the tinker
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
I'm sticking this post here in the restoration thread, in case someone wants to try this. I don't have a real shop, just the basics. I think if you have access to a metal cutting band saw, cutting these would be more accurate and faster, especially if using a rip fence. The first braces I made, I used an angle grinder with a thin cutting wheel on it. I marked a centerline down the pipe, clamped one end in a vice and went at it. It's hard to control a grinder free-handing a cut down the center of a piece of curved pipe, but it went fast and turned out good. Kind of scary though. Wear goggles AND a face shield. The front brace I decided to use something a little less intense, figuring I could control the cut better and not have hot shrapnel flying everywhere. I cut a slat of wood thick enough to allow the saw blade to cut dead center when resting on it, for two equal halves. The problem was the vibration from the cutting action of the blade was a pain, but they still came out nice. This particular tool is from Harbor Freight. My former employer bought them as a "throw-away tool." We were brutal on company tools and they frequently grew legs. I still have the original one I bought years ago, it's called the "The Fein Multi-master Tool." and they are pricey. [well over $200] I have three of them now. [We went out of business and I helped myself to the tools] The cheap Harbor Freight knock-offs never wore out and we used the crap out of them. Chinese comie made junk too, go figure? They go for under 40 bucks and pay for themselves. Always finding new uses for this tool. Anyway, if you like those wide Shelby fender braces, they're not all that hard to make. They're made out of standard plated electrical conduit. Bent by hand with an electrician's pipe bender. If you improve on how I made these, add your thoughts and photos to this post. As always, have fun!
