fender shaping question

[Richard K]

Originally Posted by Peter Tommasini

Jason

That 'flair'' is a easy and simple job
Follow this and you will find that it will be done in no time

1 Cut your blank
2 Stretch the inner edge on a wooden stump from the back side of the blank by using a blocking hammer
3 At the same time block the outer part of the flair about as far in as your pattern tell you , first on a wooden stump then on a sand bag , make puckers while you do this and take them down
4 the area that I see on the pics (where the heat marks are...)...well you need to stay away from that...do not work on that area just concentrate on the inner edge (backwards) and the outer edge

So ...what is happening is that..... the inner edge is getting bigger (by stretching it) and the outer edge is getting smaller by blocking the bulbous shape and shrinking the edge , however the part on the middle (the one with the heat marks) ...remains the same size as the original blank, but it is force around by the lengthening of the inner edge and the shrinking of the outer edge, once the flair is formed ...go on your wheel an smooth it off on both the edges with normal pressure, then back the pressure right off when smoothing the center of the flair and the very outer edge
Peter
PS let us know how you go and post some pics

Peter refers to a washover wheeling at the finish also. Believe this was from post #2

[Oldnek]

Originally Posted by filtersweeper

So all of the advice has helped tremendously. THe panel is sitting even better and it's looking really good! I must say i am impressed
Anyways I have lots to learn and here are some more of those questions:
The panel sits in most areas however there are some zones that need work. Let's call the fender a clock and therefor top dead center would be 12, then moving clockwise: 1,2,3,4 etc. Around 1-2 o'clock it's not sitting right on the buck, it's like it need more concave but at the same time the entire fender needs to wrap around the buck longitudinally (in the long direction if that makes sense) It's not sitting on the last 3 o'clock station either. If it sits flat there then it raises on the other side at 12. I shrunk down the high parts that I marked "better" in the pics so it's getting close. WHat should I do from here? I'm thinking continue stretching around the top edge of 1,2,3 o'clock to get the material to lay on the concave zone of the buck and continue hammering on a dolly around 1 to 3 in the flat zone between rads to help the main long shape wrap around more: pics to better explain.

[/URL]

Jason! you need to wheel it more Where it's Hitting the car, around the Bad Bad Bad region (stretch it more), that will bring the centre down also. Stay away from the end as this should also follow the pull from stretching.
Because you have used heat to shrink, I have no idea how the shape will react, as I mentioned earlier, there is no reason to apply any heat to make these panels.
You are learning heaps from making these, just take a note of what does what when you are shaping...do a little then if it improves you are going in the right direction. If not, stop and reassess. Try another tact.
Good Luck and stick with it.

[Maxakarudy]

Hi Jason,
I hope I'm helping with my 2 cents and not confusing like "too many cooks" scenario.
As alerady suggested to stretch where it is touching the body, but also this area I would be wheeling on the insde and pushing lightly down to get the flair, this is necessary to arrange the stretched metal into shape.

[neilb]

personally i would bin that piece, start again with a fresh piece, clear mind along with the experience gained.

carrying on with this piece as peter mentioned about not knowing how this panel will react where you have shrunk the panel with heat, really that needs to be lightly stretched out to where it should be. (just my thoughts) i am just as you learning as we all are. we are all just at different levels of the curve so to speak.

just my 10 cents (what can you get with 2?) lol

[filtersweeper]

Originally Posted by neilb

personally i would bin that piece, start again with a fresh piece, clear mind along with the experience gained.

carrying on with this piece as peter mentioned about not knowing how this panel will react where you have shrunk the panel with heat, really that needs to be lightly stretched out to where it should be. (just my thoughts) i am just as you learning as we all are. we are all just at different levels of the curve so to speak.

just my 10 cents (what can you get with 2?) lol

I might just start over. I've done my very best and probably did some wrong steps in the begining and it's not great but it's ok. I'm a bit frustrated and not super happy with the welded seam. I'm using a tig welder with a finger button instead of a foot pedal and the filler rod is 1/16" so probably too thick for this application. The panels were ok except were they meet each other. The larger panel sat quite good on the buck so if I start over maybe I'll just cut it back to the top wooden station. THere's a dip were the panels meet each other. The weld bead is high and I've hammered it down a bit and ground it with a grinder. The outer top perimeter doesn't flow in one complete arc more like two large arcs that meet. I can always trim a bit off both to help correct this shape. I picked up some rubber edge to wrap the fender once it's complete but that's a ways off. Here's pics:

[Maxakarudy]

Hi Jason,
Are you wheeling the panel face up at all times?

[neilb]

in all honesty Jason! your not that far off but dealing with 'the wrong steps' you have made during the learning process, in my opinion (for what its worth - $1mil lol) seems to be throwing you off. we have all made scrap parts that don't fit trust me!

i use a tig with hand control mainly because i don't have an oxy plant... i will say joining the 2 pieces where you did, i wouldn't suggest doing that but like i say I'm no expert.

don't be disheartened pal you'll look back and laugh at this in time

[Gojeep]

Filler rod should be around the same thickness as the material you are welding. I just use mig wire as my filler rod. Make sure your tungsten is similar in size to the material thickness as well.

[JimRussell]

Jason,

The weld bead is high and I've hammered it down a bit and ground it with a grinder.

You would have better luck if you reversed this process. Grind first, hammer later. I think you would be better off splitting the panel length wise. The weld seam wouldn't show up as much when finished. Having said that, I think you can do this in one piece. Just follow Peter's advice. When tig welding the panel (this one or any other one) be sure to set the amps in the 45 - 55 range. Control, especially thumb control, will be easier. At least it is for me.

I do think you have done a fantastic job on this for your first panel.

[AllyBill]

For what it's worth, I would split that into three lengthwise strips and deal with them separately. Nail that and you can do the next one in two pieces then you'll understand it all and get the last pair in one go.

Will