Here’s the rendering of Star...
Here’s the rendering of Star Kustom Shop’s newest project. The rearend in the rendering will be created via customizing.
One of the ideals of America is everyone is offered up a full serving of freedom. Now freedom can branch out into so many different contexts of this nation, but in terms of the Custom Classic Truck realm, I like to think freedom refers to the fact we can all build a truck suited to our tastes. For those after the ultimate in freedom of expression, this story is right up your alley—customizing.
At first glance customizing is something that appears larger than life. Yet, when examining customizing beyond the creativity and persona, one would find it’s something that is easily accessible, affordable, and most importantly, possible. With simple supplies found at any metal yard, the most common of body tools and a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, one will find themselves up to their elbows in customizing in no time.
When it comes to customizing, various methods are employed. But when it comes to creating one-off works of art, there is no better method in terms of cost, time and practicality, than old-school customizing; the art of laying a skeleton of steel rod out and skinning it. By bending, twisting, tweaking and using any other form of manipulation on steel rods, one can design almost any type of look that they desire. Besides the design element, the final culmination of rods all welded together will act as a buck. At that point sheetmetal can be shaped and pulled around the buck to create a permanent sculpture. Then once the sheetmetal is tacked together the majority of the skeleton will be removed, and all that will be left standing is the new customized canvas.
As you’ll notice through this story everything is pretty basic. The use of English Wheels, Planishing Hammers, rollers, shrinkers and so forth are nowhere to be seen. Reason being is that old school customizing can be accomplished with simple body tools such as hammers, dollies and the like. However, the most important tool is the human mind. The use of one’s brain to use common objects around the shop to bend and shape metal is the biggest tool of all. When it comes to laying out the skeleton I use a combination of 1⁄2-inch electrical conduit and 1⁄4-inch rod. Both form of round stock are cheap and easily attainable, but most importantly they can be bent and shaped very easily. For most bends the use of the knee, a vise or a shaped object around the shop will work just fine. For tight and more intricate bends, I’ll apply some heat to the high-stress area via a torch. In terms of sheetmetal, I use both 18-gauge and 20-gauge cold, rolled sheetmetal. For more convex or concave panels, I’ll use 20-guage sheetmetal, whereas flatter big panel areas will receive an 18-gauge skin. Using the technique outlined I’m going to create a one-off custom rearend on Star Kustom Shop’s newest project, a radical ’57 Chevrolet. Once the rearend is laid out, a custom tonneau cover is also going to be created for the ultimate in a custom truck rearend. That’s about it. The rest is all trial by fire! CCT
The first step when it comes...
The first step when it comes to creating anything custom is to make sure the truck is level. Using jackstands at all four corners the truck was leveled off. I then leveled off the bed and braced it to the frame. I began by mimicking the curve around the belt line of the rear fender, and tacked that “line” of the new rearend in place. This line will mark the upper lip of the new bedrail.
Next, I mimicked the upper...
Next, I mimicked the upper curve of the rear fender and tacked three lines from my bracing to my upper rail. (At this point these lines are mainly just for a visual reference.) Then a vertical reference line was tacked in position to set the slant of what would more or less be the tailgate. A second line, identical to the first, was positioned below the first line and against my vertical reference.
In order to get an idea of...
In order to get an idea of where I want my rear roll pan to fall, the license plate opening was created and tacked in position on the vertical reference line.
With a few key points in place...
With a few key points in place I could visually see how things are gonna shape up. Before I moved any lower I wanted to create the bedrail. I used 21⁄2-inch exhaust U-bends to create the curve of the bedrail. With the angle and bend set I tacked each corner in position.
Next, the bedrail was inserted...
Next, the bedrail was inserted between the bends just atop the 1/2-inch conduit line. The 1/2-inch conduit is tacked to the lower side of the bedrail, because the sheetmetal will form around the conduit. At this point the upper lines of the elongated license plate overrider were worked into the mix as well.
To aid in the dimensions of...
To aid in the dimensions of the lower roll pan, a horizontal reference line (the 3/4-inch conduit) across the license plate was installed. A third line, in the same shape of the previous two rearend lines, will mark where the rear roll pan will begin. I also positioned the taillight openings on the horizontal line at this time.
Using a combination of 1/2-inch...
Using a combination of 1/2-inch conduit and 1/4-inch rod (which is great for tight and intricate bends) the upper half of the rear roll pan was shaped. Although each vertical line is of different lengths, I made sure that my curve was consistent throughout. Keep in mind the majority of these temporary lines will be removed; therefore I tacked them in position with 3/32-inch flux-coated brass, due to the fact all it takes to remove it is to slightly heat the brass up and pry the skeletal bar loose.
The lip on the overrider of...
The lip on the overrider of the license plate was then shaped using 1/4-inch rod.
The last step was to create...
The last step was to create the curve along the bottom of the roll pan. A horizontal line was placed at the bottom of the bed, marking where the roll pan will roll back to. Now that things were laid out, I then went back and inserted vertical braces throughout the layout at points of stress where the sheet metal will curve around. Without the bracing in points of stress, the sheetmetal will just buckle and flatten.
Somewhere amidst all the chaos...
Somewhere amidst all the chaos of lines is the actual shape of the rearend! If you minus the vertical braces and just focus on the key lines that we discussed it become crystal clear. Note how the vertical braces have been placed in key points where the sheetmetal will take a lot of stress to take form.
The final step in creating...
The final step in creating a custom rearend is skinning the skeletal form. I began by creating the bottom roll pan.
Once the sheetmetal is tacked...
Once the sheetmetal is tacked in place the shaping braces have served their purpose. At this point, the braces can be removed—the sheetmetal has taken its form—and the metal can be massaged with a hammer and dolly.