An Introduction: Chris Collins and Morris Tilly Project

[jack neville]

It would seem a lot of effort just to press out two seat bases but I will get more out of the die. The seat base frame is light right angle fold in 2mm steel. I will use the top template to form that angle around. Also the seat legs have the same profile as the front of the seat base and are made of 3mm angle iron. I can use the same template to form them.

I have since convinced Nick to give me lessons in CAD drawing.

[jack neville]

To prepare for the seat base frame I had a piece of 2mm strip folded to the correct dimension. I ground a round edge on the top of the template to accommodate the curve of the strip of now angle. I was able to use the cross cavity to anchor clamps and supports to secure the angle and with a bit of heat worked the angle around the template. It puckered in the corner as is went which I expected and it was just a case of heating the pucker up and hammering it down.

[jack neville]

It came out exactly how I wanted it.

[jack neville]

Next is the legs of the seats. This is made from standard 3mm x 25mm angle iron but is trimmed down to 18mm on one side so first was to cut off the excess on one side. I will do these as eight bends on the lager radius of the template and then weld them in the centre where required to get the correct shape and size.

[jack neville]

With the legs bent up and joined I added them to the base frame and also added the adjusting mechanism and the claws that locate the legs to the floor frame.

[jack neville]

I drilled holes around the edge of the seat base to plug weld to the frame and turned down some half inch bolts to match the stepped bolts that hinge the to seat halves together.

[jack neville]

That almost completes the bottom half. The seat back on the complete set of seats we have are not good enough to use so I will make two sets of those.
There is a reinforced section on the bottom which has two small pressings which take the weight of the seat back against the legs. The first thing to do was unpick the wire edge and fold out the frame for a pattern.