Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[UKdave2002]

I have been following these guys in Thailand who are restoring a VW with very basic hand tools, they fabricate complex panels with just a hammer and chisel, just recently a couple of people have challenged them, saying you would need presses to achieve the quality they do. I have put a link on in the interesting links section, but because there are so many photos it doesn’t always load.
What are your views is it possible to achieve the quality they do with nothing more than the basic stuff they have ?

Dave

[Rick]

Amazing stuff - do you remember seeing a thing J Clarkson did about motoring in Cuba a few years back?? it showed a group of fellas making a new back wing for something from a flat sheet of metal, and the end product was pretty damn close to being A1, if not A1.

I think with suitable time and experience this could definitely be done (not by me though )

Rick
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[Uncle Joe]

I've seen stuff like this first hand on my travels. The quality is amazing, way, way better than can be believed! Are presses needed? No. They simply 'see' the result, work out a way to do it, then do it!

Sad thing is, these guys are only showing a talent that was found in the UK years ago....

UJ

[PACresta]

Marvelous work it must take them hours to achieve that sort of quality, hats off to the guys.

[UKdave2002]

[62rebel]

it harkens back to day when the village smithy was expected to (and often could) make various needed items from scratch. my dad and i were talking about the various skills we had, in woodworking, welding, repairs and such; it came 'round to the statement that were we living a 150 years ago we'd be blacksmiths or millwrights. i told him that if it were 250 years ago, we'd be burned as witches!
i watch these itinerant workers on telly pounding out various and sundry items from the odd piece of scrap and wonder why can't i do as well? so often i do try it, for the odd small part, and it works out rather well. what i lack is a lifetime of training by neccessity- they don't have spares to work with; they make do. we can pop 'round to the shop and get what they must make from pieces on hand. ask the Russians about Afghan itinerant smithys....

[Uncle Joe]

Years ago, if a car broke down and needed a part, it was the village Smithy that would do the repair. Then came along a certain American, a Mr. Leland, (who I personally admire) and invented tolerances....

A friend of mine here has an example of the work of an itinerant Afgan Smithy....

UJ

[buzzy bee]

Hi

My PF, is smithy made and that has tolerances, just very large ones!!

Cheers

Dave

[62rebel]

for some reason i had not been able to view the pics until now; AMAZING!
that is incredible work; just think if that fellow and his mates could be given a set of drawings for the less popular makes for which NO parts are available!

[welder]

I have long maintained that anything can be achieved with a suitable hammer.....................I've got loads!

Ian