Brand new A hoods

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#91 Post by Ron LaDow »

OK, a 5-axis cutter, which it really sort of hard to imagine to begin with.
And then it had to start somewhere and that somewhere wasn't 5 miles, 2 feet and 1/4 inch south of east nowhere. How do you key the start?
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#92 Post by Mike DeJonge »

On the bed of the laser trimmer is a thick locate plate, with many threaded holes, each hole numbered. These threaded holes are used to bolt down a fixture. In the computer of the laser trimmer, each hole of the plate has its own location. when a new fixture for a part has been built, it is placed on the locate plate, and this is notated in the computers memory. The part to be trimmed is then placed on the fixture. This ensures that the part to be trimmed is always in the same place. If we do not have CAD data from a digital scan of an original part, the cut line will then have to be drawn on the stamped part, then the laser is "taught" to follow a drawn, cut line. By teaching the laser I mean that the head of the laser head is moved manually, like a radio control car, around the whole part, from start to finish. This information is received into the memory. There is a "start point" also and that is also received into the memory. Depending on the size and complexity of the part, this teaching can take anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days. Most of the fixtures are built with 1 x 1 square tubing and bondo. Yes good ole bondo. Bondo is poured into the parts cavity and the steel is set in the bondo to harden, and then the fixture is located on the bed of the laser. On some of the newer parts we have built we have the CAD data from scans of NOS parts, and this CAD data can then be entered into the laser computer, and the computer generates a cut pattern for a fixture. Very cool, it cuts up a large plate of steel into jigsaw like peices, and each peice is numbered, and we put it together and we have a part fixture. I will post a few pictures of one of the computer generated fixtures.
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#93 Post by Mike DeJonge »

picture of computer generated fixture and laser cut. You can see the 2 small steel blocks welded to the bottom plate, these are the locators. the laser always returns to "zero point when finished cutting a part, then the particular program for a specific part will direct the laser head to the starting point
Attachments
laser fixture 002.JPG
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#94 Post by Ron LaDow »

Mike,
So the X/Y axis location is clear, but they head of the cutter is pretty closely controlled in the Z axis also. Is that either from the cad drawing or 'taught'?
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#95 Post by Mike DeJonge »

It can be both ways, taught or from a cad drawing. The head from the laser is large and sometimes cannot get into the tight spaces if we use the CAD information, so we can interupt, and swing the head of the laser around or on angles to get into tight spots, and then continue with the CAD programing. the programing is very flexible. We still have more training to do in Chicago/detroit.
When we purchased and put in the order for this laser trimmer it was the only one in Canada and 1 out of 2 in North America. Supposedly there are now 5 machines running in NA. delivery time out of Japan was 6 months
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#96 Post by Ron LaDow »

Mike,
When I was sticking that 9XX suspension under the rear of the Speedster, I *LONGED* for some sort of dimensional 'machine' that could start from an arbitrary point and then progress to the (new) designed location.
'Course, as a punk kid, there's no way I could have afforded it...
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#97 Post by Mike DeJonge »

most recent pictures of the restrike die for the hood skin. You will notice that the centre of the die is wood and the edges are steel blocks. We peiced together the blocks to save $$$, otherwise this would have to be cut from a large expensive block of steel. this die will fold over the edges of the hood skin 90 degree and the rest will be done by a hand held edge roller.
Attachments
re-strike for hood skin 001.JPG
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#98 Post by Mike DeJonge »

Here is a little video of the progress and our reasoning on why we built this hood. enjoy

url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKfiOZYutCI
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#99 Post by Mike DeJonge »

here are a few shots of the assembly jigs for the A hoods, work is progressing but at a slow rate, when we can fit it in between production scheduling. One of the jigs is to locate the hinge brackets. the other one is to locate the inner structure to the outer skin, before final crimping. We had been looking for a tool to fold over the edges, and finally found one. I have tentatively an appointment tomorrow with a car for trial test fitting if the body man shows up for work. My speedster was painted in the spring so really don't want to risk scratching, plus we put a new front clip on so it is not original, and the pre A was in frontal collision years ago so it also is not original. Anybody want to drive a hoodless car here for fitting?
Attachments
hood dies 3 (Small).JPG
hood dies 5 (Small).JPG
hood dies 1 (Small).JPG
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#100 Post by Mike DeJonge »

We have one hood assembled, and I went to test fit it on 2 local cars. the problem is that both of these cars are not virgin cars, one has had the front clip replaced and the other has had the whole dash replaced. Both have had extensive metal replacement/and or body work done. Fitment was pretty decent along the sides of the fender/hood and the corners. Up front on the car which had the nose clip replaced the hood was a little proud.
we will do a few refinements on the laser cut of the inner structure so the skin will fit better on it, and an adjustment of the area where the hood latch bolts to
Attachments
IMG_2807 (Small).JPG
IMG_2808 (Small).JPG
IMG_2809 (Small).JPG
IMG_2811 (Small).JPG
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#101 Post by Mike DeJonge »

some pictures of the assembled and mounted hood. everything looks good except the front of the nose, but this was mounted on a car that had the whole front clip replaced. we will do some fine tuning on the laser cut pattern for the inner structure.
Attachments
mounted hood 5 (Small).jpg
mounted hood 4 (Small).jpg
mounted hood 3 (Small).jpg
mounted hood 2 (Small).jpg
mounted hood 1 (Small).jpg
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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Curt Dansby
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#102 Post by Curt Dansby »

Hi Mike

I had not been keeping up with your progress for awhile, but I just watched the video and looked at the most recent pictures. Congratulations on a protracted job well done.

Looks fabulous!

Curt

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Adam Wright
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#103 Post by Adam Wright »

Mike-
If you are coming through bring the hood, we always have 3-4 A's around that you can test fit, some of which I think are fairly original.
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nshop51crop.JPG
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Mike DeJonge
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Re: Brand new A hoods

#104 Post by Mike DeJonge »

FINALLY DONE. This was a monumental job for us and we have certainly learned a lot in the process. Our first shipment is going out today to Europe, 2 pre-ordered hoods. Hoods are in stock and can be ordered and shipped.
Attachments
IMG_2915 (Small).JPG
IMG_2912 (Small).JPG
IMG_2911 (Small).JPG
IMG_2910 (Small).JPG
IMG_2906 (Small).JPG
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997

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