new member from london uk

[machine_punk]

I can show you exactly what to expect after a five-day course. These are the practice pieces I produced in the Contour Autocraft course in just five days. That is from a 'standing start.' Most of the other attendees were already amateur or professional panel beaters. I had not learned ANY of these skills prior to showing up for the course. I do tend to learn quickly, and not everyone made quite as much progress as I did. I certainly had a tough time wrapping my brain around the 'reverse.'



Above is practice piece #1 with an inside and outside curve and raised flange, in preparation for adding a wire edge. We raised the flange and adjusted it to re-flatten the panel using just auto body hammers. We got this far on day one of the Contour Autocraft course.




Above is practice piece #1 after the wire edge was placed. We completed this on the 2nd day of the Contour Autocraft course.




Above is practice piece #2. We shaped this section of a Jaguar XK fender in three pieces, then TIG welded it together without filler, and finished for a perfect, invisible seam. This is the right-side fender (wing for those of you in the UK). We made these panels with 18 gauge steel and used galvanized wire for the wire edge at the wheel arch. "Up" in this picture is toward the front of the car and you see the right-side wheel arch closest to you. We completed the three panels and welded them on day 3 & 4 of the Contour Autocraft course.




Above is another view of practice piece #2 in 18 gauge cold rolled steel. From this angle, you can see that we also learned a basic 'reverse.' This is positioned as if you were looking at it from the right-hand seat of the car.




Above is practice Piece #3. We made this in just a couple of hours on the final day. Just a quick tutorial in aluminum after working in CRS all week. An aluminum dish/section of a sphere. Annealed, hammered to shape, then smoothed on the wheeling machine (English wheel in the US) (no forming, just planishing with the wheel).




Above is just another view of practice piece #3.

So, in just five days, we learned an incredible number of skills...theory behind shaping metal, hammer forming cold-rolled steel and aluminum, theory and practice in using a wheeling machine, using a buck to measure your progress in forming, putting shape and reverses into a panel, TIG welding (without filler) to make larger panels. These three practice pieces incorporate a lot of different techniques. The cool thing is that we didn't really used a lot of large machines. They taught us primarily with hand tools, a wheeling machine, and a basic TIG inverter.

I look forward to seeing your skills develop...however you choose to proceed. I just wanted you to see that a metal shaping course CAN be an effective way to jump start your hobby.

Kev