The Ford Barn

mrtexas · 05-14-2016, 08:03 PM

I just got back from Southern California and visited two woodie woodmakers, Wood-n-Carr and Ron Heiden. I was impressed with the lack of woodworking tools I saw. These guys are making complicated wood parts with a table saw, bandsaw, belt sander, and router. They use a shaper only for the finger joints. I was also impressed with the cost of a complete set of wood, $40-$50k and a wait of two years. These guys are essentially boatrites or wood sculptors. I asked Doug how he made the profiles and he said he uses a profile gauge and a belt sander. I was amazed.

Note that there is not one piece of straight wood on the top below. I learned quite a bit about woodies from talking to Doug and Ron for maybe an hour. I was under the impression that Ford wood bodies were not glued as I took my 36 woodie apart with original wood and found no evidence of glue being used. Apparently the bodies were glued together. Back in the day they used hide glue and it doesn't last very long. I discovered the new wood that came with the car is mostly 42-48 wood not 41 wood. That doesn't bother me as the wood will still look good when finished. Wow it is so true that the condition of a woodie is all about the wood. If original wood is not in good repair it is a major job to fix.

I'm fitting together the wood for my 41 woodie. I'm installing all new wood. Today I was fitting the top to the rear quarters. It's kind of hard to move the top around as it is already glued together. I'm a pretty accomplished woodworker as I've made lots of high end furniture. I bought the car and had an estimate for wood work of $10-12k which meant that I wouldn't be under water when I get finished restoring it.

A month ago I retrieved my 41 woodie from a disreputable wood shop. They made me two rear doors, two rear quarters, a liftgate and tailgate. I got the wood parts back incomplete but mostly there.

My car came with two new front doors and a new top by an unknown maker. It also had about half the remaining wood pieces new with the other half good originals. IMHO the original wood couldn't be taken apart without breaking them. The new doors were not of the highest quality. The top is OK quality but hadn't been fitted to the car. What I am having to do is fix the corner joints of the doors. The corners were made with inadequate mortising. Ford joined the doors on the corners with multiple mortise and tendons. I'm buying a Festool domino machine. It makes floating mortise joints. It cuts a mortise in each piece to be joined and a floating tendon is used to complete the joint. They are sort of like a biscuit jointer only a lot more expensive like $1,000. The tendons are approximately 0.4 inches x 1 inch x 2 inches. When I get done the doors will hold together but won't use the original style mortise and tendon joints. However I won't be under water with the restoration.

I figure I've got a few weeks of work on the wood. I'll have to make a new liftgate as the one I got back was very poorly made. Happily a liftgate is not a complicated piece to make. Oh well my 4 other antique cars are all restored and I didn't have a current project until I bought this 41...

GB SISSON · 05-14-2016, 11:21 PM

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Sounds like you are on the right track. I have watched the festool video on the domino machine. Very impressive tool. I have a lot of my door parts roughed out and I'm thinking of double dowels, with a star drive 'construction lag' between the two. The lag would be counterbored and a third short dowel over it's head. Some of the smaller pieces would be mortised for lack of surface area. Building a one off, truck based woodie I don't have to do anything how ford did it, just the way a small town woodshop would have done it in 1947 America. I would say we both have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is sure a fun project. Mine is sort of on the back burner with a busy work schedule and a busy summer with daughter's wedding looming. Maybe I can live vicariously through your build til the fall when I can dive back in. Thanks for posting. I can't wait to watch your progress.

05-14-2016, 08:03 PM	#1
mrtexas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sugar Land, TX Posts: 4,397	My biggest woodworking project yet I just got back from Southern California and visited two woodie woodmakers, Wood-n-Carr and Ron Heiden. I was impressed with the lack of woodworking tools I saw. These guys are making complicated wood parts with a table saw, bandsaw, belt sander, and router. They use a shaper only for the finger joints. I was also impressed with the cost of a complete set of wood, $40-$50k and a wait of two years. These guys are essentially boatrites or wood sculptors. I asked Doug how he made the profiles and he said he uses a profile gauge and a belt sander. I was amazed. Note that there is not one piece of straight wood on the top below. I learned quite a bit about woodies from talking to Doug and Ron for maybe an hour. I was under the impression that Ford wood bodies were not glued as I took my 36 woodie apart with original wood and found no evidence of glue being used. Apparently the bodies were glued together. Back in the day they used hide glue and it doesn't last very long. I discovered the new wood that came with the car is mostly 42-48 wood not 41 wood. That doesn't bother me as the wood will still look good when finished. Wow it is so true that the condition of a woodie is all about the wood. If original wood is not in good repair it is a major job to fix. I'm fitting together the wood for my 41 woodie. I'm installing all new wood. Today I was fitting the top to the rear quarters. It's kind of hard to move the top around as it is already glued together. I'm a pretty accomplished woodworker as I've made lots of high end furniture. I bought the car and had an estimate for wood work of $10-12k which meant that I wouldn't be under water when I get finished restoring it. A month ago I retrieved my 41 woodie from a disreputable wood shop. They made me two rear doors, two rear quarters, a liftgate and tailgate. I got the wood parts back incomplete but mostly there. My car came with two new front doors and a new top by an unknown maker. It also had about half the remaining wood pieces new with the other half good originals. IMHO the original wood couldn't be taken apart without breaking them. The new doors were not of the highest quality. The top is OK quality but hadn't been fitted to the car. What I am having to do is fix the corner joints of the doors. The corners were made with inadequate mortising. Ford joined the doors on the corners with multiple mortise and tendons. I'm buying a Festool domino machine. It makes floating mortise joints. It cuts a mortise in each piece to be joined and a floating tendon is used to complete the joint. They are sort of like a biscuit jointer only a lot more expensive like $1,000. The tendons are approximately 0.4 inches x 1 inch x 2 inches. When I get done the doors will hold together but won't use the original style mortise and tendon joints. However I won't be under water with the restoration. I figure I've got a few weeks of work on the wood. I'll have to make a new liftgate as the one I got back was very poorly made. Happily a liftgate is not a complicated piece to make. Oh well my 4 other antique cars are all restored and I didn't have a current project until I bought this 41... Last edited by mrtexas; 05-14-2016 at 08:35 PM.

05-14-2016, 11:21 PM	#2
GB SISSON Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Orcas Island Washington Posts: 5,095	Re: My biggest woodworking project yet Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Sounds like you are on the right track. I have watched the festool video on the domino machine. Very impressive tool. I have a lot of my door parts roughed out and I'm thinking of double dowels, with a star drive 'construction lag' between the two. The lag would be counterbored and a third short dowel over it's head. Some of the smaller pieces would be mortised for lack of surface area. Building a one off, truck based woodie I don't have to do anything how ford did it, just the way a small town woodshop would have done it in 1947 America. I would say we both have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is sure a fun project. Mine is sort of on the back burner with a busy work schedule and a busy summer with daughter's wedding looming. Maybe I can live vicariously through your build til the fall when I can dive back in. Thanks for posting. I can't wait to watch your progress. __________________ Owner/Operator of 'Jailbar Ranch' on the side of Mt. Pickett. Current stable consists of 1946 1/2 ton pickup turned woodie wagon with FH V8, 1946 Tonner Pickup with 226 H six, 1979 Toyota landcruiser wagon, now wearing 1947 Ford Jailbar sheet metal. 'Rusty ol' floorboards, hot on their feet' (Alan Jackson)