F60L Cab 12 truck

[colin jones]

Thankyou for you comments and now I know why I'm not on Howards Xmas card list
Bob, to answer your questions. To make the half circle die is very simple to make without a mill. I used two separate steel blocks about 2"x3"x1" put them together and drilled a hole at the centre where they touch. if you have a pedestal drill I would suggest to pilot drill a 1/4" hole first and then use the full size drill you need. The drill size you need is!
Pin thickness= 1/4" or 6mm or what ever you're using
Thickness of material x 2= about 14mm or 9/16
After it's drilled, pull them apart and you have 2 half circle forming dies.
Don't forget to centre punch the location before you drill the pilot hole.
Believe me bob it is that simple if your using mild steel. Don't forget you're not going into production so mild steel is fine. A general garage press is more than sufficient to bend these.
I never used any heat at all to bend any part of the doors. Cutting the individual fingers with a band saw, hacksaw, jigsaw, reciprocating saw is good if you get the required end result.
Door skins!!~
Four skins will just take you longer and probably more painfull
I used 1mm thick and just laid the door on top before I deskun it and traced around with sharp chalk. I used my 5" grinder with a very thin blade to cut the sheet including the big curve about 1/2" outside the perimeter. but I had to measure the top accurately and allow for the bend radius which is about the thickness or the sheet per bend. I pre drilled the 2 holes at the top for the window frames and then folded the 2 top bends.
If I never had a folder I would clamp 2 pieces of flatbar with the material in between and very slowly hammer over with a wide head hammer.
I used a few clamps close to where I hammer and move them frequently
I never used any heat at all and the curved section is just the same as the rest but just don't try to bend high angles all at once. On one door I did use the spot welder as that is what was done to that particular door. The other one is quite different so they were made by different suppliers.
I also use anything I have to use as bending dolly's like flat punches or pieces of round rod.
I hope this helps and you'll never learn unless you give it a turn.
On a finishing door note!
I also made the small pieces that fit and bolt to the top of the doors for the softskin windows.