New guy from Tejas

[Bancroft]

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

[jhnarial]

For the first year this is all I had.

Tools.jpg

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

[87hdrush]

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!!!
user698_pic1712_1261099163[1].jpg
bossing mallet is the yellow one (top left) and thanks to whoever came up with the baseball bat mallet idea

[jhnarial]

It's not a purse its a man satchel.

[Rondo]

Nah, it's a purse!!
Rondo

[Bancroft]

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

[mikebarg]

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

[Irrational Metalworks]

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

www.irrationalmetalworks.com