XK120 door skin fabrication

[Mike Gee]

Greetings, ran across this video and thought a few of you might find it interesting... 1.25 mm aluminum, with a mix of techniques... TIG, wheeling, rubber bands, etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEkOnmWieyU

Cheers, Mike

[Chazza]

I would have liked to see the back of the weld.

What is the purpose of the rubber band on the upper-wheel?

[Mike Gee]

The rubber bad… as I understand it… is to slowly bend the panel without stretching it. It conforms to the lower anvil.

[Blue62]

The rubber band on the upper wheel allows you to bend the metal in one direction only.
The left right direction of the panel as viewed from the wheeling position.
So you can bring a panel over (as is being done at the top of the panel in the video) without putting arc in it.
So you just create a simple bend or curve instead of a compound one.

[Chazza]

Thanks David. I must try that technique one day. Is a slice of tyre tube appropriate?

[Mike Gee]

The rubber band on the upper wheel allows you to bend the metal in one direction only.
The left right direction of the panel as viewed from the wheeling position.
So you can bring a panel over (as is being done at the top of the panel in the video) without putting arc in it.
So you just create a simple bend or curve instead of a compound one.

Thank you sir!

[Blue62]

Thank you sir!

No problem
I have a go-kart wheel that goes in place of the upper wheel for the same purpose.
But I have never used it ....yet

[Blue62]

Charlie
A slice of tyre tube will work.
You just have to get a size that will stay on the upper wheel while you work with it.
Check out "Lazze metal shaping" he uses a tyre tube and shows the various ways he uses it.

[Mike Gee]

The French guys also use a hard rubber top wheel (from what I can tell) in this video building a hard top for their chop-top project. Can't say I'm a fan of doing that to an XK120, but to each her own...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIBsq1VSAOM