Body work...any "how to" websites?

[mikepmcs]

right click..save
always willing to hear what the pros say.

One thing for sure is... bodywork to me is like art.  You have to be a master at your craft and love what you are doing.  I have an opp to work at my buddies body shop when i retire from the navy in about 2 months and if i can swing it financially, i'm going to do it because i've always wanted to learn this. I think if you are good with your hands and have a knack for this sort of stuff, it just comes easier.  I do a lot of woodwork in my spare time and i'm pretty sure i can handle body work and the tedious task of shaping a panel to perfection, but, only time will tell i guess.

thanks for that link, the other body info site i had on my fav's is no longer there.

v/r
Mike

[Doc74]

right click..save
always willing to hear what the pros say.

One thing for sure is... bodywork to me is like art.  You have to be a master at your craft and love what you are doing.  I have an opp to work at my buddies body shop when i retire from the navy in about 2 months and if i can swing it financially, i'm going to do it because i've always wanted to learn this. I think if you are good with your hands and have a knack for this sort of stuff, it just comes easier.  I do a lot of woodwork in my spare time and i'm pretty sure i can handle body work and the tedious task of shaping a panel to perfection, but, only time will tell i guess.

thanks for that link, the other body info site i had on my fav's is no longer there.

v/r
Mike

Nothing tedious about it, if you love it then you love it. You may get frustrated if it's not going right or when you don't have the necessary tools like with any job but I can tell you that making a 60's jaguar fender or a gas tank for a bike or whatever out of straight of the shelf sheet metal is anything but tedious.
If you can handle woodwork and you don't have two left hands then yes, it will come easier. Bodywork is a wonderful job, I for one take pride in restoring cars without fillers, nobody may see it but I know and nothing can take that feeling away. I get bored sometimes doing prep work since it's always the same and painting is usually very boring until you have a custom paintjob to do or an airbrush or something but those are rare. Metal work however will never get boring to me.

So by all means, get yourself some good tools and a nice workshop and start having fun.

Dammit, now I want to do some woodwork 

[mikepmcs]

Here is some of my junk... A little off subject but i'm in for some constructive.  Let me have it.  Oh yeah I make jewelry too.  Just hobbies of mine.


v/r
Mike

[mikepmcs]

one more, sorry for the hijack.

[RogerDodger]

Nice work Mike. What kind of dovetail would you call that? Looks like you used a bisquit joiner somehow. I used to do some work like that. Now my Charger has taken over the garage. Only things I have left are a band saw and a joiner. I use them as shelves.

[mikepmcs]

If you are talking about the corners on the jewelry box(the ones with with the light colored wood at an angle), then that is just some birdseye maple pieces of wood that i put in there to strengthen the corners.  It was 45'd together and the i tilted the box at multiple angles and ran it through my table saw to make the kerf, then i glued those pieces in there, trimmed and sanded them.  So you could say it's kind of a biscuit, but on the outside of the box. LOL

I actually wish , i had my garage back on the woodshop side cause it takes up alot of room with all those tools in there.  I've often thought of just selling all my wood tools and having a place to store or work on another car, but i know i would regret it.

Thanks for the nice comment,
once again sorry for the hijack.

v/r
Mike

[jordyjim]

right click..save
always willing to hear what the pros say.

One thing for sure is... bodywork to me is like art.  You have to be a master at your craft and love what you are doing.  I have an opp to work at my buddies body shop when i retire from the navy in about 2 months and if i can swing it financially, i'm going to do it because i've always wanted to learn this. I think if you are good with your hands and have a knack for this sort of stuff, it just comes easier.  I do a lot of woodwork in my spare time and i'm pretty sure i can handle body work and the tedious task of shaping a panel to perfection, but, only time will tell i guess.

thanks for that link, the other body info site i had on my fav's is no longer there.mike im a painter but i do a bit of bodywork too,are you a patient man? cut one corner in this game and your back to sqr one, its all eye to hand coordination you never think oh that will do and paint it, cos it will just haunt you every time you look at, like you say you have to love what you do you have to think perfection at all times, go for the job i dont think you will regret and you will get paid for having a good time..jim

v/r
Mike

[mikepmcs]

Jim,
Thanks for the vote of confidence.  I have patience when it comes to this sort of tasking.  In woodwork, i've destroyed many projects just because I didn't like one little thing on it, so in the scrap pile it goes.  I very much like hobbies where it is just whatever medium i'm working and me with no outside influence or interference.  I believe autobody falls into this category as well.  I understand the importance of the get it right the first time deal in autobody repair.  I've seen the results when it isn't done right.  My car could use a lot of work and i intend to do that someday(i didn't do the body and paint) But i'm just having fun with it right now and it is what it is.   

Harlow, sorry we got off subject a little and i apologize for hijacking this thread on you brother.  I do think however if you take your time, learn to do it right from an instructor who knows what to do, you can do just fine.  I really think that most people are capable of almost anything if they love it and they really want to do it right, i truly believe that.  For instance, i've been researching alot of motor knowledge on this site and really have been learning from the pros here, unfortunately i will be going it alone when it comes to sprucing up my motor(installing a new cam and learning to degree and the ins and outs of that particular part of the motor) But I love it and I love cars and i'm pretty mechanically savy once it comes to doing it so I know with plenty of research and patience to do it right, I will accomplish it with little or no problem.  Of course I have this site and the many wonderful people on here that assist guys like you and me every day in our quest.  I guess what i'm saying is go ahead and do the work and get some instruction, and do some research.  Fall in love with it and you will produce awesome results.
Just my .02

Good Luck to you.

v/r
Mike

[Harlow]

Jim,
Thanks for the vote of confidence.  I have patience when it comes to this sort of tasking.  In woodwork, i've destroyed many projects just because I didn't like one little thing on it, so in the scrap pile it goes.  I very much like hobbies where it is just whatever medium i'm working and me with no outside influence or interference.  I believe autobody falls into this category as well.  I understand the importance of the get it right the first time deal in autobody repair.  I've seen the results when it isn't done right.  My car could use a lot of work and i intend to do that someday(i didn't do the body and paint) But i'm just having fun with it right now and it is what it is.   

Harlow, sorry we got off subject a little and i apologize for hijacking this thread on you brother.  I do think however if you take your time, learn to do it right from an instructor who knows what to do, you can do just fine.  I really think that most people are capable of almost anything if they love it and they really want to do it right, i truly believe that.  For instance, i've been researching alot of motor knowledge on this site and really have been learning from the pros here, unfortunately i will be going it alone when it comes to sprucing up my motor(installing a new cam and learning to degree and the ins and outs of that particular part of the motor) But I love it and I love cars and i'm pretty mechanically savy once it comes to doing it so I know with plenty of research and patience to do it right, I will accomplish it with little or no problem.  Of course I have this site and the many wonderful people on here that assist guys like you and me every day in our quest.  I guess what i'm saying is go ahead and do the work and get some instruction, and do some research.  Fall in love with it and you will produce awesome results.
Just my .02

Good Luck to you.

v/r
Mike

No problem, nice woodwork by the way. I would like to learn how to do bodywork because I think it will save me a lot of money in the long run. Especially because this is not going to be the last mopar I ever buy (I hope not). I'm pretty good at the mechanical stuff, but still learning. It would be awesome to be able to do all the things needed to restore a care myself then I'm not paying someone for labor, but we'll see. When I get it running (hoping to start 'er up tomorrow) I'll go by some shops and see what they say.