New here... but not to metal shaping -from the UK

[yogs]

Hi I'm Paul, from just south of Oxford in the UK.

I was introduced to metal shaping by my father before I was ten. He used lumps of old pallets to form repair panels on neighbours cars before brazing them in. To him that was very thin metal! His main interest was in WWII vehicles - he owned and restored two British Windsor carriers (larger version of the Bren Gun Carrier, a lightweight tracked APC)

In the years leading up to being old enough to drive I became interested in kit cars, and an avid reader of magazines both for them and the burgeoning uk Custom and Street Road scene.....

However I turned to the dark side and it's been VW's that have been my thing ever since! Dad and a work colleague welded up my first... but I determined I would NEVER pay to have a panel welded after I ran out of favours from that pair, so bought my first mig in 1987 and never looked back!

I had a corporate career very early on but saw the light, turned my back on Yuppiedom and set up my own VW shop in 1992. Did lots of straight resto work, huge amounts of custom work including de-seaming, suicide doors and a couple of chops (7" out of a 1971 Bay window transporter in 1994!)

Got involved with drag racing, firstly Aircooled VW's. Crewed for then drove a dragster then purchased an old Audi four pot digger that was in a terrible state. Hand formed the bodywork on that... in a VERY rudimentary fashion... one day i'll post the pics of the job on here when I find them. Then purchased the Aircooled Dragster I crewed on, upped the power and ran 9.79 @ 149mph back in 1996....

Fast forward to present(ish) got involved with commentating around that time, parked then sold the dragster, became the most employed drag announcer in Europe (according to all the promotors) closed the shop for a few years.... got back into metal shaping big time around 6 years ago (attended the UK metal meets) then a series of bad choices, ill health in the family and other callamities including two shop breakins meant my shaping career stalled.

And now... I am back in the groove. Have built another dragster which I will be building an aistreamer body for. Very rare thing indeed, very few ever built in the UK or Europe, and not too many in the states (if you have any pics of any please feel free to post them and make my day!)

I have a Trumpf nibbler thats been sat waiting to be wired up for 5 years and have just wheeled in a deep throat (!!) original Edwards English wheel (that fortunately is on casters lol!) Also built a planishing hammer from an air cheisel and a 'developmental' front hoop from my dragster cage (alright I cocked up at the last minute on the second leg notch, cut it 180 degrees out).

Have concentrated on getting my skills up using hand tools to this point, but am now getting ready to speed things up and accomplish more complicated pieces with the machinary.

My two main metal shaping aims are the dragster Body and remanufacture of obsolete panels. I photograph everything in my shop, always have. So whilst no pics on this initial post there will be plenty coming!

I operate an open door policy in my wkshop so if any UK contributors want to drop by the kettles always hot (and any vistors from afar wandering past)

I'm often sarcastic and witty, but can't abide rudeness or confrontations.... please bear that in mind when I post as I never set out to offend, as any of you reading this who have been to Santa Pod in the past 18 years will know ;-)

Looking forward to getting to know you all, some of you I have been lurking.... especially on anything related to hammerforming ;-)

Paul

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Welcome to AllMetalShaping Paul. Glad you found us.

[HEATNBEAT]

Hi Paul and welcome!

[Peter Tommasini]

HI Paul welcome to the forum
Peter

[carl 180]

hi welcome from a uk member santa pod and metalshaping now thats how to have a good time

[yogs]

Thanks Guys...

And Carl.. you hit the nail on thehead. No matter how bad my back gets in the workshop... or how sore my throat and head is from all the number crunching, recalling whats happened in qualifying or years ago... I am gratefull to be fortunate to earn money from my two biggest passions!

Paul