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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks for the comments guys!
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Took the upper gate off tonight...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture383.jpg My tool of choice for removing spot welds is a 3" x 1/16 cutoff wheel. I also use the premium wheels made for stainless steel. It's worth the extra money when you don't have a brown cloud in the shop, like the el cheapo wheels leave, nothing but resin wearing away. The upper layer of metal will start to turn blue when it gets thin and hot, letting you know you're getting close to the next layer. When you have a blue circle with shiny metal in the center, you are now in the second layer, grind around the blue a bit more and pry the layers apart.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture385.jpg With all the spot welds removed, here's what we find inside... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture386.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture388.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture389.jpg Note the deep pits. The big problem with just welding a hole closed is you don't know where the next pit is lurking, ready to break through your new paint. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture391.jpg Funny, with all the rust and scale inside, then you find this area of bare steel nice and shiney.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture387.jpg The inside will get media blasted to insure there is no more lurking issues and then epoxy primered before re-assembly. Here's a better look at the shape we'll need... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture392.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture393.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Very nice work! Love seeing these kinds of threads, you do very detailed work and the end results show it. Those beadrollers are awesome, I haven't done much with ours yet but they're well worth what they cost for the things you can do with them. Even if a patch panel was made for that section of the lift gate, your's probably fits 100 times better!
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks! Actually we've had a couple repop pieces on this project that I've sent back where I didn't care for the fit or precision, and made them myself. Others parts made just plain weren't available. In either case, I've found that just cutting off the bad piece and backing yourself in a corner is a good motivator in getting something made to fit.. :lol:
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Some amazing work right there..
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Media blasted the inside of the upper gate to clean it up before welding the new part on. Unfortunately this revealed more in the way of pits, through holes, etc., so it now looks like more fabrication....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture419.jpg Time to attempt some dies for the Lennox. Tonight's choice is some 1" thick phenolic sheet... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture077-2.jpg Here's the profile we're looking for... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture079-2.jpg The dies installed in the holders.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture080-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture081-2.jpg An offset bend was added to the sample 19ga in the brake, then the first of three passes..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture083-2.jpg Final pass..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture084-2.jpg Dies held up well.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture085-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture087-2.jpg Safety tip of the day, 3" roloc discs do a good job of shaping phenolic, so skin is no match.... (note thumb in above pic) Where my "test sample" was made initially with straight bends in the brake, the actual piece on the lift gate is not straight, so the bends on the "good" piece will need to be bent using the tipping wheel. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture090-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture089-2.jpg The profile needs just a bit of tweaking, and I may try using a piece of metal inserted in a band saw blade cut to sharpen up some of the details. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture091-2.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Hopefully this one will be a keeper...
Checked the lower profile of the upper gate with radius sweeps to lay out the new piece... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture125-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture126-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture127-2.jpg Laying out the pattern on 19ga steel.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture128-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture129-1.jpg Tipping wheel in the bead roller... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture130-2.jpg ......and a newly modified back stop, much better than the flat one..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture131-2.jpg Offset added with the tipping wheel...... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture132-2.jpg Then run through the Lennox..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture081-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture084-2.jpg More tipping, then the step die used in place of skateboard wheel with the tipping wheel for the lower 1/4" fold... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture134-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture136-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture137-2.jpg Still need to fold the top in the window opening, until next time... |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Tonight I made a small sample to test the fold of the window opening. Well actually, a few samples, as I started off by producing a small pile of scraps.....about three tries unsuccessfully, then this one, beginning with using the bead roller tipping wheel....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture139-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture140-2.jpg This is about as far as it would go, and with the good piece already having bends at the bottom, would be a bit less once tried on that piece. This will require a custom made "anvil" for some hammer action... The donor: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture142-2.jpg As modified: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture143-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture144-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture145-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture146-2.jpg .....then for some manual tipping... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture147-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture148-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture149-2.jpg Comparison to the original.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture150-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture151-2.jpg This looks close, next task will be to cut a sample out of the original and see how close we actually are... |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Incredible work Robert! It would be quite a privilege to hang out in your shop for a while. I can't get enough of that metal work.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
If travel plans ever bring you out east, by all means give me a shout!
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
OK, enough of the practice pieces, time to finish the rest of the bends. Just to make sure we don't need any "tweaking", I'll cut a profile sample out of the center. This spot weld one the inner flange is far enough away so I won't need to grind out a spot weld, and still have enough of that flange for a good measurement. In other words, removed with minimal effort where it still holds it's shape accurately.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture152-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture153-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture154-2.jpg Our profile template: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture155-2.jpg Just to compare to our test sample, looks like the inner flange was bent down a bit much in the manual hammering, will have to ease up a bit... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture157-2.jpg Outside profile looks good enough to leave alone! http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture158-2.jpg Following the measurement used on the test sample, the panel is run through the bead roller's tipping wheel nice and slow to give us an initial mark for the bend, then repeated to tip the flange downward... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture159-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture160-2.jpg This looks about all we'll get without distorting and pulling, so then it's off to the custom anvil... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture162-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture163-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture164-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture165-2.jpg Then for some manual tipping... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture168-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture169-2.jpg ...and comparing to our profile sample...... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture172-2.jpg Ready to cut off the old next time... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture174-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture175-2.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Well tonight's task was to remove the bottom detail of the lift gate and sandblast the remaining structure in prep for epoxy primer. The lower edge did have a flange folded up, so a slit was cut along the edge and the door skin vise grips were put to use...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture177-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture178-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture179-2.jpg Next, the spot welds inside were ground out..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture180-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture182-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture183-2.jpg Media blasting..... nice to finally see through the glass! http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture184-2.jpg The media blasting revealed a few more holes, and numerous pits, many of them close to breaking through. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture185-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture186-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture188-2.jpg With all the other new metal going in the bottom, there's only one thing to do. Using the tipping wheel.......... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture189-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture191-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture193-2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture194-1.jpg Comparing to the pitted version..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture195-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture197-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture198-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture199-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture201-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture202-1.jpg Next we'll need to do some corking to add the trim hole pad details. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
I'll say it again, Robert. You need to be making videos, or something. You have a knack for turning "oh hell no!" into "no big deal" and showing the rest of us frimps how that's possible. You're the reason I got up the gumption to take on the Mazda (which is almost done, BTW). Kudos to you. I gotta get a bead roller.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks, I've said before I do some of my best work after getting backed in a corner.. :lol:
Now to address the mounting pads for the window molding.... Here's the new "anvil", made from some phenolic sheet..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture207-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture208-1.jpg Put an alignment mark on the anvil, fitted it to the originals, and added the mark there as well. Then transposed those marks to the new piece... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture209-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture210-1.jpg Anvil was located, and clamped in the vise to hold it's location http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture211-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture213-1.jpg Started with the barrel end hammer..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture216-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture217-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture218-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture219-1.jpg For the ends, I used a rounded tip chisel.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture220-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture221-1.jpg ....and then another "anvil" to clean up the hammer marks a bit... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture222-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture223-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture224-1.jpg Here's all the tools used.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture225-1.jpg Touched up a bit with a sanding disc, looks close enough.... One down, 4 to go... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture226-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture228.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Last night I worked to finish up the pad details on the inner structure of the lift gate.... The center one was wider, so I used the same phenolic and just added a wider detail to the opposite side. I missed showing this earlier, but a handy-dandy battery saw works well to remove the bulk of the material, sawing parallel cuts and then just working the saw side to side to clear out the remaining....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture235-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture236-1.jpg Once cut out, the sanding disc is used to cut down the angled sides and touch up the bottom.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture237-1.jpg This compares the two, showing the difference in width... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture238-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture239-1.jpg Alignment marks transposed from the original, and guide marks indicate the area in need of hammering... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture242-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture243-1.jpg I had a request to show the hammering procedure, so here's another video attempt. The first one is using the phenolic anvil clamped against the work piece in the vise, the second uses 1" square stock as an anvil to clean up the hammer marks a bit... http://s5.photobucket.com/user/rmcca...eo232.mp4.html http://s5.photobucket.com/user/rmcca...eo233.mp4.html ...also sounds like I have a loose hammer handle, something for another day.... ;) Then the sanding disc was used for final cleanup. Here's the finished piece, just needs a couple holes drilled.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture245-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture246-1.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Back to the lift gate, the spot welds in the bottom piece were drilled out. This revealed a couple more pits, which were media blasted and MIG welded.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture253-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture254-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture255-1.jpg All cleaned up, the new piece is plug welded on.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture256-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture257-1.jpg Then the inner panel is fitted up and tacked in place.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture258-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture259-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture260-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture261-1.jpg Top flange clamped to check the fit..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture262-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture263-1.jpg That's about it until next time... |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Artwork. I got nothing else to say.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Beautiful work! I'm surprised the "excess" out at the break of the 90 laid down into the relief as nicely as it did. I would have thought you'd have had to slit it at the corner to lay it down and then weld the seam back up. Thanks again for making the seemingly impossible look not only possible, but achievable.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
It's actually a shame that someone will someday look at that at a car show, and not even notice it. You should make a second one as a cutaway or something :D
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
How about we put all the rusty pieces cut out in a 5 gallon bucket and see if they can find where they came from! :)
Finishing up the welding of the inner bottom panel....used a 3/16 hole for the plug welds this time. I normally use a letter A, but the flange here is a bit narrow, so a smaller hole it is. To make up for it the heat on the welder was cranked up a bit to insure a good weld. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture265-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture266-1.jpg Looking at the back side, these should hold well. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture267-1.jpg All the plug welds done, then on to the corner seams..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture272.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture273.jpg and after cleaning up the welds..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture275-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture277-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture278-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture279-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture280-1.jpg Then we'll clean up the plug welds on the flange, media blast the inside for good paint adhesion and some epoxy primer before closing it up.. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Fascinating
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
WOW!! Awesome work.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Great job. A true master at his craft.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks for the comments fellas!
Didn't get much accomplished tonight but grinding on some plug welds. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture282-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture283-1.jpg I've had a few inquiries in the past as to my weld grinding process, so I thought I'd use the opportunity for another video..... http://s5.photobucket.com/user/rmcca...welds.mp4.html . |
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