WHAT IS IT?

It has been described as:

A Roman Helmet

A giant ice-cream scoop

A bat of some sort

but alas all wrong!

The correct description is

‘having a bulbous head with return curve’

and no! it’s not that either madam!

In fact it’s the result of my hands on experience at a two day panel forming workshop held recently at Marque Restorations in Adelaide.
A model for the soon to be created cycle guards for my MG TC.
I’ve never so much as hit a piece of aluminium in friendship let alone in anger, but this is the result. Pucker up the top part to shrink the metal using a hammer and a block of wood with a slight depression in it, and then belt the living daylights out of the lower section to stretch it, you finish up with a very dimpled bent piece of aluminium.
Then the magic, an English Wheel, or just  plain ‘wheeling machine’, this does wonders. With careful ‘wheeling’ all the imperfections are ironed out and you are left with a piece of material only requiring a little filing and minor hammering to achieve what I can only describe as a miracle.
OK, I have to learn how to do a wire edging to complete the project but I may seek assistance on that one.
All this on a tree stump and a leather bag full of sand (and THE wheeling machine).
The ‘wizards’ running this workshop  were Tom Peach and Peter Tommasini. Tom is an ex TAFE lecturer and panel wizard. Peter is the Falcon GTHO guru (and panel wizard).
The little time I spent hammering almost saw my arm fall off, Tom must have spent upwards of five hours each day showing us how to do it, and he’s 71 years old!
Jeanette wondered why a man is his mid (+) 60’s would want to learn how to create a masterpiece in metal, but  I ask, why not?
Have a go my good man (or woman)
As for my MIG welding course at TAFE, well that’s another story.
Don Walker