Custom Metal Working on Motorcyles

[angus31632]

Hay fellas,
I'm 20, from south Georgia, I'm a certified union pipe welder/apprentice thru UA 72 in Atl, GA. I can weld on carbon, stainless, aluminum. I have limited experience with sheet metal and i have limited tools but I have the desire to learn and i will listen to anyone who will help me. I've been watching Jesse James others build their own gas tanks/fenders and the like, I want to know the best way to learn the metal forming skill, and proper mock up, wiring, and anything else that i have left out.

Thanks Again

[wrench3047]

short of apprenticeship or going to school for body work I would suggest starting at www.tinmantech.com/

good videos here
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...43l331l10l10l0.

some good stuff here

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/cfdirectory.cgi

there is some interesting stuff here

http://www.autobody101.com/content/articles/autobody-articles/?title=Home%20Made%20Planishing%20Hammer

there are many places on the web to read or watch how (YouTube has a pile), but the best I found is get some sheet metal, basic hand tools and beat/ twist/ bend stuff till it looks like you wanted or you have to get another piece and try again. There are dozens of basic classes, DVDs and books/ pamphlets out there. I've watched a few old school auto body guys and googled the rest of what I know and can scrap a good piece of sheet pretty quickly.

[spence648]

"the best I found is get some sheet metal, basic hand tools and beat/ twist/ bend stuff till it looks like you wanted or you have to get another piece and try again"

this is excellent advice and is also my recomendation. Metal shaping equipment can be expensive, but the results you can get with clamps, presses, wooden jigs to bend around and some creativity and ingenuity is amazing!!!!!