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+--- Thread: Building a Special Body (/showthread.php?tid=332)
RE: Building a Special Body - John Bonnett - 11-02-2018
Ian many thanks for the photos. Great workmanship and the buck is very impressive; a lot of hours must have gone it to that alone. You've achieved a wide return on the scuttle panel which must have taken a lot of stretching on the corners. The Wheeling Machine looks just like the one I have; an Edwards.
I am hoping to build a body similar to the Bill Williams Cambridge body onto a six foot three chassis.
John
RE: Building a Special Body - Nick Turley - 11-02-2018
(12-10-2017, 03:46 AM)Ian Williams Wrote: On the old forum I had a thread running about the rebuild of my special that I managed to roll whilst racing, virtually writing myself and the car off in the process. The old forum search facility is still not working so I am unable to find the thread and post a link. Anyway several people have asked to see how things are progressing, I admit that there have been a few distractions so not a massive amount more has been done but here is where I am now up to. I anyone wants to see the buck and body development process I will have another go at finding the old thread or failing that repost some of the pictures here.
I am filled with admiration for your superb craftsmanship.
RE: Building a Special Body - Duncan Grimmond - 11-02-2018
Excellent work, I'm very impressed.
RE: Building a Special Body - Ian Williams - 11-02-2018
(11-02-2018, 09:59 AM)John Bonnett Wrote: Ian many thanks for the photos. Great workmanship and the buck is very impressive; a lot of hours must have gone it to that alone. You've achieved a wide return on the scuttle panel which must have taken a lot of stretching on the corners. The Wheeling Machine looks just like the one I have; an Edwards.
I am hoping to build a body similar to the Bill Williams Cambridge body onto a six foot three chassis.
John
If we can get the old forum post working I explained how each section was formed with photos of the processes, but the panel I think you are referring to required shrinking to form the return flange, all with hammer and dolly. This is it part way through with the bend being annealed, I probably needed to do this twice in order to get the flange complete.
Must admit I have been a bit slack on taking on taking pictures recently but will see if I can rectify that on future posts
RE: Building a Special Body - John Bonnett - 12-02-2018
Yes, sorry Ian, of course i meant shrinking, not stretching. Thank you for the photo(s) and do please keep them coming. As you'll see, I'm not the only one who appreciates the quality of your work.
RE: Building a Special Body - cardiffrob - 12-02-2018
I took tips from Ian and did my dashboard a similar way. When annealed, ali becomes a little like pastry and you can crush the pleats into each other to shrink the edge. Google videos of 'Tuck shrinking' if you want to see it in action.
I folded all the skin panels round the frame tubes in the same way. Not easy on tight corners due to the quantity of pleats you have to crush down (carefullllly, and slowwwwwwly).
Ian. Would you prefer if I started a separate thread on building methods?
RE: Building a Special Body - Ian Williams - 12-02-2018
Rob, the purpose of the thread when I started it on the old forum was to show the design and construction of my special from the concept through to the finished car. Along the way I hope to share my own construction methods using basic hand tools and traditional skills learnt over my years mucking around with sevens, I wanted to show other forum members that with a little knowledge and a willingness to try what can be achieved. This thread is intended to be inspirational and educational, I have been lucky to have received valuable help and tuition from friends and acquaintances, and this is my way of hopefully paying back some of that kindness. If you or anyone else has something constructive to add please do so, however I also think it would be good for the forum if there were other build logs on here, I know you had one on the old forum, perhaps it is time to revive it?
RE: Building a Special Body - cardiffrob - 12-02-2018
Good point. I haven't been back in the garage for a while (Spinal surgery went a bit wrong) but maybe that's the incentive I need? :o)
RE: Building a Special Body - Ian Williams - 12-02-2018
In earlier pictures you will have noticed that I had a solid diaphragm behind the seat, this was there to act both as a stiffer and as a firewall because I intended to have the fuel tank behind me. This presented a bit of a problem as the only access would be through the boot/spare wheel slot and a 2 gallon fuel tank was about all that would fit. I decided that I needed access behind the seat but also wanted to retain some strength and a fire wall, I decided to cut out the centre of the diaphragm and form a swage around the edge in order that I could fit a removable panel. The following series of pictures show how I went about creating this swage, I made a former in MDF with a clamping piece cut from a scrap of ply above, the edge can then be simply dressed down into the former. I have not found it nesecarry to anneal small swages like this as you are not moving much metal, care is needed though not to bruise the panel when when working it.
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RE: Building a Special Body - cardiffrob - 12-02-2018
If anyone wants to make Poly-whatsit chisels like in picture 4 above, the white plastic used in UK milk jugs can be melted down and cast/machined. You can also buy Poly-morph plastic beads on Ebay that can be melted in boiling water and moulded into shape.