Metal Has a Memory

Tonight I spent a couple hours in the garage. Got a late start, but no matter. Decided I'd straighten the double pulley I got some time ago, as it was bent up a little upon removal. I've always been afraid to beat on sheet metal with the collection of body hammers and dollies I have, but just kept my uncle's words in mind tonight as I pinged away on the pulley: metal has a memory.

And it does. Alas, I neglected to take "before" pictures, but these pulleys were bent outward in a couple places. In the photo above, I began with a pick, and moved to a ball pean hammer, starting at the initial "impact" of the dent and worked it out. While somewhat slightly dimpled afterward, the major dent itself is gone.

For the work below, I just found a curved-face body hammer in my toolbox and proceeded to tap on the outside edge of the pulley; lightly at first, then with greater force and confidence until, after repeated checking against a straight edge and then a piece of steel plate, I'd straightened them out! (The slightly shiny edge in each photo shows where I worked on them)



While I'm sure it would be possible to go too far, or tap too much and go past where you should, generally the metal (in the case of body panels and such) is stamped at such a ridiculously high pressure, the metal retains a memory of it, so using the hammer and dolly just brings it back into shape.

I first learned this from my uncle from stories his mentor told him, and demonstrated, by pounding a fender out on the front lawn with a mallet! I used this advice to pound back into shape a pair of 1929 license plates, followed by a pair of 1926 plates, using just a rubber mallet and a floor mat on the concrete floor of my garage. To my amazement, after pounding and flipping the plate back and forth, it straightened right out until I had what appeared to be matching pairs of freshly stamped metal; and that made me a believer.

After tonight's little bit (and I mean little) of sheet metal work, I got out the timing cover and distributor parts for kicks and started assembling them. As you can see from the picture, I have my bead blasted timing cover, recently rebuilt distributor, and NOS (new old stock) rotor and cap (with the Ford tags still on them!) ready for assembly. Also found and wire-brushed the proper shoulder bolts to mount the distributor.


If the weather is inclement Saturday, I may be back out in the garage again. If not, then I'll be hiking.

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