LocostUSA.com

That's their choice, I am just suggesting another solution and it really is an easy approach if you want the heavier gauge hood.
How many here bend their own roll bar and how many have it done as I seem to recall you did on one of your projects.
There isn't any right or wrong, it just another option to consider....

Al

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Super Seven 3.4

I wouldn't argue with that logic, but I think if you gave your average first-time builder the chance to make a couple of practice body panels out of .040 and .060, they'd more likely choose to make the panels for their own car out of .040. Lighter, easier, cheaper, better looking.

I did make mine from the .040 I used for the rest of the body. Like I said earlier I think it's a little flimsy. I would like to re-make it with something somewhat heavier, .050 or even .063. But I don't have the means to bend that thick of material. I think I'll give Racer Al's approach a try and call around sheet metal shops. See what they will do.

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Larry in Seattle

Well I drove to Moncks Corner to pick up my aluminum. The guy buys and sells the "imperfect" sheets from the Alcoa plant in Goose Creek.

I picked up 2 sheets of .040 and 1 sheet of .060 all three for $90. That's high on a per pound price, but super cheap compared to buying online and getting delivered.

The imperfections are as follows.
The 060 sheet has an 8 inch scratch on the uncoated side
the 040 sheets both have a bent and straightened corner.

If I don't like the 060 for the bonnet, it will make a nice pair of seats.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

What a steal! I wish there was a seconds store near me when I built mine. 3 sheets of .040 4x10 3003H14 ran me close to $300. It came on it's own pallet. I still have a full sheet left.


When you comment on the workability of the .060", please share the alloy and hardness if you can. I have an .040 bonnet and may want to build a stiffer version.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

The other benefit of using cardboard for patterns of the scuttle front and nose back is that you can save the patterns to make a replacement hood if needed in the future.
The other comment I would make is that it is not all that difficult to make the heavier side panels without a sheet bender.
I cut mine to size and then clamped them to the side of the car frame, the one photo shows them just held in place with squeeze clamps while I lined up the panels.
Once I had them lined up I used a piece of 1x1 tubing (taped on one side with masking tape so I didn't scratch the aluminum).
I clamped the 1x1 to the outside of the car parallel with the 1x1 frame tube using C clamps, clamp tightly.
Then use a firm rubber hammer and it should be rubber, metal one will dent no matter how soft your touch.
Then start at one end and tap the metal edge over the frame working all the way across, just do a small bend over at each time.
Go back and forth from end to end a half dozen or so times and you will have a nice bend as good as a brake.
The rubber hammers are quite often in discount bins for a buck or two.
Use three or four C clamps so that you can move them out of the way slightly as you tap.
I don't have a photo handy of the C clamps but do have one with the squeeze clamps and the finished bend.
The metal will bend very easily.

Al

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Super Seven 3.4

That works great, except that this thread is about forming the gradual bends needed for the hood/bonnet.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Not to me. The OP asked about thickness, and to me the biggest problem with .050 wasn't the gradual bends, which were easy and probably would be with .060. My problem was with the creases. They were impossible to bend by hand, and didn't respond all that well to a rubber mallet either. I eventually got them bent, but over the edge of some 1" RHS, which didn't provide a very sharp radius. The creases look okay, just not really crisp and professional. I'm sure a brake would've done a much better job. But we're building these cars with simple hand tools. Or at least I am.

everything on the R1 project will be cut and shaped using simple hand tools.

Just like everything that I've made for TETANUS. I figure if I can't make it with hand tools it needs to be simplified a little more.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I agree with the hand tools part. However if I get a chance to re-form my bonnet I will take advantage of my neighbor's sheet metal brake. My 'creases' are not uniform and the radius is way too big on one side. And if the material is hefty enough to require rolling then I will see what I can come up with.

Take a look at Ed Young's (Lotusracer) build log and how he dealt with bending his bonnet. Pretty clever.

http://eyeballbuddy.home.mchsi.com/locostpage4.htm

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Larry in Seattle

That's pretty slick

I'm looking around here at work and I see a lot of tooling that we use to build sleeves of belts on. There is a nice 45" long 6" OD rubber coated mandrel sitting just outside of my office door.

Haven't seen anything I can scrounge to use as template material yet...

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

My fault nick47, I should have tried to find some clearer photos of the creases.
They do come out quite sharp, it depends on the radius of the 1x1 you are using.
Maybe this might better show the crease lines.
I do agree if you have a brake that is the way to go.
I also realize this topic is about gentle bends in the bonnet, on the other hand the 90 degree bends at the bottom of the bonnet are not gentle where the bonnet sits on the frame, my intent isn't to hijack the thread, just add some extra input to the existing thread.

Al

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Super Seven 3.4

I've noticed that .040 seems too flimsy and wanted to make sure my bonnet wasn't so flimsy it would get damaged if I sneezed (or farted) in it's general direction.... so used .060.

That eyeball buddy site is going to be evaporating in about 2 weeks, until the last day of July, when my isp eliminates the free webspace provision.... so take a gander while the photos are still up....

but a friend mentioned seeing a sort of press in a magazine, and it not only worked pretty easy, but darn good.

btw, how's that for a lot of Lotus content in one picture... the Locost, my Esprit, a Black and Decker workmate and a Lotus bicycle!

Lotusracer,

Give me some tips on how to go about putting louvers in my bonnet, just like you got!

I see you lined it out to keep them all in a line. How do you do spacing? What do you use as a press? Did you find a louver tool or did you make it?

I am out in the sticks sort of, and though there's plenty of mechanical people out this way, nobody seems to have louvering ability. I think the next step will be to go hang around Natural Bridge on a race night, and see what I see.