Restoration Body Dolly

[afx]

I like to display my works in progress, at our club meetings or my forum posts, sitting on an appropriate stand or jack. I have a pretty good collection already but I didn't have a body dolly. So with some basic tools and a bit of styrene bits I will attempt to build one.

 

The collection so far.

Here are the tools and supplies to start the project.

 

First decide the size of your basic frame and cut the pieces to length. The short side of my frame is 50mm and the long side will be 60mm.

Take a short and a long leg and glue the corners together. Use the grid on you cutting mat to make sure the joint is square (at a right angle to each other).

 

Use some sheet plastic, I'm using .010, and create some corner gussets.

Glue the gussets on top of the legs to reinforce the corners.

Join the to sides together and and the gussets plates.

 

Next cut some legs for the stand, mine are 10mm long.

Glue the legs in the corners with the tops resting against the underside of the gusset.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by afx

[afx]

And there you have the basic frame.

Next time we will add the body support posts to the top of the frame and maybe some casters to the end of the legs, if I can find any. Does anyone have a source for some 1/24 scale casters?

[vypurr59]

You can scratch build the casters. Thin aluminum for the frame, bent, drill for axle, wheels made from styrene rod. The axle could be made from wire, or actually a pin, with a flat head on one side and filed on the other side to achieve a burr to hold it together. Made casters for an engine stand with this technique.

[afx]

I saw a post, maybe it was yours for scratch built casters. I may have to go that route if I can't find some.

[afx]

So now that we have a frame we layout and drill the holes for the body post. I like to start with a small holes and work my way up to the final large size. That way I am not putting a lot of pressure or stress on the styrene. Once the hole is the right size I use a ball grinding bit (just in my fingers) and gentle chamfer the edge of the hole.

 

Cut a few pieces of styrene rod to length. I am using .062 rod cut to 10mm. Using a hole punch cut out few disk that will act as the bearing plates.

 

Glue the disk to the top of the posts and your done. I didn't glue the posts in the frame so that I can move them around to fit what ever car I am working on at the time.

So now instead of having to show my WIP like this.

 

I can now show show it like this.

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by afx

[Harry P.]

Great post! Nice work, nice explanations, nice photos.

You can't beat that.

[Danno]

Very cool.

[Tony T]

Neat idea! Thanks for the tutorial!

[afx]

I can't leave it without casters so we'll make a set. Using the same square tubing we cut small wedges and open the narrow end to create the wheel bracket.

Then with some solid rod, I am using 0.125 we cut slices the inside width of the bracket.

 

The caster need a mounting flange so we cut them form 0.020 sheet plastic, mine are 5mm square.

 

After assembling the pieces we have a good representation of a caster which will be mounted on the bottom of the stand's legs.

Edited September 29, 2017 by afx

[vypurr59]

Great Job on the tutorial. Looks functional, I might have to build one of these also.

[afx]

Thanks for the comments gentlemen. I have about 6-hours in building this which involved figuring out time. If you wanted to build one you could probably do it in half that.

[afx]

Here is the finished product. After adding the caster I felt the body support post raised the car too high so I shortened them from 10mm to 8mm. In hind sight I should have made the wheels bigger.

Here's what it looks like under a car.

Edited September 29, 2017 by afx

[Nacho Z]

Great post! Nice work, nice explanations, nice photos.

You can't beat that.

What he said! Thank you for sharing this.

[kobuzz]

Great idea! Looks really good and your step by step was VERY WELL done!!

[BirdWatcher]

Nicely done! I really like the casters.

[Twokidsnosleep]

So making one of these...thanks a ton for the tips!!!!

[afx]

So making one of these...thanks a ton for the tips!!!!

Your welcome Scott. Good luck with your build.

[wrecker388]

Cool! I will make one of these eventually for my garage dio.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Great idea. Makes a big difference in presentation.