metal work for beginners

[chugga boom]

A few years ago I remember mentioning on the forum that I learnt an awful lot off the TV show " American hot rod " , I also stressed that the cars were of little interest but the skills were unbelievable .
On one episode Boyd Coddington who ran the hot rod shop sent two of his staff to learn about metal work shaping to a man called Lazze , I was stunned at some of his work , cutting a long story short I've found his website which some of you may find of interest , its all about how to make body panels and swages etc. , I've found the videos very useful and interesting , have a look

http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=results/category_id=5/home_id=5/mode=cat/cat5.htm

[adrian donovan]

Hi James - I've seen some of Lazze's videos. Good aren't they? - and it all looks so easy too! Why don't we all do it?!

[DavidLaver]

"Just hit the metal a few times, like this and it shrinks, like this and it stretches, and there's a panel".

I watch videos like that and wonder how it would look if it was playing the piano or golf or something.  "Strike the keys in order to the rhythm, and there's the tune".

[chugga boom]

Hi James - I've seen some of Lazze's videos. Good aren't they? - and it all looks so easy too! Why don't we all do it?!

metal work is a learning curve and i'm by no means an expert on the subject , however yes the video's are brilliant as a guide how to do the job , practice makes perfect , when my dad built his Astura he made every panel twice , he like me was a novice and hadn't really done any wheeling before , every  1st panel was a practice run for him , by the end of the build he was making 1 panel and getting it right 1st time , I have honestly used a lot of these video's as a guide and his techniques really do work , I still make mistakes and sometimes end up with scrap ,

[DavidLaver]

This is a trailer for a DVD I bought and have watched a number of times.  He's great on techniques without big expensive machines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGElSHzm0q8

I've bought and swapped a few of these Ron Covell ones as well - when the kids are lively I threaten to put one on and they are quiet either straight away with the threat or within 5mins of listening to him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktj5DWaKXYI

Oh dear - there's one I hadn't seen before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PNl7QwURPs

One of the machines he used says LAZZE on the side - the guy who does the videos James recommends. 

Another I'd not seen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDVkqrB-Pj8

Interesting in that I chopped an Austin 7 grill down.  Not sure I'd have got much of use from the film as I had various tapers to take care of.  That's not to say I couldn't watch these all day - so best stop right now.

David

[DavidLaver]

I do enjoy metal shaping as a spectator sport.

This guy was doing demos at the NEC at the weekend.  He's a time served apprentice and a teacher.  As well as his own workshop he teaches at Leeds on the restoration courses and also at a deaf school.  There's a number of interesting bits on his YouTube account - I looked at a tour of the MGB shell production and behind the scenes at Aston Martin.  There's also some stuff at a Rolls Royce restoration place and the Vaxhaul Astra line and a tour of the Morgan factory.  Alas no commentary or edit but interesting enough.

What I watched (with the ironing) yesterday was a long series on panel making for a Wolsley Swallow.  Its a pre war Hornet chassis with Bill Lyons bodywork: he who became SS and then Jaguar.  He goes through annealing, bossing out, wheeling, welding.  He does it in real time - no fast forward or "here's one I made earlier" which is inspiring and also gives time for a bit of chat on all sorts as he goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pORiCkDE_7I

I also looked at one making an ali mini boot lid at a show as a demo.  In contrast to the highly shaped bits of the Wolsley tail its an example of a "low crown" panel, if not as extreme as a door skin or roof.  Was interesting that he still started "hitting it with a stick" for all it was a bat rather than a mallet and for rather less time than the deeply shaped parts.  He wasn't doing it all on a wheeling machine.

Is a wheeling machine essential?  It certainly looks to be a big time saver for all its possible to smooth everything out with a hammer and stake.  Speaking with them at the show it doesn't HAVE to be a big or expensive one to smooth out the lumps and bumps.  Its when it comes to applying enough force to squeeze shape into metal that it needs to be sturdy, and obviously larger for larger panels but there's always the option to make small bits and weld them together.

This type of Italian hammer was new to me in contrast to the American ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb5phUptd9I