Rating: 
Summary: Daves opinion.
Review: Hi My names Dave. I own a company that makes custom motorcycle parts, DC Fabrications of North Charleston SC. (843) 529-0095. I found this book to be a great source of info and ideas. I would reccomend this book to everyone in my industry, or anyone intrested in sheetmetal fabrication. Dave.
Rating: 
Summary: decently informative
Review: I found this book the very best covering "panel beating" i.e. creating complex metal forms out of flat metal sheet the very best available. Anyone interestaed in forming unique parts or limited series sheet metal products will find in this book a wealth of information. Anybody interested in Aircraft construction and repair, automotive prototypes, racing cars and compond-curve fabrication for research and architectural fields, will find this book of extreme interest. Did you ever wonder how those beautiful streamlined surfaces on boats, yachts, aircraft and racing cars are made today? There are two possible answers.. fiberglass or sheet metal. As an engineer belonging to a big Italian firm that builds high speed trains, i can reassure you that composite materials allowing such beautiful curves are falling rapidly in disfavour (they are not recyclable) I am teaching some of our best metalsmiths the lost art of "panel beating" again, and i can guarantee that skilled craftsmen can produce those beautiful forms, faster, stronger and cheaper than using fiberglass.!This book helped me very much and i encourage amateurs, engineeers and professional sheet metal workers alike to read it !
Rating:
Summary: the sheet matal book i have been waiting for
Review: I found this book the very best covering "panel beating" i.e. creating complex metal forms out of flat metal sheet the very best available. Anyone interestaed in forming unique parts or limited series sheet metal products will find in this book a wealth of information. Anybody interested in Aircraft construction and repair, automotive prototypes, racing cars and compond-curve fabrication for research and architectural fields, will find this book of extreme interest. Did you ever wonder how those beautiful streamlined surfaces on boats, yachts, aircraft and racing cars are made today? There are two possible answers.. fiberglass or sheet metal. As an engineer belonging to a big Italian firm that builds high speed trains, i can reassure you that composite materials allowing such beautiful curves are falling rapidly in disfavour (they are not recyclable) I am teaching some of our best metalsmiths the lost art of "panel beating" again, and i can guarantee that skilled craftsmen can produce those beautiful forms, faster, stronger and cheaper than using fiberglass.! This book helped me very much and i encourage amateurs, engineeers and professional sheet metal workers alike to read it !
Rating: 
Summary: A very misleading title.
Review: If you think this book is about creating geometric solids from sheet metal, or how to mark out a cone and fold it to shape, or the basic principles of sheet metal work, then think again. It is about one man's project of recreating an old car from sheet metal and the tools and methods he used to achieve this goal. There is nothing in this book that would assist the beginner metal worker to build even a simple tool box. I purchased this book in the belief (silly me) that it would contain information that would assist me fold,bend and shape sheet metal into basic everyday things like tool boxes, box trailers,pipe bending etc. This book is more for the advanced automotive body builder who specialises in the restoration of old cars,hot rods and customising autos.A more suitable title for this book would be "Automotive Sheet Metal Fabrication", which would not be so misleading to the web browser. This book was purchased on title alone as there were no prior book reviews to assist identify its contents and assist in the selection. If I was into auto restoration this would be a handy book to have and would rate it a 3 for content,but I understood this book to be a manual to assist the everyday metal worker in his/her work. No references to using a pan brake folder when bending,no projects to test the newly acquired skills and nothing on developing and making various geometric shapes from sheet metal. Well, we live and learn from our mistakes and if I knew the real content of this book I would not have bought it. Kind regards Uncle Bob.
Rating:
Summary: Fanatastic overview
Review: This book and the author not only answered the questions that no other books on metal shaping could, but it also draws upon interviews and information from renowned masters. It touches the heart and soul of the revival that is occurring in metal shaping and discusses all (English Wheel, air/power hammers, etc.) of the fancy and wonderful tools while showing you how these techniques can all be done with nothing more than patience, skill, a hammer or two and a tree stump. For the price, this book can't be beat! The only improvement I would ask for in the next printing is a more complete index but I plan to read this book enough times that I won't even need it.
Rating:
Summary: decently informative
Review: This book seems to be a good introduction to metal shaping. Though, not being the most thorough, it gives a good starting point as to figuring how some shapes are made. Some of the techniques dont seem to be explained the greatest through a book. It is primarily geared towards building car bodies. However, with a bit of imagination the techniques can be applied any where one would use curvilinier three-demensional forms. Overall, I found this book useful.
Rating: 
Summary: Useless for the amateur
Review: This book should have been titled "Interviews with the masters of sheet metal fabrication" instead. Very little content to show the uninitiated how to achieve a particular goal or effect in sheet metal-work. It consists predominantly of interviews with different practitioners of particular approaches to sheet metal shaping, with the bottom line being: "You could do this w/ hammer & dolly, or any of several other methods, but this is the faster approach I prefer..." It was an interested read, but not something worth keeping as a reference. I wish I had saved my money.
Rating:
Summary: Metal Fabrication Bible
Review: Until I find a better one, this book deserves the 5 star and "Bible" rating and title. No other book covers the use of the English wheel and shrinking techniques so well. I am building a fiberglass Cobra Replica and want to duplicate the body in aluminum. The process of forming curved metal shapes and moving metal around as it is shaped is covered in text and in photos very, very well. My potential partner in the aluminum body venture was greately excited and will buy the book. A co-worker who specializes in antique car restoration (profeshionally) nearly had a seizure when he skimmed through the book. It is just what he was looking for. I intend to build my own English wheel and accessories which was covered very well in this book. Companies selling the English wheels purposely make their photos vague to prevent copying. As a Tool Designer and Welding Engineer this craft has far less mystery about it now that I have this book. It will go to the head of the row of crafting books I have been accumulating. Well done Tim Remus - when will you write a sequel, we want more?
Rating:
Summary: Metal Fabrication Bible
Review: Until I find a better one, this book deserves the 5 star and "Bible" rating and title. No other book covers the use of the English wheel and shrinking techniques so well. I am building a fiberglass Cobra Replica and want to duplicate the body in aluminum. The process of forming curved metal shapes and moving metal around as it is shaped is covered in text and in photos very, very well. My potential partner in the aluminum body venture was greately excited and will buy the book. A co-worker who specializes in antique car restoration (profeshionally) nearly had a seizure when he skimmed through the book. It is just what he was looking for. I intend to build my own English wheel and accessories which was covered very well in this book. Companies selling the English wheels purposely make their photos vague to prevent copying. As a Tool Designer and Welding Engineer this craft has far less mystery about it now that I have this book. It will go to the head of the row of crafting books I have been accumulating. Well done Tim Remus - when will you write a sequel, we want more?
Rating:
Summary: Metal Fabrication Bible
Review: Until I find a better one, this book deserves the 5 star and "Bible" rating and title. No other book covers the use of the English wheel and shrinking techniques so well. I am building a fiberglass Cobra Replica and want to duplicate the body in aluminum. The process of forming curved metal shapes and moving metal around as it is shaped is covered in text and in photos very, very well. My potential partner in the aluminum body venture was greately excited and will buy the book. A co-worker who specializes in antique car restoration (profeshionally) nearly had a seizure when he skimmed through the book. It is just what he was looking for. I intend to build my own English wheel and accessories which was covered very well in this book. Companies selling the English wheels purposely make their photos vague to prevent copying. As a Tool Designer and Welding Engineer this craft has far less mystery about it now that I have this book. It will go to the head of the row of crafting books I have been accumulating. Well done Tim Remus - when will you write a sequel, we want more?
| 
