Apologies, I didn't realise Darren had posted these!
Thank you very much for the comments, they are much appreciated
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I keep chipping away at coming up with tooling (well, bodging makeshift solutions really) to get around these tricksy areas. I've amassed quite a collection of dedicated bits and bobs (50-75 I guess) to make this stuff. Trouble is, as fast as I can come up with something, one of the big boys follows with a 'proper' version, and mine ends up as another expensive doorstop. Even so, the ability to be relatively fleet of foot (usually the tooling is made, and the first bit of sheet steel shaped on the same day) is very useful. Also not being beholden to anyone is always a nice position to be in.
Rest assured, none of my 'tooling' is very exotic, and other than some simple laser-cut knock-overs, it's all bodged together here. In fact it really tickles me that some of this is the ugliest, most primitive stuff you ever did see, but it's perfectly capable of producing useable panels. I think the thing is that I'm not having to produce dozens and dozens, which really helps.
The Pullmax (metal working machine) is now up and running. It's a doddle to make tools for this, and it's the business for forming up beads of different types. Bits of parcel-shelf, floor, rear bulkhead and, most usefully at the moment, front few inches of rear inner wings, are all pretty easy. The finish you can get is very satisfying. Unlike most of my 'solutions' it's not very DIY friendly, but what a lovely thing to have. I'll post up about it if anyone's interested.
On the same note, I'm just beginning to ponder whether to put on another metal course. I always think I've done my final one, but after a year or two I start looking forward to having some more DDK'ers down for some workshop fun
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Again, thank you for the comments and support and see you soon,
Barry
DDK Member1243 07741 273865. Now booking Spring '24. Home of the RY Austin 7 Trophy's
