Coachbuilt

Coachbuilt When a passion to shape flat metal becomes an obsession to build the never repeated sensuous curves

So it has been a productive weekend (or at least there visually is some progress). I tackled the two least complex secti...
02/18/2024

So it has been a productive weekend (or at least there visually is some progress). I tackled the two least complex sections, the passenger rocker (still figuring out mating to chassis so I sawed a kerf into each rib to give an extra 1.5” of material so no matter where chassis hits I’ll have metal to work with. The rockers so not have complex curves, just roll. Easy right? Not. Roll too tight. Relax too much, and back and forth. Love my new shop but definitely got steps in, hahah. Not perfect but similar enough to stop for the day. Ahh the sound of a solid aluminum panel flat against the buck!! I have started building the door frame and patterned the skin for it. I’ve decided I like hammering for stretching over using the shrinker/stretcher (can you say “Ri-i-p” (I had the foresight to do that work first so didn’t have to rework entirely) then will be the lip welded to the tubing over which the skin will be folded and crimped. In other news, I got the bead roller motor assembled and working and made some decent practice bead rolls and can now experiment with making some of the edges with a bead rolller

So as a post post-script to the last post, took a number of suggestions and connected with Stanley Fulton here on Facebo...
02/04/2024

So as a post post-script to the last post, took a number of suggestions and connected with Stanley Fulton here on Facebook (toolsforshaping.com) and got a set of his plastic thumbnail dies. The 16mm shank is a different length than the tool which took some adjustments to the main barrel doe the die holder but we have far less damage to the ally! Always appreciate all the educational tips from this crew!!

So today is more of a question than a post. Been playing with thumbnail shrinking dies and have have gotten the e very r...
01/21/2024

So today is more of a question than a post. Been playing with thumbnail shrinking dies and have have gotten the e very rough idea of their use but getting the deep marks shown below. I’ve adjusted until there are almost none but that is, effectively, no longer really doing much at all, so, series of questions for the (well anyone) more knowledgeable:
1) should hammer be on spring mode or rigid mode (I can set either way, the owner manual said spring and that is what this is );
2) is this an alignment issue(I’ve checked in-and-out and side-to-side with straight edge but…);
3) profile issue? I’m learning the hard way that the various tools and dies often have to be “tuned” and polished from the factory; or
4) just stupid human?

Before I bu**er up something real need to get a handle on it. In other news, to those that asked about the Hot Rod Hammer, it appears to do just fine with .063 3003 aluminum (well, other than the above issue). TIA

Post script: I pulled the does and in the bright light of the workbench you can clearly see what is hitting and what is not. I am assuming that the dull spots need to be relieved

Had one of my favorite helpers, Kat, home from grad school for the holiday break and in the shop today learning (along s...
01/07/2024

Had one of my favorite helpers, Kat, home from grad school for the holiday break and in the shop today learning (along side, not from) me playing with the power hammer and the shrinking die, annealing (and reminding ourselves that the temperature difference between annealing and melting is NOT that great) but we ended up with a functionally shaped bowl which was pretty good for her first time metal shaping!

Well, I have progressed from making man glitter (aka sawdust) to party streamers… patterns being made and metal shaped. ...
11/12/2023

Well, I have progressed from making man glitter (aka sawdust) to party streamers… patterns being made and metal shaped. Spent Saturday attempting to polish the anvil and rolling wheels. A little disappointed with the surfaces they came with…a mirror finish they are not and not without taking them back to probably 100 grit and then coming forward. But better. In any case, had gotten out of practice on the wheel, so not the best I’ve ever done. Next weekend going to finish setting up powerhammer and make some noise!

MY big news… (no, I had not dropped off the face of the earth) is the big move…about 200 feet! A larger space opened up ...
10/28/2023

MY big news… (no, I had not dropped off the face of the earth) is the big move…about 200 feet! A larger space opened up in the same building (60% larger). No more tripping over everything moving through the shop (compare to the last photos from old shop). Almost all put away and ready to “play” with the new toys I had room to add - an IPG LightWeld laser welder and a WoodwardFab power-hammer. Ready to start moving metal in earnest!

Like watching grass grow but steady progress. Most of the notching on the passenger rear quarter is done (encounter occa...
02/20/2023

Like watching grass grow but steady progress. Most of the notching on the passenger rear quarter is done (encounter occasional spots that need fine tuning with Madam Rasp), but the curves of the fender and the frame for the boot are laid out and starting to be formed. My new welder is in, assembled (waiting for a safety relay for the door that shuts it off if someone walks in unannounced, OSHA would be so proud) and I’m hoping to be welding some of the superleggera frame by next weekend if the open road and my neglected motorcycle don’t siren-song me on a long ride.

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