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You then move on to practical work, learning how to stretch and shrink metal to form a curved flange on a flat panel, accurately and cleanly.  Following this you will wire the edge of the same panel.  This is all achieved using basic hand tools.

The next practical lesson involves using a mallet and wooden block, shaping a panel to accurately fit a jig or former. You will also smooth the panel using hand tools and a wheeling machine.

Day Two

We begin with a tutorial and discussion on jig building and general body construction.  You will then learn butt welding using TIG or gas torch. This is an important technique required in the making and repair or replacement of panels. The rest of the day is spent practicing all of the techniques learnt on the first day.This reinforces and refines the skills you have gained.

At the end of the course you will go away with all the knowledge and confidence required to enable you to produce small repair panels and repair or alter larger panels to accurately fit your bodywork.

Five Day Course

Day One

The day begins with coffee and registration followed by a short talk on the health and safety aspects of the course.  This is followed by a tutorial and discussion on the basic principles of cutting, marking out and pattern making.

We then move onto practical work, cutting steel and aluminium using tin snips creating minimal distortion in the process.

Then learning how to stretch and shrink metal to form a curved flange on a flat panel, accurately and cleanly. Following this you will wire the edge of the same panel. This is all achieved using basic hand tools.

The next practical lesson involves using a mallet and wooden block, shaping a panel to accurately fit a jig or former. You will also smooth the panel using hand tools and a wheeling machine.

The English Wheeling  Machine is a device for smoothing and creating a double curvature shape in sheet metal and requires expert instruction in its use and limitations. It also requires a fair amount of practice before a novice can begin to fully understand and master its capabilities. The use of the wheeling machine will feature greatly throughout the course.

Day Two

We begin with a tutorial and discussion on taking shapes and making patterns for double curvature panels.  We will also discuss methods and practicalities of jig building. 

You will then practice butt welding with one to one supervision using a TIG welding machine until you are capable of producing a first class weld  that has no metal added with filler rod, and so does not require grinding.This results in a beautiful join that can be planished to a smooth finish and in so doing relieve the welding stresses in the material. 

This welding usually takes about half an hour per person regardless of previous experience so the rest of the day is spent  shaping and wheeling.

Day Three

We begin with a tutorial and discussion on body construction and alignment.

This is followed by further practice of shaping, and butt welding on a double curvature panel. At this stage in the course you will go on to produce a more sophisticated shape incorporating a reverse curve which will be butt welded to your original panel. You can also now begin work on a project of your own if you wish.

Day Four

Begins with a tutorial and discussion on specialized tool-making for those awkward little recesses and finely detailed work that cannot be accomplished with traditional tools.

We look at ways of producing quick, easy made tools, jigs, fixtures and aids to help us add more precise detail to our work. For example, recesses for door-locks, flanged or sunken holes, and petrol filler cap recesses, et cetera.

This is followed by a resumption of work on the more sophisticated panel, incorporating  all the techniques learned so far. We aim to finish this by the afternoon on day five.

Day Five

We begin with a general discussion and feedback session and then continue with the final project panel until it is completed.

Throughout the course you are encouraged to ask questions and make comments on any of the techniques used and also make your own suggestions as to how a job might be done. This helps to remove any mystique you may feel in certain areas. 

At the end of the course you will go away with all the skills and confidence required to enable you to produce complete panels and repair or alter panels to accurately fit your bodywork.