Vehicle Body Hand Forming Class

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From: Wray Schelin [mailto:wesparts@charter.net]

Jim,

I have been receiving your newsletter for some time now and I have enjoyed the information. Thanks! I see that you are interested in low production methods of sheet metal shaping. I wonder if you would consider attending or know someone else who would like to attend my sheet metal shaping class. I have a very novel approach to hand forming sheet metal that is very easy to learn. The quality of the panels produced in my class are of the highest quality possible. See my email flyer below.

Here is the link to my Ebay ad for my classes. Check it out and see some of the pictures of projects that have been made.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120005438662&rd=1&rd=1

In addition to my regular classes I will soon be annoucing a new type of class where the student can make a whole car ( multiple classes will be required) body and keep his work

I also will be offering soon a complete line of state of the art
sheet metal shaping tools.

Regards,

Wray Schelin 508-347-7749

I offer sheetmetal shaping classes at least once a

month for up to four attendees at $325.00 tuition per day,

per person. The class is 12 hours per day (9:00AM -12:30PM,

1:00PM to 5:00PM, 6:30PM to 12:00 AM, (earlier quiting time if 

you get tired). You can attend only one day, two, or all three

days, your choice. Lunch, soda, bottled water, and materials 

used (aluminum and steel sheet,and abrasives) during the class 

are included.

To insure a spot, a deposit of $325.00 is required.  

My shop is heated and air-condioned.

The next class will be December 8th, 9th, and 10th. The January

2007 dates are the 12th, 13th, and the 14th.The February 2007

class dates are the 9th, 10th, and 11th. Please let me know

which dates are best for you and I'll try to accommodate your

needs for classes or one-on-one instruction.

In addition to the group class, I also offer one-on-one 

instruction while working exclusively on your panel or 

project (fender-sized or less) that you bring or ship in. 

Cost for this hands-on instruction and service is $500.00 

per day for a twelve-hour working day, $400.00 for an 

eight-hour working day.  Materials used, steel or 

aluminum sheet,lunch, soda,and bottled water are included

(dates are open to the needs of the attendee).

Here is the description of what you can expect to learn at 

my group sheetmetal shaping class and at my one-on-one panel

/project service:

It doesn't matter if you are a novice or have been shaping

sheetmetal for some time, in both cases I can help you 

learn new skills quickly. I teach in a very easy to 

understand manner using many illustrations and actual examples. 

I can show you how to get results that are equal to any of 

the best sheetmetal shapers practicing today.

You will have a chance to use any piece of equipment in my

shop so you will experience the full spectrum of the 

different methods possible to get the same results, plus learn

a lot about how each machine works. This will help you make 

the right decisions when considering purchasing equipment. 

This can save you from spending thousands of dollars on 

equipment that is not needed or poorly made.

You can bring a project for you to work on with my guidance,

as long as it is fender-sized or less. You can ship your 

project in via UPS beforehand if it is too large to bring 

in person. Often times the value of the work completed on 

projects exceeds the cost of the class.

I encourage all that attend to make sure they bring a notebook

and a camera so they can record the most important rules 

about working sheetmetal which are revealed during the class.  

On day one I explain all of the theory needed to super 

accurately shape sheetmetal, demonstrate the many techniques, 

and show how the tools are used.

On day two and three you put all that you learned from the 

first day to work building a project.  I will guide you 

through all of the techniques, show you how to correct errors

and show how the same results and quality can be achieved by 

using different methods and tools. What you will learn will

exceed your expectations! I will also focus on any aspect of

the craft that you feel you need more help with.

Over the course of the three days ( 36 hours total shop time )

I cover the following:

How to understand what a shape is in sheetmetal and how to 

break it down into pieces you can make on the equipment/tools 

that you own.

How to weld panels together so that you can achieve a 

super-smooth, bondo-free surface. Correct methods of tig 

welding, mig welding, and gas welding will be covered.

Use of the English wheel, air planishing hammer, and

helve power hammer. 

Hand shaping methods including use of a post dolly,

slappers, mallets, and various hammers.

How to shrink sheetmetal properly when using a helve power 

hammer, Erco kick shrinker, and also hand tuck shrinking with 

tucking tools. Results will be compared between each method.

How to planish sheetmetal using an air planishing hammer, 

English wheel, helve hammer, and on a post dolly.

How to properly stretch and shrink sheetmetal without damaging 

the metal.

How to make flexible shape patterns and how to use them.

How to add details and features on panels like beads,

wired edges,hemmed edges, flanged edges, and reveal lines.

The different types of bucks and how to make and use them.

How to make a patch panel and weld it in.

How to properly remove dents.

How to use a shrinking disc.

How to do superb work with just a minimum of tools!

Please e-mail me back if you would like to attend.

Check out my Pro Shaper Tools and Videos Ebay store .

http://stores.ebay.com/Pro-Shaper-Tools-and-Videos

Also check out the pictures of past classes that I have posted

in my Ebay ad for my classes.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sheet-Metal-Shaping-Class-English-Wheel-Planishing_W0QQitemZ120005438662QQihZ002QQcategoryZ92150QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks,

Wray Schelin   

I have over 40 years total collector car restoration experience

having restored some of the finest 1930s vintage collector cars

including Mercedes, Packards, Duesenburgs, Rolls Royce, Auburn, 

Stutz and others. 

The last 18 plus years I have been hand shaping and fabricating

replacement XK 120,140,and 150 Jaguar replacement panels and 

marketing them to collectors throughout the US and Canada.

I hope to soon embark on a new career of designing high end 

modern furniture, sculpture, and decorative household items, 

making them primarily with bronze, copper, brass, aluminum, 

and stainless sheetmetal, using traditional hand shaping and 

fabrication methods coupled with CNC methods and solid 

modeling CAD.

I'm also going to start to offer for sale this year a full line

of sheetmetal shaping equipment that will be innnovative and 

cutting edge in design.

Accommodations and travel information:

My town has at least 15 motels (Sturbridge is a tourist town) 

so accommodations are not a problem. Room rates range from 

a low of $42.00 for the smaller motels to a high end of $150.00 per night.  

This site will be helpful:  http://www.sturbridge.org/

Summer rates are now in effect so lodging rates will be higher

than the winter rates.

A lot of my students have been staying at these inexpensive 

motels which are about 3 miles from my house/shop :

 Rodeway Inn 

172 Main Street, Route 131

P.O. Box 849

Sturbridge, MA 01566

(508) 347-9673 

Scottish Inns

140 Main Street, Route 131

Sturbridge, MA 01566

(508) 347-9514 

Fax: (508) 347-9337

Email: mailto:Patel142@charter.net

Also check out  http://www.roomsaver.com     they offer coupons for

motel rooms. You will need to fill in "Massachusetts" and "Sturbridge"

on their drop down menu. Currently they have coupons for 9 different

Sturbridge motels starting from as low as $40.00 per night.

My address:

Wray Schelin

189 Fiske Hill Rd.

Sturbridge, MA 01566      Phone: 508-347-7749

The closest airport and the best airport to use by far is: 

Bradley International (which is the airport for Hartford, 

Connecticut) it's about 40 minutes away from my shop and 

it's all interstate highway driving.   

http://www.bradleyairport.com/home/home.php 

Boston's Logan Airport is about 80 minutes away.   

http://www.massport.com/logan/