stillp Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 I'd use Plan A, but braze rather than solder. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Hi Folks, all these plans and bu99er all happeniing. yesterday I spent quite a few hours shaping apiece of very hard plastic type material to use as a former. It was taking ages so I decide to do it a different way. I filled the inside of the wing repair area with filler. When it set I had a heavier wing. Although I put a coat of released stuff on the steel the filler was sticking quite well. After a bit of swearing and foot stamping the filler popped out and was a very good shape - lucky. It occurred to me this morning that the filler may be a bit brittle to be whacked a few time to bend the metal. So at present I am bonding a solid piece of the above plastic to the back of it. Once this is done it may be possible to work the metal but holding it on the former could be interesting. I think after I finish the first former I shall make another to snuggly fit the outside so the repair patch is trapped between the two. It is such a small repair but I think it is the most difficult I have tried to make. I'm not sure how Chris made his repair in the above pic but it is a cracker. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) Yep, Chris and Sarah did a nice repair panel, welded and finished immaculately. I believe they belted stretched the material carefully in the centre allowing it to bow the repair panel and following the multi plane curvature required, hope I can do the same when I need to (as I'm sure I will be required to). Trouble with making a former is as you describe, ie: you need to make an outer "die piece" also, close enough to the interior die shape to control the repair panel and hopefully get the curvatures correct. If I was approaching that repair I think I'd resign myself to making maybe 3 or 4 repair panels by hand (leaving them oversize to allow for the flange finishing) and carefully stretching the material "dome" in the centre by hammer and shaping it to match the curvature required. Hopefully one of them would be close enough in shape to use and save the time and difficulty of messing about with making an interior and exterior die. Mick Richards Edited January 1, 2016 by Motorsport Mickey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Hi Mick, doing the double curve was easy . I found turning the sides over very awkward as they are formed around a curve. Hopefully my little jig will be able to hold the curved plate whilst the sides are turned. Tomorrow will be interesting. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Hi Roger, I thought the curved flanges may be testing ! wouldn't it be possible to cut shaped flanges (single plane) and weld them at the corner angle ? If you can make the jig work please save it, with your approval I will be pleased to hire it from you when I get to that stage, I'm not sure yet how good my metal bashing skills will be ! Mick Richards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Hi Mick, the former, if it works, is only for the near side. If you need a repair section I would be happy to make one for you - if it works!!!!! I thought about making the repair section in three pieces - two sides and the centre skin - but wasn't sure how the radius'd edges would turn out. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Roger, Watching with "worm on tongue" (bated breath ). Mick Richards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh Yes Folks, that is me screaming. TRy as I might I can't fabricate the lower front corner of the wing. It has a compound curve on the exposed surface with two flanges. After making the compound curve the action of turning the flanges over flattens the curve. I've tried various methods. I used a stack of sheet metal and large pot of filler (to make formers/jigs etc). So in desperation I soldered a plate on the inside of the wing and lead loaded the outside. After a quick rub down it is looking very promising. I'll finish off tomorrow. I've not been defeated by sheet metal before - I shall make an entry in my diary. PS - I wish the engine would come back so I can do some real work. Edited January 3, 2016 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted January 3, 2016 Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) Watch some Youtube videos on metal shaping. You must stretch the middle and shrink the edges. Stretching the middle just wants beating with the right hammer. Shrinking is easy if you have a shrinker. If not then you work the edge over and get a tuck. As you flatten the tuck it shrinks. If you hit it in the right place. Or you can crush them in a vise. In the early stages this needs to look horrible. If you keep it looking "about right" you won't force enough shrinkage. Edited January 3, 2016 by AlanT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 Hi Al, I could stretch and shrink the basic patch but when it came to turning the edges over that's when it went wrong. I made jig to hold both side of the patch whilst I turned the edges over but it wasn't man enough for the job and allowed the flange to straighten the curved patch. As it happens the damage I was trying to repair is fairly small so using lead with a backing plate should have been the first approach. I'll have a look at some Youtube clips to see what I was doing wrong. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nigel A Posted January 3, 2016 Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 Hi Roger I had to do the same during my restoration Luckily I was at college at the time doing the classic car restoration course and one of the tutors made it for me in the end! Didn't take long and he used one of the small shrinking machines that are held in a vice. Nigel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 Hi Folks, my engine rebuild is hurtling along now. The NS front wing has had the front rust hole sorted and the last few days I have been working on the lower rear section. This had two areas of concern. The rear flange that is folded over was bubbling and there was a big hole at the front The rear flange was easy to cut out and repair. The front repair was considerably bigger. I cut out the damage and inserted a repair patch. When I finished I didn't like what I saw. Although it would have a skim of filler over it it looked not good. So I started to make a single repair panel to cover the whole area. I've done this before with good results but for this one I was hopeless. I eventually bit the bullet and bought a Moss repair panel - £70 or so. It certainly looks good and feels nice - but!!! The coat of paint on it is utter rubbish - not like the red stuff on ST panels. When I offered the panel up to the wing it was obvious that it was going to be too long - only by 5mm - but still too long. Dilemma time - does one align the rear and sort out the complicated front end OR align the front and align the simpler rear end. OK the rear end was to be sorted. The other concern was - does the top flange on the repair panel fit under the wing flange OR on top of the wing flange. I chose to fit it under the wing flange. The rear end was trimmed to the correct length. This meant that the folded over flange comes off. No problem, I cut a strip of steel and soldered it in place. When the original folded strip came off there was and unpaint surface. Give it a couple of damp days and the rust would be doing its thing again. It would be better if the panel was supplied without the paint and the rear folded over flange. It could be trimmed to length and sorted whatever way one wished. I wonder when the engine will return from the machine shop. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hi Folks, the engine rebuild has taken on new dimensions. Having repaired the NS front wing (how many people have to repair wings while doing an engine build !!! ) I need to get it repainted. The garage is too full of stuff that I don't want covered in paint dust. It's too cold outside and a little damp. So I've taken the plunge and purchased a 8x6 shed. You may ask where will I put the shed. Obvious really - in the swimming pool Let me explain. I have an above the ground 16ft x 4ft pool. Last summer the liner split (thank you Russell). I disassembled the metal work and treated the rusty bits whilst waiting for a replacement liner. This turned up at the beginning of December. Can't install it during the cold weather. So the shed will go where the pool would have been. Hopefully I'll have finished the wing, bonnet and drivers door during Feb and March. In time to reinstall the pool liner in April. Just like clock work Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelH Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Where will the shed go then? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hi Michael, that will be in my 'Spring Sale' - a right bargain. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Good luck trying to paint in a shed that big in the winter! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi Stuart, I will certainly need luck - but nothing to do with the shed dimensions. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Hi Folks, another day another challenge Yesterday we woke up to a surprise - it was cold. I know it was freezing and frosty outside but it was cold in doors. We had the heating on overnight - but it was cold. After a good hour of looking at the various wiring diagrams and prodding with a screw driver I found that the programmer (Drayton Tempus 7) had stopped suppling volts to the boiler. New programmer sorted that problem. Sadly, although most programmers using the same mounting plate I found that the programmer box was a little larger and was fouling on a fuse plate. When I eventually had it all mounted and working I found that the central heating valve was not opening. The motor was just making a grumbling noise. Now - is it the motor or the valve. We have hot rads at the moment so tomorrow we investigate further. Anyway - the shed arrived. The lorry driver must have had an accident because all the panels were laying flat on his truck not assembled . Still, on the bright side it made it easier to move into the back garden. Just lying flat on the ground it looks like a palace. I must speak to the Romanians in the garage to see if they want to move in between paint jobs. Less draughty that a garage with a tatty door. AND it has a window. Hopefully it should be up this afternoon when the lorry driver comes back - I'm sure that's what he said. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Good luck with your erection, not so easy when it cold Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 You could end up with a covered swimming pool. AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 That would be some shed and then some. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swood1 Posted January 21, 2016 Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 Hi Roger, I would be interested in seeing how you get on with your painting. I have to paint some of my panels and have been thinking of various options pro's and con's. One of my thoughts was to make some kind of plastic sheeting painting booth at the end of my garage or buying a large gazebo and paint in the back garden but I was concerned about getting any heat into it. I guess you will need a couple of heaters in a shed to get some kind of warmth into the panels and help with drying. Steven Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted January 21, 2016 Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) A small array of infra red heat lamps do a good job at minimal cost - best value can be in agricultural versions . . . . Cheers Alec Edited January 21, 2016 by Alec Pringle Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 Hi Steve, it is quite a small shed (8x6) and being wood has a little bit of thermal insulation so I am hoping that my fan heater will do the job. If it doesn't then we look further. Infra red sounds good. Anyway, the shed is up - and to keep Bob happy it is a mighty erection - I have lined the inside with plastic sheeting in order to keep the wood clean. I'll have a go at spraying the wing over the week-end and report back. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted January 21, 2016 Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 Cosy. Might it get a bit sweaty inside if fully plastic lined? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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