A little light entertainment: 1939 Ford 1 ton Utility restoration

[jack neville]

Managed to get the ribs rolled and dressed at the ends on the first step.
Maintained parallel and didn’t get too much distortion overall.

[jack neville]

I formed the outside curve by pressing a 60mm pipe into a piece of 100 x 50mm channel iron and dressed the ends over angle iron. This has stiffened up the outside considerably.
I cut back the original board to assist in trial fitting and lining up the eventual weld.

[Danny Devers]

That looks really good. I like watching metal take shape like that, its an artform

[David Herbert]

What a superb piece of creative craftsmanship ! I feared that the ribs would pull the middle of the sheet narrower than the ends by some margin (it may be an illusion but that looks to have happened in the test piece). However the end result is excellent. I suppose that repairing the originals was technically possible but this is so much better than that and a much better use of man hours (quite a few I think).

Huge respect,
David

[jack neville]

Thank you gents. It is certainly a challenge to make something like this but it is coming out as I hoped.
Once I trimmed down the new part and formed a curve to join the original I joined the two with Clecos. The inside curve and dressing the two together has relived much of the remaining warping and it looks very flat and straight now.

[Bob Carriere]

Very nice work.

Can you tell me what gauge (or mm) sheet metal you were using....cold rolled.... how many passes with progressive pressure did you need to be doing to finish a rib. I assume that you do one rib to its full depth before starting the next one.

It seems that every attempts I have made, on scrap pieces, results in a corrugated sewer pipe .... really curving back on itself. Is the secret to roll and stop short at each end to have a flat end surface.

Cheers
Bob C

[cliff]

Jack I have not been on MLU much in the past couple of years for various reasons BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I see you still do superb work and I remember visiting your place a couple (or is it 3) years ago and marveling at the work you were doing then on a Tilly and a Dodge ambulance.

Must go back through the threads and catch up again.

[jack neville]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Very nice work.

Can you tell me what gauge (or mm) sheet metal you were using....cold rolled.... how many passes with progressive pressure did you need to be doing to finish a rib. I assume that you do one rib to its full depth before starting the next one.

It seems that every attempts I have made, on scrap pieces, results in a corrugated sewer pipe .... really curving back on itself. Is the secret to roll and stop short at each end to have a flat end surface.


Cheers
Bob C

Bob, I did probably about ten gentle passes through the roller until the rib started to become defined then I could apply firmer pressure. I dressed each end as I completed each rib which flattened out the ends. I was expecting some inwards curving but am very pleased that I achieved what I wanted on the first attempt. I did start with the centre rib then alternated each side working outwards. I’m not a sheetmetal worker, I just make it up as I go along with the limited equipment I’ve got and hope for the best. You can do a lot with angle iron G clamps and hammers.