Well, it is about time I wrote this. I have not visited here in a while do to some personal things taking my time. Back a while ago I received my DVD from John Kelly’s “Ghia Specialties” called “Custom Metal bodywork”. When I first viewed it I was very disappointed. It seemed like it went way too fast and was choppy skipping around too much. He assured me that he wanted to pack as much info in, so he edited out all the stuff that wasn’t absolutely necessary to get what he wanted across. He told me to view it a few times and give it a chance to sink in. I have, over the past number of months picked it up on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning and watched it. This is a very unique view into the head of an amazing metal master. Of all the tapes and DVDs I have viewed on the subject this one reveals more about how the man “thinks” than any other. Most will show you how to do something, John explains “why” to do something. The difference being it helps one understand how to put the idea into use on other projects that may not look exactly the same as the one he is working on. It is a true “training” of the skills not just an “example” of it.
He reminds me of an old blacksmith, someone who “made stuff happen, be-darned” the tools available or the money to buy them. He has the most amazing talent to MAKE the needed tools. Forget about being pushed to buy stuff, he shows you how to make every darn tool you could ever need for metal working. He also has the contact info to other sources on most every store bought one he uses if you did want to buy. But almost everything he uses in the DVD are home made by him! Some pretty ingenious ideas I’ll tell you that! How about using a leather purse as a shot bag, or a modified claw hammer for a shrinking/gathering tool! This tape is FULL of tool ideas that most any home hobbyist could put to use. No need to go out and spend a ton of money, with this DVD and some simple hand tools a guy could put together a heck of a metal shop.
He even walks you thru making a shrinking disc!
Then I watched this DVD I had my 10 year old son (and my wife as well some of it) and I bounce stuff off of them. They both learned things about this craft, as I have said before if nothing else these DVDs on the market “demystify” metal working. My son was amazed at how John would “dent” the metal all up BEFORE making it smooth.
John shows not only how to make multi piece panels from scratch, he also shows how to stretch the metal that IS there into something else! He shows how to bend and create tubing sub structures using simple hand and home made tools as well.
I have to tell you, if you want to add to your metal working skills and broaden your tool vocabulary I highly recommend this disc. It is available at
http://ghiaspecialties.com/ John contributes a ton to a number of forums, you may have seen him around.
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