Have Studied Many Disciplines..Metal Shaping Next

[Carl Hungness]

For the past 65 years I have served partial or full apprenticeships in several disciplines including journalism, advertising, sales, race car fabrication, sales, violin making,violin playing welding, machine shop practices, glass blowing, beveling, stained glass, motorcycle and car rebuilding. I have over 8,000 hours in carving Chavant clay, the same material used by the Detroit factories. I have carved a 1910 Mercedes, a 1955 Mercedes, '55 Ferrari, I did a quarter scale of the famed SUMAR Indy 500 car, I did the three Penske cars that sat on the front row, I did a steering wheels with two arms (one o'clock and 7 o'clock). I have a year's experience at the Heron School of Art in their foundry class. I have a BA from the University of Colorado ( real accomplishment for me as I didn't have a high school diploma, left home when I was 15 and became the nation's #2 Stetson hat salesman at Meyer The Hatter in New Orleans.

I was owner and publisher of Carl Hungness' Indianapolis 500 Yearbook for 27 years, I invented the USAC NEWS newspaper, I invented the best selling Ford wall poster(s) of all time: Fabulous Fords, Model A Fords: I am the only man in the world Harley-Davidson has allowed to make a product without a license, my "Happy-Birthday" History of The Harley poster 1903-2003 is the best selling Harley poster in history. I published books on Midgets, Sprint Cars, Indy 500 cars, biographies, histories, wall posters, prints etc. My publishing work can be seen on eBay, Amazon.My books are in every state in the Union and on every continent in the world.

I worked for Indy car builder Grant King for three years and have been around race car shops all my life. I've known some of the nation's finest race car builders.

I raced a flathead D Fuel dragster (304" cubic inch motor out of the Kenz-Leslie streamline, where I worked for 18 months). I have rebuilt my 1954 Vincent Black Shadow and ridden it over 70,000 miles. I have 64 years riding experience on a motorcycle. I raced the King Midget I helped build for about a dozen races, I raced a Kurtis-Kraft V-8 60 Midget for four races and flipped the car clean out of the Danville, IL dirt track and survived.

Ever since I saw Don Fox built Denver's first parachute pack dragster I have wanted to form aluminum into concave, convex shapes, etc. but since I was unable to move my right thumb for 37 years working with my hands was a real challenge. I have had the thumb repaired, twice, and have successfully built two precise copies of a 1707 Stradivarius and now play Second Chair in the Hanover College-Community Symphony. My sculptures have sold for $50,000 and one can be seen at the Penske Museum in Scottsdale, AZ and another in Osaka, Japan.
I also invented the Harley-Rider comic book and owned the trademark, copyright and official Harley-Davidson license to produce the comic. The distributor backed out and I published only one issue. He said the other comic publishers didn't want a newbie in their industry.

I want to put together a complete fabrication shop and turn out, hopefully, a few complete car bodies. That's why I'm joining this forum.
I'm seeking a pair of Burt Weld lenses as my good friend Jerry Weeks-Baker gave me a demonstration with those lenses (and using hydrogen rather than oxygen) to weld aluminum. I have never used an English Wheel or Power Hammer and intend to take lengthy classes in both. I can heliarc and oxy-acetylene weld and have about an hour's experience with a MIG. I am not proficient with a tubing bender and intend to become same as I want to build my own chassis and aluminum-bodied vehicle within the next five years. I have the utmost respect for those who take flat sheets of aluminum and steel and turn them into pieces of art and want to study the discipline and become accomplished.

[skidmark]

I would for sure contact this fellow, I have met him and his wife and can tell you that this guy can lead you to a path of completion.......https://kingdommetalworks.com/

[Carl Hungness]

Hi: Great suggestion..says he is located in Western KY...I am in Southern Indiana..so will contact him. Many thanks..Carl H

[cliffrod]

How's the hat placard read "Keep your hands off my hat. Get your own at Meyer the Hatter"- ? I've still got the Dobbs pinch front snap brim that I bought at Meyers when I was at Commanders nearly 30 yrs ago.

Welcome to the forum.

[Carl Hungness]

Originally Posted by cliffrod

How's the hat placard read "Keep your hands off my hat. Get your own at Meyer the Hatter"- ? I've still got the Dobbs pinch front snap brim that I bought at Meyers when I was at Commanders nearly 30 yrs ago.

Welcome to the forum.

Many thanks for the welcome to the forum, I can see there is a treasure trove of knowledge here. It was 50 years ago I was at Meyer the Hatter when I was 16-17 years old, and fondly recall riding the street car to work every day.

I walked by famed Indy 500 car owner J.C. Agajanian at Continental Divide Raceways in Castle Rock, CO and said, "You don't see many hundred dollar Stetsons 'round these parts."
He replied, "How in the hell did you know this is a hundred dollar Stetson? Sit own here and tell me who you are."
The ensuing conversation showed me that USAC had a newsletter, thus I designed a tabloid newspaper, drove to Indy, got lucky and the board was meeting that week..I sold the board on my idea of a USAC NEWS newspaper and thus begun my 30 year career as an auto racing writer, publisher, etc.

And it all dated back to Meyer The Hatter because I could identify a hundred dollar Stetson.
But even then I wanted to form metal. Denverite Don Fox had built the first parachute pack dragster and I watched him do some of the work and was enamored with shaping aluminum.

[Steve Hamilton]

Hi Carl
Welcome to Allmetalshaping.
looks like you have been around the block a few times. even around many blocks in many cities and in many states.
very impressive back ground.
like all of the other skillsets you have ventured into there is a learning curve. it appears that you will dedicate the time required to gain the required talent, so your goal seems to be a reasonable one.
Classes are available at many locations around the USA. the instructors vary in skill level and the equipment that they specialize in.

I would suggest that if you want to get a chance to rub elbows with some talented shapers, and a chance to tryout some metalshaping equipment, you attend an event.
from the home page scroll down to EVENTS
the one closest to you is the Redneck Roundup in Belfast TN in Aug.
James Hery is the host and there is contact info on that page.

[Carl Hungness]

Hi:

Out of all the years I spent in and around the race car shops in Indianapolis, no one was using an English Wheel or Power Hammer until my friend Jerry Weeks Baker was gifted one by famed chief mechanic Clint Brawner, so I did not have a chance to see work on those machines.
Thus I'm real familiar with lots of fab techniques, but the making of compound curves in aluminum and steel wasn't included. I've been studying the techniques for the past year or so and have spent a lot of time on YouTube looking at the journeymen.
I'll try and attend the Redneck Roundup for sure and didn't even notice there was an event calendar on the website, so thanks for the heads up and look forward to meeting you.
Meanwhile, I have to finish one sculpture of a violin maker making an instrument, then I can get on to the metal forming. I sure am looking forward to putting some dents in, and learning how to take them out.
Thanks again.

[Kustomizer]

You should share some pics

[Carl Hungness]

It was suggested I share some photos of previous work. Here are some pic ranging from books I've done to posters to sculpture to violins. I want to be able to show some compound curves I've made in aluminum (in a couple of years).

Wheel of Life.jpg

Copy of DePalma Right SIde.jpg

IMG013.jpg

89540008.jpg

Copy of HungnessCarSculpture_2011-2.jpg

Mille Miglia.jpg

thumbnail_003.jpeg

CH Building King Midget.jpg

Hanover 2017.jpg

[steve.murphy]

Very interesting Carl, thanks for posting.