Hey fellas. No experience at all with metal shaping so please forgive my novice questions. I'm gonna need to make some floorboards and some panels to fill some space between my bumper and my grille. Both need to have a bead rolled perpendicular to a curved bend. Do I make the bend first or roll the bead first? I'm guessing it's bend first, but how much will rolling the bead distort the panels and how do I un- distort them? Thanks! Johnny
Not something that can be learned on a computer. Too many variables. Buy extra material and start practicing and practicing etc.
Generally speaking you start inboard from the edge as far as need be and perform the remaining procedures going outboard toward the edge of the panel. One important detail to consider before starting is will early forming interfere with later forming techniques or tools. You may have to use a shrinker/stretcher to tune up the flange on a curve if you form it with hammer/dolly
Need pictures.. Typically, you roll the bead first, because you cant get the material in the bead roller after the bend is made. Good Luck
To stop the actual Bead from gathering the metal and causing issues use a you use a High Dome or tight radei in your English Wheel to stretch right on the line for your new bead. Once the bead is rolled in it uses up the stretch and the panel lays back into shape. Nothing to it. The Wizzard
Sorry it took so long to reply! Couldn't find my dang thread! First, thanks for the replies! I realise it isn't something I can learn from the computer, but knowing some rules of them before I practice will hopefully result in less wasted metal. I don't have a whole lot to fool around with. For the floor, I had it all wrong. The beads are parallel to the bend I'll have to make. Should be no problem then! Hopefully I attached an image showing where I need to make the little filler panels. They will go in the space between the bumper and the grille on both sides just behind where the bullets are. The beads will be rolled on the flat section pretty much directly above the bumper brackets. Since the picture is up, what is the best way to finish the edges of the filler panels? Would it be best to roll the edges over or weld on some 1/8" round stock?
I can’t tell from the pics if your bumpers have already been rechromed, but have you considered adding material to the bumper parts to fill the gap? Ray
Well nothing wrong with being a new guy wanting to do Kustom work. I like that part. From my "Personal" point of view I'm going to say where your headed is going to look like a bunch of Band-aids to cure the lack of doing good fitting work. If you like what your doing that just makes what I said my Opinion, that's all. I already know what that's worth. As Hnstray said adding to the Bumper is a much more Eye appealing way to do this. That is also part of what I would do at the corners to cover that gap. Then there's the Grill extensions mounted to the fenders,they don't fit to anything. The flat flange on them needs to be removed or worked into something maybe coming off the upper inner bumper edge. I'm not just Knocking your work, I'm just looking at what you have (again) from My Point of View trying to help get your lines flowing. Good lines are what make a good Kustom. Some guys are happy hanging mix-n-match parts together front to back on there cars. If that's where your going with this I'm actually fine with that also. To get to your actual question about finishing the inner edge. Most of the time I would fold a 1/2" 90 degree to stiffen up the back edge then use the shrinker strecher to get contour. That's generally done first. Some times when required you may need to cut and fold if you have a sharp point to make. You need to be a pretty good welder to add to a flat panes on the edge and not end up with some kind of movement. On occasion I have made a folded flange after making a panel then using my Spot Welder added it under and to said part. Ya, it's a lot of work. Adding to the Bumper material is much easier. The Wizzard The Wizzard
Here is something else you might be able to pull off. If the center piece of the bumper can be removed then trim the Dagmars to move the center forward and re install that would let you move the complete unit back and not need a filler piece. Just thinking on the Key Pad here. That would also help with upper inner grill corner piece. The Wizzard
You're right! Definitely a band-aid! This is a "better for now" kind of thing. Not sure how familiar you are with a 56 Pontiac grille, but it kind of looked like a mustache. I'm not crazy about it. Those trims in the corner used to lay flat on top of the mustache, and would lay flat on the filler piece if I can build what I'm envisioning. The new grille may take up some of the space too, so I can't really make anything permanent anyhow. I don't really have the time or money to do anything else right now anyhow. Aside from making a whole new grille opening, which is in itself a challenge on Pontiacs not sure what else I could do. Guess we'll see how it will look with cardboard instead of metal first and go from there.
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