Tim Wescott wrote:
On Sun, 25 May 2008 21:44:45 -0700, Stupendous Man wrote:


I intend to learn a new skill and shape aluminum panels to make a
motorcycle fairing. I have seen a skilled pro make them, and have
aquirred a beating bag and have an antique hand-held English wheel.
Anyone experienced with panel beating enough to know if the easier to
obtain 3003 Aluminum is as good a choice as 1100 series? Is .060 to
thick? Is an air plannishing hammer a substitite for a Wheel, or
something to be used with it?


* Everything I know comes from common sense and from "Ultimate Sheet
Metal Fabrication" by Timothy Remus. I haven't actually done this, so
take what I say with a grain of salt. I suggest you get a copy of the
book - it's published by "Wolfgang Publications, PO Box 10, Scandia, MN,
55073". Powell's Books has it in stock: http://www.powells.com/
partner/30696/biblio/0964135892.

* Ron Covell sells books & videos, and gives classes. He advertises in
the back pages of the more custom- and DIY-oriented rodding magazines. I
think he also sells stand-up English wheels, when you get tired of your
little one.

* I can't imagine using a hand-held English wheel -- those suckers are
_big_, and I think they're big for a reason.

They are sized according to part requirements. Recently in the UK a
couple of small English Wheels came up on ebay that were intended for
making prosthetic limbs. They were maybe 18" long and 6" high, that was
overall, the working opening was smaller.

* As "bob" mentioned (probably from experience), power tools can get you
into trouble quick. I'd suggest learning how to do it by hand first,
then turn on the power. In fact, I'd suggest that before you go to an
air planishing hammer you use a hand planishing hammer to get to know the
process.

* 0.063 would be appropriate for really soft aluminum. The book I
mention insists that you want to stick with dead soft aluminum and
aluminum-killed steel -- these will make your work easy (and it's what
I'll start with to learn), but they bend easily and will not be as
durable as harder materials.

* If you use aluminum that work hardens, learn to anneal it. My dad used
to do body work in aluminum and brass, and he would anneal sheet metal by
smoking it up with an acetylene-only flame, then adjusting for a neutral
flame and playing the middle part of the flame (2-3" from the tip) over
the metal until the soot is gone.