55.2-59 Under dash Valence, Steel build along

[leegreen]

some suggestions:
make an extension to your buck to support the flange area for stretching until the whole piece lies down in the buck, then remove the extension to turn the flange?
Pre stretch the areas that are a problem, hammer them on some anvil while it is still flat sheet
Turning the flange will be easier if you get a sharp crease along the line first, take it out of the buck and tap a crease in against a square corner of something, then back into buck to hammer flange down
A smaller flange is easier to turn
You can weld on a flange if all else fails

thinner metal is easier to work

A problem area you just can't get to move will go away if you lance it with a cut off wheel and hammer it down, weld it up later.

adjusting the long straight part of the under dash panel to fit the curve you end up with might be easier than trying to perfect this piece



I have an english wheel and an air planishing hammer. I'm just at the hack level with both. I think for this part I'd do the top flange in buck then do a lot of shaping with the planishing hammer. I'd probably get it close enough to the shape I had in mind, smooth it out and hide the buck so no awkward questions got asked.

[dsraven]

Do you have a leather bag? Maybe that would help stretch it once cut. Then planish smooth.

[MD2020]

Originally Posted by leegreen

some suggestions:
make an extension to your buck to support the flange area for stretching until the whole piece lies down in the buck, then remove the extension to turn the flange?
Pre stretch the areas that are a problem, hammer them on some anvil while it is still flat sheet
Turning the flange will be easier if you get a sharp crease along the line first, take it out of the buck and tap a crease in against a square corner of something, then back into buck to hammer flange down
A smaller flange is easier to turn
You can weld on a flange if all else fails

thinner metal is easier to work

A problem area you just can't get to move will go away if you lance it with a cut off wheel and hammer it down, weld it up later.

adjusting the long straight part of the under dash panel to fit the curve you end up with might be easier than trying to perfect this piece



I have an english wheel and an air planishing hammer. I'm just at the hack level with both. I think for this part I'd do the top flange in buck then do a lot of shaping with the planishing hammer. I'd probably get it close enough to the shape I had in mind, smooth it out and hide the buck so no awkward questions got asked.

I did not do anything today I has some loose end to tie up on other things but I did get a piece of .030 from tractor supply if I need it.
Thanks for the info. I will keep all that in mind.

I will try to hammer this one out first and see what I get.

It only has to fit where it butt's to the long piece, I can always hammer and dolly that area.

I don't have a leather bag. I will think of something I have here that may work.

[leegreen]

I have been using a section of truck innertube filled with sand and the ends wired shut as a beater bag for years. It either works fine or I don't know the difference leather makes.

The bag lets you stretch near the center of a panel but not so much out to the edges. If you hit at the edge it will just bend the edge - and maybe slice the bag.
For the panel in question you need stretch right out to the edge, you might get a rough shape on the bag, but will need a hard surface to get the edges down.

the piece shown above looks close enough, try some of the 22 gauge with no other changes and you might have it

[MD2020]

Thanks

[MD2020]

I trimmed the top and bottom off a little, I should have left the top alone because it was trying to come off the whole time.





I started off like this with the air hammer all above the clamp and it made a big difference without the clamp board in the way. So next time I would do the top part and take the clamp board off and hammer it without it.



I moved the clamp left and put one on the right and air hammered in-between the clamps a few more inches.
Then I did this and worked on the left and right in the problem area over and over.



I spread the clamps out again and hammered up the ramps. I ended up with the top 2/3rds done, going much better and looking good also.



I got the center part done all the way to the bottom and cut some relief cuts.
The circle is the problem area.
So I worked the whole side air hammering over and over.


The top was still trying to come out so I clamped the hunk of steel behind the 1-1/8" osage block



This picture makes it look bumpy but it's not, it does have some high and low spots so I ran the 2" roll lock over it pretty good.
It's looking nice but still needs a little hammer and dolly.



So I cut it in half.
HUSTON, WE DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM.
:ban n:

I have a magnet on the back holding it.







This whole area is low from the long air hammer bit.
I will fix that tomorrow with a hammer and dolly.




I'm tired guy's this has been a pain in the back side but it's done.

[leegreen]

that looks great, and on the first try too. well done!

[_Ogre]

Looking good
I'd give you a thumbs up, but this forum software sucks

[MD2020]

Thanks guy's

[MD2020]

Starting over with the .030 sheet metal.
I need to be able to clamp the sheet metal at 2 places for each side.
the first one is not fitting the curve (lower part) coming back to the door jam very well because I didn't have a way to clamp it.



So I made some wedges to get the proper clamp angle and supper glued them on.



I had a hard time shaping the top lip on this corner because the way the grain was running and it broke off making the first one so I chisel a flat spot about 1/4" deep and glued on a piece of Osage and fixed that also.



I got the new piece cut and clamped in the buck to bend the lip over 5/8" with a dead blow, air hammer to get it seated good.



Here is the finished top, I had the buck flush with the work bench and all the hammering moved back even with the clamps.



I'm going to planish the hole area at the top, ever the radius.
I have all the clamps on to hold the top against the buck and the other clamps on the wedges I made for the side






I laid out lines to help me stretch the lower part.
Before all the stretching in the picture I planished the whole top side down to where the horizontal line is. The plastic hammer would bounce off everywhere I hit it. Learning even more on this one.


I hit it with the small end of the plastic hammer a bunch, It's all air under there.


Then I hit it more all the way out to the end to stretch it to.





I started to work my way up the ramps on both sides stretching that also.
And I need to cut a good bit off the bottom of the sheet metal.



In the corners it's lifting up off the buck above the line, the plastic hammer is not bouncing up there any more so I will work that area as I'm working the bottom.

[leegreen]

Looking pretty good!

the unsupported edge is not going to stretch very easy, it will want to fold over if you hit it and that will trap the metal above.

you had pretty good results with the thicker stuff, so this time might work without this: I'd be tempted to take it off the buck and hammer this area against an anvil of some sort to stretch it.....

[MD2020]

[QUOTE=leegreen;9150921]Looking pretty good!

the unsupported edge is not going to stretch very easy, it will want to fold over if you hit it and that will trap the metal above..

That area does not have to stretch any, that is the flat 4" that just rolls over.
I stretch to the left and right first, now I start with the dead blow 1-1/2" towards the top at the beginning of the roll and start bringing it around the radius.

Remember that flat area?

[MD2020]

Much better on this one




I planished it many times between each session of bending it over the last 1-1/2"
After all that planishing I did not have to sand off any high spots.

[dsraven]

that looks really good. it will fit up better than the stock corner did. nice pics

[leegreen]

well done!

[MD2020]

The Passenger side fits much better than the driver side I made the Template on.
Awesome

[MD2020]

Both sides tacked on, looks good
I need to drill some hole and mount it good, then split it at the steering column and work on that.

[8man]

Very nice.

[Rickysnickers]

Very well done!!

[56 3100]

damn good job. now that you have die for bending corners you can start making them

[Stepside Jim]

Definitely a tricky angle to form. Looking good, carry on.

[_Ogre]

So. When do you start with production?

[MD2020]

Thanks guy's

More info today on what I had to do to get them to fit.
Also when I got to the passenger side I noticed my dash is welded in crooked from the driver side, I will take pictures today.

[dsraven]

yeah, um, excuse me. I think the angle is off a little at the passengers end.....kidding!
looks AWESOME! great job.
now, if you make an upper and lower form of that, pour them full of concrete, wrap those custom dies in some sort of slippery stuff, you would have a great set of dies that you could press new parts from to sell to guys on the forum.......

[unclebrad]

pretty sure i'd buy one.