Hey AX,
My parents are visiting, and before they came down from up north, I asked my dad: "Do you have any clean 2" angle iron laying around? I need a couple pieces to clamp together for a makeshift sheetmetal brake"

He showed up with this....he says it took about 6 hours to make...I asked where he got the design, and he pointed at his head and said "I've seen em' before" with a big ol' grin on his face.







I think it will work for what we are trying to do.

 

Hats off to your old man!

 

That looks great!

 

Does your dad want to visit here too???

 

OK!! Hooray for Dad!
Now, that bender combined with a shrinker/stretcher and you can make a lot of your own patch panels. Harbor freight just came out with a new combo shrinker/stretcher that looks great and at an excellent price.
2-in-1 Metal Shrinker / Stretcher
I could teach you how to S/S with hand tools, but it is so easy to do and control it with that tool and for just the cost of a couple ready made patch panels with sketchy fit you can make your own that actually fit.
If you do buy it let me know and I'll teach you how to combine it with a homemade sandbag and mallet to form compound curve panels like rear cab corners.

 

Any chance you could post a few more pics of that metal brake your dad brought. Say some shots of the hinge assembly and just a few different angles. Thanks

 

It's ok. I figured out how to blow the pictures up large enough to see the details. (bad eyes) Thanks though.

 

Holehawgg:
Here's a few more anyway, and there's about 15 in my "random pics" gallery.
Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Bozworth's Album: Random pics







Let me know if you want any other angles or reference points/measurements.

 

Thanks, I ran through your albums. That's gonna be a nice truck when you get her done. Are you aiming for a driver or show? Either way it's in nice shape from the looks of it.

 

She's going to be a daily driver Holehawgg, and Thank you for the nice comments on her.

 

Hey AX,
The hood is back at the top of the project list. (wiring - done! exhaust leak - fixed! visiting relatives - gone!)

I got it stripped today....it's about 10 lbs lighter with all the dang bondo off there.





Couple of questions for you:

Per the PO, a post fell across the hood while it was sitting in the barn....there seems to be 2 "weak" spots in the hood....the sheet metal on either side of the peak, toward the back of the hood pops up and down when you put a couple pounds of pressure on it....Can I weld some 18g slats or panels to the underside of the hood to add some rigidity to those spots? (the "weak" spots are about 2 feet long, by about 18" wide...right where the post hit it.) There's no damaged to the metal, just doesn't feel right.

All the little spots in the pics are just remaining primer I missed in the stripping....For the most part, it's not that bad....there's quite a few spots near the peak where it looks like it got attacked with a ball peen hammer, I'll hammer those out as best I can, and will have to skin it with filler....although I'm considering shaving the peak...thoughts?

What can you tell me about a "shrinking disc"? I know how to make one, but have never used one....Good thing to have and use in this situation?

 

It looks like the hood is still dented in along the peak about 8" from the back edge? Bring that up to where it belongs and see if the metal stiffens (lay a straight edge right down the center of the hood to see where/how much it needs to go). Remember there is almost no truly flat panels on a vehicle, they rely on crown to stiffen it. I wouldn't add any ribs or stiffeners. It didn't need them originally, it doesn't need them now if the panels are the right shape. If the panel is stretched, bracing it will just push it high, it might prevent some of the oilcanning, but you'll have a hump to deal with. Do you have an oxy- acetylene torch? First get the peak back where it belongs, then if the panel still has a soft spot, make some checks with your straight edge to be sure it doesn't need to bow up some more, there should be a gradual crown front to back and side to side. If the metal is still weak or stretched, then do a heat shrink the size of a dime right in the center of the "soft" spot. the red hot spot will bubble up, VERY GENTLY tap it back nearly flat while still near red hot. The heat has thickened the metal, so it will be slightly raised like a thin sheetmetal coin on the surface. After it has cooled check to see if it has stiffened. if so, sand the "coin" down smooth without reheating the panel!

A shrinking disk is a good tool for removing "bag of walnuts" dimples from a mostly straightened panel. You will need a high speed 7" angle grinder with a rubber sanding disk and a 10" heavy stainless shrinking disk. The disk can be smooth, a serrated surface doesn't significantly improve it's function. There was a guy selling them on ebay for ~ 40.00. If you get one, let me know and I'll walk you thru using it. You'll also need a set of "Mickey Mouse ears" headphone/earmuff style hearing protectors, using a shrinking disk is VERY noisy!!!

 

Hey Boz,
Nice going on the hood! Are you all done with that rusted out stuff up
on the front lip there? My hood has a few spots that just pop up & down like you describe without much pressure. Not sure that's a defect but may be how they came. We did add some metal rods to the back to firm it up - just made me nervous popping around like that.

Looking good up there in Round Rock!

Ben in Austin

 

Thanks AX, I'll work it over with the dolly and see what happens with the soft spots.
About that peak....I was just out there staring at it.....let me figure out how to get a pic of what I want to show you....i've found another issue...Peak is lopsided?

Does the shrinking disk have to be stainless? From what i read and saw, 18g cold rolled sheet metal works fine...?
No oxy- acetylene torch, just mapp and propane. I've already raided my shooter's bag for the good eye and ear protection.

Hey Ben!
How did the firming rods work on your hood? Does it flex at all now?....that will be my plan B if hotspotting it like AX described doesn't work.
Haven't fixed the lip yet, I'm planning on that in the next week or two now that the hood is completely stripped....time to learn to use my new sheet metal brake.

 

For what it is worth, I added stiffeners to my hood when it oil-canned like yours has. Worked great. Here's a link and pic:
1956 Ford F100 4x2 - Removing the Hood Peak