This pretty much says it all. Such incredible work and attention to detail. Simply amazing and inspiring. Not only is it simply a joy to read your work log, but so educational as well. Feel like my next build might be an aluminum build. Keep up the awesome work Attila!
Yeah I have missed a fair few updates, but man this is looking as exceptional as ever. Fantastic work and it's always a treat to read every update. Keep up the amazing work you are doing and I look forward to more updates . And as above have some rep
How did I not notice you've another build going!? Nice work, looks like I have some catching up to do. Also thats an awesome looking spa enclosure! I miss living south of the equator, London weather sucks and tiny London gardens don't really make spa's sensible.
Me too. Thanks voigts. Thanks. Thank you. Thanks Wayne. Thanks. Thank you. It's not hard to miss this due to some enormous gaps between updates. There may be some lighting elsewhere. Thanks keir, I enjoy your updates as well. When I come to something very difficult (or that I think is difficult), I tend to go around in circles and keep avoiding that particular job. And so it is with the hinges. But there is plenty of work elsewhere till the courage comes around. So I made the side skins to enclose the rad. This was relatively simple as this part has only a small curve. So the skin was cut from 1.2mm sheet and mounting tabs bent over in the vice. To get the curve on this part I used a 50mm solid round (that I've been cutting case feet from since CX1), and just pushed and rolled the sheet till it was right. Now this part is too flimsy just on it's own and a strong and rigid edge needs to be present so the grilles can slide in and out. So a brace/front edge is made from 4mm plate. Once this brace is cut and filed, its needs some bending treatment as well, but this time a little mallet is used to get the required curve. And then these parts are riveted together. The rivet holes on the inside of the braces were counter bored to make it as compact as possible. Then the edge was filed down to match the angle on the front. And the parts fitted to the front section of the case. This shows the small curve here. Then avoiding doing the hinges some more, I decided to have a go at the nose. This has to follow several curves as well as the crease that runs along the both sides of the top. So to get an idea of where to start, a piece of flexible bar is used. And a cardboard model made. Now that crease is actually a little curve on this part and I don't know any other way to bend this except for hitting it a lot with a hammer. A small panel beaters dolly with a curved profile was used for this. And boy does this make a mess! Now normally an English wheel is used to get the hammer marks out and leave a smooth surface. I don't have one and I'm not going to get one. So the part is flipped over and the low spots are tapped out so the outside can be filed and sanded smooth. And after a while the part is put into place to have a look. Looking at the crease it almost looks straight. Holding a straight edge to it shows a very small curve but I'm thinking 'can I get away with just bending it straight'? But I decided to keep going with this part to see just how good it can be made and to get some experience with making things this way. I'm very happy with result. But this part will have to be re-made due to me not paying enough attention to the fit and just concentrating on the finish. The next time I will try just a straight bend. Back soon.
A bag full of shot (a panelbeater's bag) would help immensely here. I remember training with one as a teen, working in my dad's body shop. We never had an English wheel either.
My suggestion also. Many of us were too poor to afford an English wheel and the shotbag actually gave some good results when one learned how. Especially on aluminum. Just excellent work, as always. john
Soooooo close to a perfect fit & it still looks gorgeous but not quite the eye of Attila gorgeous. Shot bag sounds a good addition to your workshop though like mentioned by others above, price of English wheels only worth it if loaded or going pro or even get lucky on a sweet bargain though. This will sure as the sky is grey in May be an extreme beauty.
Trying using a propane touch and heating your aluminium and bending it. Use a C-clamp and brace one end of the aluminium on the shape that you are going to form over and than apply heat and slowly bend the piece of Alum over the shape. I have done shape-bending like this for years on other patent-pending projects of mine. Thanks for putting in a date in the title of the project log. Mod On
