any tips for fabing car repair sections with basic tools?

[steveo3002]

i need to fab up a couple of small sections

one is a piece of arch..so curved with a lip

the other is a bottom corner of a wing

i dont have any stretching/shrinking machines and dont plan on buying any soon....my thoughts were to make up a wooden buck from 2 peices , clamp the sheet in and carefully hammer the lip over

not sure for the bottom corner

any ideas or tips please...

 

[hotrodder]

Tuck shrinking is probably the easiest way with basic tools. A lot can be accomplished with a wooden former (like a hollowed tree stump) and a mallet too. Depends a bit on the profile of the wheelarch but for a simple one you could knock a 90* flange over on a flat piece of steel. Put some tucks into it with pliers (which will curve the other leg of the 90*) and planish the tucks smooth.

It's a case of sneaking up on it as this sort of work usually goes 2 steps forward, one back but once you've got the profile/curviture right you can finish knocking the arch return over

 

[stormin]

Have you done a search on the other board you posted this on?

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=65793&page=5

Good examples of working the metal just using hammer and basic "folder".

 

[Coo]

great link stormin....

 

[steveo3002]

someone posted this link on another forum

rather good..

http://www.vwrides.com/viewtopic.php?t=43&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[Coo]

Ahh yes, the Taiwan hand fabricators...amazing

 

[Code Herder]

Wow, the taiwanese guy is incredible. I'm really shocked by what he can do.

Edit: Now that I know this can be done I'm going to study and practice that stuff, it's really fascinating. Knowing something can be done is half the battle .