Built a louver press

Frank Miller

Frank Miller

Well-known member
I volunteer at a friend's shop - Wray Schelien Pro Shaper Metal a few days a week to get out and learn some new skills. We built - or overbuilt - this louver press. Pretty much all of it is from scrap he had lying around. Got to use a MIG and TIG welder, plasma cutter, Bridgeport and a lathe. So learning new skills and it's nice to have access to some of this machinery for a few personal projects. I realize this is a bit off topic but there is a lot of hot rod stuff on here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJgIJtUATRs

In case you want to know about the cars in the background. Dick Bear gave these to Wray because his kids had no interest in them and he said Wray inspired him with sheet metal skills.

https://jimsgarage.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/what-is-engineering-and-what-is-art/
 
Excellent, Frank, that's great. Learnin, learnin, learnin. It's what makes life worthwhile.
 
That is an excellent piece of equipment you guys built. In this hobby, it is great having access to the tools and knowledge to form metal. Great project, now where is that '32 hood that needs more ventilation?
 
Excellent ; I tried and tried, I die ground male and female's for a week. Intent was my
20 shop press. It did work, but, not, no- where as Sharpe for what I need. So in the
junk pile it all went...Back in my days these guys where all over now gone... sam
 
When I lived in Connecticut I visited Wray's shop a few times. Wray is very talented, and resourceful individual. I was impressed with his talent, and know-how. I miss not being closer to his shop now.
 
Frank, very nice piece of work.....I applaud your interest and motivation in learning/improving your skills.....great source of satisfaction at the end of the day! Thanks, too, for posting this on U tube and the link.

So, are we likely to seem some louvers show up on your "shoebox"????:D
 
That's all very cool. All I know about louvers is that a guy in high school had 4 rows punched in the hood of his '50 Ford. It looked good, but from then on he had to contend with rusty spark plugs.:D
 
I was planning to take one of his father/ child courses this past fall, but I couldn't. Plan on going thus year though. He seems like a great guy.
 
That’s really nice, I have one of the Low Buck Tools presses with a shrinker die and was thinking about getting the louver dies for it.
But first I think I want to upgrade my bead roller to power!
 
big job said:
Excellent ; I tried and tried, I die ground male and female's for a week. Intent was my
20 shop press. It did work, but, not, no- where as Sharpe for what I need. So in the
junk pile it all went...Back in my days these guys where all over now gone... sam
Click to expand...

We made the top die and the bottom is just a piece of rubber it presses up against. You need to machine a pocket for it. I made the dies myself except for the final shaping. I'm not a sculptor or artist. We have removable knives that we machined and hardened to a rockwell 60. That was Wray's guess. I set the clearance for 0.004 and we got a nice clean cut. Now to get it painted up.
My idea is to make a modular die adjustable in half inch increments from 4 to 12 inches. Not sure if anyone has ever done that.
 
Very nice work there Frank! Shaping metal has always been so mysterious to me. The video was so much more helpful to me than the spoken word. Thanks so much for posting!
 
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