Non recessed scuttle replacement

[Thepiginator]

What have people done previously when needing to replace the scuttle on a 1960 mini ?
Hammer and dolly the recess back to flat ?

[mk1]

Not done it myself, but that is probably the easiest way to go as the flat scuttle panel is not available as a new panel. So the choices are either dolly one back or cut & weld, which seems a less sensible way to do it.

[MiNiKiN]

When flattening the recess you probably have to apply the process of shrinking. Either with a shrinking hammer or heat shrinking with a oxy-acethylen - or better both.

[Peter Laidler]

Not done this myself either......, but I bet hyou that someone on the forum has done it. But here's my opinion from an engineering eye.

Dollying the straight edges flat won't be difficult. But while we're here, remember that when you do so, flattening the slight radial screen recess WILL make the aperture smaller*. So you've got to take that into account.
* if your new aperture/panel has a central vertival strengthening strut then leave that in place temporarily

As for the curvatures...... Mmmmmm, that's slightly more problematic because you have got to shrink the steel in TWO planes. I know that they call it shrinking the material, but you ain't..... It's compressing it and you can't! You can stretch steel but as for shrinking it to any great extent, forget it. (There are a few good simple experiments that are taught in the Uni labs that illustrate this. Physics lesson over...)

If it were me, I would make saw cuts to the depth of the inset material at the start and end of each corner radius. Then dolly the straight sections flat, leaving the original radial sections - that you ain't going to flatten without buckling/distorting that bit of the material.

Carefully cut these sections out and weld in new flat sections. Check and grind new aperture to exact size of original............

Never done it but just my thoughts looking at it a) with my screen out and b) as an engineering conundrum that needs fixing........

[MiNiKiN]

I may insist that "shrinking" the sheet metal is possible. What you need is a shrinking hammer (as in below link or better just a piece of a file welded on an old hammer) and by beating the metal you slightly ripple it - hence it shrinks.
Imagine a piece of string, once you lay it in ripples, the distance between the ends gets shorter. Easy peasy...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164500934124 ... 1506.m1851

https://images.esellerpro.com/2613/I/14 ... 6_Left.jpg

But I have yet not modified a scuttle panel in such a manner, my suggestion clearly is dolly and shrinking hammer

[mk1]

Agreed, We have both Shrinking hammers & a shrinker/stretcher in the workshop.

Shrinking Hammer
https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/automotive/ ... lMQAvD_BwE

Shrinker / Stretcher
https://www.expondo.co.uk/msw-shrinker- ... DEQAvD_BwE

Needless to say, the most expensive works best.

[Peter Laidler]

I've said my piece but would add that I did say '..... as for shrinking it to any great extent, forget it'. You won't shrink that curvature. It's got to come out and a flat piece set in.

Not so fast MiniKin.That piece of string might appear shorter, but that is based on fuzzy logic. If the piece of string follows the ins and outs and ups and downs of the surface, then it WILL be longer than what you started with. The metal has 'shrunk' because....... Anyway!

[Tupers]

As someone with a bit of experience in manipulating steel and correcting panels this is how I would approach the task.


Start with a heel dolly secured in a vice with the large curved face pointing up, so you’re looking down at the capital D shape. If you have a dolly with a flatter radius that would be ideal but you don’t want a dead flat piece of steel for this.

Use a nylon hammer rather than steel and work SLOWLY from the centre out on each. You’re not looking to flatten the profile in one blow. I would expect it to take 3 or 4 runs before it start to flatten out.
The gentle use a nylon hammer will help to lessen the stretch in the initial re shaping of the profile compared to a steel hammer.

Once the profile is mostly flat use a panel hammer with low crown again gently work from the centre out to planish out any remaining step.

At this point you should have the profile flattened and smooth with hopefully minimal stretch. If it had stretched I would most likely use my shrinker/stretcher to bunch the affected areas up but this is the point where you need to be test fitting against the body and bonnet.



As a side note I wouldn’t recommend the use of a shrinking hammer for this job or really any other. They can work for removing “oil canning” from large panels by basically adding large quantities of small dents to take up slack in the metal but they are more marketing than anything else.

[Thepiginator]

Thanks for the inputs
Lots to think about going forward
Just a shame to practice on a £180 panel
It’s just the ends that are shot but never had much luck with end panels in the past as the shapes just not the same

[CooperTune]

I have a pair of non-recessed shells one with serious front end damage the other serious rear end rust. I have planned to clip the pair to make one.
A serious player could possibly remove the left-over scuttle for reuse. I have no desire to become a sheet metal man at this point. But I may have to keep things moving along. Steve (CTR)