Looking for websites that help members with sheet metal questions
- Thread starter MJM
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MJM
Promoted Users
Thanks Don for your help. You're an asset to SPI with no hang ups. I just recently registered on Tomasini's site and to be a member you have to own or buy one of their $10 thousand to 15 thousand dollar English Wheels. I think that's a great idea to spend that kind of money to find out one doesn't have what it takes to use that tool. Sounds logical to me.
I have no other choice now, YouTube and books will be my mentor.
I'm just glad when I registered and became a member at SPI, I wasn't being forced to buy expensive tools and products to be a member looking for knowledge. I understand knowledge doesn't come cheap but, this is getting ridiculous.
IMO, Tomasini is one of the best metal shapers around, if not the best, but he seems to be more interested in teaching big metal shaping projects. I went to one of his classes, and almost right away he started making a full quarter panel. I'm not interested in making quarter panels so I only attended the one day, even though I paid for 3 days. I was interested in metal work, not metal shaping full panels. In all fairness, it was a metal shaping class.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
That's not true at all MJM. Anyone can join. I know that you registered and are a member there. There is no requirement to buy anything. I will say that Peter T.s DVD set is well worth the money and would be transformative if you bought it. Please consider it as it will teach you the basics first then he shows the principles in action. It will make you a shaper if you study them. There is such a hodgepodge of info on youtube, some of it good a lot of it bad. You want to learn the correct way so that you don't pick up bad habits that you would have to undo later.
Peter's wheel while expensive is no where near $10K-15K. I got mine in 2016 for $4800 including the anvils from Hoosier Profiles. Price has gone up some since. You don't need a cast iron wheel to get started. Later if you get into this you might want one as they are terrific machines. But you can do a lot of shaping simply with hand tools. Peter builds a rear quarter panel (start to finish) in one of the DVD's with nothing more than hand tools.
Peter is a very welcoming and helpful guy. He will go out of his way to help folks. He is passionate about this. I called him a few years ago to ask about something and he said "I'll call you back in bit", well he called back and stayed on the phone with me for over an hour! Long distance from OZ. I kept asking him if this was costing him a lot of money, he said "don't worry about it mate". He is a great guy and the best teacher on shaping you will find.
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Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Geoff Moss is a Master and watching this series of vids of him wheeling would be a good idea. He explains things clearly and you can see how to hold the panel correctly. I posted this in your English Wheel thread awhile back. Link is to my post with the youtube link.
English Wheel run out question
Purchased an English Wheel as a Christmas gift for myself. Before unboxing everything and assembling it, I pulled the top 8" wheel out of the box to check the face and side of the wheel for run out. The face of the wheel is within half a thousand on the entire width, and side play is 6 thousand...
www.spiuserforum.com
MJM
Promoted Users
Interesting reply. That is the reason I registered on that website, besides having questions about how to use an English Wheel, more questions would be asked concerning "metal work". How metal reacts, ie; shrinking, stretching, how the molecules react and work. At this point in time I'm not interested in wheeling and making a fender.
I know I can hammer the shape of the quarter panel patches using my oak tree stump, and my plan was to smooth out the hammer marks with the English Wheel.
One of the questions I was going to ask is how big (circumference) and how deep I should carve out a bowel shape into the top of the oak stump for the for hammering to start the shape.
I should feel blessed ( which I do ) that a member on SPI mentored me with how to do a proper patch, how to shape the patch, how to weld the patch, and how to dress the welds. Thru his instructions I was able to make a quality repair by applying myself. That should be a rewarding feeling to the instructor he's giving someone a new skill set.
I just hate being back seated to the all mighty dollar.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
The principles once learned apply to everything. The quarter panel project is used because it shows nearly everything needed to learn/understand to do any panel. Peter does have a metal finishing/shrinking DVD available now on his site if that is something you or others are looking for. You don't need any help with that though Chev. I know you can metalfinish already.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
I don't get what your beef is with him or the site? Nobody, and most certainly not Peter has ever said on there you have to buy this product to be a member or get help. Never.
Post a question on there and ask. Peter or one of the other guys will help. The stump question I'll give you an answer now. Depending on how big your stump is, a horseshoe shape a couple of inches deep. Search on allmetalshaping. Robert (MP&C) posted some pics of them shaping a stump like that. Keep in mind that the stump and that form are used for tucking and shrinking not for stretching. You would want to do your stretching using a leather sandbag or the wheel. If the shape is deep a sandbag would be needed.
The key to this all, whether you want to make a patch panel or something else like a complete panel or even a car is to learn the principles of shaping first. There are no shortcuts. That's why I want you to get the DVD set if you are interested in shaping or even being able to patch panels. Once you learn the principles you can do any of it.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Is this thread what upset you?
https://ce8df029be3e-004671.vbulletin.net/forum/introductions/9885-mike-from-nixa-missouri
The guys were just trying to be helpful. Maybe take a breath and read the thread again. Maybe a little perspective....the one gent on there advising about getting a wheel would be similar to me advising a guy on here to get a quality gun versus something cheaper. That is all it was.
https://ce8df029be3e-004671.vbulletin.net/forum/introductions/9885-mike-from-nixa-missouri
The guys were just trying to be helpful. Maybe take a breath and read the thread again.
Maybe a little perspective....the one gent on there advising about getting a wheel would be similar to me advising a guy on here to get a quality gun versus something cheaper. That is all it was. I thought it would be good to see how the top dogs do it, never too old to learn something.The principles once learned apply to everything. The quarter panel project is used because it shows nearly everything needed to learn/understand to do any panel. Peter does have a metal finishing/shrinking DVD available now on his site if that is something you or others are looking for. You don't need any help with that though Chev. I know you can metalfinish already.
Worked with a guy one time on his last two street rod and custom cars. He had done it all in his more than 50 years and he told me one day that even tho he done this over 50 years he STILL learned something new every day. Sadly he's gone now and what he didn't teach someone he took it with him. I watched him create parts out of metal that didn't exist before. I felt honored that he asked me to help him on his last two projects.
Check out this guy's channel also. Tons of step by step info.
Dean Jenkins
Promoted Users
I like Fitzee. Good, simple information and you can't help but like the guy.
dhutton01
Backyard Hack
One of the most prolific and talented metal shapers on Instagram used a Harbor Freight English wheel for several years. He has since graduated to a larger $1000 Woodward Fab English wheel. I think a big part of his talent is making the best of what he has to work with. I don’t care for some of his designs but there is no denying the quality and quantity of his work.
I would post a link but he blocked me when I commented on one of his designs.
Don
I think a big part of his talent is making the best of what he has to work with. I don’t care for some of his designs but there is no denying the quality and quantity of his work. I would post a link but he blocked me when I commented on one of his designs.
Don
