[Noobie] First step to Lipo

[cwah]

Guys,

I found this metal sheet on ebay:
3 SHEET METAL STEEL blanks 620x190x1.0 **BARGAIN** | eBay

But I don't know what I should do to transform it to cover.

Any idea?

 

[wurly]

Make a cardboard template of the design you want. Transfer the pattern to the metal, cut it out with tinsnips or hacksaw and get someone to weld it for you.

Or you could use your batteries

 

[cwah]

Thanks for the answer Wurly.

Do you know if it's possible to weld it myself? Do you know where I could find a tutorial for that and the tools required?

 

[wurly]

Anything is possible to those willing to learn and being able to weld is a very useful skill.
The best way of learning is to get your own set. But if you don't see yourself doing much welding buying your own set up just isn't worth it. MIG welders are cheap enough. Inverter DC TIG setup are relativily cheaper these days if you don't want to weld aluminium. It's the cost of sheilding gas makes it probatively expensive as you have to rent the gas bottles. With MIG you can buy disposable canisters, but a better solution is to get hold of a C02 bottle (pub bottle).

It isn't necessary to weld the cover you are making you can join two pieces of metal in many ways. If you are clever and made the cover with overlapping tabs you can pop rivet them together. It's down to you how you want to fabricate it. Quick and easy (use a hammer) or spend some time and effort folding the metal around straight edges etc
When you have finished bending the cover, you could possibly find someone who wouldn't mind welding for you. It doesn't have to be seam welded, it may only need a few stitches to hold it together.
Where do you live? i'd weld for you if you were local to me.
Have you made a template yet?

 

[cwah]

No, I haven't made any template yet. Not too sure how to do a template. I suppose I need to find a big cardboard (ex: one for the bike) and adjust it to make it fit to the scooter? I've seen some people use 3D modelling tool, not sure if it's useful?

Also, I was thinking about creating overlapping tabs as you said with that:
Sealey Tools Sheet Metal Folder

Then drill some holes and stick everything together.

Then apply some carbon fiber wrap:
2 x A4 Carbon Fibre Vinyl Sheet Wrap Sticker 3d Texture | eBay

Not sure if that's the right way to do it. And by the way, I live in London if you're located there too

 

[wurly]

Use a breakfast cereals box. Cut out the shape of the cover using scissors and use sellotape to stick it together. The final shape should resemble the cover you are going to make in steel. Make it a simple or you will soon realise that bending cardboard is nothing like bending steel.
Steel will rust so slap some paint on it, don't stick vinyl over it.
It's a nice addition to the toolbox, but do you want to spend that much on a metal folder? A couple of G cramps over some angle will do the same thing.
Make a basic cover (without the tabs) and get someone to MIG it together, fit it, then paint it, job done.
I can't help you i'm in Somerset.

 

[cwah]

Thanks for your answer. Do you know how I could use G-clamp to bend metal sheet? I mean do I have to do it like this?
[video=youtube;9oNXGCIbkIw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oNXGCIbkIw[/video]

Here is what I plan to cover:

Going to put cereal box over that shortlty. Why is it better to MIG it rather than getting tabs and drill holes + screws?