I don’t have any of those metal work going tools yet but plan to get some for this project. I’ve been welding for awhile powering steering and landscape trailers nothing that really requires finesse. How do you do the curved section in the ribs circled in red? I’ve searched YouTube and haven’t really found that exact example. Also how did you know how far apart the ribs needed to be? I’m afraid my floor is so far gone I won’t be able to tell the exact dimensions of ribs etc.
First, I should have offered to give you some floor dimensions and pictures. My floors had "just enough" to understand the shape and dimensions, but I opted to remake the entire floor vs. attempting to patch everything. I will send you a PM so that we can get connected.
For the lower firewall (both sides, I bought panels from Real Steel Cruiser parts. These are the only patch panels that I actually purchased. As you will see below, I could have probably made them, but this was very early in my metal working learning curve.
As for the closeouts....you are a detailed and shrewd detective and have zeroed in on the
toughest part of making panels for the LV. I have looked at professional shops pictures and and I believe they use a torch, heat the metal cherry red and then beat that shape into the metal. Not my method. I also experimented with making the closeout via bead roller (turn the panel 180 degrees in the bead roller) without acceptable results. My method below works but it is reasonably labor intensive. Here's a summary, and some pics are shown below.
1. You're starting with a flat piece of 18ga. cold roll steel. I tried to layout and cut a flat panel to "close" final dimensions because it's much easier to cut it when it's flat. On this step it's important to mark off any flanges that will be bent and scribe them into the panel. I also learned that using a sharpie to mark panels introduced at least a 1/16" tolerance....so do yourself a favor and and scribe lines with a metal scribe to be as accurate as possible. I started with using the blue steel layout fluid, but if you scribe a line with a metal tip scribe it will be visible without applying the blue fluid. (Again, I can help with dimensions)
2. I ran the panel through the bead roller to make the recess all the way across the panel. To keep the recess as straight as possible having a fence/guide on the bead roller really helps out. It takes 3-5 passes per bend, but with a little practice it goes pretty fast.
3. For the recess closeouts, I made a sheet metal die that I can "crush" a piece of sheet metal in my vice to make the close out shape. (it probably takes me 2-3 hours to make a die) No fancy tools other than a sawzall, grinder, file etc. You don't use the die panel but make small separate pieces to be grafted in. Most of the time I used a 3" x4" sheet metal blank, crush it in the die/vice, then trim it for a finished piece. See pic below of the homemade die and a piece that I crushed in a vice.
4. I graft a crushed piece into the panel that I ran through the bead roller. Yes, it's a lot of cutting, butt welding, grinding and finishing. However, the end result is worth the effort.
5. Last, I bend the 90 degree attachment flanges into the panel. This is pretty well the last step. On the front floors, there is a 90 flange pointing upward that attaches to the door sill and a 90 degree flange pointing downward that attached the front floor to the mid floor panel. Referring all the way back to step one, I actually try to scribe the line for the flanges at the beginning layout phase.
Is this alot of work?? Yes, but your new floors will last another 50 years so what's a few days of work to make them from scratch? I have grafted in dozens of end closeouts of various sizes on the LV. You get to be an expert at this technique after a while.
Pic 1: Home made metal stamping die.
Pic 2: Floor Panel work-in process. Right recess has piece grafted, center is just bead rolled.
Pic 3: example of grafting. (oh dear God, this one is an early one. Not a good fit...so I put in small relief cuts so I could "massage" the panels with a hammer/dolly)
Pic 4: Finished panel before bending flanges. 6 grafts completed. 18ga solid floor for the next 25 years.
I have made several different size and shape crushing dies for the LV.
Wondering how to do rear quarter panel ribs? Same technique. Yes...it works.
I got much better at the technique by this point in my metal working maina. Here's what you will find out on the LV. When you measure LV pieces like ribs, there is a huge variation in the size. Hand built 60's technology.
Ok, my "secret" method is not so secret anymore. Hopefully I can help others on the LV restoration journey.
Also, at first I have a tough time with butt welding 18 ga. Warp, burn through etc. It get's better as you practice.
Hope this helps out.
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