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  #11  
Old 12-06-2012, 10:25 PM
Overkill Overkill is offline
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Default Slappers

The issue with metal slappers is that there are all sorts of styles, and like most things, some people prefer this one, others another one.

Making it's easy. Find yourself a leaf spring (junk yards, auto repair places, scrap yards, guys with race cars always have stuff around) from a car (trucks are usually too thick), cut out the shape you desire with a torch (plasma works well), bend the handle to the desired angle using the torch, then start the polishing process. Belt sander, DA with a variety of discs, will get you most of the way there. If you want a mirror polish, you can use the polishing pads sold at Harbor Freight for 4.5" grinders. Oh, and paint the thing before you start on the polish. That way the only area you have to protect from rust is the polished face.

I cut a bunch of blanks and brought them to the Santa Cruz meet. As I recall, it was a front leaf spring from a 1925 Chevy. Having ground out the rust pits - I'd suggest getting the cleanest leaf spring possible to start with.

Of course, Harbor Freight also makes slappers - but they are soft and get dinged up pretty fast.

Another style, and well balanced, is the ones sold at https://www.tinmantech.com/html/slap...ons_spikes.php. Kent breaks them down into slappers (flat surface on the working area), spoons (curved surface on the working area), whappers (wood slappers), etc.

Then you have the style that used to be built by Ron Covell and the Comstocks. Both use a piece of tubing as a handle with a flat metal end on it. I have found that these are much more difficult to produce and get the balance correct. My first attempt was with 1/2" electrical conduit, and a 1"x3"x1/4" piece of spring steel welded to the end. Angles, where you weld on the steel, etc, all are fairly critical. I know that Jerry Gulley was selling a version of these.

My advice - make it. You'll find that you'll learn something in making the tool, and enjoy using it more because you made it. Also, you'll figure out what you like, and be able to modify it or make a new one.
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Ron Covell, Autofuturist books (Tim Barton/Bill Longyard) and Kent White metalshaping DVD's available, shipped from the US. Contact lane@mountainhouseestate.com for price and availability.
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  #12  
Old 12-06-2012, 10:51 PM
Peter Tommasini Peter Tommasini is offline
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HI these are the Slapper I use.... nice and balance, good for ally or steel work.
Round with teeth
Round polished
Flat with teeth
Flat polished
Peter
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  #13  
Old 12-07-2012, 08:16 AM
Overkill Overkill is offline
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Default Slappers with file teeth

Peter,

Can you describe the reason behind, and use of, the slappers with teeth? I think there is some confusion for some people in that area.
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Ron Covell, Autofuturist books (Tim Barton/Bill Longyard) and Kent White metalshaping DVD's available, shipped from the US. Contact lane@mountainhouseestate.com for price and availability.
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  #14  
Old 12-07-2012, 09:02 AM
Peter Tommasini Peter Tommasini is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Overkill View Post
Peter,

Can you describe the reason behind, and use of, the slappers with teeth? I think there is some confusion for some people in that area.
HI John
The teeth on the slapper are only there so you can see where you are hitting, it allows you to put one blow after another close toghether for a much smoother finish ready to file.
it's mainly use on repair work
in the other hand, if I need to touch up a panel after wheeling ( steel or ally) I will use the polished slapper.
The polished half round slapper is incredibly good on reverse curve like the wheel arch on the quarter panel I've made, it hardly put's marks on it.
Peter
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Metalshaping tools and dvds
www.handbuilt.net.au

Metalshaping clip on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEAh91hodPg

Making Monaro Quarter panel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIpOhz0uGRM

Last edited by Peter Tommasini; 12-08-2012 at 08:06 AM.
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  #15  
Old 12-12-2012, 10:02 AM
Tom Walter Tom Walter is offline
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Juan - I have a slapper and spoon from Kent White. aka "Tin Man". There is something about the feeling and response on those two tools I love.

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/slap...ons_spikes.php

As to the teeth... the original slappers were made from old files. Dark dirty body shops with dirt floors and not much lighting. You could "feel" the panel to know where you had been slapping it. Much thicker metal used back then, so you could just pound the snot out of it and sand down the metal marks, shoot with primer and fill in the valleys. Alas I can't do that with 0.032" aluminum
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