MP&C Shop Projects

[shortykorte]

Nice tip on radiusing the corners. Thank you again for showing us great fab techniques.

 

[MP&C]

More work on the seat back bracket... Trimming the side pieces to match the wheel well...

Adding welding flange, hammered out of 16 gauge steel..

Test drive....

Used the Roper Whitney hand punch to make our plug weld holes..

Next we'll close off the back area to contain the amp and bass speaker.

 

[zmotorsports]

That seat back supports turned out bad *** Robert, like pretty much everything else you do. Great job.

Mike.

 

[MP&C]

Thanks Mike!


For those that have been following along for awhile, you've heard me mention David Gardiner, a coachbuilder from UK, and recommend his training video for metal shaping. Some of David's posts on the metal shaping sites have shown some clamps fashioned similar to caulking guns holding body panels during fitup, and my initial thoughts from seeing those was that I could easily fabricate some myself from donor caulking guns. Glad I didn't. Took delivery today on two of the clamps, which are formed from approx. 12 gauge steel (much better than the cheap caulking guns I see sold locally here). They are pretty stout, and were priced at about $10 each. No way someone could make their own at that cost.

 

[shortykorte]

Those are interesting clamps. Definitely a good buy. Look forward to seeing how you use them.

Question about the epoxy coating. There's a red and the black. Is there a purpose or benefit of using one over the other? Thanks.

 

[MP&C]

If you're using the epoxy as a sealer coat prior to base, sometimes a specific color shade is needed to better match the final paint. Next, while blocking out the body some like to use a different color epoxy on the outer layer that will more easily show the low spots.

 

[nonhog]

https://www.tradecounterdirect.com/...n.html?country=233&form_submit=true&x=44&y=11

Is this where you bought yours from?

 

[MP&C]

No, had someone travelled to U.K. And got them from mom and pop hardware store. I'd say to be sure and check prices with shipping.

 

[OCD]

More work on the seat back bracket... Trimming the side pieces to match the wheel well...

Awesome ingenuity and fab skills!! Your pics are inspiring!!

 

[MP&C]

Had a fenderless trailer showed up at the shop last night, needed some welding... Good time as any to try out the new clamps. Two held the fender nice and tight to the frame.

Tonight we worked on the fender patch #2 for the Biederman truck, 16 gauge fun!

Missed the in process pictures, I'll try and do better next time..

 

[Mr onetwo]

Hey Robert, I hope all is well with you.How would you go about getting rid of these trim clip posts that are all over my Ramcharger?There are a total of 78 of them on the truck. My goal is, of course, to do no damage to the sheetmetal and have a minimum of filling after.I have decided I want to remove as much of the SE trim as possible and clean up the truck.Every plastic clip is broken and it would cost around $300 just for the clips to replace them, plus the refurbishment of all the trim.I will have around 50 #8 trim screw holes to fill also.Your thoughts and advice are much appreciated!

 

[MP&C]

To my knowledge those posts are spot welded in place. You should be able to use a cut off wheel or other similar device to remove. Due to the post attachment any heat generated may focus on the attachment point and cause a slight shrink, so keep any heat buildup to a minimum.

For filling the #8 sheet metal screw holes, I would hammer and dolly them flat and Mig closed. If needed, us a copper backer.


Having said all that, IMO SE trim really makes those older Dodges, hard to turn back once all the posts are gone.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Thanks Robert...I am having second thoughts myself this morning.I do want to do a color change eventually as money allows.I am very partial to "Citron Green" I really like the 2 tone truck, but I don't have the spear at the top.A pinstripe wouldn't have the same effect.

 

[Mr onetwo]

If I keep the SE trim and want to add the top spear trim, are you aware of a way to spot weld new posts onto an existing fender or door? is there another method of attaching that type of trim?

 

[gasgas17]

I would look at sourcing an adhesive backed molding.

 

[MP&C]

There is an attachment for some of the spot weld /dent puller tools that accommodate those posts for welding in place. There are also some that get attached with pop rivets and screws, but that would just be more places for rust / salt to get a good start, especially in your neck of the woods.

My preference would be the weld on type, per factory, to eliminate holes .... But then you are faced with needing the tools for welding. You may check with local body shops/restoration shops to see if they have tooling to accommodate welding on the posts.. Or choose one of the above Harry Homeowner versions...

https://store.snapon.com/Stud-Gun-Dent-Pullers-Electrode-Rivet-P637317.aspx

 

[Chateau Slate 66]

I look at it as an "opportunity" to purchase a stud gun.

 

[MP&C]

I look at it as an "opportunity" to purchase a stud gun.

So true!


Had a short evening in the shop as I was busy packing the neon clock for shipment, so the remainder was spent working on some of the many final details of the rear seat. Here are the factory seat clips to hold the seat bottom in place.

In order to use these, let's do a sample and see if we cut a hole in some sheet metal that they'll fit into..

This looks like it will work, we'll get some 18 gauge strips made to hold these that 45 down to the floor, adding some bead details for strength..

 

[MP&C]

Time for some brackets for the rear seat bottom retainers. Cut out some 19 gauge...

Drilled some holes for an inside radius, and trimmed the corners for the floor pan flange..

Now to fold some flanges on the sides for strength, using the Diacro press brake and a 1/2" thick lower die. By adding some rare earth magnets to the back side to serve as a back stop, we get a perfect 1/4" flange...

Then some back and forth between the Erco kick shrinker and the press brake with a narrow die inside the folds.... and we have 45* bends on either end of our brackets...

Test fit.... and trimming the retainer hole...

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice job on the brackets. Great work as usual Robert.

I love checking in here to see your work.

Mike.

 

[MP&C]

Thanks Mike!

 

[MP&C]

Had our new apprentice started today, while I cut out the hole in the second seat bracket, Mike got started on punching and drilling holes for plug welding the passenger bucket seat bracket...

After I got the bracket hole cut out, E media blasted the brackets and added some SPI epoxy using a brush. We mainly wanted to get the bottom side well covered as it will be inaccessible once welded in place..

First coat...

Two coats, that should hold us for under a seat...

Meanwhile I got out the John Deere rod bender to see if we could make up some anchors for the shoulder belt..

Bent with relief for a 1/2-13 lock nut..

Welded with short bursts and plenty of cooling between to keep the nylon lock intact..

test fit...

plug weld holes drilled and welded in place....

Mike finished up plug welding the seat bracket in place...

 

[larry4406]

Nice work as usual!

Mike is the new apprentice? What happened to Kyle?

 

[stinkity stoink]

Awesome Robert!!!!

 

[MP&C]

Thanks for the comments guys. Larry, the pitfalls of being a part time shop, when Kyle graduated and was looking for full time work, I couldn't accommodate that. He's now working for a local company doing heating system installs, and has been busy (overtime) since starting there, which leaves out any extra time at my place. He's good help and is welcomed here anytime his schedule allows..

 

[MP&C]

Had a late start in the shop tonight as I had to go look at a school bus. Yeah, week and a half to go until the end of school.

Looks like something gave the spot mirror a nice push..

The mirror mount looks like it's no longer straight....

OK, so we found it hard to fathom something hitting the mirror that high in the air as the bus was driving into it, so the other possibility was something backed into this one.. A quick search of the buses parked close by revealed this one with some nice shiny metal showing...

A quick test drive showed that the mirror didn't vibrate/move around that much so we're going to address this after school is out so this one can still be used for the next couple weeks..


Back at the shop, time to weld in the seat retainer brackets...

....and then started the next shoulder harness anchor bracket....

 

[xtremek]

Why did you use Nylocks instead of stover nuts? Awesome work, btw.

 

[MP&C]

Had a drawer full of them.....

 

[Imwalkin]

Nice timing on the seat belt bracket. Did you seek it in a factory hole?

 

[MP&C]

We "sized up" the location on the B pillar with a test subject in the driver's seat, and it fell about dead center between two trim screws. The hole for the nut did not exist prior, there were no shoulder harnesses in 1955. The 3/8 rod was trimmed so it wouldn't interfere with the trim screw holes. We still have yet to add a doubler plate at the bottom inner quarter by the B pillar to attach both the lap belt and shoulder retractor...

 

[MP&C]

Pilot hole drilled for the passenger B-Pillar.....

The center point is spring loaded, but they seem to locate better using a pilot hole vs. just a punch...

The plug weld holes drilled for the anchor and paint cleaned off in prep for welding..

Apprentice E worked on smoothing off the plug welds from last week..

Welding in the anchor .....

For the lower anchor point, which will hold both the retractor and the lap belt, we used some 14 ga that will be plug welded to the back side of the inner quarter panel just behind the B Pillar.. A 1/2" lock nut is welded to the back side, and a spacer added to the front side to keep the lap belt off the side wall.

Or the motion picture version....

 

[MP&C]

Tonight we have both seat belt retractor anchor plates welded and waiting for apprentice E to media blast and epoxy prime..

Next, we have the side filler panels to either side of the fold down rear seat that don't fit with those pesky wheel tubs in the way...

So we plan to make new ones, with a relief to fit snugly to the wheel tubs at the bottom end.. We used the Baileigh MH19 hammer and the shrinking dies to shape a piece of 14 gauge cold rolled to fit the wheel tub. Glad I didn't have to do all that shrinking by hand.

A flat piece from the top section will be welded to this piece, and then foam will be glued to the assembly and upholstered to match the seat..

 

[shortykorte]

Good morning. Great work as usual. I'm still trying to figure out how you got the shoulder mount inside the pillar. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MP&C]

Came up through the bottom of the B Pillar inside the quarter panel. There's a flap of sheet metal covering the bottom opening, bent it down and out of the way. It was tight...

 

[OCD]

Nice detective work on the bus damage!!

 

[shortykorte]

Came up through the bottom of the B Pillar inside the quarter panel. There's a flap of sheet metal covering the bottom opening, bent it down and out of the way. It was tight...

Thanks. A welder and thinking outside the box pretty much gets anything done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoelReeves]

I just completed the 118 page read, so time has compressed and the years have blended into each other.

We all know the feeling when the scope of a project starts to creep and then expand exponentially.

What was the official "Start Date" for the 1955 Chevrolet project?

What was the original projected "Finish Date"?

Do you bill customers monthly, or after certain milestones are completed?

Your attention to detail is astounding!

 

[MP&C]

Joel, sorry so long to respond, spent Saturday working in the shop, then a party for the daughter, and yesterday in York PA for the Street Rod Nationals.


The wagon has been here for quite some time. My shop is a part time venture, and when the day job requires travel, it severely interferes with any progress in the shop. Upon returning from extended travel, the shop work also tends to take a back seat to the honey-do-list. Hindsight, such an ambitious and extensive undertaking may be better addressed at a full time shop. Until such time as I can devote full time in the shop, projects requiring as much attention as this should perhaps be deferred for other short term efforts. In addition to all the day job interruptions, this project was also put on the back burner twice to accommodate other large builds, one of them being the Fairlane build (thread linked in my signature), numerous bus repairs to keep the buses operating, and a few motorcycle paint jobs just so I don't forget how the spray gun works..... SO yeah, it's been here quite a while and I think I'd like to see it done more than the owner would..


All that aside, there has been quite a bit of metal repairs that I wouldn't have tackled before this project came along, so I've definitely grown as a metalshaper and I have more interesting jobs coming down the pike for your entertainment.

We never really had a proposed finish date, I have too many distractions (such as listed above) that are out of my control to be able to add the "finish drop dead date" drama that you're likely used to on TV. I told the owner I didn't do hack work, and that any and all issues we found would be corrected to the best of my ability. I've offered to farm out some of the work to realize completion a bit quicker, but she has said to keep pluggin along. For billing, on a small project like a motorcycle paint job, I bill upon completion of the job. For a long term project such as this, I bill when the amount gets to an agreed upon threshold. Thanks for the questions and comments!

 

[MP&C]

To catch up on the wagon, the seat belt retractor anchor bracket will be located inside the quarter panel, here we are laying out for the plug weld holes that hold it in place...

Holes piloted, then use the burnishing brush to remove the paint from the weld area...

Then the holes are enlarged for plug weld size, I use a letter A and plenty of heat.

Back to our rear seat back modification, some 14 gauge steel is shrunk in the Baileigh MH19 to fit the driver's wheel well..

After some cleanup on the Tommasini cast wheeling machine...

Meanwhile, Mike has media blasted the anchor brackets and is here spraying them with SPI epoxy primer...

The 14 gauge is then held to the wheel wells and marked a line parallel to the seat frame. We'll use this line to start the transition to flat, using a linear stretch die in the MH19.

Linear stretch die also used to add this detail to blend into the bottom part...

Tacked together and fitted....

Tig welded....

This should JUST hide the wheel well, but doesn't look like the foam will be all that thick at the bottom...

Weld dressed and another fit, I was going to trim the sides but we'll be adding some stiffener beads to the flat area, so we'll wait until after that process to trim the sides.

 

[MP&C]

Yesterday I rode up to York PA for the final day of the Street Rod Nationals.. I went to see the Dave Thomas 35 Chevy in person, now that is was all painted in it's full glory.

Front and back:

While I was there, Dave (the owner) got called up to the winners circle, the car received a Pro's Pick award..

Just look at the fit, finish, gaps, panel alignment, etc. Cody Walls really hit a home run with this build.