The Portuguese Lancia Aurelia B12 1955 Series II

[2b1ask1]

Actually Frank, at those prices I'm tempted to get myself one and be contented just curving bits of metal in my garage; just for fun! The feeling of satisfaction seeing a shape forming in your hands is awsome. It has to be more satisfying than a potters wheel as the results are instantly your own... I believe that Panther cars are still made this way, probably morgans and a few others... Just need to find the shrinking stamp machine to complete the set...

Tis alows you to put seam edges onto your panels and Bob's your uncle...

 

[Parisien]

Looks wonderful....a retired Lancisti makes panelsup for the range........does a fab job and reasonable prices....


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[lozcb]

Any problems Frank you could always use these people , quite close to me only 10 miles away http://www.shapecraft.com/frameset.html , sure your ex lancisti guy works out , but any probs dont hesitate to call


these are the experts of experts , and prices aren't that bad




regards loz

 

[Parisien]

Cheers for that Loz.......am sure it will work out, the truly difficult bit is the double skinned area where the A pillar meets the sills.....totally shot........anyways no time limit really......fingers Xed the welder/body man I choose comes up with the goods, he/they have excellent reputations



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[lozcb]

Cheers for that Loz.......am sure it will work out, the truly difficult bit is the double skinned area where the A pillar meets the sills.....totally shot........anyways no time limit really......fingers Xed the welder/body man I choose comes up with the goods,

he/they have excellent reputations

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Thats all that matters Frank , you be surpised what an old school tradesman can do with a good set of hammers and soome decent steel to work with ,



regards loz

 

[Parisien]

Well in small country areas, your reputation always preceeds you.....no where to hide, ie little "passing" trade........but have to wait and see whose up for it and their prces.....


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[Khamsin433]

Nice update Frank, was beginning to think you'd forgot about this thread.

Looks to be as expected, but as you say if you have a good metal worker then you are quids in. I have a friend local to me who I go watch every now and then just to see the results. He's old school and has all the tools such as the wheel and shrinking/ stretching tools. Primarily work on motorcylce tanks and turns out works of art. But as he says he struggles to make any money due to the price limits set by the market, shame as it's a skill I envy.
Takes some effort as I found out once when I helped him with a job he was working on the wheel, makes it look easy.

Look forward to some more updates.

 

[Parisien]

Cheers Bal........will keep you all appraised/horrified over the coming months!


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[lozcb]

Cheers Bal........will keep you all appraised/horrified over the coming months!


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There you go Frank[video=youtube;IGElSHzm0q8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGElSHzm0q8&feature=related[/video]

 

[lozcb]

This one made me laugh at first .......................interesting tho


[video=youtube;EOIcDYlT2mo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOIcDYlT2mo&feature=related[/video]



regards loz

 

[Parisien]

Yes Loz....to me its a bit like black magic...the whole.....flat sheet of metal then shape it into a 3D shape so perfect and smooth its fabulous


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[lozcb]

one more for you frank


[video=youtube;4B-mvKiQTdM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B-mvKiQTdM&feature=related[/video]



Clever stuff eh , makes me wonder in 30-40 years time are all these old trades going to be lost


regards loz

 

[Parisien]

Well Loz....by rights these trades/skills should have died out in the 50s/60s........but here we have 50 yrs later, quite a few people of a young age doing it up and down the country.......


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[2b1ask1]

These skills are alive and kicking but I agree, in general we have a massive hole in our engineering skills in this country and we are going to pay dearly for it over the next 30 years. I feel I'm doing everything I can to help but we are really struggling to find good engineers in the UK.

I learnt my bodywork skills at an evening class but purely amateur and just found it frustrating so I never persued it. One day perhaps I will have the time to get into it again. THe guys in Loz's videos make it look easy; the skill IS making it look easy, because to get it right you shouldn't be fighting the metal, insteat listening to it and allowing it to flow how it wants to but also where you want it! You have to be prepaired to throw a good few efforts away before it comes to you... I need to refresh my gas welding skills and learn TIG and MIG, neither of these have I ever mastered. My portable (ARC) welder however is capable of managing up to 6mm rods (in certain conditions) and can be used on stainless steel, cast Iron, aluminium and even as a cutter! I am aware however that it is my speed of working that lets me down and makes things like sodding about with exhaust pipes etc unecconomical.

 

[Parisien]

Yes Newton, but when any skilled operator does their thing...it always looks easy.....................in the old days to become the master forger, metal worker etc....it was a 30 yr apprenticeship!

Now if you aint mastered it in a fortnight, its a waste of time.......................


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[2b1ask1]

True enough Frank...


Push button culture = instant gratification... I scrumped some apples today, been watching them grow all summer, very satisfying!

 

[Parisien]

..........know nothing about scrumpy.....Newton.......just apple juice at this stage?

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[2b1ask1]

Not scrumpy, scrumping... nipping over the fence for apples not in your own garden!

 

[Parisien]

....oh...thieving its called over here....


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[2b1ask1]

Still requires patience... and being a big kid!