[Alpines] Hardtop Sheet Metal

[£auri]

No, I don't. But for your information, I visited about 10 years ago in
Finnish aircraft industry. At that moment they were partly building,
mere assembling F-18 Hornets.
They had in use an interesting method of forming 3D complex
(multi-spherical) sheet metal objects. In that method a sheet metal was
put on a wooden "mould". Then it was covered with a thick rubber cover
and above that cover they set oil with high pressure (maybe about 200
bar).
Result was a very good copy of that form in wood. They said it was then
very suitable for short runs - might that been about 20 - 200 items per
year? That seems to me to be quite perfect way of forming body parts for
vintage cars and motorcycles.

It is a fragile cost of true metal pressing, and much better result if
compared by making it by hammering.

Keep your ears open, our relatives might restore our jewels cheaper when
we are gone....

Lauri Lehtinen
journalist, engineer
mobile: +358 (0) 400 851988