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Proshaper

@proshaper

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30 day classes offered. Work and learn on your scratch-built project. Call for details. Metalshaping Tools, Services, and Classes. 508 347 7749

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My coachbuilding student Seth from PA has been working on this hood scoop/ stack bubble. He figured out how big to make the front access air intake hole and he also made the retainer for the screen which will rivet on.
Tonight he started on the front center panel at the front of the car, he'll finish that panel tomorrow. by @proshaper

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4 months ago

Paul Wilson from VA stopped in with his pickup and trailer today which was loaded with his masterpiece Alfa Romeo. Paul designed and built the body and now he brings it to shows. He was at the Greenwich, Connecticut car show this past weekend with his Alfa Romeo, and he stopped in at my shop on his way to Boston to see his sister.
I have posted pictures of Paul's Alfa several times before but this was the first time I had seen the car in person. What a treasure it is!! Here are a few pictures. by @proshaper

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5 months ago

My coachbuilding student Nick has flanged the hoodscoop / carburetor clearance bulge. He still has a little tweaking of the flange to set it down flush with the hood skin. After the flange is finished, he'll cut open the front air opening, and he'll fix any tiny flaws. This panel proved to be a real tricky little bugger to get right. by @proshaper

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5 months ago

Everyday I try to expand my knowledge and techniques using my XTool laser welder. On this panel seam I was going to tack the whole seam as it was mounted on the buck. Instead on this seam I tried something different, I started with a few tacks at the wheel opening, then I welded about an inch over the tacks, I was then locked so the wheel opening flange lined up perfect. I then welded about 3/4" at a time going inboard on the panel. I can set the gun on the seam and drag two 3/8" seams at a time. I then adjusted the surface to line up perfectly by manipulating the two panels. Once I got the seam perfectly flush, I solid welded another 3/4" of seam. This technique is working very well, there will probably be a few techniques that will be used, different techniques for different situations. I also have to learn to use the welder with the wirefeeder for wide gaps. On these two panels I took my time and got the gap to almost perfect. This laser welding is a lot of fun, and the weld seams are as strong as the parent metal, with no distortion. Clean up is very quick.
Laser welding will make huge inroads into the collector car hobby/business. by @proshaper

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5 months ago

My former coachbuilding student Sean from Rhode Island just sent me a few pictures of his Frank Kurtis Indy style roadster he scratch-built. He has it all road tuned now and he will be at Cars and Coffee at the Newport Rhode Island Brewery next Sunday morning. by @proshaper

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5 months ago

Making shaped aluminum mirrors. by @proshaper

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5 months ago

More information enhancement of the ply wood station buck and general information about plywood station bucks:

This plywood station buck which came to me from another shop, is ostensibly a shape representation you use to fit panels to. This stlye buck is very common today.
It originates as a digital file that is created in a CAD program.

There are two ways to create the digital files. The best way is to scan an original car from every angle, import the data into the CAD program and clean up the scanned file.
Later the cleaned file is sliced to create stations.
This method uses very expensive software and equipment and can take travel time, scanning time, as well as lots of hours of seat time at a high powered desktop computer.

The second way is creating the master digital file by using many pictures as your source of model information. Software has advanced to high degree of accuracy allowing this method as an inexpensive viable option. Slicing of the files is done the same as the first method.

The first method of scanning is the gold standard.

The second method is the silver standard.

Accuracy for both methods depends on the equipment, software, and the depth of knowledge of the person doing the work.

In the case of the plywood station buck that I'm using they did several good things. First they used the best wood to make this style buck, they used Baltic Birch plywood which is very stable and 1/2" thick, and it has way more plys than standard plywood.
Second: they created a great 12" deep base structure using 8' long by 12" LVL beams for the support sides and two 2" x 12" to tie the beams together. Four of the wood stations register into the base/ support structure, which keeps everything lined up and supported perfectly. There are also casters mounted on the four corners of the support making moving the buck around very easy. The working height is very good too. There is enough room to get my fork truck's long forks under the support structure to lift it up making dealing with all of the underneath panels a lot easier.

The downside of the buck as I received it is the ability to clamp to it is very limited. by @proshaper

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5 months ago

More fun with the Xlaserlabs X1 Pro. I am loving this machine!#lasercleaner #laserwelding by @proshaper

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10 months ago

We are testing out our new Laser welder from XLaserLabs this is a game changer! #laserweldermachine #laserwelder by @proshaper

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10 months ago

Last day tomorrow-day17- on Stan's 300SL project, so much more to do. Stan worked all day building the tubing inner structure for the new aluminum hood.
Stan hired me several days ago to help finish up the project, I worked on opening up the rear window and shaping the window flange. Eleven PM is the dreadful deadline with a mad rush push to weld up as many panels as possible. by @proshaper

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2 years ago

Chris and his uncle Curt took my coachbuilding class several times a few years ago. They shaped from flat 19 gauge sheet steel two 1933 Ford front fenders for Chris's pickup. These fenders were the first time they had shaped sheet metal. A hiatus on the project of two years has gone by and today they came to the shop to planish out the welds. There very happy with their new fenders. by @proshaper

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2 years ago

My student Stan has reached a milestone in his project's progress. Today is day seven at the class, but yesterday we lost 2/3rds of a day because of a power outage. Next up is creating the aluminum inner structure for the roof. The panels Stan made are .080" 3003 aluminum, these are the first panels he has ever shaped. After the aluminum inner structure is made and fit to the car the panels will be tuned, trimmed, fit, and welded. He is determined to leave with a finished roof assembly. by @proshaper

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2 years ago