Gene Winfield Class Notes (cont) 56k beware

[FONT=&quot]I posted just a couple clips to save space.
I attended Gene's class in Oklahoma City. I will create a separate post for the [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Merc Chop notes[/FONT][FONT=&quot], but I organized my [/FONT][FONT=&quot]metal working portion[/FONT][FONT=&quot] together here, for your viewing pleasure. These notes are almost verbatim, I did condense some. Photobucket renamed these out of order, so they don't flow very well, I will try to re-arrange.

[/FONT]http://s59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/bhilburn/Gene Winfield/

Making stainless trim for a hard top.

Use a 3/8" x 1" flat bar stock. Clamp end in vise laying flat. Heat an area cherry red. Pull with light pressure, use it moves move the flame, continue until contour of window is matched. Use 16 gauge stainless 1 3/8" x 4' 1/2" lip on both sides 3/8 in the middle. clamp in vice, hammer to square edge. then clamp to frame template with a cleat. (metal with spacer). 16 gauge has more meat to metal finish flat after bend. using a flat hammer, hit it on the sides only. never the top gentle pull.

This is how the windows were made for the Hirohata Merc, dog legged quarter window







Railroad Iron as a spring de arch.




Lay spring on floor. Make a cross to measure the unsprung height. hammer on the Iron to flatten out. compare to cross and measure lowered amount.

Sand bag hammer made from Acetylene topper. Take a Lid for an acetylene tank, drill a hole straight thru, weld in a length of tube for a handle, voila!

Anvil made from a rail road rail. small base, 8-10" protrusion along the top ground down for shaping fine pieces of metal.



Work table. Big piece of steel mounted to table with bolts and tar paper(roofing paper) to quiet down. Gene says by 400%!

Gene Winfield edge breaking tool. or Hammer and Heal dolly.

Tucking tool, or ordinary claw hammer. used to create compund curved corners, like chopping a truck cab

Annealing aluminum. Use the soot from acetylene only as a guide coat, then slowly burn it off with a light feather flame (preferably on a fire brick table to speed the process)




392 Valvecover bump (when stuffing too much motor into a early car)

 

So cool!! Gene rules!!

Ian

 

Way cool, thanks for sharing!

 

Chopping a Truck Cab -
Here are some diagram's from the Gene Winfield class, he is very much against the adding to the middle method, he says to cut the top of a neon, other car out, whatever has enough crown to it. you can make a cardboard template of your roof so you can find the closest curve profile out in the scrap yard.

use that so you can hammer gas weld around the perimeter, less metal work and less chance of oil canning. he uses a tucking tool to pinch the corner down for the correct radius, rather than the multiple relief cut method.
It works like a metal shrinker.

 

gene is a really craftsman ! met him at metalmeet ! got him to autograph some lead paddles for me ! i will treasure them till i die! he so good at explaining some stuff ! he should of run for president !!! love ya gene !!! "gene for president 2012 "

 

Thank you. Nice info.

 

At 84 years old, still sharp as they come and a really great guy, AMAZING!

 

Gene had a swap meet space next to mine at a Pate Swap Meet 10+ years ago.

For a guy who's a living legend in the hotrod world, he was as humble and nice as a guy could be.