New guy from Tejas
 

New to the site thanks to Johnny Arial.
My name is Chumley ,

For the first year this is all I had.

Attachment 2359

Baseball bat hammer, stump, slapper and some cheap dolly's, and a beater bag made from an old 70's purse.

I made a lot of scrap with those tools. You can make a lot with the tools I just showed you.

Here is what I think the keys to metal shaping are.

1... learn how to shrink

2... Patterns (making them and understanding how to read them)

3... cutting metal (this sounds simple but I am still learning how to do it, a perfect but joint is the key)

4... welding ( actually learning how to weld a panel and understanding how to re-stretch your welds)

5... stretching ( I put this last because I think it is the easiest aspect of metal shaping.

This is just my list of what I think is important,I am sure others have a different list. If they do I hope they share it.

Concentrate on the basics first.

Welcome aboard

hello Chumley
 

Chumley I think Johnny,s got you on the right track the only thing I would add to the homemade starter kit is a heavy bossing mallet. For me it makes shrinking on the stump a breeze.And if you live in an area where there are piles of firewood... (stump,slappers,lead paddels,forms,ect....)Nice purse Johnny!!!:lol::lol::lol:
Attachment 2366
bossing mallet is the yellow one (top left) and thanks to whoever came up with the baseball bat mallet idea:D

It's not a purse its a man satchel:lol:.

purse
 

Nah, it's a purse!!:cool:
Rondo

.................

hi, from another Tejas guy
 

Welcome aboard. I'm a newbie too. I'm having lots of fun and learning a lot.

Welcome Chumley. Your name reminds me of the dude on Pawn Stars!:p What part of the US of Texas you live in? If you are anywhere near DFW, look me up.
Tim

www.irrationalmetalworks.com