Cover for power feed

[Kerry Pinkerton]

A couple weeks ago I started a thread about an electronic power feed I made for the Piccolo.

http://allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=4716

Since then, I've been working on an aluminum cover for the unit and belt.

I decided I wanted a fairly flat top and sides with about a 1" radius between the top and sides. The sides started out flat and I wheeled a flair because the cover is wider at the front than the rear because of the 10" diameter front pulley. I then did about half the radius with a slapper over a post dolly with the appropriate radius.

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I made both sides in just a few minutes. For the top I just needed to cut the taper and roll the edges over.

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Top and sides clamped together.

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Once they were tacked together I started on the nose portion of the top. I wanted it to cover the pulley with the same radius as the sides but deeper.

Lots of ways I could have shrunk the nose but I used the NOMAR dies in the Piccolo. After the shrink was done, I worked it over the post dolly to stretch it to the appropriate radius.

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Then I TIGged it up. I was going to try and gas weld the aluminum but I discovered I'd left my cylinders open.....

With the unit welded, the small 16S was the only ewheel it would fit in.

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The back was flat with radiused sides and top. The only 'issue' were the corners and I basically shaped them over a post dolly much like it was a hammerform. Then it was time for a test fit. You can see the hole in the top. That is so there is access to the bolt that adjusts tension and holds the mechanism to the frame.

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I did a little curve on the sides just to make it 'pretty'.

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The bottom of the sides was just trimmed and folded over 180 degrees. All hand work. However for the front, I wanted something a bit nicer so I took some of the false wire edge stock that Bennett Chapman and Uncle Johnny made for me a few years back. This was bent around a bucket to the the front curve, then worked in the shrinker/stretchers to get it to flow down the sides.

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This is a close up of the false wire edge. Neil Dunder makes the Pullmax tooling that does this.

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TIG TIME! I cheated on this. Clamped it in place and cut through both pieces with an air saw with a thin blade. Copper backer and tacked as I went.
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Then it was time for some quality time with the vixen files and some hammer and dollies. Originally, I was going to polish it and clear coat but decided that life was just too short. A brush finish with a scotchbrite disk looks fine. It's just a belt guard and I've got some other projects to work on. One of them is ever a paying job.

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It will do.

[diRty biRd]

Looks awesome. I like the false wire edge, that's a time saver. Does the pullmax do it in one action?

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Originally Posted by diRty biRd

...I like the false wire edge, that's a time saver. Does the pullmax do it in one action?

yes but it only does straight panels. No curves. There are "Q" dies like these and "P" dies. The difference is that the Q has the loop centered over the panel and the P is offset to one side. Pullmax made this and may still have them available but Neil has been producing them for some time.

[Dale in aus]

Hi Kerry,
The cover looks great. we have an eckold at work there top tools. I like the look of the fake wire edge... I dont understand how the pullmax can do them? is there any chance you can show a pic of the tooling?

Cheers Dale

[mr.c]

Dale: Here is a thread on Q dies from a few months ago. There are photos. The photos are really large so you will probably need to scroll to the side to see both dies. I had posted them large so the it was easier to see the details of the dies.

http://www.allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=4276

[RockHillWill]

Excellent work there, young man!

I have a set of these "Q" dies that Neil Dunder made for me and they are EXTREMELY well made and function just as well. I love them. I used them to make the inside, wall mounted tool box items for my Model A Panel Delivery.