrari worth over a million (GB Pounds) it took me forty hours including traveling to the workshop where the rest of the work was being done twice (an hours drive each way)(to take patterns and then to fit it) and they still moaned about the cost.

Here is a photo of a couple of SS100 shell I hand made in brass. the original is in the background.



A link to the thread showing how if you are interested (the Ferrari grill is on there)

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=637003

Keep up the good work!

David

[Mindover]

I forgot to say they are hand beaten and gas welded.

David

[lowtruck]

Originally Posted by Mindover

You did a very nice job of the shell, your metal finishing skills are very good.

I make shells for lots of exotic cars, I made one for a Ferrari worth over a million (GB Pounds) it took me forty hours including traveling to the workshop where the rest of the work was being done twice (an hours drive each way)(to take patterns and then to fit it) and they still moaned about the cost.

Here is a photo of a couple of SS100 shell I hand made in brass. the original is in the background.



A link to the thread showing how if you are interested (the Ferrari grill is on there)

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=637003

Keep up the good work!

David

Wow, I just read through that thread, amazing work. I especially like the buck/hammerform that you made for those shells. And your gas welding on the brass is also amazing. I can only imagine the amount of metal finishing required on a part that is to be plated.

Thanks for sharing the link and for the kind words.

[ct1932ford]

Originally Posted by The37Kid

WOW! Very impressive! How do the rules work here on the HAMB, can this be submitted as a Tech Week item, or does he have to make something else? Bob

Maybe he could make me a Pines
What nice work!

[GregF]

Congratulations on a job well done! The handmade parts are the thing that separates a 1-800 car from a true work of art.

[Mindover]

Originally Posted by lowtruck

Wow, I just read through that thread, amazing work. I especially like the buck/hammerform that you made for those shells. And your gas welding on the brass is also amazing. I can only imagine the amount of metal finishing required on a part that is to be plated.

Thanks for sharing the link and for the kind words.

Thanks for your interest, its good to see young people learning this skill.

I have made more than two hundred of the SS100 style shells, the buck is about 23 years old now so worse for wear. It takes me about a day to make all the parts and weld them together then two days
to get them metal finished. The insert is a lot of work as well. Most of the work is hand beaten, only about ten minutes of wheeling on the side pieces (if that).

I prefer gas welding, I gas weld almost everything I make.

I have a couple of other metalshaping threads you may like, click my avatar to find them if you are interested.

David

[psyclesinc]

Great job bro!!

[48fordnut]

awesome craftmanship. Lots of talent on here

[CRH]

Oh yeay, thanks for making me jealous you dirty BUM!

[HEMI32]

[mika112]

Great job man!
magnifique travail .

[banjorear]

Wow! That is awesome. May I ask, how long did it take you from start to finish? I'm really curious. I'm very impressed!

[shane85]

wow very cool

[oldspwr]

Just wanted to bring this back to the top...

Joe and his shell was just featured on Wayne Carini's show on the Velocity channel, Chasing Classic Cars...

Nice job Joe!

[383deuce]

Way to go Joe....Very nice job

[Blue Moon Garage]

I think I saw you on Chasing Classic Cars last night..............

[35fordcoupe]

I saw the show a couple weeks ago. I had just read this thread a couple days before that! Very nice work!

[Bud Reynolds]

Great work! How I envy you!

[ph8ed4life]

Damn guys, this is a fabricators dream! Amazing work!!!

[HEMI32]

Originally Posted by oldspwr

Just wanted to bring this back to the top...

Joe and his shell was just featured on Wayne Carini's show on the Velocity channel, Chasing Classic Cars...

Nice job Joe!

Originally Posted by Blue Moon Garage

I think I saw you on Chasing Classic Cars last night..............

Originally Posted by 35fordcoupe

I saw the show a couple weeks ago. I had just read this thread a couple days before that! Very nice work!

oldspwr, Blue Moon Garage, & 35fordcoupe -

Just an FYI ... I posted the Chasing Classic Cars clip back on post #109.

[toolman1967]

Very cool tutorial! WELL DONE!!!

[drumyn29]

Wow, great craftsman! You should meet Lee Kay Custom Metalworks

[The37Kid]

Just upgraded to AT&T and we get the Velocity channel now, I have a lot of Chasing Classic Cars viewing to catch up on. Nice to see this project featured. Bob

Originally Posted by oldspwr

Just wanted to bring this back to the top...

Joe and his shell was just featured on Wayne Carini's show on the Velocity channel, Chasing Classic Cars...

Nice job Joe!

[the metalsurgeon]

Originally Posted by drumyn29

Wow, great craftsman! You should meet Lee Kay Custom Metalworks

Lee and i went to college together as part of our 4 yr engineering apprenticeship,and worked together for many years to both ending up in Cali working along side each other.

[34Flatty]

went through McPherson today on the way back to CO. You are skilled beyond your years...enjoyed seeing the step by step and like others...how many hours did this take from start to finish. How nice to be able to make any panel you may need in the future for patching etc!