Dimpling Radiator Straight Fins

[Colonel]

Anybody have any suggestions, method or tools for dimpling 30/31 radiator fins? I hear brassworks offers a dimpled radiator that they do by hand but do not know anything about the process. I could not find any historical dialogue on this topic in Fordbarn achieves. All comments appreciated.

[700rpm]

The fins are pretty soft. I would think a clever guy could make some kind of modification to a pair of pliers, and by carefully aligning the verticals achieve a good semblance.

[fastroadster]

It is done through a "fin machine" while manufacturing the radiator fins. It is in the tooling and dying of machine.

[Capt Quahog]

Dimpling? What does that mean?

If it is to straighten 'bent" "crushed" or "distorted" radiator fins, within the kit I put together there is a 'fin straightening tool". These are used to straighten the misaligned fins on air conditioning units. Thing was /is, the fins of the 31' Ford original radiator are heavy duty and not reproduction unit soft as apparently the thing is an original. I used a heavy plastic type putty knife to support the bottom of the fin and metal one to press down for initial alignment. After that, the fin tool is used to line up the rows evenly. To finish it off, some brass darkening type solution is applied to any bright metal. Seems to work okay. . . .

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

The fins are pretty soft. I would think a clever guy could make some kind of modification to a pair of pliers, and by carefully aligning the verticals achieve a good semblance.

I can't find the link but that is exactly what someone did, filed down an old pair of pliers and dimpled tem fine one dimple at a time.

[Mike V. Florida]

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Originally Posted by Capt Quahog

Dimpling? What does that mean?

The original radiators had dimples on the front of the fins to disturb the flow of air to prevent a "barrier layer" from forming around the tubes.

[Tiny]

There's a how too in the Tiny Tips book.

[Tom Wesenberg]

In the early 80's I ground a pliers to the correct shape to put all the correct curves back into my Studebaker radiator. It would be easy to do the same for the Model A radiator.

[Oldbluoval]

Yes pliers or Vice grips with contour to match
Been there, done that......very time consuming

[Bob Bidonde]

Reproduction radiators generally have horrible cosmetics and performance to match. Why is it that a radiator core manufacturing company does not duplicate the correct fin shape for the Model A Ford?

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

Reproduction radiators generally have horrible cosmetics and performance to match. Why is it that a radiator core manufacturing company does not duplicate the correct fin shape for the Model A Ford?

Bob, I am not sure what you are using as a reference on this comment, but in my opinion it really is all about the mindset of "you get what you pay for". You can purchase a very close facsimile of what the original fin design was then however it is indeed more costly over an economical replacement radiator. We all need to remember that the only reason the economical radiators are still being manufactured is because folks keep buying them!!