Hi, I'm very new to all of this so looking for some advice. I need to make a couple of sills exactly like this. They are around a meter long. They have some sharp bends as you can see but the main bend/curve is softer. Any advice on that welcome but also has anyone used the Sealey TS01 metal folder?
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marlinspike
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You could probably do that shape with a large piece of angle iron in a strong vice. It's a long read but this thread is full of ideas on metal shaping for car panels:
retrorides.proboards.com
I'm assuming the sills aren't available new. Metal sheet is pretty expensive these days and if you can buy a reproduction panel it's often not worth the hassle of making it vs cost.
Making panels....... | Retro Rides
We´ve got quite a few subjects covered here in the usefull threads department but the most important one is missing ;D How to make panels.... What we need is a metalwork thread where we
retrorides.proboards.com
I'm assuming the sills aren't available new. Metal sheet is pretty expensive these days and if you can buy a reproduction panel it's often not worth the hassle of making it vs cost.
Thanks Marlin, yes, just been watching some YouTube vids and I think you might be right. Some angle iron could be the better and cheaper way to go. I could then use some pipe to create the softer curve I think?
Only 3rd party now as the car is 36 years old and they want around £230 for both sills and an extra part. Probably not too expensive for the material and labour involved but I like to try things myself and try to learn some skills as there are many areas on the car that I will need to fabricate these kind of parts that aren't available anywhere like the inner sills which are also in need of repair.
Only 3rd party now as the car is 36 years old and they want around £230 for both sills and an extra part. Probably not too expensive for the material and labour involved but I like to try things myself and try to learn some skills as there are many areas on the car that I will need to fabricate these kind of parts that aren't available anywhere like the inner sills which are also in need of repair.
frank horton
V twins are great but 4"s rule.........
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in a similar position, so will build my own.....
not seen a better one yet.....I need to bend 4' sheets across the width....
really worth a look.....
not so bothered about the over center clamp idea but anything better out there u know about....?
not seen a better one yet.....I need to bend 4' sheets across the width....
really worth a look.....
not so bothered about the over center clamp idea but anything better out there u know about....?
CompoSimmonite
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£230 isn't excessive if a genuine part. Just look at how much body parts are now for even a Classic Mini. Nearly 20 years ago a pair of complete sills for my 1962 Jensen build Volvo P1800 were £960.
Thanks, will take a look at that later.
No, it isn't too bad but it's not a genuine part. Just a company making them. I wouldn't be averse to buying them but as I say I need make some similar parts for other areas of the car which no one has available. About time I learnt the skill! Will always come in handy as I'm often tinkering and restoring things.
marlinspike
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Like a few on here, we made our own bender from angle iron. It's just a big vice really. The design was from the RetroRides thread linked above but there are several how-to descriptions on this forum. Here's one by Bash_25 with good photos:
If you don't have a big bench and vice they are handy things, though I think the soaring cost of angle iron has probably made them less attractive as a project just for occasional use.
Simple Bender
Today i have made myself a simple bender, i copied the design from a picture in a restoration thread on the RetroRides forum . Its simple as its just a vice type grip, aimed at making floor to sill , chassis pieces etc , clamp the sheet in and bash it about a bit. It isnt made to any...
www.mig-welding.co.uk
If you don't have a big bench and vice they are handy things, though I think the soaring cost of angle iron has probably made them less attractive as a project just for occasional use.
droopsnoot
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I recently made a new top bar for my folder using a piece of round tube, I think it was part of an old roll cage that had been thrown on the scrap, just for making round bends like this. It's reasonably effective, probably more so for something like this than the job I'm using it for.
