Around here, "old used wood" is more expensive than new wood. There are several businesses that sell only old salvaged wood. Unless that wood is really rotten, there are products that can save it. For example, the Model T guys have a product that saves wood wheels.
thanks for the Model T idea, but this stuff is bad, way beyond fixing.... Its just the the local Wood workers "were" making too much money on new construction kitchen cabinets..... that might change with the housing loan problems.....
al .the woodguys advice is good. steel bracing over the timber. the timber is just a carrier the steel plates absorb the movement and stiffen up the frame. this is really custom framework and not alot of steel plates are needed (i do this everyday in house construction but houses are not ment to travel 50 plus miles an hour but they still move over time).i recently purchased fisher service body manual 26 to 32 20 bucks on ebay lots of info even about how to attach the roof to windshield pillars . i wil try to get back to you soon with plans from oz (what do you want to build ) dave
Al, Mike Nickels did a great job on my husband's 36 Ford. This was when it was leaving for Michigan! Nickels Automotive Woodworking Traverse City, Michigan 49686 USA 231-947-2599
What size steel tubing should I use to fabricate the steel structure for the woodie I am going to build. Thanks, Mike Miller Springfield, OH
the sizes change from body to body.. 1 inch square heavy wall on most of it..3/4 and rectangular tubing in the doors.. plus alot of cut steel to fit the curves.. wood
I have loved the woodie for a long time. I have thought before the best way is to fab-up a 1" tube structure. Good to know the experts agree. As for the shape, I am building a '28 Ford closed cab pickup. I think I will start with the pickup cab wood kit for the basic cab area proportions. Then extend those proportions on back. Won't know 'till I try it.
I purchased a Williams & Hussey moulding machine for wood trim in my house but the real intent was to some day build a woodie with the model A cowl my son and I have stashed. Can someone recommend where to get cutters made for the beltline trim and pillars. I was given the opportunity to photograph and measure the wood sub assemblies of a 46 Ford woodie that was being restored and that really opened my eyes to really how doable such a project as this is. I have been woodworking for several years now and have enough tools to build about anything from wood that I want. I am dependant on my son for the metal work. He is an alumni from Dunwoody Inst. for welding and Wyotech for street rod fab. Together I know we could build a righteous woodie. I believe the Williams and Hussey machine is up for the task but any input from the experienced among would be greatly appreciated.
I machined my own...dont think you will find a pre made beltline cutter.. just find something close and you can machine away the extra.. or even do it with blades tooled for different sections...and make several passes the beltline and fingerjoints will tell right away if the car homebrewed or the real deal... wood...
I am finally going to get started on the body for my woodie project....I understand that I need to build up a steel structure to "hang" the wooden body parts from. What is the best way to do fasten the wood to the steel structure? Wood screws from the backside or bolts from the front, covered by the belt moldings, etc.? Other types of fasteners? Should I use stainless steel fasteners, even in areas that will not be exposed to the weather? Thanks, Mike Miller
I started (but never finished, story of my life) a 28-9 A woodie project back in the early 80's. During my research I found out the 28-9 A woodie used 27 T coupe door pillars as they are some 3" longer than an A sedan cowl pillar. this gives the early woodies their raised roofline. I don't know what door pillars the 30-31 A woodie used, these later A's have the downward sloping roofline over the front doors, so presumably they used stock A closed car pillars. Now, woodguy, while I've got your attention.... There was a 'chopped and channeled' deuce woodie featured in a rod magazine in the mid 1960's. Fenderless, bobbed rear fenders from memory, SBC (of course) and even a special 'pocket' in the roof to stash the malibus in. I believe it was scratchbuilt on a gennie cowl and frame. Do you have any knowledge of this car, or the magazine it appeared in? Cheers, Glen.
anybody need a hand with anything pm me....i've been a chair frame maker for 20 yrs... making full size plans would be a start
I made this woody over the last few years and just got it on the road a few months ago. I drew most of it up in autocad before I built anything and if it looks like something you'd be interested in driving I could help you out with plans. This entire car is made from recycled oak with a 3/4"x4'x'8 oak veneer plywood floor and 7/16"x4'x8' fir ply roof. The frame is custom but you could stick this body on any frame with any motor you choose, I'm running a jag mill.
And the same again here. BTTT I'm keen on any info about building a custom woodie. Been a carpenter for 40+ years and will enjoy using my skills in this way. .
Given my recent projects I think the best solution would suggest finding a runnng model a ( or similar ) 4 door sedan and building a body in place of the doors and roof I watched a 30 chev cross the bj auction block on thursday it was bid to 50k it was a street rod and didn't look anything like what a early wagon should show me any 30 Chevy worth 50 k
I do not have any plans. The Woodguy has a photoshop of a phantom. Alloway Spedstar front with a drawn woody back. I really like the concept. I copied the drawing and had it blown up to 14 x 20 inches. Then spent a couple of nights scaling or measuring the drawing. Friend suggested making a full size mock up out of plywood. After the mock up was done mounted it at ride height on a dolly. Decided it was ok, not as swoopy as the woodguy's photoshop but ok. Basic reverse enginering built the frame to suit the body. Followed woodguy's plan of 1 x1 sq. tubing except for doors and door jams are 1 x 2 tubing. Pictures in my album.
I have the original 1929 dodge body that Iam going to use as a buck to make templates from, quite similar to how boats are built using stations where the ribs occur. From these templates I will play with the shape to get what pleases my eye. Maybe for your project you could get the body of your choice and template it. Happy whitling, Rob
Hello, I cut 4 woody bodies a couple of years back from an origional 29 woody body. I sold 3 full wood kits an am building the last one. I have a 4.3 Chev, auto and a 8in rear. I'am also using a B&M blower on it. I'am keeping all four doors. I have it slammed pretty much using a dropped axel. For the cowl use a Model A pick-up cowl with the tall top, header ( pick-up ). Let me know if I can help. Later Len
This guy have 70+ good photos of Woodies he builds. http://www.hubgarage.com/mygarage/Martin/vehicles .
See if you have a custom millwork shop in your area. Take a profile and blank cutters and they will proably help you out.
Thanks for the link. Great stuff. I see answers to quite a number of my questions on constructing a wooden car body. BS
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