E: Engine Comet Mongrel
- Thread starter Cyborg
- Start date
No and I knew what you meant, but looked it up just to make sure. I need to visit the local tool supply store and pick up a few things. I have a couple of hammers and dollys, but actual metal working stuff is limited. I did buy a planishing attachment for my air hammer. Who knows how it will go. I did anneal a test piece of the sheet just to see how malleable it gets and was surprised how workable it is compared to its original state.
It looks like you can use the bucks as hammer forms, but you might want to do any heavy hammering off the bucks on metal and go back and forth. I have one wooden slapper with a leather face and 3 or so metal slappers. They can be purchased or made.
A "t" dolly for those corners would be nice.
David
A "t" dolly for those corners would be nice.
David
I'm assuming it will a least take a few tries to get the hang of even the simple shapes. I'm also assuming it will be hard to shrink the metal at the corners of the oil tank/side cover panels and it may require some metal to be removed and then stitched back together with the TIG. I'm entering unknown territory here and have been avoiding the subject by making a steering damper bracket, coil bracket, mounting a side stand and picking any other low hanging fruit that I can use as an excuse.
After seeing those wood slappers in the video, I checked inventory and there is a nice big chunk of 8/4 walnut.
After seeing those wood slappers in the video, I checked inventory and there is a nice big chunk of 8/4 walnut.
Can't you cut the large flat outer and then bend a strip of flat alloy all the way round, Then tig together, Maybe in a few sections, It would be a bit Square looking, But I think it would work.
Cheers Bill.
Cheers Bill.
Your other option is to make duplicates of the wood forms that you already have. Make them smaller by the radius you have on your current wood bucks. Trim your metal to shape but a little larger than the depth of you buck. Clamp the metal between the wood pieces and using a caulking tool and drive the metal over your buck. Essentially you are doing the work of a draw die. The wrinkles that you're worried about occurring from shrinking will end up on in the excess that you will trim off.
Steven
Steven
My hope is to get a decent radius on the 3 side panels. 1 right side panel and two left side. Then take one left and one right and weld them together to form the oil tank.
Depending on how it goes, I may have to add a strip in between.
If I understand what you are saying, that is pretty much what option 2 is... although I don't know what you mean by a caulking tool. I have enough Cerrobend to make a female die and also have a decent sized hydraulic press. I ordered up enough alloy for quite a number of attempts so hopefully one way or another I'll come up with something other than fodder for yard art.
A fellow I know actually used cement to make a female buck to form wheel arches for an MG. It sounds bizarre, but his work is absolutely amazing.
Even if you aren't a MG fan, this is worth a look.
https://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?1,3513512
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I assume that you are welding the flat sides on, so the top is fairly straight forward. The less metal you have to deal with the better. You should be able to drape the aluminum over the top curve and then have a bit extra for you to trim off. I don't think you will have much trouble with the shapes. A slapper does a good job as a shrinker. Once you have got the top in shape keep it on the buck, then take a height gauge with a scribe held in it and run it around the buck scribing the aluminum where you will cut it off. You will have a nice even line for welding the flat sides onto.
AC Cars uses fiberglass Cobra bucks to make their aluminum bodies. They use certain portions as hammer forms as well.
David
AC Cars uses fiberglass Cobra bucks to make their aluminum bodies. They use certain portions as hammer forms as well.
David
Thanks for the tip on the scribe. I'm guessing that using the two side panel bucks clamped together will give me an accurate way to form the flat piece that will be welded on after using a herd of small tacks. I tried using an electric shear to cut out the panels, but it's a bit of a wrestling match. Ok for cutting larger chunks off the sheet, but found it easier to finish them with the bandsaw.