Ventured in the making of a Dino trunk lid buck. Great carpenter and rock-hard hardwood. Enzo Anselmo, here's your "pleonasm"... I think it came out really well, and it is sort of artistic looking after some varnish. Took measures from the "original" steel lid from #1104, except I don't know if it is the "original" one as the poor car was such a mess. When it was stripped, did not see if 499 was there on the underside as not aware of such "issues" at that moment, as it was on the other panels, and that was the proper 499. Basically, it was stripped, disassembled from the frame, de-rusted, protected, recrimped, and put away. The push-button location is off center, so probably (possibly) Made in Italy, an original part. What should it be made out of ? We are going to try to shape the alloy skin over it, except not a clue as how to carry on, besides the annealing of the ally. If anyone would like to chime in and offer their words of wisdom, I would be very grateful...Jon? The tricky one, I think, will be to make the indentation for the lock button, in one piece together with the skin, without breaking or welding. Probably, the vertical section will also be a head scratcher. The wheel should come in handy to shape the rear crease as it is rather curvy. The rains have finally going away (almost 9 feet this year) and hope they stay away, so should be resuming with 1104. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
looks good, just work the skin over very easy, start by making only 1/3rd of the fold but make it all the way, then another 1/3rd and finally the last part, you should try to not hammer the thing into shape on the curves but instead work with gentle force into shape, Of course I assume you know to start in the center and work out to the edges other wise you wont enough material by the time you get to the middle if you start out at the edges. I am in the process of doing the same thing but I am lucky in that once the skin is stretched over the wood frame it stays there, its a 1930's coach built car so the alloy skin is being worked over the actual body frame, yours will be one tiny bit harder since you have to remove it and then place it on the real thing.
The wood is almost too beautiful to use this way. As a woodworker and a guitar builder, forgive me, but it's a shame such nice wood is used out of context. Surely a plywood of sorts would have been more appropriate. JD
Alberto - this looks very sharp. I was just watching a video from www;kirkhammotosports.com (there is a u tube link) and it shows them forming an aluminum fender over a die . They put it in a stretching machine. Importantly it shows how the guy hit the aluminum with paddles and created it. It might be educational for your body guy to watch. Maybe you could try it in aluminum too. Good luck! I am looking forward to getting your rear pans on my car. Thanks
I also appreciate the beauty of that wood and the skill that went into the of the production of the "buck", it's to imagine that in time, it will just be discarded. were a re seeing a back to basics of sorts, is that not the way it was originally done?
You are a true craftsman. I am very impressed and I do not impress easily. Keep up the good work clay
Jeffrey, I really value your thoughts and really understand your feelings. Please, you must understand that where I live, it is a completely different reality, where wood is the source of 80% of the cooking energy, and unfortunately, the reason why we are so deforested as it is common in all Third world countries. Scraps of wood, normally used for burning by people that do not have electricity or gas or much $, I did not donate as usual. Instead I used cutoffs (waste) that are leftover from the carpentry work I do in El Salvador, as I am myself a professional carpenter. My name Swift53, comes from old hydroplanes made by the Mt. Dora , FL. company that used to build them and of which I have restored a few. They use the old Merc outboards, and at a scant 95 lbs. and with 20 HP, they are a gas! These woods are not exportable raw, and only as finished pieces, but it is in a very infinitesimal amount as not being a realistic endeavour as most of our old timer professionals, have emigrated to the USA. As we have very little in the veneer sources, and are far from being an educated people in the eyes of the First world,we make do with what we have, and recycle everything contrary the the incredibly wasteful manners of the First world... A large number of the insurance automotive write-offs of the USA, end up here to be transformed into affordable vehicles for a population that could ill afford to pay for a new car. This, not to mention the secondary and tertiary labor sectors that are fed and promoted by this. We are your trash can, but as they say, one mans trash is another man's treasure. My Dino would never have been restored in the 1st world, it would have been broken up. Plywood is frightfully efficient but very expensive locally, only of a lowly "C" grade, an import that does not help our balance of trade, nor deficit, and you certainly could not have made something as pretty or as inexpensive as this with it. Of worth mentioning, plywood does not take kindly to punishment, whereas hardwoods do, thus the obvious choice for a buck. As a carpenter, I think it would have looked very utilitarian and nowhere as beautiful as this end result. It is rather artistic, no? I do not think of any of my work, or other local people's as out context or shameful. I think I would rather clean up my own country before others, and I do not mean this with any disrespect or criticism. We are simply another part of this world. Another reality. Period. To me, the trunk buck, worked out as beautiful as any part of a Dino, and after it, I am more convinced that more sections can be made, possibly the whole car...who knows? Why on earth not? I am certain that you are very conscientious about wood usage as a carpenter, and as we all should be, but please come and visit me for "something completely different" in the wise words of Monty Python... I think you would leave with a pleasantly different perspective. Thank you for your kind an appreciated observations. Regards, Alberto
Thanks Champ, We saw it, absolutely great stuff. Also made some amazing hardwood paddles for beating up the ally... My body man loves them! Hurry up with the pans... Regards, Alberto
Will never be discarded, a friend wants to hang it on a wall after I'm done... Problem is, I will never be done... Thank you all for the nice words! Regards, Alberto
Mike, thank you for the tips. No, we have no idea, but keep telling me as the crisp edges at the bump (not too bad) and at the trailing edge (bad) are kind of scary, not to mention the buttonhole... We'll see. Regards, Alberto
Alberto, Nice looking buck. Very good job! As far as making the pushbutton recess; Note the details of the tail light and head light areas pictured. Likewise, you could create a male plug to draw the recess into shape using a through bolt to provide force. The steel buck these guys (Scaglietti?) are using is also quite suitable for firming up corner details and edges, both male and female, using a spoon or flat chisel, and hammer etc. You should be able to do the same with your hardwood. I can share a simple way to make the bending template for your new decklid also. It will hopefully show you how to lay out all your edges and bending lines on a flat sheet. I will get some pics and post them as opposed to trying to describe the technique in detail. best, Jon Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
When I took these photos at the Brandoli shop in 2006, I did not ask Egidio Brandoli whether they actually used wood bucks at Scaglietti. He himself built many Dino bodies at Scaglietti, and his collection of Ferrari steel bucks is truly comprehensive. Fred
Alberto, Here is how to make a "Flexible Shape Pattern". It can be used for many different layout purposes: marking the front and back of panels for tipping and trimming, flipping right to left (turn it inside out, when you don't have one side), laying out the folding frame accurately, checking panel shape, with or without a buck, etc. These are very accurate and simple to use. For your decklid project, I would make two of them. One for the top side, and one for the back side with the lock recess. I will post some pics of a technique that can help shape the panel if you are interested. Jon Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Please do post the other photos Jon, these are great! I am puzzled about the holes... What is "tipping"? Regards, Alberto
Alberto, The holes in the flexible pattern allow you to transfer the layout lines to your flat sheet. Just spread the flexible pattern, nice and flat, onto your steel or alloy, taping the edges down so it does not move. Then, carefully pencil in your bend lines through the holes. (Just a fine pencil line along the very edge of the black magic marker line.) Once you remove the flexible pattern, you connect the "dots" on your stock and your bend lines are all laid out. Look how I connected the dots in the photo with the rolled up flexible pattern to see how it works. I hope this makes sense. If not I can post some more pictures. Tipping in this situation would be defined as the process of putting very shallow indented lines in the panel you are forming, in order to control where the bends are going to happen. It can be done with an English wheel (with a really skinny upper wheel), with a special tool called a Tipper (looks like a mini english wheel that is used for beading and edging too), just a brick breakers chisel, or any other creative way you desire. The important thing is to produce a line in the panel to control where the bend happens. Any objectionable tipped lines can be smoothed out once you get the panel to the correct shape, by wheeling, slapping, hammer and dolly, planishing, file, block sand, etc. I played around with a few pieces and took some pictures to show you one way it could be done. I actually used a sheet metal break to tip these lines because it was faster for me to demo the process. One thing is for sure.... You won't get it right the first try! Jon Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hey Jon, aren't you tired of the cold weather? Don't you want to come to El Salvador and bask in the sun for awhile? I think you really need it... Possibly we could slap around some aluminum during the suntanning breaks? Thank you for the great photos and even better instructives. We'll give it a whirl and see how it goes. I hope I will pass muster. Regards, Alberto
This trunk lid is 100% scratch built for another project, along with an engine hood. Also, a set of different contoured paddles for slapping around. They work really well. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I don't know Alberto... It sounds tempting. Is the coffee any good down there? What kind of car is pictured with the new lids? I can't identify it. The new lids look wonderful! Your man is very talented. Best, Jon
This stuff is unreal! I feel like I wasted my life on wine, women, song, driving and riding fast and that I wasted my childhood dreaming of the above! These things will last for ever while my contribution was flushed down the you know where or swirled away away in a carbon dioxide nitrous cloud I am going to find a dark corner, Nerodino, you went there once didn't you? now where's that bottle...I had one here somewhere...but its dark here...soooo dark...bonk! Found it!
Coffee's alright... ;-) The car is a '61 Giulietta Sprint, (was). Now it is an ab-normale that lost its fins, rounded its tail, gained scooped out headlights and a rounded nose a la SZ. Searching for an original grille...tough one. The whole car was more rust than anything else, so decided to have fun. It will be going on mothballs for a while, as it is time to Dino work. You are right, Manuel, is an extremely talented man. On his behalf, thank you for the kind compliments. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
