Duane has been bugging me for quite a while to make a couple of headlight bezels for his 40 Packard. He bought and installed some hidden sunken headlights, which I shall not name, and told me he lost one after a truck went by him, and it blew off, and made a trip of its own down the highway.
He contacted them to get a replacement, but I guess they didn't reply. So, I have been thinking about how I was gonna do it and I finally got around to it and made a prototype.
The headlight is 8 1/8 inches in diameter. I made this first one to butt up against the original headlight bucket, but he has decided he wants to overlap it to the outside so my bezel must be made to fit over the 8 1/8 diameter housing.
I have already opened the top template up to allow the outer circumference of the ring to be "that much larger". Just marked it and took the jigsaw and cut another 1/8 bigger opening.
I may have to make a larger diameter dolly now, but I won't know till I cut a new blank and start hammering.
Just a couple pieces of 3/4 inch plywood that I already had. The bezel is supposed to be about 3/4 of an inch wide ( wider now) and 3/4 deep front to back.
When I made the first blank, I measured the outer circumference of a 3/4 inch shaft, in order to make the blank big enough to wrap half way around it. I do not remember the measurement of the outside diameter of the first blank, and it's irrelevant now.
The next try will be just that much bigger. Another day.
I drilled a hole through the plywood and used a jig saw to make the circular cuts. If you use a good blade, and go slow enough, you can follow the line right around very nicely. It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect, just close.
I use transfer punches a lot. It's the only way to do precise work. I bought those female transfer punches from eBay many years ago. That complete set for 65 bucks, and they are worth their weight in gold when you need them.
The chunk of axle in the background I figured I'd use to clamp down the middle of the blank. It absolutely will not shift if clamped this way. You can't have the hammer form shift while you're wailing away on it. I've heard of it happening to people.
I started out with the smaller rod. Hammering away on it, it moved the metal but made a lot of marks which all have to be planished out later.
Tried the bigger one, and it was just a tad too wide for this go round. It might be what I need this next go round though, as the gap I'm hammering into is now quite a bit wider.
Hoping that will make it easier to go down in there as well. You have to hit it quite hard.
Notice how the top of that homemade dolly is mushroomed out? I know exactly how that metal felt, cause I took my eye off the battle for a millisecond and landed a hammer blow that glanced off my left index finger. That was close.
He contacted them to get a replacement, but I guess they didn't reply. So, I have been thinking about how I was gonna do it and I finally got around to it and made a prototype.
The headlight is 8 1/8 inches in diameter. I made this first one to butt up against the original headlight bucket, but he has decided he wants to overlap it to the outside so my bezel must be made to fit over the 8 1/8 diameter housing.
I have already opened the top template up to allow the outer circumference of the ring to be "that much larger". Just marked it and took the jigsaw and cut another 1/8 bigger opening.
I may have to make a larger diameter dolly now, but I won't know till I cut a new blank and start hammering.
Just a couple pieces of 3/4 inch plywood that I already had. The bezel is supposed to be about 3/4 of an inch wide ( wider now) and 3/4 deep front to back.
When I made the first blank, I measured the outer circumference of a 3/4 inch shaft, in order to make the blank big enough to wrap half way around it. I do not remember the measurement of the outside diameter of the first blank, and it's irrelevant now.
The next try will be just that much bigger. Another day.
I drilled a hole through the plywood and used a jig saw to make the circular cuts. If you use a good blade, and go slow enough, you can follow the line right around very nicely. It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect, just close.
I use transfer punches a lot. It's the only way to do precise work. I bought those female transfer punches from eBay many years ago. That complete set for 65 bucks, and they are worth their weight in gold when you need them.
The chunk of axle in the background I figured I'd use to clamp down the middle of the blank. It absolutely will not shift if clamped this way. You can't have the hammer form shift while you're wailing away on it. I've heard of it happening to people.
I started out with the smaller rod. Hammering away on it, it moved the metal but made a lot of marks which all have to be planished out later.
Tried the bigger one, and it was just a tad too wide for this go round. It might be what I need this next go round though, as the gap I'm hammering into is now quite a bit wider.
Hoping that will make it easier to go down in there as well. You have to hit it quite hard.
Notice how the top of that homemade dolly is mushroomed out? I know exactly how that metal felt, cause I took my eye off the battle for a millisecond and landed a hammer blow that glanced off my left index finger. That was close.
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