Technical Need some metal shaping advice

I used the roof skin from a 70s Volvo to make a roof insert on my 29 Ford coupe. I plan to bolt it in and then cover it like a stock roof. The metal fits really nice until the last 6.5 inches. I used my English wheel to role the drop in the rear of the roof. The issue is I seem to have too much material at the center of the roof in the rear. What is a good way to fix this?
Thanks

 

From the photo it looks like you have to get back on the wheel with the insert and roll it from end to end and side to side to even out the crown you have. Do you have low crown dies ? I have never been able to just roll one area without affecting the adjacent area. If you have a rolled edge already it might be harder to get the panel to take shape. It is best to go from edge to edge like ripples in a pond.

 

No rolled edge. I wheeled it side to side on the back 6”. The crown seems too high in the center.
Thanks

 

Would tuck shrinking help it? In the center at the back?

 

What happens when you press the new metal down to the roof?

 

When I press it down at the back, it lifts up around the middle of the door.

 

Did you wheel with flat anvils or did the lower one have a radius? Being that you have raised a low crown I wonder of you have 'tracking' marks in it too, you might not see them them until you try to paint.
I'd be inclined to shrink with heat.

 

I used a lower with a low crown radius. It does have some tracking marks. They should be OK as I plan to pad and cover the panel like a stock roof.

 

maybe try shrinking at the edges there. you'll have to get pretty deep into the panel.

and there is some serious steel in those garage joists! you could park a tank up there.

 

How would you shrink it? Heat or machine? My shop is under my garage, and I think my engineer over designed it. It works great for beam trolleys and chain hoists.

 

make some long tucking forks?

 

It might work

 

I think tuck shrinking is too drastic for this problem.
I would do a large number of light linear shrinks (lancaster type shrinker) all along the back edge and probably around the corners and possibly some of the side edges.
Shrink each time just enough to notice and try to avoid puckering as a result of each shrink action.
If puckering occurs you can spot shrink those with heat after the edge is brought down.
Luck.

 

Thank you! I started that on the back edge, but wondered if I was going at it the right way.

 

That just a chunk of metal, I'd get another piece and start over and do your wheeling with a flat anvil, it'll give you a slight crown that when the vynil gets stretched out and tight it'll look right.
These are early days and be prepared to toss out much of your first efforts.

 

I just came across this post, I don't know if I'm too late to be helpful...

What you actually need to do is wheel panel everywhere except the center portion. You could also shrink the center using a torch or a shrinking disc.

The issue appears to be too much material in the center of the panel. The roof skin probably already had a raised center profile, and then when you wheeled it you actually accentuated that profile. Regardless of the profile of your anvils, whenever you wheel a panel you are stretching the material. If you were to shrink around the edges of the panel, you will bring down those edges, but also further raise the center. However if you wheel (stretch) around the perimeter you will even out the panel which will bring down the center portion and allow the panel to sit flush with your roof.

 

Thank you! It is not too late. I got it fitting a little better with my shrinking disk. I will try some more wheeling on the edges.

 

Awesome. Let us know how it turns out.

 

I could not get that roof to fit so I went hunting for another one. I found a 65 Mustang coupe and it fits really nice. It has more crown which made it fit perfect.