Your mobile English Wheel is pure genius sir. I would totally enjoy watching you work with it for many hours. Because what your doing is poetry with metal IMHO.
I did not realize how elegant the tools are that are used in your craft. I knew the end result of the work was beautiful, but the tools themselves can also be works of art.
Wray...the mini EW is cool. Getting your adjuster to the outside might prove to be beneficial. Your generosity to expand your contest winners from 1 to 4 to 8 maybe 10 is absolutely amazing. I would be very interested to see some snippets of the video's all your contestants submitted. I look forward to all your videos. Thanks so much for teaching your craft and helping to ensure that the art of sheet metal shaping won't be a lost art.
Wray, when I suggested the portable English Wheel a few episodes prior, you po po'd it, saying it would be too unwieldy and heavy. And here it is! Ha,Ha, good job, I knew you could do it! JIM 🤩
I made one five years ago out of aluminum, and I wasn't happy with it, it turned out too heavy. I have tried the original 1920s cast iron versions and they are crap. I said in that earlier video titanium would be the best solution, this steel tubing frame is a compromise. If this version works well- and it looks like it will- we'll make an 18" throat version and video it.
Would love to see some construction of inner structures and how you would mount a scratch built outer panels. to said structures. And typical theories of building inner structures
More good stuff Wray! You’re efforts in putting these videos together combined with all the other things that you’re doing (classes, apprenticeship, store, etc.) give hope to guys like me to try some of these projects. Tool making sounds interesting. Regards.
What a great idea for a mobile English Wheel. I think I might try to make an exceptionally tiny one to better suit my needs. I can't wait to see your build video on that.
Thank you for addressing my comment about grinding the welds off the backside. I've often been tempted to buy an old hand held english wheel, however, most of them appear cumbersome and awkward to use, but yours looks like a great design! Someday I'll have to smarten up, quit spending all my money on junk cars and start buying/building some useful tools. Planishing out everything by hand gets pretty tedious, expecially on roof panels and other long seams!
I have a small one my dad used back in the 40's, He told me it was used for mainly redoing the old model a type fenders. Measures about 10 x 12 inches square. Never tried it myself.
Two little project I would like to see are: 1- A small rust repair. I envision rust in a corner of a fender with a compound curve and lip that attaches to the inner fender. The repair would likely entail creating shape form templates, making the repair section to fit, cutting out section and spot welds, fitting repair panel and welding in place, removing weld distortion, and metal finishing. 2-Creating a floor replacement section that has formed stiffening ribs that match the rib size and shape in the orginal floor section
Soy de argentina ,me sirve mucho ver todos los vídeos ya que acá no hay donde aprender el oficio, ya hice una rueda inglesa y Martillo planificador grande, ahora voy a hacer estos de mano,los sigo hace dos años pero ahora encontré la manera de traducir los vídeos y son mucho más productivos,me estoy arreglando para restaurar un fordA 1931 pick Up,muchas gracias
Very nice! That's a product! It might be an alternative for those who feel overwhelmed by a traditional English wheel. It would be interesting if the middle turnbuckle section can be adjusted to increase the throat size.
Hi Wray: I saw your hand held English wheel the other evening and I like the turn buckle feature center of the tool I think that was very wise considering the unnecessary weight on the rollers that may have added weight to the tool . Super nice !
I would love to see a guide on using a complex hammer form. You showed making a hammer form for the bottom of a motorcycle tank and have talked about how easy they are to use. It would be nice to see how easy they are to use. Like hardwood compared to kitty hair issues and variances.
You should sell a kit of the mobile English wheel, because people like me would buy it. Maybe I could make a bench stand for working small pieces on my Proshaper kit mobile English wheel.
It seems obvious, but I'll say it anyway, The metal at the tear that needs to be welded up, is surely badly stretched. I'm sure part of getting that to fit will require shrinking its edges. That will be interesting. I look forward to seeing that part. I hope you are able to borrow a hood, fender, front filler to perfect the fit. That will make this repair spot on, and who knows. It might be the way another Healey is brought back from the dead. Great Work Wray, Mark, Erick.
i was hoping for this to be mostly hammer and slapper work, I'm sure there are many of us out their who just cannot afford the cost of an English wheel and certainly have no access to one and would like more use of the most basic tools just to see how good the finish can be, remember the home car restorers are not looking for a Ferrari finish and just want the best that they can get with the most basic affordable tools,
Another great video!! I really wanted to submit a video and try to win the apprenticeship but I wouldn't be able to come this year. Hopefully next year. 🤞🤞🤞
Profile gauges are made from good quality cardboard. Make sure you have enough width so the backbone of the gauge doesn't weaken when you cut it out to match the profile. At first you just hold the cardboard up to the curve you want to copy and freehand draw a parallel line. We have been using cordless paper shears to cut the cardboard. Then you keep trimming the high spots, finish with 80 sandpaper. It should take no more than a few minutes to make a profile gauge.
Wray, I like your mobile English Wheel tool and have an idea. The flange for both top & bottom can move 90 degrees by using two detached flanges, located by roll pins, rare earth magnet and bar stock fitting inside the DOM tubing. Borrowing an idea from a huge shrinker/stretcher made by a company known for huge metal equipment. Roll pins locate rollers, magnet holds them when loose during fitment on panel. But wait, there’s more! Push-Pull is how the English Wheel work so at 90 degrees you need a handle that screws in like angle grinder or loosen and freely rotates the direction you want the wheel to go. I have large drills with split-pipe and nut welded, screw with “T” handle to point the desired direction. With correct wheels, go front to back w/o loosing that option. DK, ASE master retired
The question always comes back to the wheels for me. Most don't have lathe and a heat treating oven around so the wheels have to be bought... or do they? Especially for aluminum work, how much of the handheld wheel can be DIY if you only have a hobby stick or flux core welder and hand tools? Thanks.
The small mobile English wheel we built has mild steel non heat treated wheels.As long as you don't abuse top or lower wheels they don't need to be heat treated. If you run over plasma cut edges or un-ground welds you will bug up the wheels, use them properly and they will provide years of service with aluminum or steel. Step up to a tig it will serve you well. They can be purchased for $1600.00 ( more amperage , AC/DC, and lots of bells and whistles)down to as little as $200.00
I am going to try to build a tailgate for my Willys pickup with the Willys Overland emblem rolled into it. I believe I have a fair plan of process in mind but have a question with bead rolling a consistently tapered line for the arms of the "W", I am thinking the skateboard wheel and narrow die are the best bet to achieve the line, but it also has a rather distinctive taper and curve. To turn the wheel, make the curve while raising or lowering the top die is, IMHO, challenging. I am excited at the prospect of seeing where you go with the bed and tailgate on your Studebaker project.
Wray, you do awesome work and your mobile E-Wheel is just what I'm looking for. I have a lathe and can make the upper and lower wheels, and a buddy with a tubing bender. We have discussed building both a handheld planishing hammer and english wheel. I haven't been able to nail down a good size tubing, what diameter and wall thickness tubing are you using?
Could you make smaller EW for me wray? Smaller EW with smaller roller, shorther down arm, and can turn rollers 90° that can fit bike's mudguard without releasing bike's wheel
How do you make some of the Pattern Templates for the Healey Shroud when you can't trace from the end of the Panel? I have a Contour Gauge, but its not wide enough or doesn't always have the range ability for more contoured areas. For example you made a Template for the area approx. 6-10" back from the Headlight
Just what I need at the end of a long day ,,, new video , boots off and coffee to hand ,,,,,,,, here we go. Why not split the frame and put a hinge and an adjuster on your planishing hammer like the wheel. Im really looking forwards to seing how you straighten out the mouth , its got a very lop sided smile at the moment too.
I haven't tried one yet. I have heard pros and cons on it. I keep an open mind until I try it. Someone was supposed to let me try on but they never sent it.
TIA. When you made your own planishing anvil dies for your planishing hammer, what type of steel did you use to fabircate them? I am asking if it was hardened or if you hardened them, for use. Also, do you fill the tubing with Sand, to take the reverb from the planishing out of the handle?
Some of the planishing hammer dies I made some are original CP dies. I have made dies out of A-2 ( A-2 is air hardening), and also StressProof which is already hard but turns easy with carbide. There are many other steels you can use for planishing hammer dies. No sand in the tubes.
Hey Wray , I see another You Tuber by the name of Wes Lee , he repairs brass band instruments . He uses a little english wheel called the mini Z . Check it out !
I'm not being funny but I come to this channel to SEE bodywork/ metal shaping and find myself disappointed , far to much talking about other things. Tell me to f off if you will or take it as objective criticism. You are obviously a craftsman and your work and projects are great but I don't want to listen to the making of planishing hammers and such. Just my two cents.
Your mobile English Wheel is pure genius sir. I would totally enjoy watching you work with it for many hours. Because what your doing is poetry with metal IMHO.
What a fantastic clay model!! You & Eric have done a fantastic job.
I did not realize how elegant the tools are that are used in your craft. I knew the end result of the work was beautiful, but the tools themselves can also be works of art.
Even a hammer can be elegant, in the hands of a craftsman,
Very true! Hammers are cool too. It is amazing what you all do. I had no idea.
Wray...the mini EW is cool. Getting your adjuster to the outside might prove to be beneficial. Your generosity to expand your contest winners from 1 to 4 to 8 maybe 10 is absolutely amazing. I would be very interested to see some snippets of the video's all your contestants submitted. I look forward to all your videos. Thanks so much for teaching your craft and helping to ensure that the art of sheet metal shaping won't be a lost art.
Wray, when I suggested the portable English Wheel a few episodes prior, you po po'd it, saying it would be too unwieldy and heavy. And here it is! Ha,Ha, good job, I knew you could do it!
JIM 🤩
I made one five years ago out of aluminum, and I wasn't happy with it, it turned out too heavy. I have tried the original 1920s cast iron versions and they are crap. I said in that earlier video titanium would be the best solution, this steel tubing frame is a compromise. If this version works well- and it looks like it will- we'll make an 18" throat version and video it.
Would love to see some construction of inner structures and how you would mount a scratch built outer panels. to said structures. And typical theories of building inner structures
More good stuff Wray! You’re efforts in putting these videos together combined with all the other things that you’re doing (classes, apprenticeship, store, etc.) give hope to guys like me to try some of these projects. Tool making sounds interesting. Regards.
What a great idea for a mobile English Wheel. I think I might try to make an exceptionally tiny one to better suit my needs. I can't wait to see your build video on that.
Thank you for addressing my comment about grinding the welds off the backside. I've often been tempted to buy an old hand held english wheel, however, most of them appear cumbersome and awkward to use, but yours looks like a great design! Someday I'll have to smarten up, quit spending all my money on junk cars and start buying/building some useful tools. Planishing out everything by hand gets pretty tedious, expecially on roof panels and other long seams!
Nice Wray that you guys are adding in little bits of humor into your recent vids! You guys are the bomb as the cool kids say!
I have a small one my dad used back in the 40's, He told me it was used for mainly redoing the old model a type fenders. Measures about 10 x 12 inches square. Never tried it myself.
Nice tool, great job Eric + Wray
You are still doing excellent demos!
Two little project I would like to see are:
1- A small rust repair. I envision rust in a corner of a fender with a compound curve and lip that attaches to the inner fender. The repair would likely entail creating shape form templates, making the repair section to fit, cutting out section and spot welds, fitting repair panel and welding in place, removing weld distortion, and metal finishing.
2-Creating a floor replacement section that has formed stiffening ribs that match the rib size and shape in the orginal floor section
I will be doing floor repairs on the 52 Cadillac project. Also a panel still needs to be welded in on the Cadillac front fender.
I would love to see occasional updates on Ed’s Alfa Romeo project.
Soy de argentina ,me sirve mucho ver todos los vídeos ya que acá no hay donde aprender el oficio, ya hice una rueda inglesa y Martillo planificador grande, ahora voy a hacer estos de mano,los sigo hace dos años pero ahora encontré la manera de traducir los vídeos y son mucho más productivos,me estoy arreglando para restaurar un fordA 1931 pick Up,muchas gracias
Very nice! That's a product! It might be an alternative for those who feel overwhelmed by a traditional English wheel. It would be interesting if the middle turnbuckle section can be adjusted to increase the throat size.
Love the detailed explanation of your videos
Excellent video very interesting thank you Wray
What an elegant invention! I bet you could sell these (or sell plans + a couple fittings to make our own, hint hint).
Hi Wray: I saw your hand held English wheel the other evening and I like the turn buckle feature center of the tool I think that was very wise considering the unnecessary weight on the rollers that may have added weight to the tool . Super nice !
i really like the moble English wheel
brilliant idea
I just found your channel. The work you do is amazing, wow!
Don't forget the Caddy!!
I don’t find the planishing boring. Taking it from 80% to 99% is where all the skill is.
Love the tool building videos.
Wowwww!!!! Esto si es otro nivel 👍👍👍👍👍no imaginé que es herramienta existía,felicitaciones y mil gracias por compartir sus conocimientos
Nice execution on that English Wheel, that Erase a Dent on ebay looks like it's very heavy.
I would love to see a guide on using a complex hammer form. You showed making a hammer form for the bottom of a motorcycle tank and have talked about how easy they are to use. It would be nice to see how easy they are to use. Like hardwood compared to kitty hair issues and variances.
Between you and Karl Fisher, you’re building some cool tools!
You should sell a kit of the mobile English wheel, because people like me would buy it.
Maybe I could make a bench stand for working small pieces on my Proshaper kit mobile English wheel.
It seems obvious, but I'll say it anyway, The metal at the tear that needs to be welded up, is surely badly stretched. I'm sure part of getting that to fit will require shrinking its edges. That will be interesting. I look forward to seeing that part.
I hope you are able to borrow a hood, fender, front filler to perfect the fit. That will make this repair spot on, and who knows. It might be the way another Healey is brought back from the dead. Great Work Wray, Mark, Erick.
Hi not dead wray. What happened to the scout ? As that is the kind of work most people will have to do each day can we finish some of it ?
I would love to see more of the Scout!
i was hoping for this to be mostly hammer and slapper work, I'm sure there are many of us out their who just cannot afford the cost of an English wheel and certainly have no access to one and would like more use of the most basic tools just to see how good the finish can be, remember the home car restorers are not looking for a Ferrari finish and just want the best that they can get with the most basic affordable tools,
Woul love to see the Studibaker ute build
Another great video!! I really wanted to submit a video and try to win the apprenticeship but I wouldn't be able to come this year. Hopefully next year. 🤞🤞🤞
Can you show how you make such good templates?
Profile gauges are made from good quality cardboard. Make sure you have enough width so the backbone of the gauge doesn't weaken when you cut it out to match the profile. At first you just hold the cardboard up to the curve you want to copy and freehand draw a parallel line. We have been using cordless paper shears to cut the cardboard. Then you keep trimming the high spots, finish with 80 sandpaper. It should take no more than a few minutes to make a profile gauge.
Thanks
Love it, advice on what air head to use if you can’t get a “real “ planishing hammer?
www.michiganpneumatic.com/
Wray,
Hey how's the drawings build /video coming along for the Gathering tool??? Even thought I built one for one of your photos.
I need to hire a video and a CAD guy. I have been working to 12:00 pm just about every night recently and still there is a ton left to do.
Wray, I like your mobile English Wheel tool and have an idea. The flange for both top & bottom can move 90 degrees by using two detached flanges, located by roll pins, rare earth magnet and bar stock fitting inside the DOM tubing.
Borrowing an idea from a huge shrinker/stretcher made by a company known for huge metal equipment. Roll pins locate rollers, magnet holds them when loose during fitment on panel. But wait, there’s more! Push-Pull is how the English Wheel work so at 90 degrees you need a handle that screws in like angle grinder or loosen and freely rotates the direction you want the wheel to go. I have large drills with split-pipe and nut welded, screw with “T” handle to point the desired direction. With correct wheels, go front to back w/o loosing that option. DK, ASE master retired
The question always comes back to the wheels for me. Most don't have lathe and a heat treating oven around so the wheels have to be bought... or do they? Especially for aluminum work, how much of the handheld wheel can be DIY if you only have a hobby stick or flux core welder and hand tools? Thanks.
The small mobile English wheel we built has mild steel non heat treated wheels.As long as you don't abuse top or lower wheels they don't need to be heat treated. If you run over plasma cut edges or un-ground welds you will bug up the wheels, use them properly and they will provide years of service with aluminum or steel. Step up to a tig it will serve you well. They can be purchased for $1600.00 ( more amperage , AC/DC, and lots of bells and whistles)down to as little as $200.00
I am going to try to build a tailgate for my Willys pickup with the Willys Overland emblem rolled into it. I believe I have a fair plan of process in mind but have a question with bead rolling a consistently tapered line for the arms of the "W", I am thinking the skateboard wheel and narrow die are the best bet to achieve the line, but it also has a rather distinctive taper and curve. To turn the wheel, make the curve while raising or lowering the top die is, IMHO, challenging. I am excited at the prospect of seeing where you go with the bed and tailgate on your Studebaker project.
I have no script bead rolling experience, when I get to the problem I will solve it. I'm no help for you right now.
will you ever do a video on shrinking with a torch and hammer and dolly
Hi Dan, I have torch shrunk in a lot of my videos, go to my library and you will find a few. I have about 230 videos at my UA-cam homepage.
Wray, you do awesome work and your mobile E-Wheel is just what I'm looking for. I have a lathe and can make the upper and lower wheels, and a buddy with a tubing bender. We have discussed building both a handheld planishing hammer and english wheel. I haven't been able to nail down a good size tubing, what diameter and wall thickness tubing are you using?
I think it is 1.25" dia with .080" wall.
Could you make smaller EW for me wray?
Smaller EW with smaller roller, shorther down arm, and can turn rollers 90° that can fit bike's mudguard without releasing bike's wheel
You need to sell those Wray!!!
Maybe the plans. I need to hire a CAD guy, to help out.
Wray check out Karl Fishers new planishing hammer. I had asked you about planishing hammer in earlier video of this repair
Maybe a small structure works better in this case... more portable and easy to fit in small spaces
How do you make some of the Pattern Templates for the Healey Shroud when you can't trace from the end of the Panel? I have a Contour Gauge, but its not wide enough or doesn't always have the range ability for more contoured areas. For example you made a Template for the area approx. 6-10" back from the Headlight
We'll show the process of how to make a profile gauge again in an upcoming video.
nice ,dit you have made that bigger one already?greetz
Just what I need at the end of a long day ,,, new video , boots off and coffee to hand ,,,,,,,, here we go.
Why not split the frame and put a hinge and an adjuster on your planishing hammer like the wheel. Im really looking forwards to seing how you straighten out the mouth , its got a very lop sided smile at the moment too.
In the army we talk about the 7P's
Perfect Planning and Preparation Prevents P*ss Poor Performance .
Wray what's your thoughts on using something like an OX planishing hammer?
I haven't tried one yet. I have heard pros and cons on it. I keep an open mind until I try it. Someone was supposed to let me try on but they never sent it.
I've never used any of those tools doing to same work...
Better than the Stiles Herman erase a dent!
TIA. When you made your own planishing anvil dies for your planishing hammer, what type of steel did you use to fabircate them? I am asking if it was hardened or if you hardened them, for use. Also, do you fill the tubing with Sand, to take the reverb from the planishing out of the handle?
Some of the planishing hammer dies I made some are original CP dies. I have made dies out of A-2 ( A-2 is air hardening), and also StressProof which is already hard but turns easy with carbide. There are many other steels you can use for planishing hammer dies. No sand in the tubes.
Have Eric make me one
52 Caddy?
Hey Wray , I see another You Tuber by the name of Wes Lee , he repairs brass band instruments . He uses a little english wheel called the mini Z . Check it out !
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🍺🍺
🤭 Promo>SM!!
I'm not being funny but I come to this channel to SEE bodywork/ metal shaping and find myself disappointed , far to much talking about other things.
Tell me to f off if you will or take it as objective criticism.
You are obviously a craftsman and your work and projects are great but I don't want to listen to the making of planishing hammers and such.
Just my two cents.
I have several hundred videos, watch my E-type bonnet build series.
IM FIRST