This program covers many advanced topics in TIG welding, including welding chrome moly steel, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, bronze, copper, and titanium. You’ll also learn how to weld castings made from aluminum, magnesium, and bronze. Clear guidelines are given for using the pulse and waveform adjustments that many new welders have, along with great practical advice on machine setup, joint preparation, and weld finishing. Ron’s clear and detailed instructions are easy to follow, and the striking close-up photography shows you exactly what to look for as you weld!

111 minutes, $40
Shipping weight for #1000-25 is .25 lbs.

TIG Welding Basics

TIG welding has been long recognized as the premiere welding process, which can make beautiful, strong welds on nearly any metal. In this easy-to-follow program, Ron Covell covers the basic processes used for TIG welding, covering proper machine setup, joint preparation, electrode selection and preparation, torch technique, and perhaps most importantly, what to check for when things go wrong! Ron’s thoughtful description of the welding process, coupled with the close-up photography that brings the action into clear view makes the seemingly difficult process of TIG welding easy to understand.

MIG Welding is widely used for car and motorcycle building and modification, but few people really understand how each of the variables affects the finished weld. This program can be easily understood by a beginner, but it covers information even seasoned professionals can learn from. Ron Covell goes through the entire process step-by-step, and gives clear descriptions of how each factor changes the weld, including wire speed, voltage, wire stickout, gun angle, travel speed, and gas flow. He also covers plug welds, patch panels, welding aluminum, and using flux core wire. You’ll especially enjoy the special bonus section on Plasma Cutting!

70 minutes - $40
Shipping weight for #1000-22 DVD is .25 lb.

Planishing Hammer Basics

Planishing hammers are a real 'workhorse' of the metal shaping process. They are unexcelled for flattening welds, working in constricted areas, and stretching flanges. Ron demonstrates the basic procedures for using these machines, including proper die selection and operator technique, and he shows their use on both steel and aluminum panels. More specialized techniques are covered too, including flanging, riveting, and making reverse curves. This program shows seven different planishing hammers in action, from bargain-priced entry-level machines, through vintage and hand-held machines, to the most robust professional-level machines available, giving the viewer invaluable insight about the great diversity of these machines, and which features are most important for specific types of work. As popular as planishing hammers are, there is precious little information available on their proper use, and this program will give you a strong foundation for selecting and using the right machine and tooling for your application.

54 minutes, $40
Shipping weight for #1000-29 .25 lbs.

The first step in many large metalshaping projects is building a buck. A buck is a pattern, or form, that captures all of the key dimensions, contours, and details of an object in three-dimensional space. In some cases, details such as flanges and intricate contours are created by hammering metal directly against reinforced portions of the buck. The techniques used to make sophisticated bucks are not widely known, and many people have called us requesting a step-by-step description of the process, using tools the average builder may already have. You'll learn a fast way to use sheetmetal angles to model large, complicated shapes with surprising accuracy, and you'll get insight into the way Ron works through the challenges presented by each element of the buck. His detailed, easy-to-follow commentary, coupled with striking close-up photography makes each step easy to follow, and you'll learn how to build sturdy, accurate bucks - the foundation for your large-scale metalshaping projects!

70 minutes, $40
Shipping weight for #1000-28 is .25 lbs

Watch Ron Covell make traditional modifications on two different grille shells; he chops a 1932 Ford shell 2 1/2–inches, and narrows a 1929 shell 5–inches. Ron shows how being creative with the layout of the cuts can ease your work tremendously, and he shows how to make each cut with precision. You’ll learn the importance of proper joint preparation, and you’ll see in-depth treatment of tack welding, finish welding, hammer and dolly work, and the final steps needed to smooth the welds to perfection. These same techniques will apply to many other metalworking projects, and Ron’s clear and detailed descriptions are easy to follow. The tight close-up photography shows each step in striking detail, and Ron imparts a wealth of knowledge about the ‘fine points’ of doing top-quality metalworking!

34 minutes, $20
Shipping weight for #1000-27 is .25 lbs

Craig Naff is one of the top metalworkers in the nation, with milestone projects such as Cadzilla, The Smoothster, SmoothNess, and The Golden Submarine to his credit. This program was shot during a workshop, where Craig demonstrated the fastest techniques known for shaping custom sheet metal panels. You’ll see how the Yoder Power Hammer, the Eckold machine, the Pullmax, and the Planishing Hammer each have a role in rapidly and accurately shaping metal. You’ll watch Craig make the two most difficult sections of a 1932 Ford front fender, explaining why he selects each machine, and how his customized tooling enables him to move the metal rapidly and efficiently. If you want to speed your own metal shaping, or just see a master at the top of his game, this program is a treasure!

85 minutes, $40
Shipping weight for #1000-26 is .25 lbs.

What do you do if you have a car with a fender that is damaged beyond repair, or missing? Ron shows how to use the opposite fender to design a buck, pointing out the features required to make a new fender that perfectly mirrors the model. You’ll see him analyze a ’36 Ford fender, determine the number of pieces to make it from, and exactly where to place the seams to accommodate the intricate details, including the running board bulge and the rolled edge of the wheel opening. This is a fascinating, in-depth look at the start-to-finish construction of a challenging project!

119 minutes, $40
Shipping weight for #1000-24 is .25 lbs.

Inspired by the Rod & Custom ‘Dream Truck’ Ron Covell and Joe McGlynn radically rework a ‘56 Studebaker pickup - giving it a 4” chop, a 6” section, and pie-cutting the hood. Every step is shown up-close, with clear detail, and the ongoing commentary brings out many of the ‘fine points’ of the work.

You’ll see how and where to lay out the cuts, different ways to cut the metal, and how to fit the pieces back together to establish flowing contours. There are demonstrations on the English Wheel, planishing hammer, and Pullmax, plus TIG welding and plasma cutting. Special attention is paid to getting the hood and door gaps uniform.

English Wheel Techniques

Ron Covell brings his signature easy-to-follow style to using the English wheel, a machine notoriously difficult for beginners to ‘figure out’. Starting with the machine’s history and a clear explanation of the principles that enable the machine to move metal, Ron shows the basic ’tracking’ patterns that are used to shape panels of various sizes and configurations.

In addition to the common techniques of wheeling, Ron also shows some lesser-known processes, such as using a rubber top wheel, and doing embossing with the machine. Whether you’re brand-new to the English Wheel or an experienced user, you’ll find valuable information in this video.

86 minutes - $40
Shipping weight for #1000-19 DVD is .25 lb.

Basic Techniques for Working with Steel

This is probably the most comprehensive metalworking video to date: Ron Covell thoroughly demonstrates basic hammer and dolly techniques, and shows how to do high-level metalwork that requires no filler. In the video, he starts with a 1932 Morgan in very bad condition, and goes through every step of perfectly restoring the body. Great coverage of hole filling, patch panels, wired edge repair, rust repair, TIG welding, metal finishing, and shrinking. You’ll see how top-quality metalwork can be done with very simple tools! 

100 minutes - $40
Shipping weight for #1000-3 DVD is .25 lb.

Shaping Aluminum with Hand Tools

Ron Covell's first video, now considered a classic. Watch Ron go through every step of making a track roadster nose, demonstrating techniques suitable for making virtually any body panel. He starts with a station buck defining the shape, shows clearly how the patterns are made, then starts shaping each piece and finally joins them together. Annealing, mallet and sandbag rough shaping, hammer and dolly smoothing, metal finishing, and both oxy-acetylene and TIG welding are covered in depth. If you’ve never seen metal shaped by hand, you may be astounded how simple the process is!  

105 minutes -$40
Shipping weight for #1000-1 DVD is .25 lb.

Working with Tubing

This video is filled with fantastic close-up shots, which bring the action into clear view. Ron Covell shows dozens of ways to work with tubing, including bending with heat, bending with both inexpensive and high-end tube bending machines, mitering, flaring, and tapering tubing. There is an extensive section that deals with using U-bends, showing how to create anything from simple water pipes to elaborate headers. Most of the techniques use only simple shop equipment! You’ll love it!  

95 minutes - #1000-4 - $40
Shipping weight for #1000-4 DVD is .25 lb.

Hammerforming Techniques

Two of the best-known names in metalshaping have teamed up to teach you the in’s and out’s of the hammerforming process. Hammerforms are very easy to make, and they enable you to create parts that have the look and accuracy of die-stamped parts. They allow even beginning metalworkers to produce parts they can be proud of. Ten different hammerforming operations are demonstrated, from a simple tank top to a beautiful rolled edge detail on a complicated pontoon fender for a Bugatti. The two Ron’s bring over 70 years of combined experience to the viewers, and you’ll see how their different styles of working with metal compliment each other. This video has striking close-up shots that bring you close to the action, and clear descriptions of all aspects of the hammerforming process.  

76 minutes - #1000-15 - $40
Shipping weight for #1000-15 DVD is .25 lb.

Building a Chopper Chassis

See a chopper frame built before your eyes! Ron Covell goes through the entire process, starting with an overview of frame design, explaining the concepts of rake, trail, and stretch. He covers the use of chassis jigs, then goes on to show how to bend and fit tubing to create a chopper frame to match any design. Ron’s clear and detailed explanations will help any builder get on the road quickly, with a minimum amount of wasted effort. He also shows the use of both entry-level and high-end tools for layout, cutting, and bending. With the excellent instruction found here, building a frame may be an easier project than you imagine!

70 minutes - $40
Shipping weight for #1000-20 DVD is .25 lb.

Making Motorcycle Gas Tanks

In this long-awaited video, Ron Covell shows the ‘intimate details’ of making two very different gas tanks. The first is a flat-bottomed chopper style tank made from steel, and the second is a comma-shaped tank made from aluminum. Details of rubber mounting are clearly shown, along with demonstrations of forming with hand tools and with an English wheel. Two-video set (over 2 3/4 hours of instruction)

167 minutes -$60
Shipping weight for #1000-12 DVD is .25 lb.