Professional Sheet Metal Fabrication (Motorbooks Workshop)

Description

Professional Sheet Metal Fabrication is the number-one resource for sheet metal workers old and new. Join veteran metalworker Ed Barr as he walks you through the ins and outs of planning a sheet metal project, acquiring the necessary tools and resources, doing the work, and adding the perfect finishing touches for a seamless final product. From his workshop at McPherson College-home of the only accredited four-year degree in automotive restoration technology-Barr not only demonstrates how the latest tools and products work, but also explains why sheet metal reacts the way it does to a wide variety of processes. He includes clear directions for shaping metal using hand tools, the English Wheel, the pneumatic planishing hammer, and other machines, and discusses a variety of ways to cut and join metal through welding, soldering, brazing, and riveting. Dent repair and automotive patch panel fabrication are covered in detail. Readers are also given tips on copying shapes and building foam, wire, and wood station bucks to use as guides during shaping. This is truly the most detailed enthusiast-focused sheet metal how-to book on the market. Whether you're a metal hobbyist or experienced professional, you're sure to find something new in Professional Sheet Metal Fabrication . Review: Excellent guide - This is a very nice book! It is thick, has plenty of pictures, and goes through pretty much everything you will need to understand to get started with sheet metal fabrication. By getting started I mean it explains which tools you will need, and a few you should avoid. The Author talks in detail on how to use the tools. Now just so we are clear, you cannot become a metal master by reading a book. But this book is a good starting point and you will need to practice the techniques in the book. After some practice you can get pretty good at metal working, and for your needs that may be enough. I don't know what you are aiming for, maybe to make some rust repair panels, fabricate brackets, etc. Maybe you want to be able to create flawless body panels? If so, this book will get you started and then you probably need to progress on to other areas, books or hands on training, to get to the level you need. But either way, this book is a great start. I have learned quite a few things from books and from people skilled at metal work over the years. I still find myself wanting to learn more. That is why I picked up this book. There are a few books I have come across over the years where I was pretty disappointed due to the lack of detail in the book, but this one is much more thorough. I am quite satisfied with this book. Review: Great reference! - My first impression of this book was, "Wow! This is a lot thicker than I expected." I had not heard of Ed Barr prior to ordering the book, but I had heard of McPherson College, where he is an instructor. McPherson is a real-deal, four year accredited institution that offers several degrees in automotive restoration. This book contains the quality and depth of information that you would expect from someone that teaches in such a program. Professional Sheet Metal Fabrication contains a good balance of information on fabricating from scratch and restoration. Both hand shaping techniques and shaping with power tools are covered. There is a pretty thorough section on using a Dake power hammer, for example. The thing that I like about all of the "how to" sections is that they're clearly written by someone who is an expert sheet metal worker instead of a writer describing what they've seen someone else do. This really separates this book from several others that I own. In a lot of cases, he describes what can go wrong and how to fix it, which can be really helpful. The book is well illustrated with color photos, many of which show the work of the author's students. The author is also really good about citing the originator of particular techniques or tools, which is pretty refreshing. I recommend this book highly to anyone looking for a good reference on tools and techniques used in sheet metal shaping.