My dear wife has bought me this little beauty, bless her.
It's an English wheel. With this I can make body parts for my two Specials. It stretches metal by rolling in certain directions and has been used by English coachbuilders since the mid 19th century. The old ones are huge cast iron affairs, but this will do me very nicely indeed AND it's made in England. Not some whippy Chinese rubbish. It comes with three lower wheels known as anvils to control the curvature of the panel.
In concert with hammers, a stump (literally a piece of tree with a dip in the top), slappers, flippers, dollies and planishing hammers, I can make any shape in aluminium or steel.
What a pity the Euro nazis have made owning oxy acetylene welding equipment so expensive and difficult to own, so that the panels can be joined into whole bodies. But I have ways round that!
That looks like the sort of thing that you need to have an awful lot of skills to use...I am looking forward to seeing what you make with it!
ReplyDeleteSo busy with garden and Triumph Renown restoration stuff I haven't had a chance to really practice on it!
DeleteThat looks like a "serious" toy
ReplyDeleteMark, it's something I've wanted for years. I think coachbuilding is one of the top crafts and I've always wanted a crack at it. Couldn't afford a course so now I can teach myself.
DeleteWow...this piece of kit takes me back to my childhood. My father used to be with Coopers Racing (when F1 cars were louder...lol) and on trips to Coventry Climax....Abingdon an a few other places, it was grand to see the guys turning these panels out using this. Fab to see and hope you master this quite soon....certainly love to see what you produce. Marvellous and keep smiling when using it....soon you will be working it like slicing cake....lol
ReplyDeleteAll the best Alan
Alan, thanks for the comment. My old mate Mike Hyatt also worked for Coopers back then.
ReplyDeleteMy first efforts will be the throttle foot bulge for my Austin 7 Cambridge Special, then the mudguards. Pictures will be on here as it happens.
Also, Alan, my A7 will have a Coventry Climax engine!
ReplyDelete