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Fabricating panels


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#1 Bart

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Posted 17 January 2016 - 08:28 PM

Hi guys and girls
Its been a while and I have been a little busy!
I decided some time ago, a few years ago I wanted to get into the panel fabrication line of work, at least as a hobby. At the moment it is a hobby I enjoy doing very much so here it goes!
 
This is the rear panel I am copying off an LX Hatchback at the moment, its made from zincanneal and is just over 1mm thick. A little harder grade than the original Torana steel grade which is an improvement I think but not a major improvement really.
This panel I'm making still needs tweaking and checking but its almost there. Number plate recess hasent been stamped in yet. Looks kind of cleaner without the number plate recess.

20160117_2050511_zpspz4hzbmh.jpg

20160117_2050241_zpscqntpa0m.jpg

20160117_2000451_zpstmaosknj.jpg

Edited by Bart, 17 January 2016 - 08:31 PM.


#2 Ice

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Posted 17 January 2016 - 08:36 PM

Wow thats impressive Bart

#3 N/A-PWR

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Posted 17 January 2016 - 08:36 PM

Excellent work Bart,

 

 not many people able to do this kind of work.

 

 

Can imagine you doing well with other panels.  :spoton:  :clap:



#4 BIG KEV

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Posted 17 January 2016 - 08:45 PM

Looks like you might have to quit your day job and start making replacement panels ...top job

#5 Bart

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Posted 17 January 2016 - 10:10 PM

Thanks guys. Appreciate your feedback/comments!
I'm happy to say this is only the beginning, I have been slowly working towards this, heaps of up hill battle last year, and like most things I realised I need more tooling (which I make myself), can never have enough tooling, tooling, tooling, tooling, especially when working alone and going after a "quality finish". The rear beaver panel in the pics isn't finished so it will be smoother once finished, tweaked and checked for fit/contour. (Remembering there are variations from one Torana to another) so it will be checked against my test mule Hatch! There have been preliminary checks but checking at the end ensures its correct.
Next is the roof, but ill be spending quite a bit of time on tooling before I start the roof, I noticed some guys are getting rid of the "1980's" sun roofs so this is my next target.
Then who knows, Ill start on quarters but I'm trying to make tooling to do a production run of these things not just one offs!
So I may end up with enough panels to make my own LX Hatch lol, it is my dream after all. The black Hatch from Street Machine years ago which had massive rear tires and flared motivates me. Wish I had that magazine.

Edited by Bart, 17 January 2016 - 10:20 PM.


#6 308 Sunbird

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Posted 18 January 2016 - 12:11 PM

Go Bart Go!

Put me down for 1 x roof and 2x quarters- your work looks awesome and sounds like

you are a perfectionist- which is great news for us.  :)



#7 cameron

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Posted 18 January 2016 - 01:03 PM

WOW you have wicked skills. Nice work

 

 

Cameron



#8 Bart

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Posted 18 January 2016 - 02:15 PM

Ill update this page with other panels as I go, I really should make up more tooling, panel gauges and buy off the shelf tools also in the coming weeks. So watch this space as they say :)

I wasn't sure where else to post this page, so if anyone has any suggestion where I should post this please let me know. I just thought "fabrication" is ok to post as the other guys have.

 

Thanks again guys.



#9 dattoman

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Posted 18 January 2016 - 08:23 PM

Heres fine Bart

 

Keep the pics and info coming



#10 TerrA LX

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 08:54 AM

Awesome work bart, I wish I was still in a shop.



#11 _LS1 Taxi_

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 09:10 AM

Seriously, if you can tool up to make these replacement panels to a high quality level, you've got an instant market.

 

Awesome.



#12 Bart

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 09:43 AM

Thanks guys. Thats the idea to make them to exact spec.
There are a couple of things i would do a little different but generally im happy with how it came out even though its not finished yet, just waiting on a couple of tools and materials to arrive and make a couple more tools and i should be right for a while

#13 Bart

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 09:55 AM

What shop did u have TerrA LX?

#14 Torananut

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 12:19 PM

Great work Bart. From the photos that you put up it looks like the quality of your work is top notch. I've been trying to make a rear panel myself and the two areas that I have had trouble with area the centre number plate area, and to get the gentle curve in the panel while keeping the other lines straight. It sounds like you have more machinery than I have as I have to do almost everything by hand but pressing them would save so much time. Keep up the good work.

 

Cheers, Grant



#15 Bart

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 12:50 PM

Thanks Grant.
Yes doing things by hand is great but sometimes theres limitations but then again I've seen guys doing by hand awesome work too

#16 Bart

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 12:53 PM

Maybe if we lived closer we could have teamed up! Who knows maybe we can still work something out in the future to progress more complex sheet metal fab?

#17 wot179

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 12:54 PM

What gear are you using, Bart?

 

A jenny?

 

Or have you got your hands on a Pullmax?


Edited by wot179, 19 January 2016 - 12:55 PM.


#18 TerrA LX

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 06:20 PM

What shop did u have TerrA LX?

Mostly just worked for someone but I did run a shop in ingleburn.



#19 Bart

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Posted 19 January 2016 - 07:39 PM

Cool

#20 Bart

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Posted 05 March 2016 - 02:57 PM

Just in order to get the beaver spot on I invested in getting the rear 3D scanned. This will be used as a guide to make sure the new beaver panels are correct to factory spec. Or close as possible.
20160305_1037231_zpsrvbscek7.jpg

20160305_1037161_zpsczch2vyh.jpg

Edited by Bart, 05 March 2016 - 02:58 PM.


#21 Bart

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Posted 05 March 2016 - 03:04 PM

Test fit bumper. Thanks to Tom for loaning me the bumper

20160301_2115051_zpsecablmnu.jpg

#22 TerrA LX

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Posted 07 March 2016 - 02:38 PM

Awesome.



#23 Bart

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Posted 03 April 2016 - 06:09 PM

So Ive been doing more "testing" of tooling.
Basically made up some prototype tooling to test how it would work on a prototype beaver panel, seems to work ok. Now time to do some proper machining of the form to get the part to a higher quality, "press form quality"
Back of panel
20160403_1724441_zpseslflsxy.jpg
20160403_1724481_zpsnxz9qids.jpg

20160403_1725321_zpst13dwt3h.jpg
20160403_1726131_zps4cr8f5bq.jpg
20160403_1726181_zps4avtenkw.jpg

20160403_1727001_zpsxqtrulk4.jpg

20160403_1816401_zpsor613rtf.jpg
20160403_1816101_zpsftdylz5l.jpg

Edited by Bart, 03 April 2016 - 06:23 PM.


#24 Heath

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Posted 03 April 2016 - 09:49 PM

Fantastic work Bart!

 

What a skill, and it'll only get better too.



#25 Bart

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Posted 04 April 2016 - 12:25 AM

Thanks mate. Its full on at the moment as the next panel is for a customer and this is the prototype and had to prove the number plate form worked. So far so good.




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