The English Wheel 

Probably one of the best sites on RU-vid thank you Dom 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

nice to see someone else keeping the old ways going, i'll be wheeling tomorrow, building a one off bentley arnage hearse for a customer, i'll be doing the main side panels. love old school metal working, done it since leaving school in 93

As an old English wheeler of nearly fifty years ago on an Edwards when I was restoring various UK PVT cars which was my vocation. I find your videos very stimulating and you are a reat dedicated artisan and it is wonderful you are doing so much to promote interest in what could have been a dying art. Magic Dom Thanks a million!!!

Ribbly is now in my vocabulary! Thanks for keeping the old skills alive and for sharing your passion for them. 👍

Brilliant, I was an engineer learning all my skills as an apprentice and moved up the ranks to become a design engineer, I am now 77 but still like to play in my shed whenever I get the chance, it is a great shame, lads today do not get the same chance, as I am sure they would love it

Great with English Wheel Dom. You made a comment that I tell folk who’ll listen.....crafts are dying out and the old codgers who used things like an English Wheel are too! My career at sea meant I had some time to be taught rope work with fancy knots etc and also ships in bottles....both build and repair. So watching you using your English Wheel was a real tonic for me. Well done. Keep the crafts alive!

You made a fair job of that. This takes me back to 1972 as an apprentice mechanic, I had to make a similar dome using 3 pieces of mild steel plate shaped using snips, the wooden mallet, and a leather sand bag. After brazing the 3 pieces together, the seems were filled with tinmans solder, then filed and sanded prior to painting my dome, all done as a test using hand tools.

I have a City and Guilds of London in sheet metal work and we had an English wheel in the workshop at the technical collage. We learned to beat our work pieces into the desired shape with hammers and only used the English wheel to tidy up the uneven parts properly. Nice to see that this tool is still in use.

When I apprenticed as a coach builder and worked building commercial vehicles in the sixties the panel beaters used these wheeling machines to make the domes for the front of lorries. Later I trained to be a panel beater on modern cars. Alway's wanted one if these machines. Great vid

It's amazing how nice it is to work when you have a tool made for a task. I love seeing those old tools.

Great video. It's great to understand to workings of the machines and how they should be used. Lots more please.

As approach retirement almost everyday I have a conversation about skills disappearing ,it's great to see what you do and your enthusiasm to keep skills alive .

As someone who has absolutely no history in this field whatsoever I found this fascinating. More power to ya Dom. 👍🙂👍

You can get stretchers and shrinkers with composite jaws that don't mark as much. I used to be an aircraft production sheet metal worker back in the 90's and used to use the wheel, stretchers, shrinkers etc to manufacture and shape components. They were usually rough formed in a rubber press first but occasionally had to make free hand parts on the wheel

I think my favorite part of this video was the circle cutting tool. In many shops they would do it with a laser cutter, yet when you consider the whole process, this was probably just as fast and was as accurate as needed.

I'm so happy that you are making these videos. My favourite repair shop expert.

Over 50 years ago I learnt my trade using these machines and I am so pleased to see someone who wants to learn these skills. 67 next month and I am still working but of course as you say these days I am using CNC machines and Fibre lasers. Well done Dom

I am a retired mechanical engineer and one time sheet metal worker, and I found this video very interesting. I have used one of these machines briefly during my apprenticeship days, but not with much success! Strangely, the Americans refer to these as ‘English Wheels’, whilst we knew them as ‘Wheeling Machines’.

Beautiful work! The youth of today couldn’t give one damn about hand crafts… thank you!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Dom, it’s great watching you strip down the wheel in preparation for the next part of the challenge. It’s bloody obvious the passion you have, not just for the design and building, but that the dream is to keep the machine in production and encourage others to use it. Like another viewer identified, as kids we were taught at school in Metalwork, woodwork and technical drawing which were all compulsory at the time. These are all but dying out now so maybe your channel will inspire youngsters to take up the subjects. Just keep it going mate, it’s great to watch and see your hard work paying off. Wayne

I've seen these in use on other videos, but that was in the context of making something specific. This gave me a start to finish view of the entire process, including to other tools you need. There will always be a place for this sort of tool, so its good to see the skills being acquired

Great to see you are helping keep traditional techniques and skills alive also preserving some lovely hand operated crimping and rolling machines

That is the very first metalwork tool that ever removed one of my finger nails. Oh the memories of serving your time.

Whilst I'm a hobbiest woodworker i still find this channel fascinating.

Amazing. I have seen english wheels around but never seen it demonstrated so perfectly.

Very nice. I’ve actually built my own English wheel using some bearings and steel tube works pretty well and been learning from you tube and practicing shaping metal as I’ve been restoring my 1954 Austin plus have some other classic cars that friends want me to do so need to learn these metal shaping skills. The dome is a good exercise I’ll have to give it a go and see how I get on. Thanks for sharing and explaining what you were doing too. Love the old fj machines and that shrinker is lovely too

WOW 🤩.... loving your metal dome. Well done you’ve nailed that pretty quickly! That was amazing to learn and watch. The machine that cut your circle of sheet metal ... amazing. The dome looked perfect. Your so clever. 👏🏻

I’m learning what the tools in my Fathers and Grandfathers workshops were used to do, I remember seeing them, but not what they were used to make. I remember my Brother in Law (a boatbuilder) being in awe of something my Father made for him.

Love the old craft tools. Never (knowingly) seen a circle-cutter before. I’ll look for one of those! Great videos Dom, thanks. Les

Hi Dom,great seeing all your tools,i used to use all of them when i was in the RAF ,i was an Airframe Technician Aircraft,when i went into Station worhshops one of the test jobs was to cut 6 pieces of Aluminium,2 inch by 12 inch fold them on an 1/8th radius bend bars along the 12 inch length,then use the shrinker to form it into a horseshoe 3 internal 3 external and each one had to be the same as the last,love your w/shop plus the repair shop.

So glad I found your channel... Perfect to watch and de-stress to... Thanks Dom....

That must be so satisfying --- and a largely analogue workshop must be bliss

What a fab video. I'm not an engineer but am fascinated by these old machines and the skills that go with them. Thankyou Dom for helping to keep them alive.

Light is your friend!!!!! You have done a great job using truly excellent ‘olde’ tools!!!

I have found Ron Covell's videos really great to learn from, he also does DVD's and I have his English Wheel and bead Roller ones. Its amazing what the English Wheel can achieve as we have seen here.

The circle cutter!! Wow loved watching that and the English wheel of course, your so talented.

It’s always good to learn new skills. That looks great fun with endless possibilities.

I'd heard of the English Wheel, but never seen one used, along with the associated tools and methods. I could easily see that you have to really "know" the way the metal behaves to use it. Brilliant!

Very well done on keeping these old skills alive.

Love this video - such a traditional panel making/repairing technique 👌

Nice one Dominic. Circa 1965 I worked at TVR sportscars, Blackpool. The R&D department was pretty much one bloke in a shed, equipped with not much more than a guillotine, a set of bottles and an English Wheel. Over the months I watched him build by hand, in aluminium, the next model to be. This would have then gone on to serve as the plug for the fiberglass moulds. As you say, a lost/dying art, but it was pretty impressive stuff I must say. Especially when you have to mirror t'other side of the car.

Hi Dom great channel. I remember shaping aluminium, it only seems to go so far before you need to aneal it. Which if remember right you can black one side with a carbon flame from you oxytetracycline set then with a neutral flame heat from the opposite side until the soot is gone. It is now at the correct annealing temp. Allow it to cool and it is as soft as butter, and it won't crack on you. Keep up the good work on the channel.

So fascinating to see how these old crafts shaped our past world...

Such a useful tool in so many ways....a domesticated smaller version which sits on a bench top would be a useful addition to any DIY workshop

Like the process..Im an older boilermaker still working full time .My Dad was a Sheety and was originally from England.I do machining jobs and lot of smaller repair jobs with light sheet metal.. Mild,Aluminium and Stainless. Love the old Machines. Still got Dads old Gilbo tin snips. He taught me a lot Like your video.. Steve in Australia

Whilst studying for my A&P license, I came across mention of the English wheel. It didn't make much since on paper. Thank you for this video! It gave me a genuine appreciation for the craftsmanship involved with using this machine.

Absolutely fantastic, looking at the Porsche I can see where you are heading. Credit to you. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Cheers Dom. Thank you for the quick tutorial on the English wheel. marvellous!

Love to see these old machines at work. No fancy electronics, Just good old skills. Btw, something very similar to the pinching device was used by my father on the farm for many years to sharpen his scythe

I love your enthusiasm for your tools. I need to stop buying camera gear and you have encouraged me to keep going.

Spent many hours on a wheeling machine. Nice to see folks are not letting it die off. Well done.

Well done to everyone for keeping the old skills alive for generations to come and a big thanks to you Dom for all that you do 8m looking forward to seeing your newly created ranalah in action ♥️

That thing you were hitting the aluminium with is called a pear shape mallet in which you get larger or smaller as i was an apprentice coach builder in the 60s in Pompey there was a lot of wheeling and working with skilled men you appreciate how clever they were and if you weren’t paying attention at the other end of a large dome he would pull and pinch your thumb in the wheels.mate you’ve brought back some memories thank you so very much

You are certainly getting the hang of that piece of old time equipment Dom, keep up the good work and videos.

I could watch this all day Dom, reminded me of school metalwork classes back in the 60's

Wow, those old machine tools are amazing. It's great to see them still in use, much more satisfying than something that is cut by some soulless Computer. Glad you're keeping the old skills alive.

Ah, the old skills! I recall watching a craftsman building a wooden aircraft propeller. They were laminated and it was quite a skill. Likewise the old blacksmith with forging and tempering. Thanks Dom, you're doing a great service for us all.

We call it “bacon edge” in knife making. Just found your channel. Your efforts are inspiring. Thanks Dom.

Brilliant! Loving the quality old tools and equipment. Keep on doing it Dom.

A great video Dom showing how to make that dome, you prove it needs skill & patience. I do like your circle cutter, I've never seen one like that before, great stuff mate, thank you.

Amazing work Dom, I'm always reshaping metal but I use a very different process called Paintless Dent Removal and Aluminium is always the hardest to work with. I've been in car restoration workshops and have seen very skilled people using these English Wheels close up. I just hope these skills don't die out. Looks like you are a natural at this sort of thing and have a passion for it, especially from seeing all the various projects you have worked on over the years. Keep up the good work and thanks for keeping these skills alive! All the best, Jake 👍

Hi Dom thanks for inviting us into your workshop. Look forward to your videos.

Life this, I'd seen old films where the English wheel was being used in the background didn't know what it was called till very recently and now thanks to your video I now know it's potential. Even if you could get panels pressed out for an old car restoration they probably wouldn't fit as you'd like them to but with one of these and the skill to use it the finish could be so much better Thanks for great videos 😊

Very good to see you're enthusiasm

That was excellent! Thank you for showing how it was done!

Brilliant as ever, love watching you Dom, like you l love preserving old tools

That’s WHEELY great! Lovely to see someone keeping up the old skills!

Fantastic to see some old world workmanship is still alive and for a beginner, dude that and is great. Practice makes perfect and enjoy your new craft. and subscribed

fantastic Jessie James the American chopper builder is awesome on an English Wheel keep at it .

I certainly did enjoy it and on many levels, entertaining and educational. Thank you Dominic.

Fantastic Dom! The wheel is an awesome piece of arcane magic, I’m looking forward to more projects that involve it.

Now that’s pretty cool! You could turn those practice pieces into workshop lampshades lol. Loving the new channel Dom. Could honestly watch it all day.

Great job keep teaching me, please.

Brilliant I learned to use the wheel at the school of motor body engineering in Borderton Street in London. We did it slightly differently using dollies to shrink the aluminium to get the basic shape. Then we finished it on the wheel. Lovely to see someone using the old skills great job.

Dom, I'm with you the old skills need to be passed on to a new generation because creating something with your hands and special tools should be the most satisfying thing that anybody can do. Keep doing what you do every video that you have done is so interesting long may you continue 👍😃

Nice skills on the English wheel for a beginner, great to promote the old skills and keep them alive.

Absolutely Brilliant Dom! A pleasure to watch you create this. Master of many crafts mate.

You are amazing Dom. Love your workshop and your amazing old tools.

That's such a great vid, Dom. So good to see you passing on your knowledge after seeing you on The Repair Shop. Greatly appreciated.

Thank you for sharing this, I've always wondered how an English wheel worked, now I have a basic understanding. Great channel, keep them coming

Great to see you have your own channel now Dom. You have my absolute dream job!

Brilliant work thanks for keeping the skill alive, many folk take finished things so much for granted without a thought as to the skills and processes needed on the way. I did metalwork and woodwork at school from 12 - 14 and those skills have stood me in good stead ever since I'm 74 now and have used the basic craft skills throughout my life and still use the basic skills learned whenever possible.

Great video Dom, fascinating to watch, thank you and kind regards, Richard.

I acquired one of these a few months ago. In the middle of stripping all the old lead paint off, but looking forward to try these techniques- thanks

Watched a couple of your videos now. Really inspirational, educational and fun. Thanks.

Love that circle cutter!

Absolutely fascinating to see these old tools still in use and you are learning the skills that are sadly dying out. Well done Dom 👍

This video made me nostalgic. I used foot and power shears, all different kinds of metal brakes. english wheels, shrinker-stretchers, nibblers etc..... I'm retired now but back in the day we made everything without CNC controls. The new machines are good and precise but don't require the years of hands on experience like the english wheel you use.

Love the passion. The world needs more people like you. A beginner my foot! The dome you just made looks pretty impressive to me. Thank you.

the guy that taught me the english wheel ~ he smirked and said " you never stop collecting tools "

Good to see your videos as they show two things - that the old crafts can be learned by anyone who is interested to do so, but also, & maybe more importantly, that when anyone, particularly a non crafts person views a finished piece of work, they can appreciate the manhours put into achieving it

Great video. Interesting how they did so much by hand and the ingenuity that went into engineering the tools of their trades. Really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Very interesting video Dom and good to see somebody carrying on a traditional craft. Looks like an opportunity for a cottage industry "Dom's hand made woks" . Regards Keith

Very interesting to watch. I have never heard of an English wheel before.

Would love to have a try……Many thanks for sharing British industrial engineering from the past.

Loving your channel, seeing and learning about things I never knew existed. So interesting.

Very well done you are learning. And that means you have a great interest in doing things the old way.

Great to see someone showing off what can be done with an English wheel. Great video and I think we should all use the word ribley 😁👍

Fascinating, I' ve never heard of the english wheel before. Fantastic results.

Lovely bit of panel work and what a machine.