Sheet Metal Shrinker Stretcher

I have finally summoned up the courage to buy a sheet metal shrinker stretcher. This is a tool that I have had my eye on for months, trying to work out if I needed one and if so which brand/model should I go for. Now that I have to try and fabricate some more subtle shapes to repair the likes of the rear wheel tubes and later the windscreen lip, the time seems right. I went for this one from Metz.

A sheet metal shrinker stretcher is a specialist tool that allows the fabrication os compound curves and the forming of curved lips such as wheel arch repairs. There are a number of options out there, but I chose this model for two reasons: firstly, it has a deeper throat than similarly priced models which I thought would give me more versatility in the long term. The second reason was price. I managed to get this for £120, the same or cheaper than comparable models, even those on eBay and the like. On the down side, it is little bigger and quite heavy, but this doesn't bother me.

Before I could have a bash at some shrinking and stretching, I needed to find a way to mount the tool in the vice. As luck would have it, my neighbour has been clearing out her garage and a few useful bits and pieces had come over the fence in the last week or so. On this occassionshe offered me this Nissan Cherry tow bar.

I cut off a section, drilled a couple of holes and gave it a quick coat of Hammerite... viola!

With the shrinker Stretcher firmly mounted in the vice, I have made some test pieces. This tool is surprisingly easy to get to grips with and as you can see, making complex curved and folded (using my DIY sheet metal brake) is entirely possible. In fact, I would go so far as to say that my shrinker stretcher is going to prove to be indispensable.

Crack On! No excuses now...

< previous post next post >

Comments

Volvo Amazon Inner wing Repair - Part 2

As indicated in the previous post , the intention was to work on to the rear offside arch next, but the inner arch repair sections still haven't arrived. It seems that they are out of stock with the wholesalers in Sweden, and that there is no indication of when, or even if they will be delivered. I am now beginning too think that I will be lucky to see them before Christmas. Change of plan then. I have re-jigged the garage and I have turned the car round to create space to start on the nearside inner wing. There is also the windscreen corner and battery box to sort out, so this should keep me busy for a while. Just like with the offside repair panel, I noticed that there was a problem with the wing bolt hole alignment, although in this case it appeared to be less pronounced. I judged that it would still necessitate removing of the box section from the rest of the repair panel. The existing inner wing was in a poorer condition on this side and so I need to replace at least some of ...

Removing the Headliner - Volvo 120

Removing the headliner in my Volvo 120 is a job that I have been meaning to tackle for a while and with an enforced hiatus in the boot floor fabrications (awaiting delivery of a sheet of 19 gauge steel), today seemed as good a time as any. My plan was to try and rescue it. It is not that I think it is in the best condition, obvious it has discoloured, but it isn't ripped. It is an item that I think I might need to have in the car to meet the 'road going saloon' class spec, but not something that I am particularly bothered about aesthetically. At £100 for a new headliner, I though it might be worth go at saving. However the Volvo service/workshop manual suggests that is not the norm, simply instructing to cut away the old lining. After removal of sun visors, grab handles and the interior light, I started on the headliner at the rear of the car. I had already removed the parcel shelf trim some time ago and so the lower corners were already revealed. There is a small fibre ...

Boot (Trunk) Excavation

As I suspect you are aware, issues with rot in the boot (trunk) of the Volvo 120 series are common and my Amazon is no exception. Over the years it has been 'repaired' a number of times and not always sympathetically. I have made a start removing the filler and the patchwork of metal plates that make up the n/s and the floor next to the spare wheel well. I've ground off some of the welds, chiselled and bent back the non-original metal. As I have already reported the lower rear quarter replacement panels are definitely not correctly positioned but I have successfully managed to uncover the original boot floor which although is in a very poor condition, does give me some points of reference for the rebuild. Incidentally, a word of warning. I had to remove a lot of seam sealer and I really should have been wearing gloves. A slip with the scraper brought the session to a rapid conclusion. I was lucky not to end up in A&E. Now that I have investigated more tho...

PROJECT VOLVO

Search This Blog