Brass Car Sides and curling the skirts....

[sizemore]

As ACME labs nears completion of the last of the GP-20's for the LRV, I took on another project NKP building some passenger cars. I need some suggestions on curling the full skirts on the cars. I was thinking steel rod, and wood blocks. Wood being forgiving enough to not kill the details nor hurt the stainless plating. Any thoughts?

The S.

[wm3798]

Just use right tool for job.

Yuri

[bbussey]

... I was thinking steel rod, and wood blocks. Wood being forgiving enough to not kill the details nor hurt the stainless plating. Any thoughts?

That should work.  I've used that method.  With fluted sides I've also used needlenose pliers and slowly bent the skirts one or two flute rows at a time, since the flutes hide any slight imperfections in the bending process.

[sizemore]

Yuri

In Soviet Russia, steel bend you!

That should work.  I've used that method.  With fluted sides I've also used needlenose pliers and slowly bent the skirts one or two flute rows at a time, since the flutes hide any slight imperfections in the bending process.

I'm leary about using the needle nose pliers. Might try metalworking pliers that are used for bending sheet material if I go that route. I'm slightly worried that the plated material might be chrome (I've figured out it's not stainless). If anybody knows old cars, you know that chrome flakes over age or due to bending. I think I'm going to pick up some sheet brass and try various methods of bending first. In the interim I can at least get the cores built.

The S.