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  #31  
Old 07-22-2017, 07:59 PM
Plain Ed Plain Ed is offline
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Default "Beginning Metal Shaping"

You are a young pup. I am 67.5 years young and still learning. If you don't learn something new everyday you are either dead or too dumb to realize you learned something.

All of the threads below are great advice. I will add I have taken some classes from the masters but I will tell you the classes offered by Pat Brubaker are the best and the best value. You learn much more than the stated contact. And he makes very good barbecue.

P.S. I assume you are a vet. Thanks for your service.
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  #32  
Old 07-23-2017, 07:32 AM
Dave K. Dave K. is offline
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HI Drew,
Thanks for your service! I went through exactly what your going through in 2005-6 in Iraq. I have a lot I would like to share with you, but for now I will keep it really simple.

I am a beginner and have ruined a lot of good metal trying to learn. In fact, I refer to myself as a recycler, because I have had more bad metal work than good.

My advice. Is spend as little money in the beginning as possible. Get a mallet and stump and learn how metal moves under pressure. Learn to shrink and stretch with a hammer first. I started with copper and wood. Since I can't draw, I needed to know if I could make something that I had in my head. After a lot projects like that I decided to build a stroller for my youngest daughter that looked like a tank. I designed it from the inside out, without a welder, using only supplies from home depot. Before I invested a lot in tools, I needed to know I was absolutely sure working with metal is what I wanted to invest my savings and retirement money in. It is, but I owed it to my family to know for certain.

I would suggest taking classes from any of the great metal working instructors, but only after you have gone through a number of projects of your own time and design first. Then you can truly grasp what they are teaching, and where your strength and weaknesses are, so you can get help in the class. I want to build 50's style race car bodies on modern chassis so I went to Kent White who is an expert in aluminum (and many other things!) I was not disappointed. Had I gone when I first started I would not have comprehended the processes thoroughly. I say it like this: He is a professor and I am a kindergarten student. There is that big of a gap between his skills and mine. So lots of projects on your own first.

Now that I have some tools, welders, converted my garage into my studio/shop. I still create lots of junk because I am trying to push my skills further and trying to build crazy ideas in my head. I don't have lot of huge expensive tools, but I study daily on tricks and techniques. Most of what I make I give away, and in the process friends and family ask me to make things for them. This provides me more opportunities to learn.

After the tank stroller, I build a pedal car for my daughter (pictures in album) that looked like a 1950's European race car. Still not great work, but I learned a lot.

I learned the worst way possible that logistics (ordering the correct materials and parts) are almost as important as metal working skills. The pedal car was the worst type of aluminum, I used the wrong filler wire, my welds were poor, etc. Now I do much more research and planning before I start any project. I have spent a lot of money on layout equipment (rulers, curves, chip board, tape, markers, etc.) because this saves me money during the actual project.

I then built a go kart in a 1932 Ford roadster style. Again, still struggling with welding, but metal working skills were improved from the pedal car. In the mean time I have also been doing lots of other projects for people. I welding up an exhaust system, replaced some rot in a fender, created a different style subwoofer box, made a bouquet of copper and aluminum roses, sculptures in wood, steel, copper, and aluminum.

So from where I started I have VERY SLOWLY improved my project planning, purchasing of materials and tools, acquired enough tools to do most projects, learned to weld, and haven't broke the finances while in retirement.

I still make a lot of scrap metal. So if you know anybody who needs scrap aluminum...? haha

Again, thanks for your service, and don't be in a rush, work slow and methodically.
Dave
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  #33  
Old 09-06-2017, 09:08 PM
Plain Ed Plain Ed is offline
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Youngsters. I am 67+, still trying and learning everyday. Keep at it.

Ed, USAF, retired
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