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Old 12-03-2021, 03:48 PM
AutoPilot AutoPilot is offline
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Default Seeking assistance on method to replicate this part

I made the dome shown in these pictures several years ago when I had access to a beater bag, mallets and an english wheel. It's been sitting in my garage ever since and is a little rough! Material is aluminum, but I can't recall how thick. I'd like to replicate something similar in both aluminum and sheet metal, probably 18 guage. Most likely, I will make them in several sizes and will need some smaller radius domes. I don't have access to either a pnumatic planishing hammer or an english wheel. This is the question.... Could this be accomplished with either an english wheel or planishing hammer? Which would be the best choice? I will need to buy or make the tool and the hammer appears easier and cheaper than the english wheel. I am not looking for a super smooth finish for a car body or anything of the sort. This is for part of an outdoor sculpture.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Jim

Domed-Alum-a1.jpg

Domed-Alum-a2.jpg
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Last edited by galooph; 12-04-2021 at 03:46 AM.
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Old 12-03-2021, 05:38 PM
Jaroslav Jaroslav is online now
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I think you could shape it with a hammer on a steel plate or a sandbag. You can fill your wife's purse and return it when you're done - she won't even notice .... Bird feeding can be used instead of sand. Millet.
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Old 12-03-2021, 06:02 PM
AutoPilot AutoPilot is offline
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Originally Posted by Jaroslav View Post
I think you could shape it with a hammer on a steel plate or a sandbag. You can fill your wife's purse and return it when you're done - she won't even notice .... Bird feeding can be used instead of sand. Millet.
I was not aware that Millet was an option. I’m concerned about my ability to achieve acceptable smoothness by hammer alone, however.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:18 PM
blue62 blue62 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AutoPilot View Post
I was not aware that Millet was an option. I’m concerned about my ability to achieve acceptable smoothness by hammer alone, however.

You can shape that up with a blocking hammer on a sand bag. That step would only take a few minutes.

Then planish smooth with a planishing hammer and slapper on a bench-head. You can make it as smooth as you want it by planishing. just takes time and patience.
If your a novice metal shaper it would be a good exercise to learn a little about how metal reacts to the thing you do to it.
Blocking on a sandbag is a primary step in making most panels.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:54 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blue62 View Post
You can shape that up with a blocking hammer on a sand bag. That step would only take a few minutes.

Then planish smooth with a planishing hammer and slapper on a bench-head. You can make it as smooth as you want it by planishing. just takes time and patience.
If your a novice metal shaper it would be a good exercise to learn a little about how metal reacts to the thing you do to it.
Blocking on a sandbag is a primary step in making most panels.

Absolutely agree.


(Set your bench head height to your best arm swing - so bh striking surface height = your elbow height minus hammer face/handle length = arm parallel/floor at strike.)

Relaxed work. Hammer/slapper weight+drop = force needed.

Relaxed working. Not "throwing" the hammer against the metal via shoulder .... (as in maul-splitting firewood??)
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Old 12-08-2021, 07:49 PM
fciron fciron is offline
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A hardwood stump is a nice tool as well. Even a slight hollow will allow you to sink the shape quite easily and you can smooth it out by working from the inside on a flat part of the stump.

Alternately, you can make wooden stakes out of hardwood as well. I have an oak 4x4 with a dome sanded on one end that is very useful. It's easier to read the surface from the outside of the dome during the smoothing.
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