55.2-59 Under dash Valence, Steel build along

[MD2020]

EDIT-My truck is on jack stands in the front, so some of my measurements (plumb bob) if you try to do this yourself will be off.

I started this about 3 weeks ago but I will show the rest of the build in real time.
And I could screw it up or make a dumb mistake.
I will do the corner pieces like I did my radiator cover with a wood buck.
See the link
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=806951

This is what it will look like 4-3/8" tall


I cut some 18Ga. sheet metal to width and and laid out some lines every 1/4"


My friend boss has a 10' break and let me use it again.
The bend angles are about 1/2 degree on the upper part and 9-1/2 degree on the lower part.
I did not have time to tune up the brake so one end was a little different than the other.



So I made a dolly and hammered on it with a dead blow hammer, about 5 minutes and it was as done.
I cut some 1" wide pieces of sheet metal as a brace and will tack them in place later.



Real time starts today
I C clamped it to the bottom of the dash, I will fasten it after the corners are welded on.

I cut some 1/4" plywood with a straight edge to push to the lower valence and started making the template.

I taped a stick to the door jam to hold up the plywood and down the valence to hold up the other end.

Keep marking where it's hitting and rasp it over and over until I got what I wanted.

[MD2020]

The door jam is on a angle so I measured it at 4-3/8" down and started drawing my Buck. 5/8" over to the jam


I marked a line 1/16" from the edge and sanded it off, I will make a hem on the top side of the sheet metal to give me a rolled edge like the other piece.



I have 3 landmarks on my drawing top, @ the radius change and the bottom.

I for got this, I measured this while the plywood was in place for the drawing. It will be the 4th landmark

[leegreen]

subscribed!

[8man]

Yep!

[_Ogre]

You are at the point where I looked at making the compound curve into a compound angled end and incorporating the steering column, AC vents; only to realize the glove box won't open now. Aka where I said f' it and learned fiberglass

[MD2020]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

You are at the point where I looked at making the compound curve into a compound angled end and incorporating the steering column, AC vents; only to realize the glove box won't open now. Aka where I said f' it and learned fiberglass

After I get it mounted I will cut and finish around the steering wheel.
I have 2 glove box doors and will make one slip in over it and bolt in from the back so I can remove it to get to the Vintage air.

I started Machine work and Tool and die work back in the early 80's and I have been Fabricating that long also.
Making the Buck will be challenging but I will give it a try. I know there are a hand full of little errors I've made but I will take that on when they come up.

[MD2020]

These measurements were key to laying out the drawings.


This piece of the valence is at it's location except it would be under the drawing.


The buck will make left and right at the same time


Osage Orange is the Hardest hard wood in the USA
Before the invention of Barbed wire Osage was used as a fence hedge to keep cattle and Hogs in. later the Barbed wire was nailed to Osage trees.
Osage can make a 80 lb. Selfbow
"Maclura pomifera has many names, including mock orange, hedge apple, hedge, horse apple, monkey ball, monkey brains and yellow-wood. The name bois d'arc (from French meaning "bow-wood") has also been corrupted into bodark and bodock"

Hard Maple
Specific Gravity 0.72
Janka Hardness 1450

Hickory
Specific Gravity 0.82
Janka Hardness 1820

Osage Orange
Specific Gravity 0.81
Janka Hardness 2760

This piece is about 3" thick


I cut it up into pieces I will epoxy together, maybe tomorrow
The buck will be 4-1/2" tall, 4-3/8" wide and 15" long

[MD2020]

Yesterday I got the wood cut and squared up ready for glue up, I used a edge sander to square up the boards and ran them through the thickness sander.





Mixed up some EA-40 epoxy and clamped them together.





Today I squared up all sides.



I used double side tape to hold the paper template on.
I took it to the band saw and cut the bulk off and sanded it to the lines



I used a carpenters pencil and a 12" rule wrapped with sand paper to hit the high spot off.



All done for today, start shaping tomorrow.

[MD2020]

No one is commenting and that's OK, After I get mine made maybe someone will want to use it to make there own.
I can send the buck and templates for the brake bending for the long piece.

Yesterday I got some shaping done and made more templates for the bottom part and how it flattens out to the door jam.





Today I finished shaping the left side but still needs a little sanding. I will be doing the right side tomorrow.

[leegreen]

I'm still here. Nice piece of wood. Nice preparation too. All types of hardwood are expensive up here. I end up using SPF for hammer forms, it works but final smoothing requires hammer and dolly as the wood is not hard enough.

I'm waiting for the tin bashing to start!

ps: SPF means it is randomly spruce, pine or fir, it all grows in the same places and gets harvested by machine.

[unclebrad]

Keep going! You have people watching!

[Stepside Jim]

I'm following too. Wood part of this fabrication is new to me so I watch to be educated.

[MD2020]

I forgot to say I have a 100 year old dead Osage tree on my place and some smaller ones here also.
This block is from that 100 year old tree.
I have 3 live ones, 2 side by side male and female, so I get the green seed balls. and one loner.
Thanks guy's, It's hard to shape but I make laminated glass recurves and long bows so I've had lots of time shaping Risers.
All of the exotic hard wood are harder than Osage.
Here is a Honduras Rosewood

[leegreen]

Male and female trees. I had to google that, never new such a thing existed. All the trees around here swing both ways far as I know.

[MD2020]

Female puts out the green seed pod, about the size of a softball.

[8man]

I have not commented, as I am still in awe of your woodworking. The buck is awesome. I have a buddy who is a woodworker, and he actually knew of the Osage wood.

I am watching and have looked for a place locally to buy the wood. So, I guess I'll be learning to make a buck in my future.

Please keep posting!

[MD2020]

Originally Posted by 8man

I have not commented, as I am still in awe of your woodworking. The buck is awesome. I have a buddy who is a woodworker, and he actually knew of the Osage wood.

I am watching and have looked for a place locally to buy the wood. So, I guess I'll be learning to make a buck in my future.

Please keep posting!

You may or may not have any Osage in Texas, I would check for local Home saw mills like marketplace on Facebook.
Remember the wood names Osage Orange, Bodark, Bodock, Hedge, Saying the green balls (seed pod) helps too.

Thanks, I may have more than a week making the buck and 1/2 hour bending the steel pieces on it.

My skills are scratching my head and changing my mind on how to shape it but I think I have it close enough to fit, I may have to bend it a little here and there to fit.

[8man]

Yeah, we call them Bodark or Horse Apple. My wood working buddy gave me a possible place to find it.

I'll check the spots you mentioned as well.

Thanks.

[MD2020]

Originally Posted by 8man

Yeah, we call them Bodark or Horse Apple. My wood working buddy gave me a possible place to find it.

I'll check the spots you mentioned as well.

Thanks.

Hickory should work also

[MD2020]

I got all my land marks from the left side transferred to the right side and ready to remove the bulk of material from the right.
I'm going to sand a lot off with the end of the edge sander and I have my dust collector ready.



And use the die grinder with roll lock sanding disk. I used it to get real close on all the land marks. It didn't take long now that I know what to do on this side.



I used a carpenters pencil to highlight the low areas that I sanded down to match the landmark templates and rasp off the high areas.
After that I use my rule to show me the high spots on each side of the lows and remove that very carefully.
Between my fingers and behind my thumb.



These are the lows, sand on each side.





I have 1 low spot from the first day, I will fill it with epoxy, The epoxy is very hard so it should be ok



I got some Velcro 220 grit sanding disk with a foam backer and ran over the whole area, nice and smooth.
The buck is still to wide at the top, I will bandsaw about 1/16" off and radius that edge for the bend at the top to match the long piece.
Above the green tape

[Kevin_C]

Thats some really impressive work and planning.

[MD2020]

Thanks for the comments guy's.

Scratching head.
I'm not concerned with the bottom, it will just bend it over to the buck but the top need to bend on around for clearance of the dash.
It needs at least a 3/8" lip to help it hold is shape from the buck.
I guess I need to make a router attachment to make a 1/4 grove and then

[dsraven]

wow, that is planning and hard work. nicely done. what will you use for metal and guage thickness? do you have metal shaping tools as well, shrinker, stretcher, english wheel?

[8man]

That buck is a work of art!

[MD2020]

Originally Posted by dsraven

wow, that is planning and hard work. nicely done. what will you use for metal and guage thickness? do you have metal shaping tools as well, shrinker, stretcher, english wheel?

I bought a full sheet of 18 gage (.045/.050) steel when I first started, down to less than 1/2 sheet now.
Just a 3 foot Harbor Freight Brake and hand tools.

Thanks guy's
Yes a lot more work than I was thinking, but I could make more steel pieces if anyone wants them.
We are here to help each other so if you would pay shipping I would sent you some FREE, and a template for bending the long piece.
That is, if this even works????????????