WSRA Workshop
By Ward Jones
Photos By Thomas C. McGinnity
3 Pages

Hammer forming - And a drum roll-please. These guys are so good they can fall asleep and still listening to the old guy.

I am sure that every metal shaper has a number of custom made tools. These are some of mine. The leather covered ones are great to work over aluminum without leaving hammer smiles on the surface. The shiny one was cut from an old leaf spring with a heater hose slipped over the handle this reduces the shock feed back to you wrist. This one is heavy enough to be used as a slap hammer and thus saves your dinging spoon. The hammer forms are for rear gravel shields and made from MDF and then screw to 2" lumber so they won’t break. In this example I used a piece of .045 aluminum cut with a half inch margin greater than the form. Next center the material and clamp it securely or pin it to the form.

Using the slap hammer to roll the edges over the form. The initial shape of the pan should take about an hour with only hand tools. Then you have to add suitable brackets to fit your application.

Here I am using a low crown hammer as I work my way around the tight end. If you are careful you can complete this portion of the project without any welding. Joe Desimone de Simone is checking on my progress.

More shop made tools, the table top hammer tree and a cycle fender dolly in the vise. A shot of the steel supply in the background.

Lunch of course. It is 12:30 and Jim Gilmartin is waiting to get some lunch as he wonders how Ward got in front of him.

TIG welding - Ward is giving a review of the TIG welder and explaining the water cooed torch to Steve Saunders. Here Ward is making the appropriate settings for the material to be welded.

The TIG welder in action. Next the participants will try it. Steve asks about the heat rings which can show the quality of the weld.

Small tools as door prizes. WSRA natural snow cooler.

The class graduated with honors.