In a previous post I said I was going to remake the outer headlight pod in two pieces. I did that and the fit is darn close to what John Glover would call a "vacuum" fit. I'm pointing to the weld seam. Silver tape on the buck was behind weld seam to prevent burning the buck as I TIG tacked the two pieces together.
I made a one-piece Flexible Shape Pattern for the panel immediately to the left of the headlight pod, but after three failed attempts to make the part...
...decided to make it in two pieces.
The first piece came out very well and only took me a couple of minutes on the English wheel and Mechammer....
...but the second piece took me four attempts, and I still have a rough surface. I consider this piece a "proof of concept" piece. I proved to myself the part can be made, but there is actually a huge amount of conflicting topography in this piece. A big reverse is next to a definite crown separated my a tight valley.
It took a large amount of stretching to bring the lowest edge down into the valley that abuts the headlight bulge. Lots of English wheel, Mechammer, and hand hammering involved. Three failed attempts, and this one not pretty, but shape is correct.
At the thinnest point of the lower edge in the valley the .063 aluminum is down to .025. Yikes!
SO MY QUESTIONS ARE:
1. Anyone have advice on how to better form this piece?
2. Is .025 weldable to .063?
3. Other advice?
Thanks!