Norms Restoration of 1939 Leyland TD5 [1635]

Norman Julian 6 Feb After a long time of procrastinating, I decided to do something about the dies for making the pressing for the TD5. Unlike the post war buses, the prewar Leylands and others had this impression in the panel both vertically and horizontally. I was lucky enough to receive an original type swaging machine or beading machine with 3 different dies and the one that suits the TD5. I ended up making a stand for it as well as a side stop, but it requires 2 people to use it effectively. The panel that is around the route number box pictured took me 3 attempts to get it right. This panel isn't a large panel either. I bought an electric one but there isn't a die that is made to suit the bus. The electric one is great because it is a one person machine. It has a foot controller that enables me to hold the sheet and guide the sheet into the bead. Today I took the dies from the original beading tool and will get a set made to fit the new machine. These dies have to be machined and also the steel has to be hardened.

Cameron McFadyen
Hi Norm, are you just using aluminium panel?
For the amount of bead rolling you want to do, you would get away without hardening them, either that or get them turned out of 4140.
Save you some time and money
Norman Julian
Cameron McFadyen hmm!
Gregor Neil Robertson
Lovely neat product -well done.