Tech...making a deck lid ...cool shrinking tool

We made a deck lid for my T coupe and took some pics as we went. It's not quite done yet but the rest is easy.

As you can see I changed a few things for this car. The deck lid originally went up to the belt line. I didn't want the filler in the trunk so I made the lid smaller. It will get some 30's exterior style hinges to make things easy. That and it gets a bunch of louvers too.

Here's how I did it. We started with a sheet of 18 gauge. Cut it to size and left an inch all the way around for the lip. We put a 1/4" hem on all four sides then bent the remaining 3/4" up for our lip. Doesn't look much like a deck lid at this point and this is where the fun begins. (first pic)

I made a tool from an old pair of vice grips. Nothing more than welding some 1/4" rod onto it. This is to create tucks along the lip. (second pic)

It's as easy as squeezing the vice grips. I put my tucks close together where the radius was tighter and spaced them out for a gentle curve. (third pic) You'll see it taking shape with every tuck.

We then clamped two peices of 3/4" tubing (that we bent to the shape we needed) to the top and bottom of the deck lid. This holds the shape while you heat and hammer the tucks. (fourth pic)

It helped having Jr to work the torch and the water to quench it. He would heat the tuck. I would hammer it and he would quench it. (fifth pic)

Last we test fit the lid nad it fit great.......in my dream world. It took two trys. The first deck lid was short about an 1/8" on one side. Sucked! Well with a little finess deck lid number two fits great. Gaps are nice and even. The curve is perfect. Now it's off to be louvered. (last pic)

After it gets louvered I'll make an inner framework out of the tubing we used while hammering it. That will get tacked to the inside.

This may not be the best way to do this but I don't have a shrinker and doubt a small one would shrink the hemmed edge. It worked for me and may help others with limited tooling.
Clark

 

That came out sweet and I will have to sacrifice some V-grips to make me a tuck tool.

 

Nicely done Clark..
I like that tool you made.. Simple and it works, what more could you ask for..
Look's good.
Tony

 

There goes another one of my vise grips.... Neat idea.

 

Nice job! It's always a pleasure to see someone actually making something themselves instead of ordering a fiberglass one! Glad to see you had junior in on it as well! I've made several deck lids for model A's it's always a satisfying job. A shrinker would do the job, but all the better with a homemade tool!
Eddie

 

Very cool and would like to see a pic with you actually using them to see how much surface you are covering.

 

Big problem Clark. You posted pictures of the new tool. Now the next Eastwood catalog will be anouncing their new "breakthrough" body tool for those who can't afford a stretcher and shrinker.
I'm sure you'll be getting regular "royality" checks in the mail for several years to come.
Hey, your already famous, did you want to be rich to?

Frank

 

What did you use to make the hem?

I never thought of heating the crimp the make the shrink easier, nice work.

 

Ron..I think I kept it about a 1/4" from the top of the deck lid.

Here's another shot of the tucks.
Clark

 

good post. Thanks

 

Fab32....rich would be nice!!

Fltblck...I've got a brake.
Clark

 

Damn-simple tool, elegant solution! Good thinking.

Charlie

 

Thanks for sharing - stuff like this is why I signed up for the H.A.M.B!

-bill

 

i'm making mine tomorrow. Thats a good one.Thanks Scott

 

Cool idea and nice looking lid. Crimping tool for stove pipe also works in the same fashion.

 

simple and amazing. . . opens a LOT of doors for short of cash types like me... well, maybe just us cheap ass fucks

 

Like he said above, this sort of shairing is the reason I joined the HAMB. THANKS!!!

 

awesome!

 

Nice work Clark! Bent angle needlenose pliers with the tips cut off works really well too. Even a claw hammer can make decent tucks. You can use a little heat to help make forming the tucks on thicker materials easier as well. Kent White made a tool a lot like yours, but with rollers. I don't think he sells it anymore. I made a foot powered tuck shrinker with rollers, but the rollers are really not necessary. It is possible to get a better quality shrink than with an edge shrinker, because the metal is less likely to crack when tuck shrinking. From what I have found, quenching is not necessary. Here are a few pictures:

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?action=openalbum&albumid=9980191607382

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

 

Rad.....

 

Impressive.

Quality work always seems to come from sheer determination and desire, not fancy tools. You just proved it!

Tony

 

Good idea!(I would have just used my shrinker though)

 

hey clark,

how'd you bend the tubing? looks smoooooth.


thx
ed

 

Great tech! And perfect timing as I want to try this at home too. My deck has a low crown however and yours looks to be relatively flat. Question...If I shrunk all the way around as you did on the sides, would I end up with a low crown, or would I have to form it? I don't have an english wheel but there must be a "backyard" way of accomplishing it. Any ideas?
-Scott

 

nicely done, and nice little write up!

 

I'm Impressed! I wish I was that smart.

 

Thats the way they should be built.
Do you think Gene Winfield went to the local store and bought tools? Nope he made them because he knew what he wanted and it wasn't available.
If you need it make it. Homegrown Imagineering is what started this sickness we all suffer from, and I just caught another dose, thanks to you.

Fantastic Work

 

GREAT! Now I have to deside if I want a tuck tool, or an inside door handle.

 

i'm bettin on a tubing roller and not a frame bender myself. . . Clark?

 

You rule Clark. I hope I get to see it in person sometime soon.

-Don