The Resurrection of CJ2-26

 

Here is the paint chip:

 

 

Never could make it out.

Oilleaker1 wrote: Huge amount of work to make one tailgate . Cool, but alot of work. I was thinking if someone had the ability to digitalise  the "JEEP" and then send it to a CNC machine to make the die, the protruding upper part would have to be smaller and the bottom part bigger so you would end up with a to scale pressing? I'm not educated in this process, but have worked with a artist who made lost wax castings and then a mold. We made silicon bronze tank badges for a old BSA motorcycle. We had to remove the screw hole divots in the mold and drill them by hand. The silicon bronze had shrinkage when cooled that messed up the hole spacing.  Nothing is as easy as you think.  If only the original gate was around. Back then the thought was it's just a old Jeep piece of junk.  Worth 50 bucks to them.   Now it's extremely rare. Similar to Willys MA Jeeps, but rarer!!!!! It's in good hands. John

I did shop this around but nobody wants to touch it ....... and I doubt any CNC shop would.

The scanned area was not flat but I cut out most of the mesh surrounding the letters so that I could align the letters to X,Y,Z coordinates:

... The letters may appear angular but that is only because the scan is not perfectly parallel so the wire mesh is also not parallel.  I have the letters square,flat, and parallel to the best of my ability.   Here are the letters laying down flat:

... as you can see, each letter is taller where the wider vertical pillars are and they actually swoop down over the "E" tines and the hook part of the "J".  Here is a sectional view of both "E" vertical pillars:

.... the first "E" has a relatively uniform radius of 3/8".  The second "E" does not have a uniform radius.  It is actually closer to 9/16" to the right, flat on top, and then swoops down to the left. .. very inconsistent.  These sectionals are  taken from the center of the vertical pillar.  They are about a 1/2" long sample, and I cut out the very center where the middle tine intersects.  As you can see, the second "E" radius is .015 deeper on the back side of the tine.  The second "E" from Fred's sample is also a little flat on top.  Here is a better view of this:

They are not flat and parallel from top to bottom..... sectional view of the tines:

Look at the "E" to the right.  It's obvious that the metal was not captured in a two piece die of any precision.

...... and this is just the "E"!

.... our software is not capable of writing a code that is this complex.  Perhaps someone else could.  I have had problems getting someone to take it on, and that was not even knowing how complex the scan is.  Since this is a scan of the windshield skin, which is 28 gauge, and the tailgate is 16 gauge, you could only calculate the outside mold, The inside mold (male) would be inaccurate.  Sure, if the letters were square, flat, parallel, and concentric, the new offset could be calculated, but this stamping is far too complex.  ...  then, how much oversize should the die be to allow for spring back in the metal.  I can only guess that some experimentation and failed tests are going to be involved.  Even if it all could be done, in the end you would have a perfect die of an imperfect stamp.  If someone here works in this sort of thing, please ping me.

I am not a tool maker.  When I was experimenting with bows, and canvas tops, I started out by reverse engineering imperfect parts.  As I gained experience and after seeing some original drawings, I've changed my approach.  Now I analyse the data, but I put lots of focus on what I think the engineer intended the part to look like using the techniques he had to work with and by observing the engineers patterns on other drawings.  This one is a tough one  I've seen the drawing of the "WILLYS" stamp that has dimensions on the letters.  Sure wish there was one on this one.  I'll do the best I can with what I have to work with.  Since they didn't have CNC machines then, I assume the various depths of the stamping are due to some sort of limitation and unplanned.  That, or the die was hand finished.  I can make this but I can only make a flat and parallel die that matches what I think the engineers intent was.  Still analyzing.

   

..... 3/16" radius about .08 - .09 deep which makes them aprox 5/16" wide:

The vertical post is 3/8" radius, 9/16" wide.

... That's what I'm going with thus far.