Motorycycle Workshops?

Ok, i know this is the best place to be if I really want to learn metalshaping. However, what if I wanted to accelerate the curve and attend a workshop. I have looked into a few like Fay Butler, Ron Covell, and Ron Fournier. Most of them are booked till 2005 and Fay only teaches 3 at a time for around $2000 for 3 days. Does anyone offer a class on motorcycle tanks in the new england area? if not any of you master shapers want to teach a student? Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Wray Schelin]

Hello,

I'm in MA , I've been letting MetalMeet members come to my shop to learn at their pace for free.

One major misconception about this hobby/business/craft, is that you have to learn from someone that has a name that you have seen written up in magazines. That is pure bunk. This craft is learned by doing and learning a few simple rules about metal , nothing more.

If your interested let me know. You can e-mail me direct at:
wesparts@charter.net.

Another thing to consider is attending a MetalMeet event like Dutch's Meet coming up next month, or MM04 in IL in late October.

MM04 will be the biggest sheetmetal shaping event ever .

Wray

PS: add a name to your posts it helps communication.

Wray, I am in Concord, NH. What is your recommendation to me about learning my shaping skills? I have a beater bag, a few mallets and a metalace wheel that i recently got. I have played around on the wheel a little, but in all honesty I have no skills with it. I was basically just learning to work different areas of the metal in the wheels, and seeing what different things did to the metal.
I want to start a tank and from the info I have read here on metal meet I need to make a buck first then go from there. I had thought by taking a class I would have learned the right basics from the beginning, as I didnt want to teach myself the wrong way. Sounds crazy, but all I can think about is learning to shape metal. I am enthusiastic and know it will take time, but am so eager to start making tanks and such. Any and all your recommendations are greatly appreciated. Also my mallets are really not shaping mallets, I was looking around and think I need to invest in a set of shaping mallets. Thanks.

Jason

[Wray Schelin]

Hi Jason,

There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction derived from being able to move sheet metal into a shape you want it to be in, but it doesn't get there quickly especially if the shape is very complcated. I have seen a lot of initial enthusiasm wane after the realisation sinks in that you have to have lots of patience.

Most wrongly think that the big name "experts" must know some secrets or that their tools make a difference. Nope, they don't ! The only quick way of making complex sheet metal shapes is by stamping them.


If you want a quick start on how to move sheet metal stop into my shop and spend a day making panels. The most important thing about this craft is not the metal but understanding shape.

The shape of an object that you want to make whether it is just an idea in your head or a well made buck is the key, and it controls the process. It is the Rosetta Stone that tells you what needs to be done with the sheet metal.

Give me a call when you're ready to come shape some sheet metal.

508-347-7749

Wray

[Wray Schelin]

If you read this thread , it appears that "Outlawchopper " is very interested in learning how to shape sheetmetal. He asked if anyone was in the New England area. I offered to let him visit my shop and learn for free. I provided my e-mail and phone number.

I have not recieved a phone call or an e-mail from "outlawchopper".

Sometimes I believe these posts are not what they appear to be or who they appear to be . Fun and games I guess.... This happens often which leads me to think games are being played by ......


Wray

:-) Funny thing is outlaw chopper was traveling for work and then was at Laconia Bike week and has a computer virus (computer being fixed now). Wray it was nice chatting with you yesterday. As soon as I get my computer back tomorrow night I will upload my first disaster of a project. I made a buck using the foam, I cut out the shape I wanted and spaced out the width. I then traced the side of the buck about 1 inch bigger all around in the exact same shape as the buck. Why I did this I dont know, maybe figuring that the extra material would allow me to weld on the flat portions of the tank. Thats probably wrong. Anyway I beat the edges all around to start getting the shape, then I went to it with the wheel. If you can imagine having the side of the gas tank in the wheel going from the front to the back following the shape thats what I did. I wonder if I need to turn the tank the other way and work the walnuts out that way? Any advice? By doing it the second way imagine running the side of the tank from the top to the bottom in the wheel rather than from the front to the back. Hopefully that made sense.

[Boogiemanz1]

Jason, you said you beat the edges.......is this where the walnuts are?. To shape the tank you want to stretch the middle and shrink the edges. You can hand planish the walnuts first and save some wheeling time. What style tank are you building?

A wheel is a great device, but it would be the slow way to put a lot of contour in a tank. Shrinking is going to be a big part of most tanks. Are you familiar with tucking?

You may want to read Randy Ferguson's fender articles. They show a lot about bucks and surface information. http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/viewt...14&start=0

If you have an opportunity to visit Wray's shop and learn, take advantage of it! Might be the best time spent learning this craft...............john

John, I am building a tank that looks a little like a stretched sportster tank but the front is different. So I should have beat the middle of the tank and not the outside? How do you take the walnuts out by hand? I am not familiar with anything:-) Do I need a shrinker or stretcher like I seen on covells site or can I do it by hand? I will read that article.

[Boogiemanz1]

If you are headed to Dutch's this weekend, your questions will be answered.......john