Let's see some sheet metal shaping

This thread is a 'keeper' just fantastic.

 

Here is some junk I have been working on. The quarter panel on my 1964 Cutlass is pretty crusty around the wheel lip. You can see it in the photo. I want to replace it! Everyone will not have some of the tools I used. I am lucky to be taking a panel fabrication class.

I cut out the part I need to reproduce making sure I am into solid metal so the replacement welds in nice and strong.
Since it was a pretty complex shape I cut a piece of aluminum and bent it over the part to get the curve and angles right. I used this to verify that my new piece matched.

Using the template I made I used the shops plasma cutter. It is able to follow the outline of a cutout from paper so I just used the template and made the paper pattern the plasma then follows it and cuts out a identical parts I needed. I welded the parts onto some steel posts so it can be used as dies in this machine. I did a lot of fine tuning and grinding and welding to get the dies to produce a finer part.

I loaded the dies in the Pullmax and attempted to form the flatter area of the patch. I had to do it freehand but it was really close. After spending some time trying to form it. I realized it could have been done on a radius brake. I felt pretty dumb. But continued working with it anyways. IT ended up being pretty much identical to the original part.
I moved onto the much harder curved section. Using the original I drew a curve I would need to follow onto a piece of metal. Then back to the Pullmax. By following the line it formed the curve I needed. It still needed a bit of fine tuning since it tapers as it nears the end of the curve. Laying the new part over the old verified just how close I was able to copy the old part.

Here it is almost finished forming the parts. Now just need to make the last piece and weld it all together. Then I will be able to tip the bottom to a 90. I may have to wait on welding until I learn to TIG weld. Then it will need some trimming and it will be ready to weld into the car.

I hope my humble offering is of use to someone or at least entertaining. Even though it isn't finished it feels good to be able to contribute something TECH related to the HAMB.

 

Great Post!!


These are the posts I love to see.

I am just starting to use a pulmax.Me and a friend made some dies similar to yours and made some new truck bed sides with them.On our test panel we noticed that the dies were warping the panel.On further inspection of the panel you could see little shrinking tucks on the panel.So we did some more grinding on the dies to take care of the problem.On the real panel there was no warping but it did take 4 passes.

If you see this Bill post a picture.

Again GREAT post keep them coming.

I'm working on my other fender well and hope to have it done soon.


Keep the post coming.

 

Great thread.

 

I love the pullmax! It can do so so much stuff and dies are super easy to make. Seemingly complicated like a body reveal or some trim would be super easy to make.

 

Next time you see the little tucks form take the panel to the shrinker between passes. It will speed it up and you will make fewer passes.

 

Power hammer video for ya

http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s215/topgun-86/?action=view&current=POWERHAMMMERDEMO.flv

 

Great thread!!!!

 

I didn't even think about that.Thanks for the tip Jeff.

I'm starting to get into using the pulmax.I shaped the back panel for my fender well with some thumb nail dies and it only took around 5 minutes and it's already almost fitting the pattern.




Jeff you know I was against using power tools for metal shaping but now with some understanding of how the metal moves and reacts.It is speeding up the progress.

I still am a true believer that you should learn how to do it by hand first and learn how the metal reacts.

On my fender well I had it fitting the pattern but the panel wasn't in arrangement.I made the mistake of tipping the flange before I put it into arrangement.It took me most of the day to get it back into arrangement by stretching the flange and and making some contour gauges.The rest was just tugging and pulling.It was like wrestling a bear,but I got it.

 

Shane that is a kick ass machine!

 

Thanks!

The video doesn't do it Justice. It is a work of art when you see it in person.

Maybe we should have another tech week contest and give one away.

 

Shane can you use thumb nail dies on that machine?

What I like about your machine compared to a pulmax is that there is a lot of clearance to work a panel,compared to a pulmax.

 

Yes, there are tons of tooling options for the power hammer. We offer thumbnail shrinking dies, beading tooling, linear stretch, mechanical stretch, tons of radius dies, an English wheel just to name a few. You can also use Pullmax and Echold tooling if you can find some.

 

How about a tool holder where you can cut your own profiles?

 

Yes sir, not a problem.

 

A very good friend of mine built this roadster in his shop. The only thing thats not hand made is the doors and cowl. Everything else is all him. I thought it was amazing, and I thought maybe it would fit in here on this thread!

 

Damn

If you have a shop I don't think it would be complete with out one these.It would pay for it's self 10 folds.The only limits would be your imagination.

 

Hell yea that fits just as good as his panels do.Is he a member here?


I like the wire form,did he take it off of the original body?

 

This is a hobby of mine this is was made from scrap metalI had laying around... and shape with a small vise & ball peen hammer.

 

Just curious, did you make the leaves on the rose with a "leaf shaped die" or is each one formed by hand?

 

That is sweet! Good job!

 

This is a little off subject.

I have been thinking about this project.What I'm thinking is scrap the OCC sting ray frame and find a old school sting ray frame,like the one I rode when I was a kid.Modify it to carry the rear tire,kick the neck out.I think it would be cool as hell.

I remember a neighbor kid that had a sting ray that had a springer front end.That would really tie it all together.It would probably need some modifying also.

Know I'm all bummed out,I had it all planed out.Then I looked them up on E-bay.Man the want a fortune for them now.

 

Nice job on that Roadster body!

 

He's not a member here, but he really should be!! lol

He borrowed my brothers cabriolet for a while and used it to make the form. He also made the frame, floors and dash.

www.garygeady.com thats his website. He also made a Willys rear fender using my dads car to make the buck. He ended up selling a few on ebay.

 

How's this ....... Done a few years ago on a 1938 Graham

 

Looking good

You put in a lot of body mods.