Hi everyone from the west midlands,uk.
 

Hi everyone.
My names Andy and I've joined here looking to learn about body panel fabrication.
If anyone has any information on any courses in the west midlands I would love to hear about them. I have found a few colleges that offer courses but the closest one is over 100 miles away and that's too far to commute. Are there any other similar to contour autocraft that dont cost as much, as £1000 is just way too much for me too afford.
Thanks andy.

Hi Andy, the part of the world you are in was once the center for coachbuilding there must be some people there to learn from. I may do some classes soon but I am not that much nearer and probably will not be that much cheaper.

David

Hi Andy and welcome!:)
You might want to buy David's DVD! It is one of the best on the market!:)
Also, YouTube has 1,000's of metal shaping clips. Here is a link to Lazze's YouTube's
http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/ind...e=cat/cat5.htm

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the forum, you'll find a lot of help here, the archives are a great resource for learning.
David's DVD is a great start, as well as Peter Tommasinis DVDs, but everybody has a contribution to make both pros and amateurs alike, there's a lot of talented people here so keep watching.
I'm in Aston, Birmingham, so only a stones throw away really from you.
I haven't found anybody local teaching car restoration , but Eckold in Coventry due run classes, but theyre expensive too.

HI Andy welcome to the forum
Peter

Thanks for the welcome everyone.
I have ordered a couple of books off ebay and will watch the videos on youtube.
Davids dvd sounds ideal as it seems to be aimed at using basic hand tools rather than expensive wheels and power hammers etc.
I have been searching everywhere and im 99.9% sure that there isn't a course within a 50 mile radius of me. I dont mind travelling further but it would have to be a condensed short course over a few days or a week. That way I could stay nearby in a b&b for the duration rather than commuting every day.
I have even considered contacting local body shops and seeing if they would be prepared to teach me if I offered a free days labour every week for the chance to learn, but most body shops seem to be accident repair centres that just replace panels rather than repair or make them.
if anyone has any advice on my best route to go I would appreciate it.
For now I will just try and learn myself the basics and practice, but I know what may take me a week to learn myself could probably be picked up in a few hours being shown by someone experienced.
David I could be very interested in your classes. Could you please let me know more details if they do go ahead.
If anyone knows someone in the west midlands area who could be interested in having some help in exchange for showing me the ropes please let me know.
Many thanks andy.

Hi Martin do you have any information on the eckold course as I cant find much about it on their website. I have searched on google and found someone on the locost builders site who did a 1 day hammer and dolly course there in 2010 for £60 which seems very reasonable if they are still similarly priced.
thanks andy.

Training
 

Hi Andy,

I think you have to ring up and ask when they are next doing a course, here's a link about it...http://www.eckold.co.uk/pdfs/shaping-hand-out-5.pdf.
I think one of the members on this site has been on it Redoxide if my memory is correct.
Let me know what Eckold say, might come along.
I don't know anyone local who's a proper panel maker, that's not to say there aren't any, it's just they keep quiet and don't seem to want to pass on much help, that's one of the causes of this declining artform:(.
If you want to call by sometime to my workshop PM me, I'll show what I get up to.

Hi martin.
I have been in touch with eckold and they wont be holding any more courses till next year. They said details should be posted on their site by the end of this year listing details.
I have pm'd you regarding popping over some time and if I manage to find anything else local I will be sure to let you know.
thanks andy.

Hi Andy, I am not sure of when I will be able to put on a class, dead of winter is not ideal because it gets dam cold in here because my workshop is a farm building and not insulated. If I can get organised soon I will hold a class.

Have not come up with any details but if you have any ideas of duration of course you are looking for I will see what can be done. There are plenty of B&Bs and hotels here, even a caravan park because we are by the sea, so lots of choice of places to stay.

David

Hi Andy welcome to the site.
Have you tried The Black Country Museum yes I know its right on your doorstep, if not go to the garage and have a chat to the volunteers there. From what I see on their website they don't have any vacancies but I found that the guys doing restoration work are only too pleased to talk, and you may be what their looking for.

The Black Country Motor Company
http://www.bclm.co.uk
The Motor Company volunteers meet on a weekly basis at the Museum to maintain and restore the Museum’s collection of vintage vehicles and to regularly operate the vehicles around the Museum village.

and by way of a course that's value for money.

Bill Longyard went to MPH Motor Panels in Liskard Cornwall while on a trip over here, mainly wheeling, they do 2 and 5 day course. Check out Geoff Moss video filmed by Bill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6GTMAMUee4
http://www.mphmotorpanels.com/ Try clicking Bill's Bugatti top right hand corner, another masterpiece.

Hi david at the moment as much as I would love to do a course, I just couldn't afford it in the near future. My main interest would be to learn the basic foundations using mainly hand tools, I would love to learn to use a wheeling machine and planishing machines etc but wouldn't be in a position to purchase them.
I have been considering my options at the moment and think that spending my money on your dvd and some basic tools would be my best bet, then I can practice on a few small repair pieces I need to make.

Hi tom, thanks for your brilliant suggestion, I would never of thought of the bclm. I will pop down and have a chat with them and see if they would be interested in me volunteering one day a week. I have a good knowledge of mechanical work, body preparation and painting.
So hopefully I can be of some help to them in exchange for their knowledge.
That course you linked does sound great and that work is amazing but I just wouldn't be able to afford it as with travel expenses, accommodation and the fees it is still close on £1000. Also it seems mainly aimed at wheeling which would be great to learn but I couldn't afford one in the near future.

Thank you all for your great help and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated and I look forward to any more ideas.
thanks andy.

Hi Andy I am sure that David would be the right man to teach you but I think that Jeff Moss from MPH does classes to, they are both brilliant tradesman
Peter

Hi peter.
Yes I do believe I would benefit greatly from one of davids classes but for the moment I will settle for learning from some books and davids dvd (judging from the many positive reviews its as informative as some classes). Mphmotorpanels do hold classes and he does seem to be an excellent craftsman but his classes are also out of my budget at the moment.
I hope to find an experienced car restorer who will be glad that im interested in and prepared to commit my own time to try to learn this seeming dying art.
fingers crossed as there doesn't seem to be too many local to me. I have come up with an idea of joining some local classic and custom car clubs and hopefully some members can point me in the right direction.
Thanks andy.

Metalshaping classes.
 

Andy,

I live in Halesowen so I'm a stone's throw away from you.

I have completed several courses at Leeds City Technology College. These are held in the college holidays and are entitled "short courses". My advice is complete the one week welding course first. This is mainly gas welding but touches on brazing and MIG on the last couple of days. Thereafter complete the panel fabrication course. This teaches roughing out in the stump/sandbag, English wheeling, wire edging, use of the shrinker/stretcher, simple folding/flanging. The tutor Terry Devaney is a very skilled fellow having spent his entire working life building vehicle bodies.

I did it the wrong way round. I did the panel fab' course first so had to do a "crash course" in gas welding. As a result several months later I did the welding course. I then did the panel fabrication course again.

Each course is £385 (per week) which I think is excellent value for money. I've also done their one day body soldering course.

Next month I'm off to Cornwall to take Geoff Moss's wheeling course. I'm very much looking forward to that.

If you are tempted by the Leeds courses there is a bed and breakfast that I can recommend within walking distance of the college. My only advice would be to check whether Terry is the tutor.

Good luck.

Paul McElhinney.

Link...
 

I would also recommend this course
 

I went on the panel fab course at Leeds City Technology College and would recommend it as well. I would also say that having welding first would make it easier. Leaves you with the time just to concentrate on the panel skills. Loads of cheap B&Bs in Leeds so not too expensive either. Terry was with them at the NEC Classic car show today, so he is still doing some stuff with them.