Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

55 Wagon Progress

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts


  • Had a visitor in the shop yesterday, collaborating with Cody Walls of Traditional Metalcraft (Milton, DE) on adding some louvers to an Austin Healey project he has in his shop. We got the bonnet done yesterday, and I had to modify my radius fixture for the boot as it had too much crown to simply louver while flat. So that is yet to come.





    Time lapse:


    Collaborating with Cody Walls..... punching some Bonnet louvers









    Modifying our radius fixture for louvering the boot:


    Collaborating with Cody Walls, getting our fixtures ready for punching louvers in the boot. There is too much crown to simply use the linear slide, we also ...



    Here's pictures of the project car in Cody's shop for reference. Photo credit Traditional Metalcraft. Follow the progress on his build @eastcoastchanneljob on IG or Traditional Metalcraft on FB. This car is sporting a Honda S2000 drivetrain, should be a handful..









    Robert



    Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


    MP&C Youtube Channel

    Comment


    • Gorgeous Austin Healey ... should be an awesome project with the S2000 drivetrain.

      Comment



      • So yeah, we work on just about anything. File this one away under "everything's a tool". You need to be able to look at the problem, and figure out what you have readily available as a solution (especially when working weekends)


        Vince is still milking the media blast job..





        Another of the lids had been used and abused with a hammer over it's life, the center was concaved inward, the outer rim had several flat spots. So while Vince was busy, I came up with a dent removal tool to help straighten out the next lid.











        The half hitch ball was used as a punch straight down into the lid to add a consistent shape back to the outer ring. Some hammer and dolly work straightened the center concave, giving it a slight crown. A deep dent was heated to make it more pliable, the punch pushed to the bottom and used as fulcrum to push the dent outward (heated spot)





        Then our "punch" was clamped in the vise to use as a post dolly. The lid was positioned where any low spots were placed against the "dolly" and hammering around the perimeter of the dent raised it outwards..








        Some fine tuning left, but this is much better than where we started:


        A little more to go, but much better than where we started. Cut a 2" hitch ball in half to use as a post dolly for removing dents.





        .
        Robert



        Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


        MP&C Youtube Channel

        Comment


        • so is that what they meant in Boy Scouts by a half-hitch. no wonder why I failed - I kept trying to use rope.
          Doing it all wrong since 1966

          Comment


          • Bet you'll find more uses for that half ball. Look like a handy tool to me.

            Dan

            Comment


            • as always, im astounded at the workmanship--and depressed
              at how much my skills-or rather lack of- suck.

              Comment


              • Thanks for the comments guys!!



                Cody set the hood (bonnet) on the Austin Healey to get a look see on the louvers....





                …..and this past Tuesday he came back to the shop so we could finish up the louvers in the trunk lid (boot). I must say this was the most involved and challenging louver job we have done so far. The trunk lid has a lot of crown, and with a 6” rise in the center, we needed to use the rotation fixture ala Mini Cooper wheel hub. We added to this a hinge mechanism to allow rotation up and down. The limits of the machine's throat height and high crown also meant we'd have to punch half the louvers from back end first, then rotate the lid and tooling and approach the rest from the front end. Now given the extreme flex/twist that the .050 aluminum is prone to, we needed to make sure the cut pattern would be parallel to the last set at the point we rotated from front to back. This required some "gusset" straps clamped in place to limit the twist.





                Before this was added, any twist of the panel would change the outer limits of the cut +/- 1/4". Here's the wheel hub arrangement along with the hinges for up and down adjustment. We needed adjustments along 3 different axis to be able keep all the louvers running true and parallel.








                ….and we're off....





                At this point we were 4 hours in to measuring, clamping, test run (drag the cutter against the panel to scribe the location), rotate 180 front to back, and test the pattern again, just to get to where we could start cutting. …..and another 4 hours to go before we finished. All told, with the time Vince and I spent Saturday working out clamping methods and other details, the layout was approx 4 times that of what it took to do the actual cutting.











                ….and the time lapse video of the process..











                Yesterday Cody sent me pictures of the trunk lid installed.. These louvers really change the attitude of the car... Badass....









                Robert



                Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                MP&C Youtube Channel

                Comment


                • dayum....dats purdy!
                  Patrick & Tammy
                  - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

                  Comment


                  • Time to play catch up here..


                    Vince got two of the milk cans media blasted and worked on the third while I sprayed some SPI epoxy primer on the first two.








                    Also got some epoxy on the hood brace...





                    Ends are quite a bit better than before..








                    I received a state of the art drawing the other day, and was asked if we could duplicate the 1/16 offset shown...





                    Of course this meant we needed some new tooling..











                    Our first sample, with the proper 3/4 flange...











                    We had another panel that would require the offset on two adjacent edges, so one more sample...











                    video action:


                    Testing the new offset dies using 16 gauge cold rolled steel



                    That'll do pig, that'll do.


                    Some of the upholstery parts have been trickling in... so let's add some bling factor....




















                    ….and we made a hand punch for setting the trim tag rivets on the cowl...








                    video version:





                    And finally, we also had some 3/8 stainless fuel line to straighten out of it's coil for a big block mopar… Video parts 1, 2, and 3:


                    Home-made tool for straightening 3/8 stainless fuel line.



                    Using home-made tool to straighten coiled 3/8 stainless fuel line



                    Home-made tool for straightening a coil of 3/8 stainless fuel line.




                    .
                    Robert



                    Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                    MP&C Youtube Channel

                    Comment


                    • Overdue for another update...

                      So with all three milk cans delivered, why not a dinner bell? Indeed. This one was missing the clapper, so that's the latest fabrication...





                      A used 2" hitch ball was reworked in the lathe, and looks like this will be a good start...





                      Hammer/bench head stand is used as a welding fixture.. Hey, whatever works..





                      root pass














                      Finished product in action:


                      This farm dinner bell had lost its clapper, so we used an old 2" hitch ball and some 3/8 rod to make a replacement.



                      We had some dings in the F7 hood to remove that were located in the radius along the sides.. Didn't really have a hammer that fit the exact requirement, so I use a "KIT" that my buddy Will Cronkrite had given me, a piece cut out of a Model A leaf spring.


                      I had more than one BF603 in stock, and rarely use the pick end, so it became the likely candidate.











                      TIG welded in place using ER312 rod





                      Some crown added long ways and polished up...








                      Both of the Wagon's rear kick panels are now prepped, ready to go..








                      Vince has the core support and associated parts blocked and ready for some green...








                      ….and speaking of paint, we got some "new" used light fixtures for the paint booth so we can see a bit better...





                      Old next to new...





                      Now that we can see a bit better, it's clear that the walls need a fresh coat of white...





                      ….And some blocking tips on the F7 hood. We have a nice crease on the inside of the hood from front to back. These scratches show that we would be taking material off the adjacent side if no other steps were taken to stop our sanding block at the center of the crease...





                      By adding a strip of tape along the center, it gives us a positive stop for the sanding block..





                      Then switching for the other side....





                      Which leaves us a nice crease in the middle, and panels nice and flat to either side...


                      Robert



                      Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                      MP&C Youtube Channel

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by MP&C View Post
                        Overdue for another update...

                        So with all three milk cans delivered, why not a dinner bell? Indeed. This one was missing the clapper, so that's the latest fabrication...





                        A used 2" hitch ball was reworked in the lathe, and looks like this will be a good start...





                        Hammer/bench head stand is used as a welding fixture.. Hey, whatever works..





                        root pass














                        Finished product in action:


                        This farm dinner bell had lost its clapper, so we used an old 2" hitch ball and some 3/8 rod to make a replacement.


                        You had to remind me of an oldie but goody:



                        Inspiring work as always!

                        Patrick & Tammy
                        - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

                        Comment


                        • Thanks!!


                          Some equipment changes in the shop.. The Baileigh MH19 was sold last week and Saturday morning was picked up for its journey to Pittsburgh...





                          After the Baileigh left, we had another louver job with Cody, this time on a C10 Chevy hood. With the Lennox sitting in the corner like this...





                          ….. there has been a couple of occasions that large panels would run into interference with the shear. Saturday would be no exception. We had to cut the anchors with a Sawzall and slide it toward the paint booth to make room for the hood...








                          Since the Baileigh was picked up early that morning, the spot it used to be in seemed a better location to eliminate future issues with obstructions to the side.. So we used the 6000 lb capacity engine hoist to move the approx. 4000 lbs of Lennox..





                          Which left this spot open for the new Powell Hammer, the replacement for the Baileigh. The dies are located higher on the new machine, so any larger panels should clear over top...





                          Monday was moving day for the Powell hammer, Mario helped with the loading, unloading, and positioning exactly where it was supposed to go...




















                          All that's left to do is drill some holes into the concrete and add some "peg" bolts to keep things from moving around.
                          Robert



                          Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                          MP&C Youtube Channel

                          Comment


                          • that metal will never know what hit it
                            Doing it all wrong since 1966

                            Comment


                            • You guys have MUCH better toys than I have!

                              Dan

                              Comment


                              • Oh yeah! wagon got some paint today! Richard and Brandon Glymph of Absolute Rod and Custom Paint in Annapolis got some of the Organic green Kandy basecoat and clear sprayed.


                                sealer:




                                Green:







                                SPI Universal Clear:







                                Video shows some of the pop you'll see in the sunlight..


                                Organic Green Kandy basecoat sprayed by Richard and Brandon Glymph of Absolute Rod and Custom Paint, Annapolis MD







                                .
                                Last edited by MP&C; August 12, 2020, 08:09 AM.
                                Robert



                                Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                                MP&C Youtube Channel

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X