Sheet Metalwork DVD
I bought this DVD when I first started thinking about building my own bike. I knew that I was going to have to do a bit of metal bashing. Something that I knew very little about. Watching this DVD makes everything look very easy. Well anything does, doesn’t it, when it’s being done by someone who knows what they’re doing!
David Gardiner, proprietor of ‘Classic Metal Shaping’, who demonstrates all the techniques shown in the DVD, is obviously very skilled at this job. As well as running his own company, David used to write articles for the motoring press and also taught these skills at his local college.
The DVD is comprehensive (it runs to 2hr 30mins) and includes sections on cutting, swaging, shrinking, stretching, wire edging etc. It also touches on different welding techniques and shows you how to go about making a motorcycle petrol tank.
Despite avoiding the use of expensive equipment such as English wheels, shrinking and stretching machines, and concentrating solely on hand tools, if you bought every tool David used in the DVD, you would still be outlaying a hefty sum. Thankfully, as initially you’ll probably only be attempting smaller projects, you can improvise to start with and then add tools as your proficiency increases and your projects get more ambitious. I made brackets and gussets for my projects using nothing more technical than offcuts of MDF for the formers and a standard claw hammer.
Every time I watch the DVD, it makes me want to go to the garage and make something. Of course, it’s much harder than David makes it look. But, in essence, it is only hitting bits of metal with a hammer. The trick is to know how, where and how hard to hit it, and that will only come with practise. Lots of practise.
The DVD’s production is a little dated, as is the soundtrack, but the content is still valid. Quite pricey at £35, but I prefer a good DVD to trying to sift the good info from the bad on youtube.