Fabricating battery brackets

[MP&C]

Yesterday evening's task was to build new mounting brackets for the 55's battery tray..
This bracket supports the battery tray, bolts to the core support..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture779.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture782.jpg

This bracket spot welds to the bottom of the tray and bolts to the inner fender.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture763.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture765.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture766.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture781.jpg

This bracket goes on the wheel side of the inner fender well as a backer to bolt through.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture762.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture761.jpg

The tabs spot weld to the ends of the tray for the battery hold downs..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture780.jpg

Now just need to finish drilling holes and weld the parts to the "new" tray..

[JT56]

Nice Job Robert

[carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)]

nice, thanks for sharing Robert.

[NickP]

A couple of questions: Did you fab this with your new magnetic brake? Your Blue Point Hole Cutters, do you like them better than drill bits? Do you have to use a pilot hole for the arbor or just a center punch depression? Do you have the larger kit? Nice work as always Robert.

Nick

[MP&C]

A couple of questions: Did you fab this with your new magnetic brake? Your Blue Point Hole Cutters, do you like them better than drill bits? Do you have to use a pilot hole for the arbor or just a center punch depression? Do you have the larger kit? Nice work as always Robert.

Nick

I did all the bends on the press brakes. I was worried given the short flanges and the 14 ga that it wouldn't have been as crisp on the bends, but I very well could have been proven wrong. On that subject, here is a link to the original inventor of the Magnabend, line item 7 lists some helpful hints on using the machine..


http://aaybee.com.au/Magnabend/Magnabend_Homepage.html



The hole cutters do a nicer job than large drill bits in that they don't distort the metal like the drill bit does when it grabs as it goes through. Having said that, the Blue point cutters were used on the tab piece's holes into a 1/8 pilot hole, although they are intended as punch depressions. There still is some of the wobble effect you see in hole saws, due to the center point movement within the arbor. The hole cutters are a decent set, but given the center point's loose tolerance I wouldn't call them a production environment tool. The kit only goes to 3/4" diameter. This is a kit I got with a bunch of other used body tools a few years back.

[MP&C]

A while back we had made the brackets to make up three "reproduction" battery trays based on a 1955 Chevy factory air conditioned car.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture782.jpg

The only part that did not come with the used original pieces we had as patterns was the factory hold down with it's attached "zee" bracket that secures the battery hold down to the rear of the core support, as seen here in the factory assembly bulletin.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture%201999.jpg

We recently mocked up the battery location, and made a zee bracket based on the picture and the dimensions we had in front of us.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202148.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202147.jpg

Now to make the remaining two brackets for the other two battery trays.. A roll former die in the press brake was used to make the vertical bends.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202149.jpg

A bit of tipping using a press brake die as an anvil, and then using the tipping tool...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202150.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202151.jpg

The finished brackets and a comparison....

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202152.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202153.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202154.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/Metalworking/Picture%202155.jpg

[DocHarley]

Awesome work as always. Wish I had your skills.

[fuentes]

Yesterday evening's task was to build new mounting brackets for the 55's battery tray..
This bracket supports the battery tray, bolts to the core support..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture779.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture782.jpg

This bracket spot welds to the bottom of the tray and bolts to the inner fender.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture763.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture765.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture766.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture781.jpg

This bracket goes on the wheel side of the inner fender well as a backer to bolt through.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture762.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture761.jpg

The tabs spot weld to the ends of the tray for the battery hold downs..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%204/Picture780.jpg

Now just need to finish drilling holes and weld the parts to the "new" tray..


where can i find this bracket to buy them? i need some parts for my 1955 and i cant find anything for this kind of battery tray

[MP&C]

If you are looking for function only in moving the battery off the firewall and not worried about originality, adapt a 57 battery tray to your 55. If you're looking for a reproduction as shown for the 55-56 factory AC car, we should be doing a small production run when I find time to get them drawn up for the water jet machine.

[1320GASSER]

If you are looking for function only in moving the battery off the firewall and not worried about originality, adapt a 57 battery tray to your 55. If you're looking for a reproduction as shown for the 55-56 factory AC car, we should be doing a small production run when I find time to get them drawn up for the water jet machine.


Will the kit include the battery hold down with the mods for group 24f battery and "Z" bracket attached as shown in the pictures

[MP&C]

The tray used is the reproduction from the firewall, removing un-needed brackets and modified for AC brackets. The hold -down needs the ZEE bracket spot welded on. I don't know that Mikey is going to add these parts to a kit, I know that I am not. That is why I PM'd you links to the exact parts needed for you to order these two items if you wanted me to make them. Or are you waiting for the kits from Mikey?

[1320GASSER]

got majority of the parts from Mikey, but not the hold down, I thought it would be included with what he sold me because of the modifications done to it, guess not. oh well I'm stuck for now with no access to welder to finish a hold down (I don't even have one for now to modify) Thanks for the answer

[MP&C]

I can't really speak to what Mikey was adding to a kit. I was going to do those parts for you when I thought you would be sending me parts per the links I sent you. I would surmise a regular hold down without the ZEE bracket would still perform the needed function. I will say that the original parts that we used as samples DID NOT include a factory original hold down, so we DID NOT have one to use as a sample for duplicating. My interpretation is based on what I saw in the assembly manual for these parts in a fuzzy picture, and offset was sized based on what I needed for the size battery we plan on using. It is very likely that my ZEE bracket is not accurate for the AC car at all.

[1320GASSER]

Live and Learn, thanks for the info, and keep up the amazing work on the wagon

[1320GASSER]

completely satisfied with quality of your and his work, and price isn't an issue, I gladly paid what he told me without hesitation, was just a misunderstanding about the hold down and weather or not it was included, water under the bridge and would do business with you or Mikey in the future without giving it a second thought, and would recommend anyone to do so also.in fact if an admin wants to delete the posts from #10 and on to this one as to not muck up this great thread I would appreciate it

[1320GASSER]

Just a heads up to other members, Roberts work on this battery tray is excellent and it looks even better in person than in pictures, Mikey is also highly recommended craftsman , I wouldn't hesitate to do business with either of them, thanks goes out to both of them for all the help they have given me

[chevynut]

You could have most of those parts CNC laser cut and bent for a fraction of the cost of doing it by hand. I was making my frame brackets by hand for a long time until I went to CNC laser cutting. I hope I never have to go back. ;)

[MP&C]

we were in that process..