Grommets

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

Grommets

jarvis1 · COBBLE HILL, BC

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_%26_Gromit

30-S6 · NORTH BAY, ONT

In the custom car world one may use the term "customized" maybe "modernised", but living on a farm it's called "Farmer-ized".

Feel free to use the term. Lol.
Not mine. I heard it years ago but still funny.

BARRIE, ONTARIO

It might be cheating or the lazy mans approach . But any car Ive scrapped I try to save those round rubber grommets for wire harnesses . I get them at auto wreckers too

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

Great idea 77 but I just enjoy making stuff when I can.

wuga · PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONT

Well, I've been biting my tongue, but I've got to say, these will look like **** pasted to your firewall. Enjoy making something that displays artistry or clean functionality.
Warren

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

I am glad you said something. I didn't know they look bad. Now I know. Thank you Warren. It was fun trying though. Don't know un til you try, right ?

BARRIE, ONTARIO

yeah but you could polish them , body colour match them . Or hey howsabout this . Look up Chris S stuff and try your hand at pinstripping them , or Rat ( ed roth ) king them . Or buy an etching scribing machine and etch designs in the plates , If you wanna hide your wiring best you can , design it so wiring comes up through floor instead of firewall . One of my buddies likes to hide stuff in plain sight , and his wiring goes thru firewall right below steering column , etc etc etc
But maybe dont do the hole designs like they did in Big Stan

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

From an independent panel of judge, lol, "body colour match them" my thinking.

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

I watched this video ----- www.youtube.com/watch ----- (go to 3:26) and thought I would make a grommet like that. I don't know if my grommet looks bad because I made it square or because of ...? I have no idea but for me, Warren knows his stuff and if he says it looks bad, it looks bad. Making a round one wouldn't be hard. I have lots of scrap from an old bar-B-Q. I did clean and polish it but it is pretty scratched up. Where the wires come into the cab isn't visible because it's under the dash and on the outside, they enter through the floor just behind the firewall so not visible at all there.
But because I have so much to learn, I want to do things correctly, regardless of whether things are visible or not. So I will buy proper grommets to mount back to back or make round ones when I discover if that is acceptable. For me, the learning is as much fun as fabricating. Thank you everyone. I very much appreciate the feedback even when it means I have to start over.
As an aside, I am anxious to try etching something but pointless to etch the grommets: they are too hidden from view.

BARRIE, ONTARIO

On a side note . Back in the last century I bought a 74 amc hornet hatchback v8 4 spd 9 inch dark blue with levi interior . It was ranked about 5 to 10 th fastest street car in our area , when it finally came up for sale years later the motor had got windowed running up against The Silver Dart , squarebody dart 340 2 x4 , 4 spd and a dana . Anyhows the hornet had factory lightly tinted glass and somebody had etched the glass on inside , and did like a pin stripe scroll design around the edges , then painted the etched areas with gold and silver paint . Looked awesome .

wuga · PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONT

I was thinking about this last night and thought first if the grommet could have some shape like a shield or a medallion or whatever and if you could do the visible part in a thicker, heavier brass it could look awesome. Many companies in the old hot rod days did this and now they are collector items. Maybe inscribe a name either from the past or present and let it antique and coat it to preserve the finish. I know with your metal working talents this is fully achievable.
Good Luck
Warren

BARRIE, ONTARIO

Before the end of first sentence in your post my mind went to something like the classic shape of a crown whiskey bottle

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

I will search the net for the type of heavier brass grommets old school companies used to use so I have a better idea of what to make. Failing that, I will just purchase proper grommets. I will do things correctly thanks to the treasure of guidance I find here. Thank you all. Ps: My metal working skills are bound to improve because I get so much practice when I make something and then make it again but better.

jarvis1 · COBBLE HILL, BC

Go to the dollar store and see if they have some small round stainless steel dishes.
Or something that you can cut a circle from.

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

Thank you Jarvis. I will. Stainless is hard to cut or drill but I will look.

BARRIE, ONTARIO

Its not so much about doing it correctly , but safety , functionalty and coolness and your own personal tilt

Its like a buddy of mine . Remember when cars had metal dashes and they had an ash tray built into dash . You pulled it open and downwards . He built a truck cab we found into a hot rod , there was literally no room under dash for a fuse panel . He cut out a metal ash tray from some early 60,s gm , then found a later model fuse panel that would fit inside it . And you just pulled open ash tray and theres the fuse panel , change check fuses while sitting in the seat . Its all part of hot rodding , you,ll finger it out eventually

On the 50 i used a stock gm v8 wire harness from a 80 ?? grand prix 2 dr . Right from headlights to tail lights . I cut about 4 inches out around harness bulk head thru firewall and adapted it to fire wall of truck . Easy but my engine compartment was all black and full hood . Hot rods with no hood you just gotta hide it or make it pretty

-- Edited by 77 on Wednesday 16th of April 2025 10:33:47 AM

Cuddles · PETERBOROUGH, ONT

That ash tray idea is so cool. I love innovations like that. Plus no crawling around under the dash in the dark. Great idea. Thank you 77. I already established where my fuses go but you inspire.