Just seems there should be a easier way. Don't guess a modified press would work either, but I'm sure you have been brain storming a while on this and have thought of just about anything that might work. Cant wait to see how it comes out. I'm sure it'll be like the rest of your work, impressive!
Builds Rebuilding a 40 but no longer in a 1 car garage.
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- #362
A press is not wide enough to take the panel size and it takes a big press to stamp the entire panel at once.
You will be surprised how much you can do with small stuff and time, which is my biggest problem.
A press is not wide enough to take the panel size and it takes a big press to stamp the entire panel at once.
You will be surprised how much you can do with small stuff and time, which is my biggest problem.
I gotcha Michael, just thinking out loud. I had thought about widening mine a while back and doing one contour at a time. Ended up finding another bed floor for the truck.
I enjoy watching how you go about shaping metal, and it dose not seem to bother you a bit if it you have to redo something till it comes out how you want it. I like that. There are times when I catch myself hurrying and I have to step back for a min. and take a break.
What if you made a set of steel or aluminum wheels that had the profile of the ribs? One wheel machined with the profile of the top of the ribs, and one with the bottom of the ribs. Then roll the steel between the two. I've had a local machinist make me custom pulleys and it only cost about 50 to 100 bucks not including the material. But he just has a old Bridgeport and lathe in his garage. Hard to find guys like that. You would also have to make a press to mount the wheels to. I don't know if wood will work, it may deform from the pressure. In the end I think you will be buying a floor panel from cool cruisers. But I hope you prove me wrong.
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- #365
Not going to get one from CCOT as shipping is way to expensive to Europe and if making it in one piece doesn’t work I will make it in sections and keep the parts that are stil good.
Using softer materials like wood doesn’t damage the steel that much as hammering does.
An other alternative is to buy a larger bead roller and turn rollers for the floor.
I wish I had a picture to share but I don't right now. I had a full floor folded on a large brake. Could that be an option?
-Geoff
-Geoff
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- #367
Thanks Geoff but that would not give me the original shape. This as an ‘81 with a lot more shape in the floor.
If this doesn’t work I might go for a reciprocating hammer, they are not that hard to build it just takes time.
Building a reciprocating hammer sounds like the perfect excuse to make a small steam engine to drive it
...but then of course you'll be mining your own coal to power it. Still, all part of the fun.
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- #370
Steam engine might give a little to much work, I think an e engine would do the trick.
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- #371
I don’t think coal is a good idea, rather build a wind turbine.
I dont know a thing about forming metal... I understand your use of hardwood, for positive and negative relief... But, how will you shape the metal over your wooden "molds"?
Would it be possible to use your wooden "molds" to pour smooth concrete molds and repetively use the concrete molds, without worrying about degradation of your wooden molds?
Sorry for being obtuse, but I would have merely used two young goats and some Zydeco music.
What if u cut out the floor of a pickup truck bed floor from a junk yard and used that for a rear floor? They have ribs. May have to flip the floor upside down so the ribs are raised. May not be exact Toyota ribbing but few would notice.
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- #374
Hi Danny,I dont know a thing about forming metal... I understand your use of hardwood, for positive and negative relief... But, how will you shape the metal over your wooden "molds"?
Would it be possible to use your wooden "molds" to pour smooth concrete molds and repetively use the concrete molds, without worrying about degradation of your wooden molds?
Sorry for being obtuse, but I would have merely used two young goats and some Zydeco music.
You use a wooden block to slowly hammer the ribs in, concrete would actualy disintigrate from the hammering. The wood is more flexible which prevents hammer marks on the steel. As long as the part that is being drivven in the mold is small enough it wil go in. At least that is the theory behind it.
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- #375
I live in the Netherlands, we don’t have a lot of pickups here and pick and pulls are completely different over here.
I will just try to get the shape in like this, if it doesn’t work I will go for plan B or C. Both involve buying tools.
Thanks for explaining Michael!
I’m anxious to see how it works for you.
I’m anxious to see how it works for you.
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- #377
Me too
but first there is work again.
I have some suggestions for you if the wood you have doesn't hold up. For the plywood base use Baltic Birch plywood. I don't know if it is available over there, but what is known as Baltic Birch here apparently uses metric measurements. In inches it is close to 5 ft by 5 ft, but not an exact inch dimension. Every ply is the same thickness and same species wood, very hard and tough.
The hardwood you have there appears to be mahogany. It may split along the grain lines as it is a more open grain wood. If it does split try Eastern Maple, or Birch. Both are a very hard and tight grain wood, and I don't think it will split as easily.
I'm looking forward to see how these wooden dies work for you.
Don
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- #379
Thanks Don, I have a base of birch plywood and the hardwood is Merbau (don’t know the English name)
I will just see what it does.
I just did a super quick search for Merbau on the internet. It sounds like another name for it is Brazilian Cherry, which I have worked with a little bit in cabinets. If this is correct it is a lot tighter grain, and much more solid than mahogany. Maybe not as hard as Eastern Maple or Birch, but comes much closer than mahogany. From what little I have worked with Brazilian Cherry I would say that if your piece is thick enough, and very carefully checked for defects, you should be successful.
Wishing you the best for this new experiment.
Don
ps - use a second, throwaway, piece of wood on the back side as over a bit of time a hammer pounding on it WILL cause it to split and deteriorate.
Wishing you the best for this new experiment.
Don
ps - use a second, throwaway, piece of wood on the back side as over a bit of time a hammer pounding on it WILL cause it to split and deteriorate.
