1498 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

So here it is.

 

 

Then i trimmed it back a bit but it will have to have the final trimming once i come to fit it

 

 

 

It might have taken a couple of hours but it's £12.60 i don't have to spend now on a repair panel made out of paper thin metal

 

Ben

[Hendred]

And I bet yours is a better fit!

Edited by Hendred, 21 May 2015 - 07:52 PM.

[Ben_O]

And I bet yours is a better fit!

It seems to be mate.

 

I did make one last year but i got the curve wrong so chucked it and started again. Went much better this time

[Hendred]

the curve on bought ones is wrinkled normally

[Ben_O]

the curve on bought ones is wrinkled normally

That's what made my mind up to make my own. They are so simple to make that it's not worth buying them, especially when you have some steel lying around anyway

[Hendred]

How do you get the curve with no wrinkles?

[Ben_O]

How do you get the curve with no wrinkles?

ah that would be telling...

 

If you look back at the picture of my template, i left the curve out but the straight folds in.

 

Once it was transferred to steel, i folded the straight folds and then let in another piece to make the lip on the curve.

 

I just forgot to take photos but i have the templates still if you don't get it.

 

Ben

[Stu.]

Did you weld the curve strip in from the backside then Ben?

[Ben_O]

Did you weld the curve strip in from the backside then Ben?

yes and then cleaned the welds back form that side with a flap disc.

 

I used a grinding stone to grind off the penetration on the inside of the curve.

[Hendred]

Yeah I get it, I wondered if you had welded.

[wingnut]

Jealous of your skills Ben.Top work

[fj12jagmen]

Did mine today and the silly fillet piece behind it in the wheel arch. Thought it  came out quite well until I saw the professional work on this thread!

 

I was really careful welding the long stretch joining old and new. 1mm gap; held tight and level with homemade panel clamps; wet rag laid on the original panel; single welds and ensured it was all cool before doing the next one. Ground back with flapwheel, 6  pinholes to fill, looked great but found the join is raised. Don't want to grind back further, probably lead to whole world of hurt. Was hoping not to but looks like I'll be using filler.

 

Hope yours turns out better, Be interested in how you manage it before I do the other side.

[Ben_O]

Did mine today and the silly fillet piece behind it in the wheel arch. Thought it  came out quite well until I saw the professional work on this thread!

 

I was really careful welding the long stretch joining old and new. 1mm gap; held tight and level with homemade panel clamps; wet rag laid on the original panel; single welds and ensured it was all cool before doing the next one. Ground back with flapwheel, 6  pinholes to fill, looked great but found the join is raised. Don't want to grind back further, probably lead to whole world of hurt. Was hoping not to but looks like I'll be using filler.

 

Hope yours turns out better, Be interested in how you manage it before I do the other side.

It may be a week or so before i get it welded in as i need to fit the heelboard and closing panel first.

 

I'm sorry to hear about yours, the problem you describe is usually caused by having the gap between the edges too small but 1mm should have been enough?

 

Ben

[Steve G]

Hope you don't mind me adding this but my father showed me a way to make up panels like this with a curved edge from a single piece of steel. First you have to cut the curve onto two pieces of thickish chipboard to act as a former.

Sandwich a piece of steel between them leaving a slightly larger than flange size sticking out and clamp the two pieces together.

All you do then is carefully tap the edge over in the same way as you start off a door skin. As long as the flange isn't too wide you can do some quite complicated shapes.

If that doesn't make a lot of sense I will do a drawing to explain.

 

Really impressed with what you have been doing, I think it will probably end up better than it was when new ! 

[Ben_O]

Hope you don't mind me adding this but my father showed me a way to make up panels like this with a curved edge from a single piece of steel. First you have to cut the curve onto two pieces of thickish chipboard to act as a former.

Sandwich a piece of steel between them leaving a slightly larger than flange size sticking out and clamp the two pieces together.

All you do then is carefully tap the edge over in the same way as you start off a door skin. As long as the flange isn't too wide you can do some quite complicated shapes.

If that doesn't make a lot of sense I will do a drawing to explain.

 

Really impressed with what you have been doing, I think it will probably end up better than it was when new ! 

That's a great tip and makes perfect sense.

 

In this instance, it was nice and quick to make it up this way but if i was to make anything more complex, the method you described would certainly be the way i would approach it.

 

Thanks for the compliment. Hopefully, it will be another lovely Mini returned to the road before too long.

 

Cheers

 

Ben

Edited by Ben_O, 23 May 2015 - 01:03 AM.