Metal Shaping

[natemoen]

Anyone here do any metal shaping? As in making their own body panels, gas tanks and such. I am looking at teaching myself how to do it and am just seeing if anyone here had or does this them self.

I am going to have to be fabing up some body patch panels for a '34 pickup I have and no one makes them so I am going to have to learn a new skill, which also means....NEW TOOLS

[b.walker5]

I admire your willingness to try Nate, but bodypanel fab is not an easy thing to learn. Find yourself an old panelbeater, one that hates bog (bondofill) and become his new best friend. To make body panels properly you'll need tools like good hammers and dolly's, and most importantly, access to an English Wheel, (you'll probably not want to buy one once you see how much they are) and at the least, a mig welder, but preferably a Tig welder.

Good luck, but know that you're embarking on a quest that takes many years to perfect.

[crazy steve]

Nate, I've done some panel patching/metal fab, and depending on what you're trying to patch, you don't always need a ton of tools. Most 30's vehicles don't have that many deep compound curves, so an english wheel may not be needed. A good-sized leather bag filled with lead shot will be handy, as will a 'special' rubber hammer. A cheap bead roller can be handy too. I assume you've got rust issues and you're not trying to fab whole panels. You may need a couple hundred $s worth of tools if it's anything more than simple flat bits though. Check out Eastwood (http://www.eastwood.com/metal-fabric...FQZchwod3RPxDQ) for ideas of what you need, then do some shopping for better prices on some items. Most of the HF 'equivilents' will do the same job for less dough....

You will need a good MIG welder with gas, don't skimp there.

[CaptonZap]

Yeah, Nate,
I have done some panel work on aircraft fairings, engine shrouds, race car scoops, etc. What do you need to know? How to do it? Panel beating is like love making, you have to be there to learn how. (No homo) With that simile in mind, get some metal and start learning, figuring that you are in grade school of panel beating
There are plans for English wheel construction, and some good books from experienced pros. Someone used to sell the casting for the head of a CP style planishing hammer. If you want, I can make a list of what I am aware of. CZ

[natemoen]

Hey if you have a list that would be awesome!

I have no expectation of being good anytime soon. I in theory have many many years agead of me to get good at it. Gotta start out somewhere though and maybe someday I can be that crotchety panelbeater. As Steve pointed out, not a ton of compound curves on a '34 p/u. In fact a dead roller would take care of much of that. I am looking ahead though at future projects. Recreating unavailable parts, or creating my own parts.

I am not an instant gratification person, I understand skill takes time and am willing to put that time in.

[MaximPhil]

Anyone here do any metal shaping? As in making their own body panels, gas tanks and such. I am looking at teaching myself how to do it and am just seeing if anyone here had or does this them self.

I am going to have to be fabing up some body patch panels for a '34 pickup I have and no one makes them so I am going to have to learn a new skill, which also means....NEW TOOLS

Hi Natemoen,
You will need An English Wheel and an old Italian to show you how to use it
Phil

[LuckyEddie]

Metal shaping

Here is a link to an outfit that reprints very old technical books. There are a few metal shaping books available along with lots of other goodies.
www.lindsaybks.com

[CaptonZap]

Hey if you have a list that would be awesome!

Start here, <http://metalshaping.org/>
This site was started a number of years ago, and the owner died, but the site was kept going. A bunch of the original members started another site, catering to the more advanced practitioners, and if you ask around this site, you can probably find it. This one is a good place to start.
Kent White, aka The Tinman, sells a number of products that you will find useful. <http://www.tinmantech.com/html/kent_white.php>
Ron Covell, <http://metalshapers.org/tips/covell/bio.htm>,
sells books and products, the books being well illustrated and informative.
Start with these, and other sources of knowledge will be revealed by immersion in the field of metal shaping.
One of the first things you should do, if you don't know how already, and you wish to pursue the craft, is to learn to gas weld thin sheet metal. Steel, and aluminum, if you want to work with it.
Google English wheel, planishing hammer, power hammer, and metal shaping, and you will have enough info to last you a year or two of browsing time.
Any other questions I might be able to answer, feel free to ask.
Like I said, the practice is a hands on type of thing, and unless a person has tried and failed, the explanations of "why" don't always make sense to someone who hasn't tried. And successful methods are sometimes hard to explain it words.
Start saving any sheet metal you can scrounge. Old fenders and door skins, appliance skins, water heater shells, etc. They provide cheap practice metal. They are usually made with malleable metal, just what you are looking for. An inner tube filled with sand can provide a cheap sand bag, and mallets can be improvised by using anything from tree limbs or croquet mallets.
Dollies are where you find them. I have used a bowling ball, and portions of old chrome bumpers. (This isn't rocket science, and whatever will work, works. )
Enough of this, back to XS stuff. CZ

ps You can't have too many hammers.

[fredintoon]

Hi Nate,
to get started, all you'll need is a sackful of hammers and a sandbag.
After a while you'll begin to understand why sheetmetal workers serve a 5-year apprenticeship.