Bucks, Hammer Forms & Fitting it tight

When I form sheet metal SOMTIMES the fitting tolerance gets pretty big.

Wire Forms - Egg Crates - Station Bucks all work great, but the fitment can get a LiL ( Compromised )

I wanted to show all My HAMB buddy's how I made Some Bucks & Forms, and then show just how close you can get with the fit if you persue it.

The following Picture's are from an Air Craft Cowl & Nose Sculpture crafted at my shop.

This last week was pretty ruff - I did not get as much done on this artical as as I hoped to.

I will post up the first group of photo's today, the second group in the next couple of days, and add the descriptions & tell the tale last.


If you have any questions, E mail me at [email protected]


Rich Pauza<O</O
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First picture you can see a sweet little tool for drawing circles.

The plywood is all Canadian Oak - glued & screwed - big time.

A rotory table in the Bridgeport makes a nice round chunk out of the plywood.

A bottom step is added.

A top detail ring is also cut.

And the last shot is a mock up for the radius I am looking for.

 

Picture Group # 2

One more mock up of radius.

Side shot of a ( dragger ) or Profile knife.

Top lay out of forming tool.

Dragger takes shape

Fit & tac up

( turn & form )

 

Picture Group #3

In this bunch you can see the shape develope in Plastic.

First in Glass reinforced Bondo,

Then in ( Pink )

Real important to not lay up to much at once - I think 3/4 of an inch is as thick as you should go - per layer.

Also important to let the filler ( kick ) completely before you add more.

And here's one that will drive the body & paint guy's frickin nuts - I mix Bondo with Digital gram scale - laught all you want - When I mix it up, IT AWAYS sets up nice & uniform - ALWAYS...!

Last pic - a sweet 80g finish & ready to use.

 

Picture Group #4


This set of shots shows the ( Nose Cone ) start to take shape.

Again, Canadian Oak - Glue & Screws.

The center line is set with a .500 steel mandrel.

This helps ( stacking ) up the layers,

And also lets you chuck up in the Lathe.

First I cut the OD.

Then I ruffed in the cone, using a drawing as a Guide.

You can get alot closer that you might think...!

 

Picture Group #5

Here we have Glass reinforced bondo added.

Ruff shaped in ( steps ).

Smoothed out.

Checked for Hight ( it's to short )

More glass added.

File'd - sanded - shaped - cheched with a gage.

And the last picture is ( ready to use )

 

Picture Group #6

This bunch show the rear of the nose cone shape's.

I tryed to use ( just the wood ) and router'd a forming radius into the base.

It did not hold up to the force of shrinking .100 thick aluminum.

So a machined up a aluminum ( bottom )

When ever you think your going to use heat to shrink on a form - aluminum rules & wood burns.

 

Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to more.

 

Picture set #7

Know we can start forming sheet metal,

The material is .100 thick 3003H14 Aluminum.

The blanks are cut & debured,

Then they are anealed to dead soft - ( soot burn off ) is my favorite method to aneal.

I can not say this enough times - THE KEY to forming metal is ( CLAMPAGE )

If you can grab the metal your trying to form & hold it HARD over your form, you have already won 50% of the battle.

The wood inbetween the clamp & blanks prevents unwanted dents & dingers.

You start to tap - working the material down & over.

Simple ( corking ) tools can be shaped from Wood & Plastic.

The results are ausome - almost stamped looking.

 

Picture set #8

The dreaded reverse curve...!!

No Doubt - This is the HARDEST SHAPE to make.

I start by forming strips into the correct radius in a rubber die brake.

I like to visualize everthing best I can - I cut slots into a test piece so you can see just how much the outer edge has to stretch to make this shape.

You also can see how the ( stretch area ) reduce's as it goes in ( the slots are v shaped ) - and it's also good to notice that the ( inside ) needed ( Zero ) stretching.

I start to form this shape with a Liner die in a plaishing hammer.

As it started to move - I switch to a reverse curve upper die.

You can see buy the scribe lines alot of trimming is nesesary.

The ( extra ) material you cut off is thinned out big time to make the shape

Last picture - the bottom ring is being fit.

 

Set of pictures #9

This set of pictures show's a real COOL - hot tip.

Glass, wood & bondo forms are great for this kind of project except for ONE THING,

If you ever tryed to tac aluminum over wood or bondo you know what the probem is.....

Smoke - Pop - Fire & the most contanimated weld you have ever seen - ( that is if you can even make a puddle )

The cure - Renolds Wrap Heavy Duty Foil...!

After your done forming, wrap you tool in foil - dubble it up it your a slow tac'r - it WORKS GREAT ...!

In this set you can also see a fabricated ( band clamp ) to help fitting the center band.

Then you see the center band in place & tac'd

 

Picture set #10

Here we see more shaping, and lots more form work.

It is time consuming.

Big Time....!

But the results can be seen in the fit-ment.

The tac work is finished.

Then the ( cowl ) is tapped of the buck.

The part looks great & the buck is fine.

 

Picture set #11

The better you fit & The tighter you fit -

The less movment & distortion you will see when you weld er up.

After the out side is welded, you can see the seams are ( gap-less ).

Tiny amounts of brun through can be melted with a ( no filler ) welding pass on the inside.

100% weld.

 

Picture set #12

The nose cone shape is tricky.

A pateren to show ( shrink ) is a great way to start.

This is a ( Steve Davis ) trick - so Im giving him full credit..!

Take a close paper shape - lay out cut lines & ( drape ) your shape.

You will be amazed buy how nice it forms over your buck..!

After you tape down the corners, hit it with a quick shot of spray paint.

After it dry's - de - tape it & you will see were you need to ( gather up ) material.

The forth shot shows ( tapered slots ) just like the reverse curve test piece before.

I used a thumbnail die to shrink up the ( blue line ).

Then a lil strech in the center.

Some hammer work over the form.

And some wheel work to smooth it out.

When you have three equal peices, tac em up...!

 

That is some cool stuff, Thanks!

 

Picture set #13

Here you can see a couple parts ready to weld.

You can see the ( Renolds Wrap layer ).

And in the two shots from the bottom, again you can see the Tight fitting of the three peices each part is made up from.

I use a pad of 80g 3M aluminum oxide paper glued to a steel base to ( lap in ) the seem.

Then I made up some ( steps ) to weld into the inside's - these will let me rivit the top to the bottom & will also align the diameters.

 

Picture set #14

This group of pictures show the back side of the nose cone being shaped.

The base is Oak & the radius end is 6061 T6 aluminum.

The aluminum sheet is first rolled into a tube - being acurate on the lenght measurement will make the tube, or cylinder close up perfect.

Clampage comes from ( extra long hose clamps .

I do not use the O&A torch to aneal in this case - sharpie marker & a Hand held MAP torch do the trick.

I start working the material down with a plastic hammer.

And as the ( tucks ) start to form, I switch to my favorite Steel face Tapper.

This stuff is thick - so as you work the tuck, you add heat witht he MAP torch.

Like I said before, if your shrinking aluminum with heat, a aluminum or steel form KICKS BUTT...!

Picture #4 shows an almost perfect shrink - ( Only almost - cause if you look close you can see were I screwed up & added a DINK ) with my favorite hammer.

Back in the lathe, I use Dykem ( RED ) to highlight.

Then I file.

File some more.

And file some more.

Then finish with a sanding block & 120G 3M paper.

The part looks nicer that the form....!!

Crazy part is, you shrunk sooo much material to ( come around that corner ) that even though you were file'n forever - your material thickness on the edge is STILL thicker than what you started with..!

 

Picture set #15

Yup - IT LOOKS GREAT...!

But its stuck on the buck.

When you weld - you always shrink.....ALWAYS..!

So if you fit it tight - ahhh - real tight - Then you welded it up......

You have a interferance fit problem.

I was ready for that & used a ( PULLER ) as a ( PUSHER )

And off it came.

A few more shape shots.

Red up the edge,

And Rub on the paper covered steel.

If you find low spots ( still red ) add a bit of weld & try again.

 

Picture set #16

First picture is the ( step ring ).

I use Notches instead of ( rosette holes ). Rosette hole's in aluminum don't work so hot - Slots or Notches work bitchin..!

Fit the steps.

Weld the steps.

And you can see the results - a bad ass fit at the seam..!

The parts will all be metal finished next - but that's a seperate topic..!!

 

Picture set #17 ( a few that I didnt have a spot for - but were still cool )

This topic is HUGE..!

I could write a complete book & there would still be more to show.

So..........If you have any questions, Or if there is a operation you would like to see a few more picture's of, just let me know.

Hope you liked this post up.

Rich Pauza

 

Richard great stuff you always amaze me. Just curious what thickness material did you use on the series 7 thru 10 pictures thanks Danny.

 

Rich your stuff always amazes me!!!!!!

 

Looks great, what did you use to weld it once it was formed ?

Beaulieu

 

Thanks for the Comps Danny..!

All the parts were .100 3003 H14.


I am working on a second set - All the parts will be 063 Copper.

 

Thanks Beaulieu...!

All the parts were TAC'D with a Miller Dial Arc 200

All the parts were welded with a Miller Syncro Wave 350 - inside & out.

 

Thanks Bagged...!!!

Always nice to here..!

 

Thanks Terd - Thanks Duece - Glad you liked..!

 

Fantastic, an inspiration to all metalworkers!

 

Wow, thanks for sharing that Rich! Very nice work, and some really sharp thinking to get there! Extremely well explained too.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

 

Very cool ! I love seeing tech things like this , but I get in trouble thinking - "that looks easy, I can do that !" (and that does'nt stop me from trying !)

 

Stunning.

Well presented, excellent work.


What's really good about a tech piece such as this is, you're helping to save an old skill from disappearing completely.

Well done, got my vote....