Sean in CT wrote:
Tom - an oak "slapper" is a great way to flatten the tucks and finish the metal without marking or re-stretching. I made a few from a piece of wood from a pallet. In UK they call them flippers...apparently over there a "slapper" is a "loose woman"
https://www.instructables.com/id/Autobody-Wood-Slapper/Sean, great idea and helpful video link, I'm on it. BTW, I'm envious of your build. I'd love to do something like that someday.
davew wrote:
If you are working with aluminum, and need a smooth mar free surface, cover the slapper's working surface with leather. You can never have to many slappers with different contours.
Thanks, Dave, that sent me off to the leather shop. I could have bought belt blanks of various widths but chose to go with a piece of scrap leather @ $4 a lb. Plenty left for more slappers (not the UK kind.
)
After rummaging around in my lumber pile, I came up with a 30" piece of CVG Doug Fir (worth its weight in gold.) I was holding it back for a fitting project, but what could be better than making it into tools.
So starting here:
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I ended up with this a couple of hours later:
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Which was so much fun on a rainy day I did it again:
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Now off to flatten some tucks!