Thanks for the comment Rudie. Yes I am like a dinosaur and almost extinct, guess that is why I can't find anybody who I can pass my skills on to. Glad you enjoyed the video. Brian

Many thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Glad you stuck with me all the way thru this video, great to have viewers like you.

Thanks for watching my videos and taking the time to leave a comment. Viewer like you are appreciated. Keep watching for more videos coming out all the time. Brian

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Keep watching, new videos always coming out.

thanks for the comment Greg. trying to bring out a line of FC parts that are hard to get these days, let me know if you need anything.

Thanks for watching, always good to have new viewers.

After years of trying to pass along my skills to the next generation, I now realize it isn't going to happen. That is why I started the youtube channel, thinking that somewhere in the USA or beyond, someone would get interested in this metalworking trade. Thanks for the comment and keep watching for more videos.

metalshaper, Your plan worked. I might not be your target audience but after I retired from the military I have continued my education and slowly built up tooling. Thank you in giving this Soldier a new mission. Cheers.

Hey Lonnie, glad you are getting some tools and such and now have a new mission after your military career. Give a shout if you need anything, Brian

Thanks for the comment and I am glad you are enjoying the videos I am putting out there. Spread the word and show the videos to your friends. I am trying to grow and make my channel better so any help is appreciated. Brian

it is very easy to stretch out some of your shrinking if you hit too hard with the power hammer or the planishing hammer. After some time on either machine it is easy to estimate how much the panel will change after smoothing it out. when I do the final planishing I keep the piece moving all the time and set a light hit so as not to stretch the material out too much.

See my comment above. I have had many problems with customers so I gave up making FC parts. Usually the cabs are so bad and people don't take the time to brace them before cutting out the rust and then they blame my panels as the problem.

Terry, when making the cab corners I do a lot of shrinking to get the proper shape. The shrinking process makes the panel thicker. I start out with .047" thick material. In the lower part where most of the shrinking takes place the panel measures approx. .067" when I am finished. Shrinking or stretching does not make a panel rust faster or dent easier. As always good paint prep, quality material, and you will have a panel that lasts a long time. Yes, all parts were usually stamped with large machines and dies. Just about every die has been scrapped, or transformed into another die. Manufacturers are very protective of dies and won't ever let them get out into the public. Hope you enjoyed seeing how panels are made.

metalshaper OK Thanks

I have started to offer metal shaping classes during the winter months to anyone interested in learning the trade. Don't want to see the metal shaping craft die off so doing what I can to keep it alive. I had to learn the hard way, trial and error, and get what information I could from older metal workers who did not want to let the secrets out, so I had a difficult time. Now I am changing all that and showing how things are done here on the internet and in my metal shaping classes. Glad you are enjoying my videos. Brian

I have had nothing buy trouble making these panels for do it yourself guys. Right now I am only making them for projects I have in the shop where I install them myself. too many people have completely rusted out cabs and they take them apart and make them flimsy and sloppy. then they try to put in my accurate panels and says they don't fit. Most guys have no way to shrink or stretch the panel a little bit so when it doesn't fit their crooked cab they complain about the panel quality. It has led to many problems, just too many people who have no skills trying to install these panels.

I only make panels for vehicles in the shop. Had too many problems with people who were installing my panels themselves and making a mess of things.

I take that as a very appropriate fair warning that every classic is different. I personally would still appreciate the opportunity to buy panels, because any shaping I do would have way to much body filler😉. I’m willing to pay for your work even if it just gets me close. Thanks!

English wheels only stretch metal. That is why I prefer a power hammer which can do both, stretch and shrink. Often it is faster and easier to shrink a panel into shape rather than stretch it.

your work is amazing btw.. i could attempt this by hand and spend a ton of time.for it to come half ass but id rather pay you for them to be professionally done haha