Robert, (MP&C) I need advice

[chevynut]

Hey Robert, I mentioned on another thread that I could use some advice on metalforming.

I have been having a heck of a time with one area of my door panel. The door is concave on the inside, so I have curved the door panel to match. I have also put a couple of bends in it near the top of the door with my brake to match the curvature/angle there. I did some stretching in the center front below the top hinge and in the rear to get the panel to sit against the door tightly...those are reverse curves.

The problem area is just forward of the vent window, and almost down to the top hinge. I have tried shrinking, stretching and bending it to try to get it to contact the door edge in that area, but I'm not having much luck. Here's what it looks like on the passenger side panel. Notice that the door curves outward in this area.

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So how would you go about working the panel to make it bend this way?

I'm about ready to take the doors off and take them and the panels to a local metalworking expert. But I want to try just a little more.

[chevynut]

Well after I posted this I went out and looked at it again. I tried using your trick of taping paper to the panel to see if it needed to be shrunk or stretched. I convinced myself it needed shrunk in that area. So I shrunk the edge for about 12". It still didn't fit but it was better. So I took a soft-faced hammer and a dolly and I bent the edge over "off-dolly" and it looks really good now. I think I was being too timid with it before, and not hammering it enough to bend it. I think the bending is forcing more shrinkage inside of the shrunk edge.

I'll see how the driver's side goes now. I fought that one for a long time.

[MP&C]

Is this a case where just the perimeter needs to be offset but parallel from the rest of the panel to meet the door? A skate board wheel and tipping wheel for your bead roller would do this....

[MP&C]

Starting with the skate board wheel and tipping wheel loaded in the bead roller......





Here's our rough door panel.....





Inside bend tipped and some slight shrinking in the corners to get rid of puckers





Tipped back the other direction at about half the distance to form the mounting flange..





......and some stretching again in the corners of new flange to help it lay flat.. Is that anything close to what you were talking about.....

[chevynut]

Thanks for the "tips" Robert. I think your method would have worked very well, by moving the edge of the panel closer to the door. After I posted I went out and did some more shrinking on the passenger side, and got a lot more aggressive with the hammer and dolly. That did it. I also had to shrink the top flange in the middle of the door and at the vent window slightly to put a slight curve in the panel. I think I would have been better off with .050 aluminum instead of .063, but that's what I have.

I finished up both sides today, and both panels are within 1/16" all around the edge WITHOUT any clips installed. I just have two clecos in the center of the door holding the panel on.

Now I have to put the door panel clips in. I'm worried that they're going to push back into the foam when I push the panel on, so I may put a spot-welded metal cap over them. I'm also hoping they're not too long....at one time I was worried they were too short. LOL!

[chevynut]

I was looking at interior pics on the Recovery Room's FB page and it looks to me like they do something similar to what you showed, but only the first bend. He says they typically use .040 or .050 aluminum. Mine is more "sculpted" to fit but I probably spent way too much time on it.