SublimeRT Posted November 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 "Regarding the foam, I work with a bunch of people who have backgrounds in special effects so I just went and asked one of them about the foam melting. He said to use blue foam, and bondo should be able to go on the foam without melting, but to test it out first on some scrap before you risk ruining your big piece. He said if it doesn't work, or you want to lay fiberglass over it, coat the foam with wood glue using a cheap brush and let it dry. The wood glue will sort of seal the foam and give you a hard, non-porous surface that can be scuffed to accept the bondo or fiberglass resin. You might need to do a couple of coats of glue to get the thickness you need, kind of trial and error."@tony The above is a post from Dan in this thread a while ago when I first talked about this foam buck. I mention the fiberglass in my recent post because I'm still going to try it, but it might be omitted for just the bondo. This will be an experiment and learning experience for myself.The goal here is to just have a nice hard and smooth surface to make a flexible shape pattern from. The fsp is simply a few layers of special tapes laid down on a panel and then carefully peeled off. It captures the details of the panels shape and when laid on a piece of flat metal is very loose and puffy. As the panel takes shape the pattern fits better and tighter. Basically just chasing loose spots in the pattern until it fits nice and tight then the final form of the panel is set with the steel gauges. That rear seat headrest is kinda crappy. Came across mine the other day and thought about scrapping it, but I'll keep it around for a while. I'm sure there's some kind of way to make a shape from foam then cover it in fiberglass (isn't this how surfboards are constructed?) and then bondo/paint or even some padding then upholstery if that's what you're thinking. @Evilcw311 As I said to Tony, this is an experiment and learning experience for me, so any little tips like that are welcome. Thanks for the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwilight Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 i've tinkered around with slapping some resin on different types of foams before and all i've ever discovered is that it melts the shit out of it lol. is there a certain kind of foam that does not do that. or will there be something between the foam and the outer shell? i ask because i'm trying to figure out what i could do to replace the rear seat headrest that fits like straight ass lol. @tony a lot of guys will put a layer of foil down to minimize the melting. Plus this helps with separating the layers later.You will still have a small amount of melting but not nearly as bad. Also you must be careful not to mix your resin too hot. A lil less catalyst will keep the heat down. It takes longer to fully set but won't cook as hot.This message courtesy of crapatalk When making some various fiberglass parts for RC planes, we sometimes put a couple layers of packing tape down then lots of paste wax on top of that. Then make the mold from there. Also the type of resin used could play a factor. For a lot of the stuff we use epoxy resin such a West Systems brand versus the polyester resins. The epoxy resins don't seem to melt the foam like the polyester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted November 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 @RideTech_Ryan @RedTwilight Good stuff guys. Thanks for the tips and the input. [emoji106] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 i've seen lots of interior pieces shaped and sectioned using foam and it works out great using a guide template to keep the right curvature for ay a bench seat. be cool if it works out for you. i'd love to find a way to use sculpting foam, couple layers of cloth and resin to make it work....thanks for the info fellas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabres Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 coat the foam with wood glue using a cheap brush and let it dry. The wood glue will sort of seal the foam and give you a hard, non-porous surface that can be scuffed to accept the bondo or fiberglass resin. You might need to do a couple of coats of glue to get the thickness you need, kind of trial and error." My brother builds movie and game props as a hobby and this exactly what he does to seal foam when using it. It works excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 @Tabres Sorry, just now seeing your post. I didn't get a notification for some reason. That is good to hear though, thanks for your input. I have all the foam cut out and glued together in a big block the size of the quarter panel. The more I look around about building foam panels and the more i think about it though, the more tempted I am to buy some two part foam to mix up and pour on the side of the car. Then I can just sand it down level to the steel wire buck that's already on the car. We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideTech_Ryan Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 Sooooooooo.....................hows it going????? Widebody????? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95riosnake Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 I know one recent purchase was an engagement ring, congrats Blaise! Any new stuff happening in the shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thanks, Dan! Yeah, I have been a little preoccupied with other things. The engagement was long overdue. We've pretty much known we were going to get married for quite a while now, it was just a matter of me asking. We also found out in December that we are going to be parents around August. And we also bought a new car, a 2015 Challenger RT. So it's all pretty exciting stuff. We don't know yet if the baby will be a boy or girl. Everyone thinks it will be a boy. I will be happy either way, I just want it to be happy and healthy. As far as the shop goes I have pretty much finished the cart and table and have acquired a few other little tools from my list; a vise and a shop press. I've tinkered with the car some, but nothing really worth mentioning. Still haven't heard from that guy about the English wheel. He is in his seventies and from what I hear his wife is really sick, so if that's what's keeping him, I won't bug him. I've been collecting materials to make one, so that's probably what I'll do. Nothing major will happen with the Mustang until I get it on the table. If I get a wheel I can start roughing out some panels. Slowly but surely though I'm knocking things out, getting my ducks in a row. For example I bought the press so I can build a little press brake attachment for it, so I can bend some 1/8" sheet and make that pedal box I posted a while back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Psychorugby Posted January 19, 2016 Moderators Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thanks, Dan! Yeah, I have been a little preoccupied with other things. The engagement was long overdue. We've pretty much known we were going to get married for quite a while now, it was just a matter of me asking. We also found out in December that we are going to be parents around August. And we also bought a new car, a 2015 Challenger RT. So it's all pretty exciting stuff. We don't know yet if the baby will be a boy or girl. Everyone thinks it will be a boy. I will be happy either way, I just want it to be happy and healthy. Double congratulations then! Everyone in my family thought ours was going to be a boy. Nope, it's a girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thanks! Haha. I seem to be the only one that thinks it will be a girl. In both of our families there are a lot of girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh@RideTech Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Awesome build! @SublimeRT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanter Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Big congratulations @SublimeRT !!!!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideTech_Ryan Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thats awesome congratulations on engagement and on the baby! It really doesnt matter what sex the baby is they are all fun. I have a boy and an girl and they both love their hot wheels lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabres Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Congratulations! Looks like a big things are in store for you this year! That's awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 @Josh@RideTech @Lanter Thanks, guys! @RideTech_Ryan I have a lot of Hot Wheels I've collected over the years still in the packaging......I'm waiting for the day our kid spots them hanging on the wall and begs me to open them all, haha. I think I'll try, "You can pick one or two to open each year on your birthday." @Tabres Thanks! I'm very excited and looking forward to this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideTech_Ryan Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thats a good Idea! When both of my kids were born I got each of them a Mustang Hot Wheel and kept it in the package. I am going to hold on to them until they graduate or some other milestone. I havent quite made up my mind when yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 That's a good idea, too! I like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwilight Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Congrats! @RideTech_Ryan I have a lot of Hot Wheels I've collected over the years still in the packaging......I'm waiting for the day our kid spots them hanging on the wall and begs me to open them all, haha. I think I'll try, "You can pick one or two to open each year on your birthday." This sooo reminds me of this commercial! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Hahaha, that is funny. Haven't seen that one. I'll probably take a few of my favorite Hot Wheels and hide them away. Thanks, man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwilight Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Hahaha, that is funny. Haven't seen that one. I'll probably take a few of my favorite Hot Wheels and hide them away. Thanks, man! I've got several boxes and huge totes full of unopened Hotwheels. Mostly 1st editions with several Treasure Hunts. And of course anything Ford. I collected pretty seriously for a couple years. But now I have just resided myself to just Mustangs, Fords, and anything I see that is really cool. I've thought about selling most my collection sometime, but the market just isn't that strong right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmage Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 i have a ton of hotwheels.... and the bigger 1/18 scale models. all out of packaging, all on full display. screw that hiding em away! unless its for the kids haha. congrats @SublimeRT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 I've got several boxes and huge totes full of unopened Hotwheels. Mostly 1st editions with several Treasure Hunts. And of course anything Ford. I collected pretty seriously for a couple years. But now I have just resided myself to just Mustangs, Fords, and anything I see that is really cool. I've thought about selling most my collection sometime, but the market just isn't that strong right now. I have only just bought cool ones I like, not paying attention to collecting certain ones. I recently learned what a Super is, and checked all mine. I've got one, ha. I like to joke that the Hot Wheels will be part of my retirement fund. Hey how about Dystopia? I love it. Been listening to it on repeat all day. My father in law has a room in the basement full of nothing but unopened hot wheels dating back to the late 60's.This message courtesy of crapatalk! That's pretty awesome! Maybe that collection really could be a retirement fund, unlike mine. i have a ton of hotwheels.... and the bigger 1/18 scale models. all out of packaging, all on full display. screw that hiding em away! unless its for the kids haha. congrats @SublimeRT! Thanks, man! Haha, yeah they need to be displayed, at least some of them. I'm going to hang mine up high. It's cool to see there's some other Hot Wheels fans hanging around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Haha, I sat in it last night for about ten minutes. Can't wait to work on it. The Charger is going on the table very soon and I'll knock it out then it's the Cobra's turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwilight Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hey how about Dystopia? I love it. Been listening to it on repeat all day. I'm LOVING it so far! So far it's on about the Cryptic Writings level. We'll see if it changes once I listen to it a few more times! Less hot wheels, more cobra!!!!! LolThis message courtesy of crapatalk! Shut up and go buy yourself some Hotwheels! Haha, I sat in it last night for about ten minutes. Can't wait to work on it. The Charger is going on the table very soon and I'll knock it out then it's the Cobra's turn. What are you waiting for? For it to warm up? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 @RedTwilight Haha, I actually wish it would cool off here. I'm from TN, where we actually get all four seasons. Here it's just mostly hot. I think Dystopia is really great the more I listen to it. I'm not sure where I'd rank it in comparison to all the other albums though. I mean, some days I'm in a Rust In Peace mood, some days I'm in a Risk mood, and all the others get their turn as well. I can agree with it being on a Cryptic Writings level though. Maybe Youthanasia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwilight Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 @RedTwilight Haha, I actually wish it would cool off here. I'm from TN, where we actually get all four seasons. Here it's just mostly hot.I think Dystopia is really great the more I listen to it. I'm not sure where I'd rank it in comparison to all the other albums though. I mean, some days I'm in a Rust In Peace mood, some days I'm in a Risk mood, and all the others get their turn as well. I can agree with it being on a Cryptic Writings level though. Maybe Youthanasia. I've listened to it upteen times so far and love more and more each time I hear it! Listening to it as I type this. The album as a whole I still ranl right around Cryptic Writings. But certain individual songs I can rank as high as Rust In Peace, or Countdown To Extinction. My absolute favorite song of the new album is Conquer Or Die. I soooo wish it was a 7 minute composition! Have you heard the Japanese only bonus track "Me Hate You"? That should've been on the main album instead of one of the 2 cover songs at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Conquer or Die and then going right into Lying State are my favorites as well, can't get enough of it! I, too, wish Conquer Or Die were longer. I've been wishing for a long time that they'd put out some extended instrumental tracks. There are a few short ones here and there like I Know Jack, and something like a full song like the intro to Don't Turn Your Back would be great. I haven't heard Me Hate You yet. I got the digital download off Amazon the day it was released, which has ten songs then the Foreign Policy cover. I am gonna buy a hard copy, even though our new car doesn't even have a CD player. Nor do I have a CD player/stereo in the house. I think CDs might not be around much longer. I was joking with my fiance that I'm gonna buy it because it might be the last new Megadeth release in that format. I was gonna look at the Best Buy version though, heard it has a few extra songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted January 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Well I guess here is a little update. Nothing with the car itself yet, but some things I've been wanting/needing to really help out around the shop, and a few things I wasn't really planning on but will definitely come in handy. I finally got in contact with the guy with the English wheel and went and met up with him at his shop yesterday. The wheel is a Harbor Freight special, but for the price he wanted I got it anyways. This is the old version with the bent frame, the new one is fabricated and actually fairly decent from what I hear. If you research these old ones people say the frames are flexible as wet noodles, the wheels have tons of slop in them, the adjuster has tons of slop, etc. This one is no different. But these are all fixable with a little work that I don't mind doing, and it IS an English wheel, and even in its sloppy, neglected state, it does work. I messed with a little piece of scrap metal last night with it. I will still probably build one, I'm collecting materials and have drawn up plans for the frame and adjuster in Sketchup and have a hardware/supplies list from McMaster made up. But you can go buy a single 3" wide high quality lower anvil from Metal Ace for slightly less than the price that this whole setup was. It is filthy and you can see all the anvils, upper and lower (there are 6 more lowers on that holder on that rear upright), have a lot of surface rust, but I will tune it all up. That's just the little piece of scrap I messed with. Shrunk the long sides with the stump, did some stretching in the middle on the beater bag, hand planished it a bit smooth with a hammer and the railroad track, then smoothed it out some more in the middle with the wheel, also gave it a bit more dome/stretch in the middle with the wheel under high pressure, and stretched that bottom edge with the wheel to give it a bit of a reverse curve/flare. Didn't really have anything in mind when I started with it, but it's kind of reminiscent of an old fender. Point is though, even in it's sad, rusty, sloppy state, it works despite people saying these wheels are complete junk. Another thing he had for a really great price was this Woodward Fab 4 ft. box and pan brake. I didn't even know he had it, but couldn't turn it down. The brake I've been using so far is a 30" Harbor Freight special. Little thing that needs to be clamped to a table or sawhorses, then a flat bar gets clamped on to hold down the work piece, then you brake the metal and hope the clamping bar doesn't move. Kind of a pain. It is a bit dirty and has some surface rust too, but it should clean up no problem. I've heard Woodward Fab stuff is pretty decent, and just looking at it I can't see anything really wrong with it. It has a 16 ga mild steel capacity which is pretty good. The stand will definitely be getting redone. It doesn't look like it in the picture, but the work height is about up to my armpits. Don't know why it's so high, but going to lower it. That's just a little piece of scrap 18 ga I put some bends in. Took no time at all, prob less than a minute. The machine looks to be pretty adjustable. It'll be cool to get familiar with it and learn what all can be done. Another thing he had was this press brake for a steal. I was going to make one of these to use with the HF 20 ton press I bought during the Black Friday sale. This is much beefier than anything I'd make though. Not sure where it came from. It has no markings except some warning stickers on the back of it. The bottom V-die is solid metal though which is awesome. It is also quite nasty looking, but should clean up just fine. The work area is 20" wide. Should handle some pretty thick metal just fine. The only bad thing though is that it is about 5/8" too wide to fit in the HF press. I will probably widen the press as it doesn't look like there's any real easy way to narrow this thing up. I'm just glad I didn't start doing all the mods to the press I had planned yet. There's a guy on Craigslist around Dallas that is always advertising some railroad track for sale. He posted up a while ago he had some new stuff come in, and my parents just happened to be going to Dallas that coming up weekend. I asked them if they could go swing by and grab me a piece if they have some free time. They were nice enough to do so. These make pretty good anvils, so that's why I wanted one. And I don't see very many good anvils come up for sale. When they do they are expensive. This was $80. This section is about 2 ft long and 7" tall. I will probably cut it in two, one longer section and one shorter section. Maybe like 16" and 8". The longer one I think I will cut up and have some machine work done so it is more anvil like, then flame harden it. Google railroad track anvils and you can see what I have in mind. The short section I will probably leave as is and put it on a post to use with the bench grinder/vise stand. Here's the HF 20T press. Nothing special, but should be pretty sweet after modifying, painting, and sprucing it up some. And lastly here's the latest iteration of the bench grinder/vise stand. I took the one I posted up a while ago, with the roll bar tubing, and cut it up. I decided it was too high, especially after putting the vise in it. Before the grinder was about armpit level, and now it and the vise are about belly button level which is a good working height for the vise. Especially when I clamp a dolly or something in it to do some metal work. And with the grinder at that height I can now sit on a stool in front of it, which will be nice when I'm polishing miles of aluminum/stainless trim for an older vehicle. I was keeping an eye out on CL and such for a nice vise that didn't break the bank, but no luck. Got this on Cyber Monday for $120 shipped with the 4 lb mini sledge, which is good for me. My old mini sledge had a fiberglass handle which irritated my hands. It is a Chinese Wilton, but has a lifetime warranty, so as long as I don't do anything stupid it should be fine. In side the wheel base, I bolted a 25 lb non-Olympic plate, and an old rotor from my truck, so it is pretty bottom heavy and stable. Especially with the vise or grinder in the bottom storage hole. I will probably make another stand just like it so I can have two things going at once; I have 3 of these wheels left. It'll be handy to have say a vise in one and anvil in the other, or whatever's needed really. I have some more accessories in mind to swap out as well. That's just a standard receiver hitch up top. So really can take any tool wanted and stick it on a 2" square tube and the stand will hold it. Gonna paint the stand gloss black I think and get some lime green and white pinstripe paint and try my hand at that. So I have a lot of work to do with all this tool stuff, but you know, pieces to the puzzle. Getting there slowly but surely. Thanks for looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 good lord man that's some serious tools there lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95riosnake Posted February 1, 2016 Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 BADASS stuff Blaise! You really had quite a tool haul recently! I think that English wheel can definitely be strengthened up quite a bit with your skills. You could cut some 1/4" plate steel the same profile as the main arc and bottom bar, with holes cut out of it, then seam weld it to the side around the edges and inside the holes if that makes sense. Kind of like the frame notch gussets you see people weld on sometimes on bagged trucks. And it would look badass to boot. Here's a sketch of what I mean. I'd also suggest adding gussets to the plates that mount the upper wheel. Obviously you'd really have to be careful with the heat when welding all this but you probably already know that. Very jealous of the brake and punch die as well. We have a huge brake at work that I sometimes use for personal projects, I'd love to have one at home but I have no idea where I'd put such a monstrosity lol. You could probably pretty easily fab a frame out of thick wall 2" square tube to mount a 20T bottle jack to for the press brake. Shouldn't be too tough. The railroad track sections make great anvils! I've seen many how-to's of how to cut them to make a super nice anvil. I've kept my eyes peeled for someone selling track here, you'd think with all the railroads we have around here there would be some but no such luck yet. I've considered one of those HF presses before, I'll be interested to see your experience with it. If it makes the cut I may pick up one sometime, A bench vise can only press so much before you damage it lol. And that vise/grinder stand... hats off to you sir. That is one hell of a nice piece of work! I think the high visibility Wilton is kinda cool because it gives it kind of a Festool-style color scheme. Just when I think I'm ok waiting to get back to metal fab till after I finish outfitting the garage, you come in and post this update and make me want to get back to it so bad! All in due time though, in another month or so I should be able to get back to making some sparks again. We shall see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideTech_Ryan Posted February 1, 2016 Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 Well I guess here is a little update. Nothing with the car itself yet, but some things I've been wanting/needing to really help out around the shop, and a few things I wasn't really planning on but will definitely come in handy. I finally got in contact with the guy with the English wheel and went and met up with him at his shop yesterday. The wheel is a Harbor Freight special, but for the price he wanted I got it anyways. This is the old version with the bent frame, the new one is fabricated and actually fairly decent from what I hear. If you research these old ones people say the frames are flexible as wet noodles, the wheels have tons of slop in them, the adjuster has tons of slop, etc. This one is no different. But these are all fixable with a little work that I don't mind doing, and it IS an English wheel, and even in its sloppy, neglected state, it does work. I messed with a little piece of scrap metal last night with it. I will still probably build one, I'm collecting materials and have drawn up plans for the frame and adjuster in Sketchup and have a hardware/supplies list from McMaster made up. But you can go buy a single 3" wide high quality lower anvil from Metal Ace for slightly less than the price that this whole setup was. It is filthy and you can see all the anvils, upper and lower (there are 6 more lowers on that holder on that rear upright), have a lot of surface rust, but I will tune it all up. That's just the little piece of scrap I messed with. Shrunk the long sides with the stump, did some stretching in the middle on the beater bag, hand planished it a bit smooth with a hammer and the railroad track, then smoothed it out some more in the middle with the wheel, also gave it a bit more dome/stretch in the middle with the wheel under high pressure, and stretched that bottom edge with the wheel to give it a bit of a reverse curve/flare. Didn't really have anything in mind when I started with it, but it's kind of reminiscent of an old fender. Point is though, even in it's sad, rusty, sloppy state, it works despite people saying these wheels are complete junk. Another thing he had for a really great price was this Woodward Fab 4 ft. box and pan brake. I didn't even know he had it, but couldn't turn it down. The brake I've been using so far is a 30" Harbor Freight special. Little thing that needs to be clamped to a table or sawhorses, then a flat bar gets clamped on to hold down the work piece, then you brake the metal and hope the clamping bar doesn't move. Kind of a pain. It is a bit dirty and has some surface rust too, but it should clean up no problem. I've heard Woodward Fab stuff is pretty decent, and just looking at it I can't see anything really wrong with it. It has a 16 ga mild steel capacity which is pretty good. I know nothing about metal shaping but find it extremely interesting. How did you shrink the edges with the stump? Maybe a noobs how too video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted February 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 BADASS stuff Blaise! You really had quite a tool haul recently! I think that English wheel can definitely be strengthened up quite a bit with your skills. You could cut some 1/4" plate steel the same profile as the main arc and bottom bar, with holes cut out of it, then seam weld it to the side around the edges and inside the holes if that makes sense. Kind of like the frame notch gussets you see people weld on sometimes on bagged trucks. And it would look badass to boot. Here's a sketch of what I mean. I'd also suggest adding gussets to the plates that mount the upper wheel. Obviously you'd really have to be careful with the heat when welding all this but you probably already know that. Thanks, Dan! I like your sketch of the bracing. Most people just add some square tube to the outside of it up the back and across the top. It is effective, but I don't really care for how it looks. I was planning on getting some plate anyways to beef up the H-Frame press, so may get enough to brace the E-wheel frame as well. I will definitely be bracing that upper wheel mount as well. I might even just cut it off and have the mount be bolt on; it will be easier to align with the bottom wheel that way and I can either add shims or some little adjusting screws to align it. I will definitely be repainting the wheel frame as well. The yellow, I don't care for. I'm trying not to get too crazy with this thing; if I start spending too much time and money on it I may as well have just built one from scratch. I spent some time dissecting, inspecting, and taking some measurements of things yesterday and have a plan to fix it up. ^^ That's how most people brace them. Very jealous of the brake and punch die as well. We have a huge brake at work that I sometimes use for personal projects, I'd love to have one at home but I have no idea where I'd put such a monstrosity lol. You could probably pretty easily fab a frame out of thick wall 2" square tube to mount a 20T bottle jack to for the press brake. Shouldn't be too tough. Yeah, the brake is quite large, wasn't planning on it, so I'm going to have to do some rearranging in the shop. I have to be mindful of space for future tools. A lathe, blast cabinet, parts washer, and nice heavy fabricated steel bench are on my list. I'm sure other things will come to mind as well. I had spots picked out, but the brake kinda changes things. I like your idea of a small fabricated frame for the press brake, that might be the way to go. We'll see. The railroad track sections make great anvils! I've seen many how-to's of how to cut them to make a super nice anvil. I've kept my eyes peeled for someone selling track here, you'd think with all the railroads we have around here there would be some but no such luck yet. I've considered one of those HF presses before, I'll be interested to see your experience with it. If it makes the cut I may pick up one sometime, A bench vise can only press so much before you damage it lol. That is strange that you have trouble finding some track up there in PA. I'd offer to ship you a piece, but it is not light at all, the price of shipping would probably be very high. As far as the press goes, I plan to box some of the C-channel with plate, pick up an air over hydraulic 20T jack when they're on sale, make a new base with wheels and with an expanded metal shelf and probably some rubber horse mat to safely catch things that get pressed out, and that horizontal guide for the jack has a ton of slop in it. Am going to replace the ends and add some UMHW so it's tight and smooth. Also repaint it, round some sharp corners, etc, just make it look nicer. And yeah, I've killed a few vises in the past by trying to press things haha. And that vise/grinder stand... hats off to you sir. That is one hell of a nice piece of work! I think the high visibility Wilton is kinda cool because it gives it kind of a Festool-style color scheme. Just when I think I'm ok waiting to get back to metal fab till after I finish outfitting the garage, you come in and post this update and make me want to get back to it so bad! All in due time though, in another month or so I should be able to get back to making some sparks again. We shall see. Thanks! Yeah it does have kind of a Festool look to it, huh. I dig the little stand though. Obviously it would be better to have each tool separate on a much heavier stand. You know, I see a lot of people use old big truck brake drums as bases. Or just a regular stand bolted to the floor. Like I said up there though I am trying to keep things taking up as little space as possible and doing double duty, and being mobile. I don't know about you but I like everything to be on wheels, really helps out with packaging when things aren't being used and also moving around the shop and cleaning and such. And I'm not about to drill the concrete floor and install a bunch of anchors. Maybe to tie you over with that metal fab itch you can go do a little project. I know I have quite a few small projects to do. Paper towel holders that are heavy and don't suck, a little hook rack for all my levels/yardsticks, etc, little tig torch holder, car key holder. Things like that. I know nothing about metal shaping but find it extremely interesting. How did you shrink the edges with the stump? Maybe a noobs how too video? I've got quite a few vids and info I will post up a bit later on to help you out and keep you busy for a bit. Once you see how it's done, you might be surprised how simple it can be, and hopefully you'll want to give it a shot, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted February 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 good lord man that's some serious tools there lol.Haha, yeah I used to think I had a good amount of tools. I mean I had my cart with the usual metric/standard socket sets, ratchets, wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, etc. Some air tools, my DMM, and my trusty Dewalt 4.5" grinder and cordless drill. A lot can be done with all that stuff, and I have even done a lot of fab and metal work with not much more. All this stuff I've acquired in the past months will really help with speed, consistency, and accuracy which will be important as I do more and more of this kind of work. Aside from cars I also have some metal furniture ideas that I would like to pursue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted February 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 Couldn't you send a piece of the railroad track by greyhound?!? I don't think the charge is by weight, more like size I think.It's a thought.Otherwise, who live in between Blaise and me then me to Dan?!?!We could do a chain of get together's and pass it along till it gets to Dan!!!! LolThis message courtesy of crapatalk! Greyhound is a good idea. I've heard of it being done quite a bit, but never tried it myself. I'd have to find a station though. There isn't one here in Nac. A chain of get togethers is a cool idea, haha. I'm not sure who is somewhat nearby down here though. I wanna say I've heard of fender rollers getting passed around like that and making it pretty far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SublimeRT Posted February 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 I know nothing about metal shaping but find it extremely interesting. How did you shrink the edges with the stump? Maybe a noobs how too video? There are many ways to shrink metal. Stump shrinking, tucking fork shrinking, a power hammer of which there are a few different kinds like a Yoder, Pullmax, Trumpf, Baileigh/RMD power hammers, helve hammers, Lancaster style shrinkers, Erco style shrinkers, shrinking with heat by way of a torch or with the friction of a shrinking disc. There are probably other ways too. I know Wray Schelin has a machine that can put tucks effortlessly in metal, far from the edge of the material. The torch shrinking and shrinking disc are more for inboard the edges, when some shrinking is needed in the middle of a panel. The Lancaster shrinkers are very limited in depth and mostly used for making window channels and things like that. They can be used to shrink an edge on a larger panel, but they mark up the edge badly. The Erco style can be a bit more gentle, and also has a larger throat so some shrinking can be done a little further from the edge, but they are very expensive machines. The stump, tucking fork, and power hammers are the most common ways for general shrinking when shaping panels. I'd say that the stump is unique in that it is one of the best ways, and also the cheapest. It's not often the cheaper way is the better way. The power hammers will no doubt be the most expensive way, but they can do a good job and shrink deep into a panel with some thumbnail dies. I've not used one, but Wray demonstrated his Trumpf when I attended his class. I think the big advantage of the power hammers is custom dies can be made to duplicate the profile of more complex pieces like complete trunk gutters, beaded details in large panels, things like that. Wray's home depot stump is pretty good. Prior to attending his class and seeing his, and getting a real tree stump, I made one out of a 2x12, the other way. I was on the right track but his is much more open to different shapes and if one of the pieces gets chipped it can easily be replaced. I will make one someday. The one I made though I used a circular saw and did plunge cuts to make the deeper bowl. This is probably the most common way I see it done and it works okay, but not my favorite shape I've used. I use the shallow one more. It is not hemispherical like the big one, but more conical. Here are some pics I took of Wray's stumps. He called this first big one in the foreground the swimming pool. I used it and liked it a lot. There's some good shrinking in the above video. I suggest watching all 4 videos though. They're informative and a good watch. There's a 'stump' made from a gas cylinder. Pretty cool. Wouldn't mind having one myself. You can see some good examples of the process in these videos. You will also need a mallet to go with the stump. There are many different options. Mallets like these would work good and not mark the metal. These are on my wishlist.https://trustycook.com/product-category/hammers/bossing-mallets Wray's interchangeable head mallet works great, but is pricey.http://www.proshaper.com/product/metal-shaping-mallet/ Baseball bat hammer. If you don't have an old bat to use you can buy unfinished blem bats on ebay for 15 bucks or so IIRC. There's also the gas bottle cap hammer. I made one of these and it works okay. The large diameter can be less than ideal sometimes. One thing about all this is there are no real right or wrong ways. Each person will have different preferences. As far as shapes for reliefs in the stumps there is no right or wrong way either. Just gotta play with it and see what works for you. With a stump and self made hammer you can give it a shot for little investment. Even buying some lumber and making a home depot stump and buying say a large bossing mallet like in the link above it is not a large investment to try it out. If you're going to be shrinking some metal you will probably need to stretch it at some point. You can stretch some by laying the metal over the center of a relief in a stump and hitting it with a mallet. Beater bags are great for stretching. You can also stretch by setting the work piece on something hard and hitting it with a hammer. For example I did some light stretching with that little scrap piece I posted by holding it on the RR track and tapping with a cheap HF body hammer that I shaped a high crown in the head. Wray's beater bags are real nice. A bigger one is generally better. I have a medium sized one from Dagger Tools that I like okay. I haven't bought anything from this place, but seems like they have some decent stuff for fair prices. http://www.hammersource.com/Metalworking_Hammers-page-7/ You can even buy some leather and make your own beater bag if you or someone you know can use a sewing machine. I've heard of people using old leather purses as beater bags. Again, you can get creative with things. Just do not fill it with play sand. It will make silica dust which is bad news. After all this shrinking and stretching the metal will probably not be the smoothest. It will need to be planished smooth. This can be done by hand with post dollies, hand dollies clamped in a vise, gas bottle cap in a vise, trailer hitch balls in a vise, etc. Really anything can be a dolly as long as it is hard enough to not give while planishing. You'll just need some kind of dolly and something to planish it with. Wood slappers work good, slappers can be metal as well. Making a slapper out of a leaf spring is popular. Some wood slappers are leather wrapped. Planishing can also be done with an english wheel, or planishing hammer. Once again, you can get creative. Just trying to smooth the metal, not stretch, shrink, or mar the surface with tooling, so you don't need to get aggressive with it. All this should keep you busy for a bit. Give it a shot and see what you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Psychorugby Posted February 2, 2016 Moderators Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 I don't know what half of this means since I can barely throw sparks with my welder, but it is badass nonetheless!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTwilight Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 Great details of a look into the world of metal shaping! Now go do a full write up showing us what and what not to do so we all can make widebody SN's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideTech_Ryan Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 I've got quite a few vids and info I will post up a bit later on to help you out and keep you busy for a bit. Once you see how it's done, you might be surprised how simple it can be, and hopefully you'll want to give it a shot, too.Ive always wanted to give it a shot. I just didnt want to invest time and money into it not having the first clue. Cant wait to see the videos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95riosnake Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Ehem... you've been holding out on the updates Blaise. (taps foot) lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
