One of the easiest ways to get deeper details and greater pattern definition when bead rolling is to use a skateboard wheel roller. Part of the Jamey Jordan Signature Series of bead roller accessories, this type of roller is made of soft urethane. Used as a lower wheel, it allows […]
Tag: Metal Shaping
Eastwood Hosts First Bead Rolling Class with Jamey Jordan
Eastwood recently hosted its first-ever bead rolling training class led by master fabricator Jamey Jordan on October 12-13. This hands-on class, held at Eastwood’s Pottstown, PA headquarters, was designed to give participants a comprehensive introduction to bead rolling. With each person working on their own provided equipment, they progressed through […]
Project Internet Café – Episode 5: Fabricating a Custom Rear Cowl
In this episode of Eastwood’s Internet Café project, JD fabricates the signature café racer detail, the rear cowl, from scratch using new sheet metal and a slip roller.
Top 5 Bead Rolling FAQ’s
When fabricating a panel bead rolling is a must. In this article we will be discussing the top 5 most frequently asked questions about bead rolling, and go into explanation of each. #1: What is Bead Rolling? Bead rolling is a process when you use two opposite dies to make […]
What is a Planishing Hammer?
In recent years planishing hammers have been a buzz term (or tool) in the automotive fabrication world. It seems almost every professional car building has one
How to Make Door Jambs From Scratch- Eastwood Elite Shrinker Stretcher
In this tech article we’re working on a Model T roadster project that started out as a pile of parts. With any type of project like this you’re going to run into areas where there’s just no metal at all and we need to make it from scratch so we’re going to be making a door sill and door jamb area on this vehicle.
When do you save a panel or throw it away? Repairing a Rusty Trunk Lid
When your fabrication and welding skills start to progress you’ll get to a point where not much scares you as far as repair goes. Whether it’s rust or just old body damage anything can be fixed with enough time and skills. Over the past few years I’ve started to get myself to that point where I often have to approach a rusty panel with the question “Is it worth my time to fix it?”. The answer can differ for many reasons. Is the panel easily available aftermarket or good used? How expensive are the panels? How soon do I need it versus how long it takes to get a replacement part?
How to Fabricate a Cowl Panel From Scratch
I somehow ended up with this ’29 Model A Roadster carcass I want to build a little replica-racer out of. It was cheap, the bones were there and I figured I could build it up when I found some non-existent free time. I’m a little stubborn and although I could buy an entire new steel replica body, or all of the panels new to make this car all solid again, I’d rather build the panels I need from scratch and bring a close to 90-year old car back from the dead for very little money out of my pocket. I decided I wanted to start in the front of the body and work my way back. The side cowl panels are almost ALWAYS rotted out on the bottom of these cars and after I looked at the remains of the originals I decided I could easily tackle making new panels for only a few bucks in sheet metal.
The Wrong Tools for the Job
The wrong tools for the job can cause more damage than help if you aren’t careful. When working on sheet metal a wrong swing of a hammer, the wrong hammer and dolly can cause damage to your panel that will take 3-4 times as long to fix. You ALWAYS want to match your hammer face and dolly to the shape of the panel your working on. If you’re working on a flat panel this isn’t ever a panel, but as soon as you get into a corner, a curve, or a hard-to-reach area you may need to go outside your simple starter kit of hammers and dollies.