Metal shaping technique showcase/discussion for ecomodders

[Piotrsko]

In the sheet metal trade, we just made stuff thicker and used 120 grit sanding disks to grind off the high spots, but went looking and added bunches of filler to the low spots, sometimes making the part with filler everywhere. Straight bars with sandpaper stuck on for making stuff flatter. You may be able to do the same with your existing part if you can tolerate the new thinness which would be not much thinner (maybe .005 thinner).

Why not use the existing stick on emblem?

[M_a_t_t]

Mine didn't have an adhesive emblem, it was painted/printed onto the grill. But I could just buy one. I was thinking about trying to paint one on too.

[M_a_t_t]

I bought a lathe! It's a 9" south bend ~24 inch center to center (or how long of a piece you can turn). It needs a belt so I still haven't used it yet, but I did get it out of the van and into the garage. I had to separate the lathe from the table to fit the table in the van. I didn't take any pictures of getting the lathe out of the van because I did it after work one night at 2am. It's a little rough, but hopefully with a little TLC it will clean up well and work better than it looks.

It came with the tailstock, another chuck (both 3 jaw though), a live center, some brazed carbide cutting tools, and a taper attachment. I think one of the first things I am going to do after getting it going is a quick change tool post. So much more convenient than the old style tool holder on it.

I only have 2 "immediate" uses for it. When I try to combine the axle shafts for my metro/mercury swap and I can make dies for the bead roller instead of having to search and buy a set I can just turn some down.

[Cd]

This is an artform that I really have a lot of appreciation for.
If I didn't live in an apartment and had a garage, I'd be doing it already.

I didn't watch the video ( perhaps later, but for now it is not something I am even able to do because of lack of tools and garage space. )

So this may have been covered in the video, but if not, here are some general questions :

What would be the cost to do something such as a Honda Civic fender in normal guage steel ?

And aluminum ?

I know it varies, but a ballpark figure on the cheapest it could cost ? ( no free materials that is )

I'm assuming that when creating something such as a fender, you start with a wood "buck" that looks much like the cardboard inner structure Darin used on his Insight tail.
I assume you wack the metal till it roughly "drapes " around to shape.
You then continue pounding to get the metal shaped even closer to your buck.

But then here is the part I'm confused about : how does one get the metal to become perfectly smooth and straight without the use of body filler ?

I remember paint and body class in high school. It really surprised me how precise you have to be to get a smooth panel .

[M_a_t_t]

Originally Posted by Cd

I didn't watch the video ( perhaps later, but for now it is not something I am even able to do because of lack of tools and garage space. )

So this may have been covered in the video, but if not, here are some general questions :

What would be the cost to do something such as a Honda Civic fender in normal guage steel ?

And aluminum ?

I know it varies, but a ballpark figure on the cheapest it could cost ? ( no free materials that is )

I'm assuming that when creating something such as a fender, you start with a wood "buck" that looks much like the cardboard inner structure Darin used on his Insight tail.
I assume you wack the metal till it roughly "drapes " around to shape.
You then continue pounding to get the metal shaped even closer to your buck.

But then here is the part I'm confused about : how does one get the metal to become perfectly smooth and straight without the use of body filler ?

I remember paint and body class in high school. It really surprised me how precise you have to be to get a smooth panel .

I am just getting into it myself and haven't watched the video either, so I don't know if I have the correct answer (plus there are usually more than one way to skin a cat).

If you mean material cost and assuming no mistakes were made I think you could get a big enough sheet of steel (at least from my local steel shop) for $10. No idea on aluminum, though I know the $ per the lb cut offs sold at the same shop are like 3x as much as steel.

I've never heard of the method you describe, though it certainly sounds like it has merit. The way I've seen it done is by using a teardrop mallet and a sandbag (not a literal sandbag, but pretty close) beat the panel into roughly the shape you want. Then english wheel the panel to make it smooth and finish the curvature. You could also just skip the hammer and go straight for the wheel, but it takes a lot longer.

Like I said, I am still a newb to this so this may not be a good way to do that.

[M_a_t_t]

I started cleaning up the lathe, they had sprayed oil on it before they set it outside. It only sat out, under a tarp, for a few days. The compound seemed stuck. I loosened the gibbs adjustment and it came free. I tightened it back down until I couldn't feel any play. I need to get a dial indicator for it I suppose. I was messing with the gear change mechanism and noticed the spindle would stop when it was in a certain position. Turns out there is a broken tooth on one of the gears. I went looking for a replacement and found an easy repair I might try. Now I just need to figure out how to remove the gear.

[freebeard]

I assume you wack the metal till it roughly "drapes " around to shape.

I've never heard of the method you describe, though it certainly sounds like it has merit.

I'm no expert but from years of reading magazines and Internet — Your both right!

If you follow Chris Runge, Ron Covell or Jesse James compound curves start by disrupting and then smoothing a flat sheet. You can expand metal with a mallet and a wooden stump and shrink it with an edge crimper. Once it's in rough shape English wheel, hammer and dolly or planishing hammer.

Eventually it's down to the technique in paintless dent removal — glancing light on a water sheet and a nylon pecking hammer.