Wheeling machines

[Mark Atkinson]

Hi David,

I can only agree with the advice given by Ian, Bill and Duncan. Make sure the wheel you buy is deep enough to take the panel width you intend, and allow for a bit of extra. Like Ian, my cheap wheel has a few flaws, specifically it needed shimming to take out some play, also, I had some problems with the anvils, which had flaws on the finished surface, this issue was sorted by the suppler Metz without any problems. Alas it did not come with a flat anvil, which would be a useful one for some tasks, such as starting a flange, which my car has in abundance! However, for the price it has done a fantastic job. I have managed without a shrinker, but sometimes wish I had one. As Ian says you can manage without, but, as with the wheel, they are labour and time savers. 

My favourite tool is something I do not own, but is available to me in a friendly local work shop who never use it, I call it a pyramid roller; for making curved panels it is a fabulous tool, they think it is from the same period as my car too!

   

If you are in, or close to Lancashire and would like a look and perhaps a go with my wheel, then you will be most welcome, free coffee and positive encouragement are on tap.

Regards, Mark. 

[Ian Williams]

Thanks for the complementary comment Martin. I was looking at the photos of the van you are building, which looks great btw, and perhaps can offer some constructive suggestions for paneling them if you are intending to produce further examples. You could make a timber hammer form for the shape of the wheel arch, and other areas for that matter, this would allow you to easily turn the flange and stretch the metal around the curve without the need to cut tabs as it appears you have on this first one. I have found this technique extremely useful when producing all sorts of sections, added to which it is very repeatable, if you would like me to elaborate I can attempt to do so, here but demonstration is easier in a practical environment. ( Duncan! ) You can also do the same freehand with hammer and dolly, or a jenny, or even tip the edge on a wheeling machine, but a hammer form is so simple once you have made it and with your woodworking facilities I suggest easy to do.

[DavidL]

Quite a bit of hammer forming on this blog:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_q...v%27s+blog

He's obviously highly skilled and experienced, but at home is working with few tools so its all stuff that can be applied and very good advice such as how wide an edge its possible to turn.

[Martin Prior]

Ian, thanks very much for your advice.  

With my lack of experience in metal-bending I was very worried that dressing the ally over a wheel arch former might result in either a split or a ripple tracking round the corner and into the side panel itself.  I wanted a deep flange and I'd come close to disaster with the bottom of one of the door panels, where it has to curve round the projecting spare wheel, so I took the safe option, in the knowledge that with the rear wing in place it would be completely invisible.

I did successfully use a hammer and wooden formers for most of the other curves - around the back windows, the slight compound curves on the rear corners and the domed upper rear corners.  A case of going very carefully and keeping a close eye on how the metal is stretching or compressing!  I've found it a lot easier since I bought a really good panel-beater's hammer.

The next project is going to require a couple of double-curved facings, rather like the ones either side of the Nippy bootlid (same location), so watch your inbox - I may need help!

[DavidL]

Martin - got a recommendation for that hammer?

The other thought for a one-off tail top is to hammer form the whole thing. In my particular case making a solid buck isn't a massive issue as I've a jumbo bandsaw and a cupboard full of sanders and some experience making similar sorts of things for vacuum forming curved ply and veneers. Perhaps in combination with a bit of shrinking round the edges (I bought the smallest size shrinker way back when) and some bat and bag.

---

Mark - I'm now looking for an excuse to be "just passing" Lancashire!!! More likely paths will cross at an event once you're done.

[Duncan Grimmond]

I often send people to look at this youtube site. Lazze is a highly skilled panel beater and makes it look so easy...

https://www.youtube.com/user/lazzemetals...tCJlhv2V0A

[Ian Williams]

I often use hammer forms for one off pieces, they are particularly useful when forming things like fire wall stiffening swages and such like. MDF is a good material to make them from as it is dense and stable the form will last for several pieces, particularly if working Aluminium. I do not use steel hammers that much when working Aluminium because it is soft and bruises easily, all the basic shaping is done with wooden tools and perhaps a few improvised from an bit of nylon bread board. Final planishing is usually done with a slapper rather than a panel hammer and this way I get good results. Steel panels being harder require steel tools, and than I would suggest investing in some good quality hammers, they are so much nicer to use than cheep poorly weighted tools. Kennedy in the UK used to do some nicely balanced hammers and dolly's that were not ridiculously expensive, don't know if they still do but worth checking out. 


  DSC06385.JPG (Size: 245.49 KB / Downloads: 240)
  DSC06393.JPG (Size: 253.85 KB / Downloads: 240)
  DSC06394.JPG (Size: 236.04 KB / Downloads: 240)    
  Special 20-01-2016 004_zpsxegeqxzm.jpg (Size: 238.18 KB / Downloads: 239)    

[Martin Prior]

Inspiring stuff there, Ian.

I'm designing the floorpan and bulkhead for our sports coupe at the moment. Hopefully we'll be able to fit that in between finishing the van and starting on the next paying job.

[Ian Williams]

I found Daivd Gardiners instructional DVD to be excellent, it also has the approval of my personal guru Joss Cambell! You can find and purchase it online. For further reference a book worth seeking out is " Professional sheet metal fabrication" by Ed Barr also very good and fully Joss approved, covers everything you need and more.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Looks interesting, it should arrive Friday. My recommendation is for the two Ron Fournier books, Sheetmetalwork and Fabrication techniques. A bit heavy on machine assistance but all the right stuff is in there.