Fiberglass is itchy, metal is not.

[rickwrench]

My name is Rick and I live in the east bay, about 45 miles east of S.F. (CA)
I've done some casting (bronze/zinc/tin/aluminum), lots of chop and weld projects, and dabbled on and off with sheet metal as needed for old car repair. Primarily fender panel sections, floor repair, with some structural modifications. I've also done a fair amount of random metal sculpture.
I've been restoring vintage 50's/60's fiberglass "special" bodies these last few years, and am very interested in recreating one of the bodies in aluminum.
And, I'd also like to make a set of steel flares for a street driven Alfa GTam clone. I have several sets of fiberglass GTam flares, but my racing days are long over, and my flares are all race weight (flimsy).
I'm sure I could blunder and stomp my way through the process, wasting massive amounts of time and material, but there is no use in reinventing the wheel for each learning plateau (although sometimes you do come up with a unique wheel that way...).
This looks like the place to learn and pick brains.

Rick

[Peter Tommasini]

Welcome to the forum Rick
Peter

[HEATNBEAT]

Hi and welcome Rick'

[David Gardiner]

Hello Rick, welcome to allmetalshaping. If you want to build an aluminium body there are many skills to learn first. To me there is no point in making it in ally if it is going to be coated in plastic filler so shaping the metal and smoothing it to a metal finish are important. Welding ally is somthing you need to be able to do well to get good results with the finished panels. I use only gas welding for aluminium. Even though I make new bodies and panels for a living and have several wheeling machines a couple of pullmax machines shrinkers etc. I would say that eighty percent of the work I do is by hand, hand forming, welding and hand finishing so in my opinion these are the most important skills to learn.

David

Here is a photo of one of my aluminium bodies in bare metal finish.

[kiwi john]

Incredible work David. What guage and type of aluminium do you prefer to work with ?

[rickwrench]

Thanks all for the welcoming words.

Originally Posted by David Gardiner

If you want to build an aluminium body there are many skills to learn first. To me there is no point in making it in ally if it is going to be coated in plastic filler so shaping the metal and smoothing it to a metal finish are important.

I agree wholeheartedly. The main reason I'd use aluminum for a body, other than ease of forming, is to have a polished aluminum, finished product. Like a Lotus IX or series 1 Eleven. With a painted body, steel, aluminum, fiberglass, it doesn't really matter.

Originally Posted by David Gardiner

Welding ally is somthing you need to be able to do well to get good results with the finished panels. I use only gas welding for aluminium. Even though I make new bodies and panels for a living and have several wheeling machines a couple of pullmax machines shrinkers etc. I would say that eighty percent of the work I do is by hand, hand forming, welding and hand finishing so in my opinion these are the most important skills to learn.

I weld o/a, tig, mig... stick. I can quickly and proficiently melt holes in many metals, in many different ways. Welding is not a problem, it's the learning/confidence step in going from forming a simple steel 6"x14" patch panel up to a large section of swoopy aluminum fender.

All I have now are basic tools, hammers, dollies, shot bag, etc., but they have been fine for patch panels, sculpture pieces. More big boy tools as I progress.

Since I have a fiberglass version of the body and flares I want to replicate, I guess I already have a buck.

Body being restored, early on in the resto:
My J5

Friend's, finished (one of 30-40 left):
Mark's J5
Mark's J5

Rick

[Peter Tommasini]

Originally Posted by David Gardiner

Hello Rick, welcome to allmetalshaping. If you want to build an aluminium body there are many skills to learn first. To me there is no point in making it in ally if it is going to be coated in plastic filler so shaping the metal and smoothing it to a metal finish are important. Welding ally is somthing you need to be able to do well to get good results with the finished panels. I use only gas welding for aluminium. Even though I make new bodies and panels for a living and have several wheeling machines a couple of pullmax machines shrinkers etc. I would say that eighty percent of the work I do is by hand, hand forming, welding and hand finishing so in my opinion these are the most important skills to learn.

David

Here is a photo of one of my aluminium bodies in bare metal finish.

Hi Rick, I fully agree with David. Just remember practice makes perfect.
Cheers Peter