Hammer Forming a Beaded Panel with Basic Tools! 

I’ve spent hours on RU-vid trying to figure out how I’m going to make my custom inner fenders without any fancy tools. This video gave me everything I needed and more. Thank you so much

You might try using the router to cut the bottom form for the"X". You could pick the depth without having to find the right thickness material for a depth stop. Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

This makes me want to make my own floorpans instead of buying them. I appreciate you sharing your skillset.

This video was literally exactly what I've been looking for to make new floor pans for my '51 Ford F3. Brilliant!!

I straight up laughed my ass off when you unbolted the finished piece. I couldn’t believe how awesome that panel came out with manual work. I can’t wait to try this exact project this weekend. Currently my favorite channel. You have me questioning and rethinking my life decisions on the daily 😮 Keep up the awesome content, I appreciate it like you wouldn’t believe!

As someone that’s looking to expand my skill set for my own projects, I greatly appreciate you sharing tips and tricks like this for those of us that haven’t yet established a sufficient tool collection. Keep doing what your doing man. It’s much appreciated!

I watched this with much interest, as I made similar dies to form 1968-72 G. M. A- Body firewall heater delete plates years ago. Forming the edges with 18 gauge cold roll steel sheet metal, I used 3/8ths thick steel to make my dies, as the edges had inside and outside radiuses. Your work is very impressive. Neat and concise. Thank you again.

I thoroughly enjoy watching a young person,like you, using the "old School ",simple methods Been doing auto repair,auto body work for 48 yrs,and you do it WELL!

Not only are you talented, you also possess the ability to teach! Thanks for taking the time to show how in simple and concise manner. I believe you could work with any medium out there.

I find your explanation very clear and I have been doing panel work for over 40 years. I'm over 74 years old but can't stop learning. Great channel 👏 👍

I was thinking you were going to weld a washer onto the the hammer tool as a shoulder stop, instead of using a shim in the bottom of your form. Pros/cons? You do great work and share your knowledge freely. You do us Canuckians proud! Thank you son. cheers🇨🇦 👊

That was amazing 50 years ago I used to help and old boy, making tea sweeping up etc, and he showed me how to use timber to form things, but I dont recall him having an air chisel, I have one, and didnt know you could do that with it, a massive learning curve, many thanks from England

Great video! Best explanation of the hammer shrinking around that edge that I've ever seen. Love that you're showing how do things without having the really expensive one-off tools.

You are a wizard. It makes me want to hammer sheet metal. It brings the tin basher out in me. This is how they did it before all the highly mechanized manufacturing. 3 cheers!

this is rad

I appreciate that you leave in the things that you weren't necessarily completely happy with. Minor errors are part of the learning experience and Important for people to be willing to TRY. Thankyou for your channel and sharing your passion.😀

Easily in just two days watching, your channel is one of my favorites 👍🏼 keep em coming

Hi...I had my own custom metal shop for 36 years where I restored and repaired vintage and historic metal aircraft. After all those years I had a whole room full of marine ply formers on which I hand made some really complicated parts.....so I greatly appreciate your skills...and also appreciate how sore your arms get pounding metal. !!! Thanks for teaching people such useful skills....a real pleasure to watch. Best wishes....Ralph Hull.

Impressive! For a young guy you're already a metal master with your knowledge and skill.

I've constructed a similar part and asked a few sheet-metal companys to do it, and all of them said, it's not possible for them to do it, because they would need to deep draw it and they wouldn't have the capacitiy to do so.. now I know that I can do it myself for cheap, thank you! 😍

PPE on the MDF, the dust is toxic due to the bonding agents. Great content, love your work mate, cheers from Sydney Australia.

You my sir are a God for the normal handyman that does not have a million dollar budget to set up his shed....Thankyou

Love watching this one , you continue to open my eyes, thanks again 🇦🇺

In the morning with the breakfast at 10 I whatched tis video. During the afternoon I made exactly how you told in the video the tool. Around 4 the cross was in the plate and it was time to bend the plates on all sides. Around 6 my old classic mini has a nice increased motorspace of 10cm for the honda engine. Thanks a lot for for your videos, they are very very good en helpful! Greetings from the Netherlands.

Great video. I've formed beads the same way, and your video made me realise how much I need a more powerful air hammer! The one I have struggles with smaller beads.

The tips are awesome but im most impressed by how you talk your lady behind the camera 👏. Great team.

I got a step for a 1992 Ford Iveco Turbo Daily motorhome, several strengthening ribs in it. Making an MDF former would be the way to go. Panel looks top notch. Thanks for sharing, great video.

Je te remercie tellement pour toutes tes vidéos. Je ne suis pas carrossier et j'ai mon Oldsmobile 57 à remonter. Toutes tes techniques, trucs et astuces vont vraiment m'aider pour mon projet. Je comprends pas tout ce que tu expliques parce que je parle français, mais tes vidéos sont très explicatives. Merci de prendre le temps pour toutes les personnes passionnées. Thanks a lot my Friend

Thanks Mate, I'm in awe of your skill & thank you so much for sharing it. Learning so much in such a short time after finding your channel 3 weeks ago. Love your work. Cheers Billy J.... Queensland, Australia.

I love the way the hammer marks are still visible. Looks so much more authentic than the pressed option.👍👌👏👊👊👊

This is such a great tutorial! I will definitely try this in the future as I work on my sheet metal skills in both automotive and HVAC situations. Your videos are incredible! I just found your channel and am so excited to take what you have taught and apply it to stuff I am doing. Truly outside the box thinking!

My uncle was a time served engineer and did teach me some great skills, the first one is Oxy / acetylene and showing me how to make a neutral flame , whilst talking about the gentle roar of the flame 🔥'. The second one is related to this video is to make a template first for the job, you want to keep refining the template and make it fit like a shoe, I have made some excellent work using these ideas , it’s videos like these that inspire the younger guys who want it’ll make into great tinsmiths. Thanks for showing us your skills etc.

Fantastic skill, beautiful work, showing what can be done with basic tooling. My only advice would be, use a vacuum to clean up the MDF dust, as that stuff is really bad for you.

It’s pretty cool how he always plugs another channel to help out other RU-vidrs, nice guy with mad skills. Great teacher too !

As always, great stuff. Livin and learning on this end.. Thanks for sharing.. Great presentation by an excellent presenter.

There you go. I'm a cabinet maker and watched Lakeside Fitzee's and your channel to pick up body work tips on doing extensive rust repair on a 2004 Dodge Ram. I cut out and installed new box fender panels , fabricated my own outer wheel houses (170.00 each to buy). I fabricated 2 piece lower fender tips as well . All was done using MDF jigs . Making 2 piece jigs with the metal clamped between them prevents the metal from warping while you hammer shaping it. I make the top jig smaller then the bottom by the amount of the round over then router a 45 degree angle. It makes it easier to get the hammer on the right spot. To deal with inside curves without a shrinker I make a cut hammer it down, then cut off the overlap and butt weld it back together. After grinding you cant even tell their was a cut there. BTW your using your router wrong. Going backwards is called climb cutting. That method is used when you have a lot of material to take out and you need to do it in several passes, but you always finish by pushing the router forward on your work piece,

Awesome work !! Super nice deep crisp bead to!!. I’ve also gotten some great results from hammer forming like this. I’ve also found(especially in thinner metal) if I do my bead first that it helps hold the metal in place for the edges with less bolts …. Sometimes none needed. Awesome job brother !

I could watch your videos all day. I know there’s all those expensive machines that do this stuff but seeing how it’s done manually really helps me understand what’s going on with technique and the material your working with. Personally I like the added information you include called “babbling”. It really helps to understand why your doing what your doing. Thank you so much!

Great info, really enjoying the channel and learning new things along the way. Great shout out to DD as well!

Karl, Thank You for sharing your Expertise & Tips. I enjoy your, "make it with what you have " way of thinking. And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks...I am 65 yrs old & learning new tricks from you on every video. Thanks again. Stay Real.

Fantastic Karl!!!!! The panel turned out very nice. Love watching you build things from start to finish. Good to hear that the planishing hammer kits are selling well.Keep up the great work Karl. Can’t wait for what’s next.

Jam up Job man I’m 68 would like to see young men like you do all the work that is needed.Keep up the good work watch ya all the time.

Man I love hammer forming panels! Iv done it for a long time and there is just so much you can do with it.

From 1971 to now, (Yes I'm 64) Is how I done it. As a Panel Beater and coach builder all my life I make all my own parts and panels by hand the old way. Great video 👍👍👍👍

Excelente tutorial muy bien explicado y con un excelente resultado final le felicito y muchas gracias Amigo un saludo desde islas Canarias 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

You have a. Marvelous spirit! I truly like what you do and your passion, congratulations! I have this suggestion for you; instead of placing an additional pice for depth, use either of these two options to avoid wood waste and work. From the pieces that you cut off for the 'X' slice them at the desired thickness and place them in the slots. Second option; weld a donut around you rod at the desired depth and that will hit the topper when you get to your desired depth😉. My hat off to you dear friend, Dan

I just found your videos today and I'm hooked. Relatively simple solutions for complex problems in fabrication. I have a question about this method in particular. Why not just use the router to set the depth of the X on the buck?

I’ve hammer formed many aluminum parts, but never steel I’m impressed how excellent that worked. Many new ideas for my CX500 seat pan build!!! Thanks for sharing!

Титанический труд ради такой маленькой детали. Большое уважение!

I like it! Great information on forming metal using MDF. I didn't think about more bolts down the X part of the form. Thank you for the Video Karl.

Great to watch, your skill level is very high both metalwork and presentation. The camera work is also awesome. I thought you were going to use the router to make the cross form with a rounded bit, would this not be easier and then you automatically have the depth stop?

I've been doing body and paint for 40 years and I've already learned some techniques that makes things so much easier. Always worked on new cars but lately been on my own again so wanting to do rat rods so will be watching you often. Thank you and keep sharing

That was awesome 👌 brother like seeing these techniques come to life,

That's an awesome piece of metal you made for your gas tank. Yes DD speed shop is fantastic I've seen every video he put out since he started. I watch all of your videos also and DD speed shop told us about the hammer he got off of you and he loves it. Dan even told his people that watch him to come see your channel. Keep up the great work and God Bless you and Christina & family . 💯👍👍🙏🙏

Great presentation and content. How about how you plug weld all those holes without distortion or leaks?

Hi Karl, I would just like to thank you from Sheffield (Steel City) England on the superb way you present this and all you videos. I am teaching my daughter welding of all types using ,mig, tig, gas, and arc including some metal work that she needs to do on her camper van/RV. I found this particular video purely by chance and really covers most of the challenges she needs to face. The content is excellent, well presented in a clear and concise manner. Being hard of hearing I find your voice absolutely clear and easy to understand, there is no waffle or hesitation and if you make a mistake you swiftly admit it and proceed to calmly resolve it. My start in life many years ago was as an apprentice engineer over 5 years, in the first year it was all about making tools with regular hand tools to high tolerances and finishes. In the latter part we were then allowed to use a variety of lathes, milling and shaping machines but to name a few. On leaving the training centre you left with a fabricated tool box complete with a tool makers machine vice, toolmakers clamps, combination callipers and some small BA spanners also tap wrenches. I am in awe of the skills you have and the way that when needed you just make the tools you need to facilitate completing a job, you remind me of me, except that I think that collectively you have a lot more skills overall particularly in metal shaping and forming. I am now hooked on your channel, probably seen about 90% so far. Thank you.

Please build cars❤️😅 I dont learn from watching.

You bring up so many ideas on how to make tools...I make a lot of stuff in small sizes(1/6 scale, etc.), and these tools would be easy ways to scale down...

I wish I'd seen this two decades ago. I'm pretty impressed, thanks! I've "mau maued" sheet metal into place for most of my life, brute force. I'm enjoying seeing it "carefully moved in place".

One of the best instructional videos on metal forming. Why not use your router for the grooves then no stops needed for depth. Thanks from Scotland

Excellent vid. Saw the short & great to see the longer version. Little bit of woodworking, machining, welding and a lot of metal fabrication!

Thank you for the craftsmanship! I am currently working on restoring my 1977 Datsun 280z . I have already employed techniques that I have learned from your videos to replace rusted out areas. I love the focus on how to do things with what you have around the shop, this is how i have done all my work so far . Keep up the great work !

You really put time in detailed preparation, hats off for the result. On a scale of 10, I give you a 10 👍🏼

What a great video. Easy to follow. Hand forming metal panels is a perishing art..

your videos are inspiring. after watching a few of them i came across this. so i gave it a go. i'm building a 48 ford f1 and of course all four fenders are rotted at the running boards. the patch panels were to spendy for a guy on social security. so i built the forming dies from 2x4's and started hammering. worked great. i don't think i would have tried it had i not seen how easy it is and saved me a bunch of $$$

One word. OUTSTANDING!

I'm glad I found your channel! I really wish I would have found it 5 years ago when I was replacing the bottom half of my 88 k2500. But lucky for me I want to redo the 89 next I'll have some more knowledge this time! Thank-you sir!

Man I can only imagine how strong that panel is with that amount of work hardening!!! Yep time to design the floorplans for my truck! Thank you!!!

Wow, I wish all YT videos were like this! No hi guys or wearing the cap the other way around, just well explained hand work. Thanks. Going to make a beaded repair piece for under the battery on my 1971 VW Beetle.

This show is hoppin! That lathe shaping trick, the air hammer tool build, and the rest of the video. Thankyou. I love watching other people build, you can learn tons of tricks to build easier.

Loving this. I was trying to figure out how to make beaded patch panels to repair the package shelf on my bug. This is something I can do to avoid the $400 repair piece! Great stuff, thanks!

I used a simple version of this to make a couple of rain caps for some steel columns. I still found this tutorial very interesting. Mark from Melbourne Australia

EXCELLENT!!! I should be in the garage working on my project... but it's more comfortable in here watching your channel.

Again, thoroughly enjoyed watching this. So eye opening, and inspiring!

Loving your work in Australia .. As my grandfather would say ... if you can do it by hand .. you can do it anywhere ! He was a very humble Pattern Maker ,Head Engineer and Mathematician for 40yrs beginning in the early 30's.. I'm still using machinery he made.

Thanks. Looks like a good technique for metal toys and machinery guards.

How you have just today come up in my recommended I don't know. New subscriber and fan. Have been stuck to TV for hours watching you videos. My man you are the " this old house" of metal work ......and to all the younger generation yes that is a compliment.

Thank You sir, for sharing in a way that lets us understand without making us feel like s☆☆☆!! At 74, I'm still learning and you are a good teacher. Thanx.

Your channel is my new addiction! Soooooo many good technique's in your videos. I dont even do any of this type of work but as they saying goes, "The more you know"... lol

I work doing sheet metal on commercial airplanes. There's a guy at work that does exactly this to form many replacement parts for the aircrafts and he never really explains me the process and doesn't like to teach people. Thank you for taking the time and showing me. I'd like to see more stuff like this. Cheers!

The precision with which you use all of your tools is top notch. Thanks Donnie

I love low buck creative solutions and you are not short on those at all. Nice work bro!

Your skillset and ability to explain what you're doing to us newbies is rare! Plus, you did this with common shop tools. You have a gift of teaching advanced techniques to novice people. I appreciate your efforts and sharing! Plus, I dig your rambling. I have learned that when someone very knowledgeable starts rambling about that topic, that's when you take notes because they are about to lay a bunch of really good information on you that you don't realize is really important, until you're midway through the task and wishing you had listened closer when they were rambling. And I enjoy hearing your Canadian accent through my Southern ears, y'all talk weird hahaha. Keep up the killer work!

Welding it on it's place would have been the cherry on the cake for the vid. It's great.

Love that you're doing this with basic tools! Trying to do the same with my own project as shown on my channel. Thanks from a fellow Canadian.

I never imagined I would be doing this shit, but watching you absolutely killing it, I'm inspired to have a go. Thanks!

Dude , That's some old school technique ! Thanx !

I love that you explain things with such patience and good humor.

👍 very cool! One trick for the lathe that may help sometimes is swinging the compound to create a radius. Then smooth it the way you did. Don't forget to get that grit off your ways too or cover them. Thanks for sharing!

Dude, thank you so much for doing all this. By far the best shaping etc. channel out there!!! I got so stuck thinking of which machine I needed to buy, or how I'll need to do certain things, especially when my sandwich was shifting and the thread was all screwed up. But This gave me the motivation to take up a project I've been thinking of for quite a while now.

Very well done. I will use this method to stiffen some replacement floor pans on my project car. Thank you so much.

I'm not a metal working person, and never will be, but this is absolutely fascinating to watch. Love your channel, and will watch all you do.

As usual, you got mad skillz,hopefully it won't be lost in younger generations

Those that can, do? Those that can't, teach? You Sir, can do both! I'm a woodworker and want to expand my skillset to include metalwork. You are inspiring. And hats off to your wife? For the camera work. I'm planing a teardrop camper build and was concerned with the price of aluminum so I'm just going to buy thinner sheet and roll my edges and put random beading all over to stiffen the walls up. Thanks so much for the tutorial.

Love watching watching your videos - really good explanation of not just 'what to do' but more importantly 'why' to do it. Amazing work. thanks.

thanks for sharing your skills. It's the best feeling making your own stuff

Outstanding channel! One of my favorites! Thank you!!

Just got a 48 chevy. First one for me to restomod. These videos are fantastic!

such a joy to watch a master of his craft

Love watching someone who knows what they are doing. Also you explain everything super well. Thanks!