1/4 scale '41 Willys

Discussion in 'Other metal working projects' started by ESC, Jan 31, 2019.

  1. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I started a build thread under the same heading on AA, but fight the editing and posting software. Over the years of running my smallblock at shows one of the top ten questions is "What are you going to put it in?". I decided on the Willys coupe in a Pro Street setup. I had been working on an aluminum block that I planned to run with a blower and had been doing CNC machining on the housing and vanes. Somehow I got sidetracked and picked up a set of Willys frame plans on Ebay and built it.

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    Here it is mocked up with the block and blower.
    Then I needed a body and way to form the panels. Again to Ebay and picked up plans for an English Wheel.

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    After watching U tube videos I realized that I needed a buck to use to verify the shape of the pieces I rolled with the wheel. I marked up a 1/25 scale Revel model and used the copy machine to blow up templates and built the buck. The donor car is next to the front fender.

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    Mocked up with the engine and blower.

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    It is currently at this stage. I need to shape detail to that is too small for the bead roller so the body is on hold while I build a reciprocating hammer. Some of those adventures are in the lost foam thread.

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  2. PatJ

    PatJ Silver

    That is way too cool for words.
    All I can say is WOW !

    .
     
  3. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    the supercharger looks right at home...
    I forget whats your day job exactly??
     
  4. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    What's that? I quit that 16 years ago. I had a satisfying 30 year career in demolition, but it was time to move on.
     
  5. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    So your daytime job was to destroy things, and night time build things LOL Judging by how well you build, I can only imagine how well you destroyed things....
     
  6. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Well, I like to think so. One of our sayings was that " when we are done there is nothing to show for it". From a high rise in downtown San Francisco to the vacant lot. Not much of a claim to fame, but if we did it without damaging anything else or killing anyone that was a win.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2019
  7. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Look for Landmark implosion on utube
     
  8. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I finally got the Shopdog up and running so I made some dies to form the door jamb. I ran some samples and they look like they will at least give me a start to weld something up. I think it will need a guide to keep the lines straight, and maybe a table.

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    _Jason and Tobho Mott like this.
  9. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Wow. Any chance we could see a video of the tools in action? Those look like they'd be very handy and I've never seen anything like them before.
     
  10. PatJ

    PatJ Silver

    Such nice fabrication work.
    A joy to watch it come together.

    .
     
  11. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Thanks guys. I fiddled with the jamb some more yesterday and made it in two halves so I could use the stretcher to make the arch and then run the outside through the dies to form the return for the door lip. Then I spot welded the two pieces together. The doubling of the face of the jamb isn't a bad thing, and I can run fusion weld up the seam if it is needed. I'll have to see how a long works when it includes the curve of the roof or the windshield "A" post.

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  12. Looking really good!
     
  13. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Were there plans somewhere for the shopdog?? Pretty useful machine, dont really need any more projects, but wouldn't mind taking a look at how it works..
     
    crazybillybob likes this.
  14. crazybillybob

    crazybillybob Silver Banner Member

    I'm right there with you.... It sure looks like it would make quick work of reproducing Belt lines, door jabs and the like on old cars and be a whole lot easier on the pocket book than an Iron worker type unit.

    CBB
     
  15. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I bought High Deserts plans, but it was too big for my needs. Search for Reciprocating Hammers, or Power Hammers. There are not a lot of videos, but some are representative of the style.
     
  16. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I changed my door jamb template to reduce the amount of manipulation I have to put into the piece to get the correct arc over the window. When I tipped the first piece for the face of the jamb, I stretched the flange to form the radius shape before I run it through the dies to form the door recess. For the second method I made a template that is the shape of the arc and then tipped it on a radius and correcting some of the distortion by shrinking or stretching. This makes a much nicer piece, so I followed this method for the complete jamb. I'll hold off welding it together so I can match the drivers door shapes as I form them.

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    Here the top of the jamb is matched to the buck before I run it through the dies to form the door recess. Most of these stretch marks will be removed when it is cut to join the roof.

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    This shot doesn't show very well, but the flange of the door buck is in the recess and the margins are close enough to weld together. There will be hammer work to refine the shape after that.

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    Tobho Mott likes this.
  17. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

  18. PatJ

    PatJ Silver

    Bending metal and holding its shape is a real trick.
    Bending thin metal with small details like you are doing is beyond tricky.
    This is great fun to watch, but I must say I am very glad you are doing the work and not me.

    .
     
  19. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I rough finished the door jambs and decided to make the doors before I welded the jambs to the firewall. I still have detail on the jambs, hinges and latch pockets that will be so much easier to form without manipulating the entire body.

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    I made another tool for the Shopdog. I tipped the inner jamb on the rotary machine, but could not get the right angle, so these anvils sharpened the bend and formed the sides. I can flop the female die depending on the length of the leg to get full contact with the upper.

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  20. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Moving along. How much time do you get to spend on it during an average week??
     
    Sawyer massey likes this.

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