Tech: Building a grill shell

Rat Rods Rule

Help Support Rat Rods Rule:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BJinaTJ

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
132
Location
Elwood, Indiana
I know there are a lot of great builders here. I just wanted to throw this up in case anyone was wanting any info on building your own panels. Here is a grill shell that I started the other night with the bare minimal of tools. I am putting a tech article on the website as I build it. It will be in the freebies section..

forming.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks really good so far! You said "hand tools"? You didn't mean without a planishing hammer and english wheel did you?

Either way, it's looking good, and your thread will be much appreciated!
 
Looks really good so far! You said "hand tools"? You didn't mean without a planishing hammer and english wheel did you?

Either way, it's looking good, and your thread will be much appreciated!

Everything you see in the pictures was hammered out with a rubber mallet and the cap off of a welding gas tank. In the pictures below I started to use a section of c channel to beat the parts into the groove. Even further along I have made a wooden hammer from a baseball bat and it is working out very well.

I have not used an english wheel of planishing hammer on this so far...
 
Here you see a simple piece of metal that has been cut out.

forming3.jpg


The rubber mallet and welding cap could not get the radius I desired. I made a hammer out of an old wooden baseball bat.

forming4.jpg


The big end would be great for a shotbag (which I do not own). The smaller end was great for forming the steel down in the corner of a piece of c channel.

forming5.jpg


Here is the part after only being shaped with the wooden hammer in the c channel.

forming6.jpg
 
Everything you see up to and including these pictures was created with a handmade hammer, c channel, gal welding cap and rubber mallet.

Here is the previously made part laying on the grill.

forming7.jpg


forming8.jpg


forming9.jpg
 
Kudos for jumping in and building your own shell. [cl I've made several and never used a wheel or planishing hammer. The best thing is when people ask you what car it came from and you tell them you made it !! Also beats the high price of old tin, plus you can build it to fit your car.

Now get back to work ! :D [P
 

Attachments

  • mar 25 06 008 a.jpg
    mar 25 06 008 a.jpg
    74.1 KB · Views: 72
Kudos for jumping in and building your own shell. [cl I've made several and never used a wheel or planishing hammer. The best thing is when people ask you what car it came from and you tell them you made it !! Also beats the high price of old tin, plus you can build it to fit your car.

Now get back to work ! :D [P

zzrodder,

It is a compliment just knowing you looked at this tech. I get a kick out of looking at your random bead rollings. Great stuff buddy!
 
This brings up the old saying "If there's a will there's and way"

great job shows what you can do if you don't mind getting your hands dirty

have fun
Tom
 
Theres another 'saying' that pertains here too--"It's a gift".

I've known people that had worlds of training, intelegence, tools and time, and they still just couldn't do the deal--whatever it is--art-driving-people--ya need that 'thing'--and if you don't have it--it just ain't gonna happen.

PA41
 
I must say that these two pieces were a lot of fun to make. I actually counted 319 hits with the hammers and mallets. That comes out to about 2.5 beers.

forming10.jpg
 

Latest posts

Back
Top