Hand forming, learning
 

You'll have to forgive my amateur hour here, but I just wanted to share with my fellow metal shaping heads. After watching Peter Tommasini's monaro panel DVD, and acquiring some hand tools I've been having fun making scrap in the garage after work.

These pieces go to nothing, I just wanted to try making certain designs by hand. The DVD has me thinking about stretching the material first in an area to allow enough material to shape in the design features, as well as the tension or looseness in certain areas.

It's funny because it's so simple, but it was a bit of an "ah-ha" moment when I realized how these shapes/designs need opposing forces. If you're coming down on one side, the other side needs to come up.

I haven't spent too much time on these and clearly I need to work on metal finishing but I just wanted to say I'm excited.

Every step in getting closer to being able to identify a shape visualize it's process is really cool to me. The end goal being able to have all these mental tools and have freedom to let the creativity flow without hindrance in a lack of ability. And of course, this is the tip of the iceberg.

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You are talented.
 

Every such piece is good for learning. To understand the direction of the fibers.
It gets serious when you want to do a second piece.
Even more serious when you need to do something else exactly according to size. Copy Part.
You must study paper template. You must study shape measurements in 3D. You have a talent. Now you need only 40 years of practice.:)
If you will then still remember what you did, you will find that there are many ways to go. Experience is not transferable. It is meditation and the path of each individual. Exist you and material. Duel or love. Scrap or good result. Good luck.

Rob
Those exercises you are doing are similar to what I was asked to do from my Boss when I started metalshaping , they will help you in the future when shaping a panel for real and knowing what the metal requires to do to move it
:D
Do not be discouraged just keep going and change the type of shaping , joggles etc. At one point in your career you will glad you practice on those bits
Well done !!
Peter

Well done Rob.
I still refer back to my early learning pieces in my mind even today to figure out what needs to be stretched or shrunk to achieve the shape.

Good progress, Rob. Looks like fun.

One of the best lessons of practicing is learning about failure. Every effort will not produce a successful result- even after the mentioned 40 yrs- and it's best to get over that hump as soon as possible. I think you're well on the way. Making exact copies on purpose is great instruction as well. One is always better and one is always worse. Keep track of which one happens first.

Are you going to weld them together for more practice?

Nice work there, Rob. You clearly have keen perception skills as well as ambition and courage. Nice work!

thank you all for the kind words.:) I think I've started a hammer addiction :rolleyes:

Thanks Clint, I am getting pretty dang good at failure these days :lol: No plans to weld these scraps together, but I did get to try oxy/acetylene welding at Will's a few weeks ago. Very cool stuff. Eventually I'll get a gas setup.

Thanks Marcus - I'm currently helping build a 1950 willys truck and it just might be the death of me :lol:

Thank you sir. I can imagine pulling my hair out when I make left side/right side parts for a car