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Hand made panels & old school panel beating
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Maxakarudy



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 1:06 pm    Post subject: Hand made panels & old school panel beating Reply with quote

I thought I'd share some of my work, making panels by hand, using traditional methods & tools. Although I've always been interested in restoration & metalwork, it's only in the past 4-5yrs I've taken it a lot more seriously after finding the metal shaping forums & realising what is achievable if you want make your own panels.
A bit about me, I started off in the motortrade as a coachpainter/sprayer, did my apprenticeship, but left the trade and became a traditional signwriter,, back in the day day before computers came along & changed the industry into "graphics". I've always liked skilled trades like this as they're are combination of precision & artistic license that allow you to create what you can imagine.
Any way back to business, I'm restoring a humble MGB GT 1974, usual rot, sills, floors & wings. I've bought most of the panels, but wanted to make some outer panels, just to put all this panel beating enthusiasm into reality.
I started with the rear lower quater, just below the chrome strip.


Last edited by Maxakarudy on Sun May 07, 2017 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Maxakarudy



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 1:15 pm    Post subject: more panels Reply with quote

More panels..
Start with a blank cut to shape
[img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65881391/RESTORATION/rh%20start.JPG

This didn't require any wheeling, just curving to the right profile, then fold returns over with pliers, stretch and shrink returns to get the right profile
[/img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65881391/RESTORATION/mgb%20rh%20rear.JPG
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Maxakarudy



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Panels trial fitted on the car....
[img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65881391/RESTORATION/mgb%20rear%20panel%20on.JPG

I decided to weld it in 3 sections so I can hammer & dolly the weld to smooth it out, I tig weld it, so the is very little filler metal added to the joint, this helps keep the panels smooth
[/img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65881391/RESTORATION/weld%20mid%20wing.JPG
[img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65881391/RESTORATION/weld%20rh%20wing.JPG
[/img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65881391/RESTORATION/tac%20lh%20wing.JPG
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Maxakarudy



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And the rear quater, welded & filed up
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
Posts: 2463
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been doing a bit of panel forming myself, and have got quite into it, it's quite a nice thing to be able to do. I'm at a very different level as I don't have a wheel or very much experience, and most of my stuff has been internal panels or small repair sections, rather than complete wings.

I'm working on quite an unusual car, which although is based on a much more popular one, panels are quite thin on the ground so we don't really have the remanufacturing support like more popular cars do. I've even gone to the trouble of trying to duplicate panels I have been able to source, on the basis that if I needed to, I could duplicate them again if they were needed, and can't do that if I've welded them into my car.

I've gained inspiration from a number of other sites, there's a cracking thread on Retro Rides, I joined Metal Meet (which I think I've seen your stuff on), there's a lot of information out there.
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3785
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2017 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The work looks very good, I have to make some wings for a vintage commercial so would love to try it myself.
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billysugga



Joined: 01 Jan 2017
Posts: 55
Location: Carlisle

PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2017 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work.I have done some simpler stuff myself but would love to improve my skills. It's a pity there weren't more affordable evening classes or even any evening classes. There is some fantastic stuff from America.
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Maxakarudy



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2017 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Chaps,

Yes Mike I've been on MetalMeet & All Metalshaping for a few years, it really opened my eyes what could be done with metal. I've been on a couple of shaping courses in the UK too, but it's really just a conscious effort to have a go, what's the worst that can happen ,make a bit of scrap, metal is cheap really.
Martin
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
Posts: 2463
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2017 10:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was my view too - a piece of 8' x 4' steel is quite cheap and if you ignore the value of your own time it's also much more satisfying to create something. It was quite a way into my own restoration before I actually started fitting panels I'd bought. Of course, the down side is that a couple of years later you start to look at some of the work you did at the start and think about re-doing it now you can do a better job. But that's another story.
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