Small Stainless Projects

Small Stainless Projects

Thought I'd throw some of the smaller stuff in an album. I've always liked figuring out how to make things like the original pieces.

You learn from everything you do and pull from past experiences to do the more complicated stuff. Some things work while others take a few tries. I normally do test pieces in mild steel then go to the stainless.

People ask what I do for a living and when I tell them I work in a manufacturing plant they say, "Oh, that is why you can do this. You have all those machines you can use" I always tell them that most all this stuff was made at home with some pretty basic tools. What I DO have is the DESIRE to try and see it through. I have bought some machinery while doing this project which makes it easier but it CAN be done without them, just a little harder to do.

My lathe is from the 1800's and was originally driven by an overhead line shaft. I still do not have a mill at home but will sometiime in my lifetime. All I can say if you don't try, you'll never get anything done.

15 Images2263 visitsAlbum by Kevin FoustPhotos by Kevin Foust

Wanted a set of hood support bars. I wanted the end to have a formed detail so I got a piece of scrap hardened tool steel. I ground a slot in it. I then kicked it up on an angle and ground round groove the same size of the bar, I heated the bar and quickly put it in the 40 ton shop press and pressed it down.	Took several heating sessions to get it down and you can see the grooves here. Gives a nice detail when all polished out. It looks like it flows from the bar and gives a flat to tighten fastener on.	Here it is installed but on final assembly I put it on the top. I threaded the other end like original and used nuts for the adjustment.	Up next were the inner fenders. I made ap a template out of very thin mild steel. I then copied it to some thicker stainless. I bent these up on a bender I made. In making the bender, I copied things from other ones I'd seen and added some features. 3 ft is the max wide I can bend though. Edges were bent and small pieces were added at the corners and spot welded, I also riveted them there as well. They bolt on like original design.
Fairly simple one here. There is a V bend on the Top T portion to fit the cab but not too hard. Again, I used the original as a pattern. Note on my original the hole is central Most I've seen and reproduced ones are way offset. Makes me wonder if these were free hand drilled originally.	V bend evident here. If you want to try metalworking, start with a small project and build from there. Your experiences will help with future things. For me any way, It's better to try than to just read about it.	Decided to make the inner door latch catches. Ground them out from bar stock and used a tang again to get this done. Drilled and countersunk the holes for the attachment screws.	The finished pieces.
Making the inside window surround here. I traced the original out and cut with the plasma cutter. Original was curved but I'm using flat sheet stainless.	I used cardboard templates to get the inside curves the same. This lets me see where the stock needs to be removed.	I scribed lines on the outer curves and used the belt sander to bring them in.	Sanded it all out and polished it. Then drilled and chamfered all the holes.
These hide the upholstery edges to the glass, that is why it is so wide.	All done ready to install.	The rear fender support needed to be made so I made it out of stainless strap. Bent the over 90 degree bend and twisted tom it laid flat to the fender. Mounting holes were then drilled and filed square. sanded and polished out.