Please explain how this metal formig technique is done!
 

I always love how this design looks in metal, but don't know what its called or what tool is used? I think it involves some type of a hydraulic press and a positive mdf mold but could be wrong. I would love some tips and pointers as to how this design is accomplished.

Borrowed some pics from the Roadster Shop to show what I'm referring to.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...re219484-1.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...re219480-1.jpg

Just to be clear I'm referring to the raised sections.

Thanks!

To my knowledge that work is done with a bed roller. Takes time,pratice nd lots of scrape metal to get anything to look like RS Performance work (there top notch). Yes that picture made me drool as I wanna build something similar to split my trunk off since it is wasted.

Wow, I wouldn't have guessed a bead roller.

Any other possibilities/methods?

Bead rollers have many many dies to do different shapes -- they don't have to just roll beads... :unibrow:

No -- that's how it was done - a bead roller.

Probably done with a Tipping die . Something I dont have yet , maybe x-mas :unibrow:
Thats the only way I can think of to get in those tight spots in the triangle .
Chime in if Im wrong ...

Thanks for the help. Is that something that a small Eastwood bead roller could handle?

Like this http://www.jegs.com/i/Eastwood/352/28187/10002/-1

that depends on how thick and wide is the sheet you're working with, because not every bead roller can apply the same amount of pressure for thicker materials, and obviously, it would have to fit into the roller! lol, but for the work you're showing (maybe I'm guessing what you're looking for) it could work, MAYBE

You can also use a pull max to do what was done in those pictures.
The corners come to a sharp point. Most people that use bead rollers would do radii in the corners.

I have the Howard version of that model . Might order a tipping wheel next week .Have to measure it first .
18 guage is a little work to get in there . I like to do it in one pass . still experimenting .
A large panel like that , if it fits . Might want another set of hands to walk it through .

Great, thanks for all the replies. I am planning on trying this in the summer to finish up some interior and trunk parts.

I would say that unless you have 2 people working it, you will never get that nice quality of work with a manual bead roller. I would presume that most high level bead roller work like that is done on a nice high end electric bead roller.

Check out some "using a bead roller" videos on you tube. I have a cheap bead roller like that and it has its place, but you can't expect that top level professional work out of it. I made my own cheesy tipping die out of a big washer since I couldn't find one to fit those eastwood rollers. It was kind of crude but man it really did work for tipping edges into curves.

Check out what this guy, Jamey Jordan can do with the bead roller.

http://greaseralley.com/2011/09/30/j...dmade-seat-co/


He is also on Facebook.

Thats amazing. I'd like to actually see him in action. Makes you want to build a rod around those seats!

The last time I was at Ganassi I had noticed the fab guys had made their own step dies from nylon round stock, for doing their raised panel work, which made it possible to maneuver the panel and not get any die marks at all when doing curves, no stop/start marks, etc.

The way it was explained to me was that they could get real nice results and had a measure of "control", because of the "slip" of the rollers...the working of the metal could be carefully managed/controlled as the material was being fed into the rollers. This was on a motorized bead roller.

http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/46...600x600Q85.jpg