tools & products for restorations

[John Pierce]

This is a great air tool that uses the small Dremel-type cutting discs to get a very thin kerf. It has a small footprint to get into tight spaces and where finesse is needed, which can't be obtained from the larger cutting wheels. It's called a pencil type grinding die, which I picked up on Amazon. The speed control is right on the pencil portion. It has much more power than the Dremel snake and should last longer.

Thanks for looking.

John

[bbspdstr]

That air tool reminded me of telling my ex-wife, my dentist, that she and I use the same tools but in different sizes (and cleanliness) ...except that which is called a "hand tool" by a dentist is shown above for car guys using it as described above!

The sound, every time, makes me think I'm at the dentist ... and I lapse back into having just sold my best Speedster to help pay for that education!

I bought one of those years ago from my Snap-On man, use it regularly, but hate to know how much I could have saved at Amazon.

Please don't tell me....I have to rationalize me that every tool I have only costs me $50 ....... a week, for the rest of my life!

[Phil Planck]

Not a car tool, but "tool" I use to download pictures from my camera instead of plugging a cord into the camera and computer. I just take the card out and stick it in this "tool" which takes 3 different style cards. I got it mainly for my shop camera, and old HP that uses the compact flash card. Unfortunately, left the card in my shirt pocket and it went through the laundry, so am now using a newer camera with an SD card. I got this "tool" made by Kodak at K-Mart, but I assume there are several brands to choose from:

[JTR70]

I've been wanting a spot-puller kit for as along as I can remember. This system can't be beat for its ease of pulling out metal that you have very limited or no access to from behind.

Short of cutting the skin off there no real access behind the nose panel for a firm hammer strike to raise the low spots. The pins literally weld-on in a second. Once your done pulling they twist right off with a pair of vise-grips. No holes to weld up! Super fast and easy, Love this system!

[roy mawbey]

John and Justin,

I like the look of both those tools, I don't want ever to pull out dents but when must be 15 years ago one of my sons arrived home in his 924 and some nice person had kicked in the passenger side of his car

I worked on that and actually made a fair job on repair but that tool would have been great since some of the dents he had woud probably have sprung right back. No room at the back to apply enough pressure.

Tools, my next one must be a higher lift trolley jack I just borrowed my friends and wow so much better thsn mine. The control top lower the car also was so much more adjustable for speed than mine.

I guess you need to pay more to get the best product. His was a Bradbury over 3 tons capability what do you guys use ??

Roy

[bbspdstr]

Yep, those nail guns are handy when both sides of the metal aren't easily accessed. The 'done-blowed-up' hood crease on that cowl formerly merely filled with lots-o-Bondo is one example and the side of the tunnel is another. The thing to remember is that the area you joint the nail to is actually a weld, to that area must be devoid of anything but steel....no lead, no paint, no rust, etc.......and if you try a dent in a roof with a headliner, the fiber original insulation may catch on fire.....jus' sayin'.

Also, minor shrinkage occurs due to each spot of heat, so it's a trade-off with the stretched metal being pulled. Not a perfect solution, but can be called a "controllably crude" solution to moving sheet metal in difficult areas.
-Bruce

[Jack Staggs]

That's a pretty unusual place for a depression on a tunnel. My guess is that a port a power shoe was placed there to push out collision damage on the longitudel area.

[JTR70]

"controllably crude" Good description Bruce. While it certainly cant be made perfect it does reduce the amount of filler that might be required otherwise. I remember seeing those cowl repair shots a while back. I'll bet you could have almost lifted the front of the car off the ground with those 4 pins.

[MMW]

Thought you would like to see this. Gotta get me one. Up on ebay right now for $980, although it looks like a Euro plug on it. Yes item is from Bulgaria. Can't believe no one in the US thought of this first.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTRO-HAMMER-GMO-antique-model-signed-/151120837319?pt=Art_Sculpture&hash=item232f80fac7

[JTR70]

WOW! I can imagine all the hard work and time that hammer would save! Love it! I'm gonna wait for the cordless version to come out though...Thanks for posting.

[Jack Staggs]

I see that there are 2 switches. Is there a forward and reverse?

[JOP]

Jack, actually it is just one with on/off and the other for two speeds.

Mic, If you winn this super hammer and need a converter plug for 110v outlet let me know becuase it looks like a standard 220v Swedish plug.

[Phil Planck]

I recently bought a bead roller from Woodward Fab. Think I got it through Summit Racing with free shipping(and it is HEAVY). It comes with 6 sets of mandrels to make 3 different size beads and 3 different size steps.





I also ordered from Hoosier Profiles a tipping mandrel set for this roller off of ebay.





Aside from experimenting with it I put it to use this past week making a patch panel for my grandson's 94 Buick Roadmaster station wagon. A southern car with only one rust area just behind the driver's rear wheel opening. This has to be one of the hardest patch panels I have made, as there is a double step at the wheel opening flange and a tight radius at the bottom part of the quarter panel. Here is the rusty section:





I had a lot of advice on the allmetalshaping.com forum, but you have to be a member(free) to look at the posts.

Anyway, I used the bead roller for 3 operations to make this panel.
First, I used the 1/8" step mandrels to put the rear step in. Then I used the tipping mandrel to crease where the flange is bent. I used vise grips to bend the flange just like I did on Foam Cars fender hem flange at the door. The flange and step were not straight lines so the bead roller really helped out here. Be advised this machine requires two operators. A crank man(my grandson in this case) and the person guiding the panel through the mandrels. They do make electric versions with a foot petal which would be ideal, but also much more costly to buy. We made 4 test panels before deciding on how to make the real part to go on the car. What worked for me was doing the step and flange before bending the curves into the panel. I used a tucking fork to shrink the upper portion where the curve is not as tight. Had to cut and slit the flange in 3 or 4 places to get the tighter curve at the bottom. Once these operations were done the bead roller was used again to put a v notch along the bottom of the panel where it is spot welded. My grandson punched all of the plug weld holes with my Roper Whitney hole punch.










Got it tack welded in place and all of the plug welds done today before it got dark. Will finish up tomorrow, as grandson lives 200 miles away and had to get back home.

[JTR70]

Thanks for sharing that Phil! You did an excellent job of replicating the details in that patch panel. I know Harbor Freight has offered a cheapo bead roller set which looks similar to yours. A friend purchased one with very mixed to poor results; however the one you have seems to work well. Nice job!
Justin

[JOP]

Phil, now I know why there was something familiar about you metal forum
Nice that you got it to work for your panel, been looking at Joe's litle tipping kit myself to buy a set.
I cut down down some tree on our backyard and got myself a new stump....it needs some small adjustments like the small tuck bowls and peel off outerskinn off ( forgot the english word )

Per=JOP=356GT