How to make a dent...not fix one?

[flemcadiddlehopper]

I had posted a question earlier about my bus floor and how to make the flat indents for the seat mounts..no reply here, but the split bus people helped me out.

Now I am asking another question about how to make a dent....no not just a dent (I could have me 18 year old son show me that on his car). I want to mount a Wolfsburg emblem (from my '59 beetle, My first car) on the dash of my Bus. I want to mount it just below the passenger grab handle and have it recessed in (frenched?).

My question is, what would the best way to go about creating the recess?

I have limited experience in body work but I am very patient and a bit of a perfectionist. When explaining your suggestions please show examples of needed tools....the Snap-on guy loves me.


gordo.
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Everybody Dies....Some Never Live.

Retrograde Garage. Vintage Aircooled, and others.

[beetlenut]

Since I have a MIG and look for reasons to use it, I would use a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel and cut-out a hole the same shape as the emblem, maybe an 1/8 larger. Then decide how much to recess it, and fabricate a piece of metal with sides equal to the desired recess depth. Then just weld it in and finish with some filler and paint. But that's just me.
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[marklee]

mark around the dash where you want the badge to be. Place the badge on a block of hardwood and mark its outer. do the same on a similar block. On one carve out the shape as a hollow. on the other carve the outer away thereby making one part fit into the other. Drill a hole through the centre of both and use a long bolt with washers or thread bar and nuts. Drill a corresponding hole in the dash. Male side of mould on outside, female side under dash, bolt the two together and gently squeeze the metal to shape using your mould. Probably wont even damage paint. Hope that makes sense, good luck!!
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[AZ65CalBug]

I would trace out the emblem.

Cut it out.

Then take some 8ga scrap metal and follow the edges of the badge and make the box/edge of it to your desired depth. Tack it place.. finish it up and paint..
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[flemcadiddlehopper]

[flemcadiddlehopper]

So, if I was to attempt the hardwood press method, would a 4" square piece of wood cover enough area as to not distort the rest of the dash?

Gordo.
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Everybody Dies....Some Never Live.

Retrograde Garage. Vintage Aircooled, and others.

[vaughn bros.]

I traced out a crest and carved one (male) out of aluminum. Then used HP Die Rubber (press brake type) instead of carving out a female. It took about 3 tons to press a 3/16 deep "dent" in a section of Oval Window Roof. This method not only cant be organized under a dash, it also leaves horrible creases. I think a bolt together design would work fine.

I would make a male/female with a draw bolt center. Similar to dimple dies. Then also incorporate a way to "clock" it so the male and female line up. I would use a 3/8 Gr8 bolt to draw them together.

[VintageVulture]

Good tips. And in another ten years I'll get PAID to undo this atrocity.
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[chrisflstf]

I'd buy a scrap dash section to practice on first. I like the idea of making a buck or hardwood clamp/press. As long as it didnt deform the surrounding area

[volksaddict]

Please update this if you decide to do it.

[flemcadiddlehopper]

Ok, I was in Vancouver today and bought a good size hunk of hard wood. I will have to laminate the wood together to get a surface big enough to spread the load and not distort the dash (less the area being pressed).

As far as clocking the male/ female sections together , I plan on using two bolts which the holes in the dash will later act as the holes for the emblem tabs to go through.

I had thought at one point about not using hard wood, but using two part epoxy to make the press pieces, as it would be easier to for the dash shape while the epoxy was soft. I abandoned the idea after testing the pressing attributes of the hardened epoxy...not good.

Gordo.
_________________
Everybody Dies....Some Never Live.

Retrograde Garage. Vintage Aircooled, and others.

[tisius]

[anthracitedub]

I would personally pass on doing this. There is a lot of strength in that panel because of the curves... you’ll have a tough time trying to press a nice, clean indentation for that crest...I’d just hang it on the wall in the garage.

[dirtkeeper]

press idea is smart but I think the metal is two thick and strong to stretch that much with out a lot of unwanted distortion.

Cut out method would work best