Model A truck door skin

[HEATNBEAT]

A friend called me and ask me to make him a door skin for his Model A truck (ratrod) He bought the cab less doors.He only wanted the lower half( window down, like a roadster) I told him I would make dies for my Pullmax and that he could do the rest. He cut some 19 gage and brought it over and we ran it thru the Pullmax. He is going to bend the top of the door after he gets it all lined up I will make a die to make the lower bead

model A truck door 001.jpg
Made from 1/2 Hot roll steel

model A truck door 004.jpg
I layed it out and rough cut with my mill

model A truck door 005.jpg
finished it by grinding and sanding

model A truck door 007.jpg
ran it thru the pullmax 4-5 times adjusting a little each pass.

model A truck door 009.jpg
I ran the stroke at .160 and feed it thru real slow to get a nice crisp line.
He was a happy camper
I took me about 2 hours to make the die and only 5 minutes to make the panels I'll just mark them and put them in the rack for the next one

[Joe Hartson]

Rick, nice job on the dies and door skin. I have to make a set of die like that for my Model A pickup. Thanks for posting the pictures.

[ShawnMarsh]

Nice work Rick! Any reason you used steel instead of UHMW or wood? Just had it around the shop I suppose? I'm just wondering if Theresa any serious benefit to using steel since wood/plastic would be much easier to cut for me.

[HEATNBEAT]

Originally Posted by ShawnMarsh

Nice work Rick! Any reason you used steel instead of UHMW or wood? Just had it around the shop I suppose? I'm just wondering if Theresa any serious benefit to using steel since wood/plastic would be much easier to cut for me.

I wanted a nice sharp point between the 2 beads and on the end of each bead. I felt any other material would probably dull, or break. It only took 2 hours or so to make the die. I'm sure I will use it again.

[thingsthatfly2]

thats a nice set you have there!

door looks fun! does it have much crown?

[TheRodDoc]

That would be a 32 or 33 Ford pickup not a model A. (2 beads at back. If it had three it would be a 34)
How are you going to put the compoumd curve in the skin now that the beads are in it first? They have a fair amount.

[Nashty]

Yep theres a good 30mm "off the flat" compound curve. I wheel first and then put the swage in the same way. Great pics. Cheers

[HEATNBEAT]

Originally Posted by Nashty

Yep theres a good 30mm "off the flat" compound curve. I wheel first and then put the swage in the same way. Great pics. Cheers

We talked about it, to quote him " it's a ratrod "
I thought about just lifting the material as it came out of the dies but he said "just make it flat" ......OK

[thingsthatfly2]

Originally Posted by HEATNBEAT

We talked about it, to quote him " it's a ratrod "
I thought about just lifting the material as it came out of the dies but he said "just make it flat" ......OK

customer is happy.. and you got to keep some cool dies.

[ty1295]

If someone didn't have a pullmax in the living room or bedroom to do this, could the smaller recip. machine build (detailed on this site) do it?

What other methods have people used with success.

At some point I am going to need to do this exact detail. Guess I could move in with Kerry for a few days. LOL