BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: Tygaboy's '75 LS3, It seemed a good idea at the time... Options

[jd74914]

[quote name='tygaboy' date='Jan 26 2018, 02:47 PM' post='2572046']
...I treated myself to a magnetic brake.
[quote name='tygaboy' date='Jan 26 2018, 02:47 PM' post='2572046']
Wow. That's awesome!! I've always wondered how well they work, can't wait to read a "review." What did you get for fingers with it?

[tygaboy]

[quote name='jd74914' date='Jan 26 2018, 01:43 PM' post='2572077']
[quote name='tygaboy' date='Jan 26 2018, 02:47 PM' post='2572046']
...I treated myself to a magnetic brake.
[quote name='tygaboy' date='Jan 26 2018, 02:47 PM' post='2572046']
Wow. That's awesome!! I've always wondered how well they work, can't wait to read a "review." What did you get for fingers with it?
[/quote]

It comes with a full width bar, a full width bar with random slots so you can fold various size box/pans by sliding the work to a location where the existing folds fit, and it has an assortment of various sized fingers from half width on down.

What's even cooler is that you can use a tube/pipe instead of the fingers and it'll bend that radius!

Here's a vid that shows it in action. The radius bending starts at 4:09:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWvMW1Zxoyc

[tygaboy]

Back to working on the console/tunnel and I got to use the mag bender. I played with it to start the learning process then was able to put it to actual use on fabbing a bulkhead for the fuel lines to facilitate the transition for the hard to soft lines.

This is likely a practice piece but it turned out pretty well.
It's also nice that the console design let's me take it in and out of the car so I can do this sort of work on the bench. It'd be a royal pain to do this going in and out of the car...

[tygaboy]

And here it is in place. The hard lines will run back to another bulkhead at the rear of the console and the soft lines will run up through the same location as stock: through that there oval hole.

[Dion]

The fabrication and metalworking never ceases to amaze.
Very cool Chris.

[tygaboy]

As expected, after playing with the bulkhead, I now have a better idea of what I want and decided to leverage the plasma table to do all the shape and hole cutting. Here's the latest design:

Holes for the fuel line bulkhead fittings, opening for the brake and clutch hard lines, throttle cable and electrical to pass through. There will be a separate bulkhead for the brake and clutch lines's hard to soft transition.

[tygaboy]

And while I was plasma-ing, I cut the blank for the Speedhut gauges. Next is to shape it to fit the stock gauge opening.

[tygaboy]

Lessons learned / gaining experience / developing skills:

Do the major metal shaping before cutting large holes. With the holes, the part was too flexy for me to get controlled, crisp "around the corner" edges as I was tipping the flange on the bead roller. It was also challenging to hammer and dolly to shrink the corners to vertical once they were tipped in.

But a good practice piece!

The next one will be better.

[tygaboy]

It's even curved, like the stock piece.

[timothy_nd28]

Impressive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[Mueller]

I'll have to come back up there now to play with that bender.

Maybe wait until you come back from your sheet metal class so you can show off your new skills in person.

[Krieger]

Very cool!

[Andyrew]

Way to cool! That bender is trick! Is it an electronic magnet that keeps the pieces from rolling/moving while bending? That is way cool.

Love the bulkhead with the AN lines.

[tygaboy]

Way to cool! That bender is trick! Is it an electronic magnet that keeps the pieces from rolling/moving while bending? That is way cool.

Love the bulkhead with the AN lines.

Andew - Yep, that's exactly what it is. Feel free to come over anytime you need to bend something!

[tygaboy]

Speaking of bending, I fabbed Version 2 of the bulkhead. It turned out just how I hoped. Way nicer design/outcome than V1.

The mag bender really is magical in terms of what you can do.

[tygaboy]

And here it is in place. Pretty neat, even if it will get covered up.

[tygaboy]

Then I gave the gauge panel another go. I'm not great at measuring so there are a couple gaps in the upper corners I'll correct in Version 3. That said, I actually nailed the upper mounting holes! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[Mueller]

That part is very cool, it came out great.

[burton73]

I know that you have been told this before but,
you have some super skills and some great toys (tools)

Bob B

[bbrock]

That said, I actually nailed the upper mounting holes! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Interesting. I think I would have used screws. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)