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  #31  
Old 01-02-2012, 01:01 PM
Dyce Dyce is offline
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If you make it to Sioux Falls bring the hammerform and give me a call. Some things are better explained in person. You need to take your time. This is a hard peice to make without making a pie cut and a weld in the corners. Did you try stretching the center first like this:
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Originally Posted by Dyce View Post
If you stretch the face of the shell the sides will come around.
This will form tucks, and put tension on the sides. When you shrink the sides you are releiving that tension.
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  #32  
Old 01-02-2012, 04:59 PM
TheRodDoc TheRodDoc is offline
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You have to cut the sheet to the right size. ROUND the corners to cut off all extra. Round your hammer more. Or for that copper you could probably make a wood hammer.

Then clamp as I showed in prior post. Work the corner down. The idea is to keep the excess metal hanging almost straight out hammering right at the bend and against the form. Flow the metal down keeping this shelf till no shelf is left. Like metal spinning.

You can trim the rounded corners before you start a little short to start with if you want. For you will be flowing the extra metal in the corner down to be trimmed off when done.

I only had some aluminum to show with but will be the same with copper or brass.

About half way down. Keeping shelf.

02.jpg

Finished. Trimmed off excess that flowed to bottom on corner when done. I made the form real quick so it isn't to great and also the aluminum could have been mark free with a little more time and care.

03.jpg
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Last edited by TheRodDoc; 01-02-2012 at 05:08 PM.
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  #33  
Old 01-02-2012, 05:36 PM
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Mark Fox Mark Fox is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRodDoc View Post
You have to cut the sheet to the right size. ROUND the corners to cut off all extra. Round your hammer more. Or for that copper you could probably make a wood hammer.

Then clamp as I showed in prior post. Work the corner down. The idea is to keep the excess metal hanging almost straight out hammering right at the bend and against the form. Flow the metal down keeping this shelf till no shelf is left. Like metal spinning.

You can trim the rounded corners before you start a little short to start with if you want. For you will be flowing the extra metal in the corner down to be trimmed off when done.

I only had some aluminum to show with but will be the same with copper or brass.

About half way down. Keeping shelf.

Attachment 13568

Finished. Trimmed off excess that flowed to bottom on corner when done. I made the form real quick so it isn't to great and also the aluminum could have been mark free with a little more time and care.

Attachment 13569
Thank you Richard for posting this. This is what I was trying to explain. You did a lot better than me.
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Mark
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  #34  
Old 01-02-2012, 09:32 PM
BrassBuilder BrassBuilder is offline
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Guys....thanks for all the replies! I am listening.

Take a look at my last attempts. These are the best ones out of the 7 or 8 I made after my last posting.

Attempt4_1.jpg

Attempt4_2.jpg

The one on the right was probably 3-4 attempts after I made the last one I posted. The one on the left was probably another 3-4 attempts after the one on the right. I am really happy with the left one. Very few voids and a light cover coat of solder and a little file and sandpaper work would clean it up nice.

NOW my goal is to make two of these in a row without having issues. I want to make the finished part in one piece without messing up any of the four corners.

Jeff: I want to head over to SF sometime and get with you. I didn't pre-stretch the center as it seemed clamping the board on top and then slowly working the copper worked fairly well.

Mark (and others): I'm still trying to figure out how much of the corners to round over. I cut too much on one of my previous attemps. Getting rid of excess material helped a lot. I took one of my previous failed attempts and sliced it and then hammered it flat. That gave me a good idea where I needed to be. I cut the left one a tad too big and had to trim it a little more while forming it.

Again, thanks for all the help. I'll post updates as I hammer out another one or two....hoping the actual part is soon.
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Last edited by BrassBuilder; 01-02-2012 at 09:42 PM.
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  #35  
Old 01-02-2012, 09:37 PM
BrassBuilder BrassBuilder is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRodDoc View Post
You have to cut the sheet to the right size. ROUND the corners to cut off all extra. Round your hammer more. Or for that copper you could probably make a wood hammer.

Then clamp as I showed in prior post. Work the corner down. The idea is to keep the excess metal hanging almost straight out hammering right at the bend and against the form. Flow the metal down keeping this shelf till no shelf is left. Like metal spinning.

You can trim the rounded corners before you start a little short to start with if you want. For you will be flowing the extra metal in the corner down to be trimmed off when done.

I only had some aluminum to show with but will be the same with copper or brass.

Finished. Trimmed off excess that flowed to bottom on corner when done. I made the form real quick so it isn't to great and also the aluminum could have been mark free with a little more time and care.
Yeah....this is what I'm trying to get it to do. It seems to always want to fold over as I hammer on it. I got close with the left one in my pics above. I'm getting close enough where I am happy with it, but I think I will knock out 5 or 6 more practice pieces before I do the part. I don't get into trouble until about half way down the side. The part is 3/4" high.
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  #36  
Old 01-03-2012, 12:29 AM
BrassBuilder BrassBuilder is offline
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My latest attempt...

I did this one right after the left one above.

Richard: The pictures you posted helped a lot. As I hammered the copper over, I made sure the bottom edge bowed out like how you have it.

I decided to try the more difficult end. There is a slight taper on this end along with all the rounded edges.
Attempt5_1.jpg

Close up
Attempt5_2.jpg

Another Close up
Attempt5_3.jpg

I could have worked on this a little more to get them smoother, but I didn't want to waste too much time on them getting them perfect. But heck...if I practice on two more corners, I could take what I have, solder them together and have my part made! I'm not sure how much more of those tiny little dings I can get out of there anyway. I'm concerned on overworking the metal now to get some minor stuff out that a couple of coats or primer will take care of...if I decide to paint this.

I think tomorrow I am going to try a larger piece that will catch two sides. Then I might be ready to do one big piece that catches all four corners.

Eventually, I'd like to try this in steel. Copper is really expensive now.

Stay tuned...

Same bat channel. Same bat time.
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Last edited by BrassBuilder; 01-03-2012 at 12:32 AM.
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  #37  
Old 01-03-2012, 12:40 AM
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Hi Mike. I think your having a light bulb moment. It's clicked on, by practising you are getting the way the metal is moving. This is what metal shaping is all about. Keep at it , you are doing ok.
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  #38  
Old 01-03-2012, 12:44 AM
BrassBuilder BrassBuilder is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Fox View Post
Hi Mike. I think your having a light bulb moment. It's clicked on, by practising you are getting the way the metal is moving. This is what metal shaping is all about. Keep at it , you are doing ok.
LOL. You know...that is exactly what I thought when I finally understood what was happening.

It got pretty bright in the room.

It's not perfect, but it is a lot better than what I was doing...

Thanks for all the help.
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  #39  
Old 01-03-2012, 01:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrassBuilder View Post
LOL. You know...that is exactly what I thought when I finally understood what was happening.

It got pretty bright in the room.

It's not perfect, but it is a lot better than what I was doing...

Thanks for all the help.
This is what this site is all about. It's fantastic.
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  #40  
Old 01-03-2012, 08:42 PM
BrassBuilder BrassBuilder is offline
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It is not perfect, but it is about 100 times better than the first one I made a couple of years ago when I first started building the truck. I still need to cut the center out of my wood buck and cut the center out of the grille.

It's getting there.

Grille20.jpg
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