Alloy Austin 7 mudguards

[cardiffrob]

I've been making some mudguards from 1.5mm 5251 sheet and using stump shrinking to develop the curve and edges.

I've got to the planishing stage and find that the thickness of the 'pleats' makes it hard to planish down without leaving the outer surface ridged so that there are copious low spots to deal with.
Am I missing a 'trick' method for planishing? Do you planish the face you want smoothed or planish from the back? Grind/sand back the high spots and re-planish or attack the low spots from the underside? Use the shrinker to even it all out and bring the curve back?

ANY suggestions would be gratefully received.

Ta.

Rob

 

[RonA]

Sorry, can’t really help with the planishing issue but how about some photos of the rest of the car just to satisfy another vintage nut.
RonA

 

[cardiffrob]

These are the first wings which I made with the shrinker, rather than using the stump, and wired the edges

. The profile wasn't very flattering so I tried again yesterday to get a rounder shape. I've tried rounding the edges over a hotdog stake (bent piece of bar) but it still looked wrong, somehow. Maybe Mk3 will be better???

 

[500e]

Nice to see CR you usually planish on the finished side bumping up the low spots gently,don't forget to anneal regularly, if you need to shrink you could try the heat method, not as easy with alloy.
On steel heat up a spot about 1/2 inch to red hot on steel tap round the edge & just before the spot goes dark tap the spot down all with a dolly behind.
Alloy it is much harder to judge the heat spot, but as you have got that far it just requires gentle manipulation looking at the other wings you made I am impressed
Here is a A7 racer that I built in 87 for a friend & a Railton LST we did a fair bit of work to both body & mechanical

 

[colnerov]

Hi, Off topic. I've just seen this on another forum, it was seen in a shop window in Sevenoaks in Kent. -

For what it's worth, I thought it might be of interest.

Colin

 

[cardiffrob]

Thanks. I've got plenty of spare engines already but only 2 chassis with logbooks.

 

[RonA]

That more like it, nice motor & the work you’ve done on the bodywork so far looks absolutely brilliant. Hope you resolve your planishing problems & good luck with the rest of the resto.
RonA

 

[clarkey31]

As said above dolly on the back and planish the front, body file the very high spots i would possible run through the wheel a little as well.. You know were we are if we can help at all will have to call up and see the moggy one day

 

[slim_boy_fat]

and see the moggy one day

And have a 'hurl' in it.

EDIT: Just realised that can mean 'be sick' - up here it means 'a drive'

 

[cardiffrob]

Morris looks a lot better these days. I keep meaning to arrange to bring it over for a couple of bits to be looked at, Gavin. Best to get it all finished before I get the stripes on the sides.

I tried your tip of laying it against a flat block and hitting with a 'spoon' but it actually unshrunk the edge more than it flattened it. By turning it over I did the same thing but with a tiny ball pein hammer to pick at the individual spots and that has worked a bit better. I've managed to make the second wing match the shape quite well apart from the crown at the centre along the length of it. One is flatter so I need to BFH it a bit more and stick it back in the wheel. Interesting to see how the metal actually moves in different ways depending on how/where yo attack it. Black magic???

 

[500e]

It is all feel & practice Rob some do it one way others do it another it is the final result that counts how you get there is not the problem, still impressed with the whole body, ACE job

 

[clarkey31]

View attachment 124624 View attachment 124625

Morris looks a lot better these days. I keep meaning to arrange to bring it over for a couple of bits to be looked at, Gavin. Best to get it all finished before I get the stripes on the sides.

I tried your tip of laying it against a flat block and hitting with a 'spoon' but it actually unshrunk the edge more than it flattened it. By turning it over I did the same thing but with a tiny ball pein hammer to pick at the individual spots and that has worked a bit better. I've managed to make the second wing match the shape quite well apart from the crown at the centre along the length of it. One is flatter so I need to BFH it a bit more and stick it back in the wheel. Interesting to see how the metal actually moves in different ways depending on how/where yo attack it. Black magic???

That looks really nice, we have got the shell down off the top of the container and about to blast it ready for my boy to start restoring it..

 

[Maxakarudy]

I've been making some mudguards from 1.5mm 5251 sheet and using stump shrinking to develop the curve and edges.

I've got to the planishing stage and find that the thickness of the 'pleats' makes it hard to planish down without leaving the outer surface ridged so that there are copious low spots to deal with.
Am I missing a 'trick' method for planishing? Do you planish the face you want smoothed or planish from the back? Grind/sand back the high spots and re-planish or attack the low spots from the underside? Use the shrinker to even it all out and bring the curve back?

ANY suggestions would be gratefully received.

Ta.

Rob

View attachment 124492

In answer to the question, you would place this part over a dolly/stake of the shape you want, then with a flat faced hammer/slapper, hammer out the marks gently, trying not to stretch the metal.

The use of a body file would be necessary aswell to remove shrink marks, annealing not absolutley necessary on a part like this, heat shrinking, I wouldn't bother.

Nice job on the Austin