2008 Workshop Course Descriptions

	Workshop participants in the 4-day Metalworking Intensive refine their skills on the English Wheel.

All of our Metalworking Intensives cover a different fundamental training topic each day, and each day is a stand-alone intensive study and practice on that technique. You may attend all four days, or any combination of days that are areas you wish to study. However, priority is given to participants who plan to attend all four days.

Common topics - such as planishing, metal finishing, annealing, work-hardening, heat-treating, patterns, and layout - will be covered in context on each of the four days.

A packet of special workshop preparation materials is sent to you three weeks prior to the workshop. It contains five videos, and many pages of printed material for your study prior to workshop attendance. This packet is available only to those who sign up for all four days of the workshop (and if available separately would be worth $200). If you are attending only part of a workshop, please contact us regarding what advance-study materials you will need.

Please note: Kent's tricky techniques for teaching include conundrums, brick-walls, and brain twisters. You will learn to solve problems and to think like a real metal-man -- by overcoming obstacles, and by using your bucket of grey cells. Gold star, anyone? It goes on your permanent record, you know.

"The Original" 4-Day Metalworking Intensive

May 16, 17, 18, 19
July 11, 12, 13, 14
November 14, 15, 16, 17 (tent.)

Day 1 - Stretching Tools & Methods
Fundamental concepts of metallurgy and metal behavior are introduced, so that the student is made familiar with (and can anticipate the response of) the metal to certain forces. Annealing, work hardening, and heat-treating are covered in context of both making and repairing parts. Many approaches to stretching problems are covered, enabling the student to easily create his own solutions to achieve many shapes and forms. You will understand how to avoid excessive thinning when achieving the fastest stretch possible. The Air Shaping Hammer and other rapid forming tools and methods are applied in context. Applications: bowls, hollows, reverses, fairings, saddles, and curved flanges.

Day 2 - Shrinking Tools & Methods
Using the Stretching class as a springboard to open student's minds, the Shrinking class strives for comprehension of the underlying relationship of the Duality of metal; and how heat and cold, soft and hard, and thick and thin affect the ability of the metal to take a new shape. Kent has defined 14 separate and distinct methods to shrink sheet metal, decreasing the surface area by increasing its thickness. Most classes will cover 9 methods, and an occasional "eager and capable" class will absorb 12 of these concepts. You will understand how to efficiently and accurately shrink many metals by taking this 4-day course. Applications: Hollow shapes, curved flanges, making repairs and adjustments.

Day 3 - Aircraft Aluminum Gas Welding
Applications on non-structural parts and alloys are given in context. Using traditional proven teaching methods, each student is expected to make a good weld in 6 hrs, just as the aircraft factories trained their welders years ago. Torch and tip selection, pressure regulator settings, fluxes, and fillers are covered in detail. Joint design, geometry, distortion, and applications are demonstrated and detailed. Students are given a basic joint to master and when done, they are encouraged to move onto a more difficult joint. Flux-cleanup, benefits and drawbacks of welding methods are contrasted thoroughly. 2 hrs instruction, critiques, and demonstrations, with 6 hrs of student hands-on practice.

Day 4 - Forming & Shaping Machines
The English Wheel, Pullmax, and the Air Shaping Hammer are shown in contrast to (and in support of) each other using demonstrations and projects. Much time will allow the student to become familiar with each machine, as the student prefers. Projects are very helpful for this segment.

Cost: $345 per day (includes breakfast, lunch, materials & supplies). Pre-req: Sincere interest in metalworking and a willingness to get your hands dirty. This workshop is for all skill levels.

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5-Day Metalworking Bootcamp
(plus optional 2-day Lake Tahoe excursion)

June 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 (Lake Tahoe, June 30 & July 1)

Join us for the inauguration of what we hope becomes a yearly tradition! Kent's "5-Day Metalworking Bootcamp" and optional 2 (or more days) at Lake Tahoe. This workshop is project-oriented and only open to those who have previously attended either the 4-Day Intensive or Advanced Metalworking classes. Work on a real project side-by-side with other metal guys, with Kent breathing down your neck. Have your welding critiqued mercilessly. Try to fix the "unfixable." Guaranteed to be loads of fun! The workshop ends with two optional days at nights at beautiful Lake Tahoe on June 30 & July 1 (checkout July 2). Enjoy jet skiing, parasailing, boating, sitting in a comfy lawn chair on the beach, fireworks, a lakeside dinner cookout, swimming, and sun and fun! Two days to relax after 5-days of hard work. We've rented 10 studio rooms at the cozy Franciscan Lakeside Lodge for the entire group (see www.franciscanlodge.com). It's a fun little place, and every room has a kitchenette. Bring your family, friends, spouse, kids if you want–or leave them at home and just get two days of quiet! And if you want to extend your stay through 4th of July weekend, it's possible if you ACT quickly. Rooms are still available, but they will fill up quickly for July 4th weekend. Call us asap if you are interested.

Cost: $345 per day (includes breakfast, lunch, materials & supplies). Two optional nights at Lake Tahoe, $150 per night for room, meals not included. Pre-req: 4-Day Intensive required (Intermediate-Advanced recommended but not required).

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Steelworking Intensive

September 4, 5, 6, 7

Day 1 - Methods for repairs for rust and crash damage
Making rapid tooling for repair panel fabrication, and repairing damaged panels starts this 4 day event. Kent's years of doing steel body restoration with some of the masters of Rollover Repairs will bring a lot of light to this topic. Add in annealing and hardening and this day is packed.

Day 2 - Stretching, Shrinking, and Planishing
There are some rapid ways to shrink steel panels right on the car, bike, or haybaler, so let's get with the program and move some metal. The same goes for stretching to flare some fenders. And then smoothing…why not pick up a Fender Planishing machine and let the machine do it…right on the car. Ever heard of or seen The Amazing Shrink Disc? Or the whirling whanging rubagizmo? I can show you how the Texas dustbowl depression-era metalmen lifted out haildents without a sound.

Day 3 - Gas Welding, Brazing and Soldering
What really works and what is a time-waster? Why braze? How can solder save time? Is that gas welding faster than TIG? Is the MIG welder really a manure spreader? We take a close look at what is appropriate for the task. Chrome? No sweat. I have made a bunch of steel stuff for chrome-plate, and have done serious repairs for chrome. How do you prep? I worked with a plating shop for years…prepping for Pebble Beach. Want to win? I did and I can show you some pretty effective methods.

Day 4 - Oil cans
Need I say any more? I once spent 3 MONTHS on a fancy 5-piece brass-trimmed Pierce Arrow hood that had gone saddle-back after a load of snow fell on it. Then some character sandblasted it. I sure learned a lot about shrinking…and oil cans. What are oil cans (oilcanes?)? How do they form? You will be surprised to learn what the truth is. And how easy it can be to send one packing. You will make them, and erase them by days' end. And, if you are a real pro and get through my obstacle course…we can do a class on Louvers.

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Have you already been to "The Original" 4-day Intensive? Want some more challenge, inspiration, and intimidation? Read On...

Intermediate-Advanced Metalworking

August 6, 7, 8, 9
November 20, 21, 22, 23

Most of our students have asked for a follow-up course that goes more deeply into the topics offered during the Original 4-day Intensive. There will be an interesting class project by which students will contribute as their skills and individual interest inspires them. Credit for taking a previous Intensive is mentioned, and you are eligible for increased harassment during the Advanced portion.

Day 1 - Development
Developing patterns and determining contours using paper, tape, and other materials. Using various methods to transfer known locations and artwork to paper. Blanking the part. Using the mathematics of geometry to anticipate where and how much to shrink or stretch. Station Buck and Mock-up development and construction, using a variety of materials.

Day 2 - Beginning the shape, first things first
How to start the shaping process using rough and rapid stretching and shrinking, using flow-forming and hot working methods. "Torch-forming" applies here. Hammer-forming using the Little Power Hammer and Pullmax-forming also apply. Smoothing and planishing using both hand methods and Machines. English Wheel-forming will also be used, and also the planishing Wheel. Individual panels are brought to fit and finish during this day.

Day 3 - Joining
How little parts become big ones. Some parts just have to be made big, but others start small and then get joined together into larger ones. "A lot of forming and a little welding, or a little forming and a lot of welding." We go through the process of learning how to determine Large Panel forming, and Small Panel forming - and why things are the way they are. Butt Welding will be the order of the day, whether you are doing steel, copper, aluminum, or stainless. Be prepared to show your welding skills in public. Then, we have Problem Solving. I expect that nobody gets distortion, but IF it should creep in to your shop then here are ways to control or defeat Distortion.

Day 4 - Making the thing fit
Fitting is a whole craft/skill/art unto itself. Aircraft factories had "Fitters," men and women specifically trained to take the panel made in production and get it to fit onto the airplane. Auto factories also had fitters, just before the paint shops, where the final touches made the cars nicely fit. There are many tricks to get a good fit, especially after welding several panels together. I once helped a guy named Lindquist fab, assemble, fit, and planish the front end of a Cobra Daytona Coupe together, and that slide show is a good teaching aid.

Cost: $345 per day (includes breakfast, lunch, materials & supplies). Pre-req: We highly recommend attending "The Original" 4-day Metalworking Intensive first. However, if you have extensive metalwork experience please contact us and we will discuss which course is best for your skill level.

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"How-to" Secrets & Shortcuts of Louvers, Tank Construction, Flow Forming, and Bead Forming

September 16, 17, 18, 19

Day 1–Louver secrets
Kent has compiled a number of ways to make louvers quickly and accurately. He has a louver punch with ahigh-tech set of spring-loadedlouver dies. Using these and four more ways, you will learnfive methods of making louvers, From using a press and precision-machined dies, to making your own dies with no machining, to making louverseither free-hand or with very basic forms, you will becomea Louver King.

Day 2–Tank Construction Methods
Kent has been gathering tank construction methods for years. Making leak-proof tanks is basic, but making tanks of terne plate, aluminum, stainless, orcopper requires some careful detail and planning. Design, patterns, forms, and layout are covered first. Then forming the individual parts, and decidingwhether torivet, solder, braze, or weld must be weighed carefully. Making and installing fittings, filler necks, and drain plugs, without distortion is crucial. And then getting the thing to fit. All of this is covered. Great stuff.

Day 3–Flow Forming
We all use a mallet or hammer to form parts, but there is a faster way that is incredible. Join us to have some real rapid fun.

Day 4–Bead Forming
We all know how to make beads, right? Nice tight beads, right? How big a bead can you make? How complex? How many machines can make the same bead? Stuck with a grumpy bead roller, and stuck making wavy parts? Come on! Let's fix that.

Cost: $345 per day. All four days required (includes breakfast, lunch, materials & supplies). Pre-req: Sincere interest and basic metalworking skills. ("The Original" 4-Day Intensive is not a pre-requisite for this class).

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Copperworking & Art Metal

December 4, 5, 6, 7

We will begin by comparing copper to known/familiar metals, and then contrasting it by its working characteristics. Since this will be mostly for artists/artisans/sculptors our format will be less focused on structures and engineering and more on organic shapes. Because of the high cost of sheet copper our costs are higher, and the price must reflect this: $395 per day.

Day 1 - Patterns, Bucks, Mock-ups, and Maquettes
Learn to paper out a shape, transfer solids to flats, and make 3D solids from which to build. What is legal? How creative can we get? This will be "Paper Dolls 101" or "Crafts 206" - taking the idea and working it into a mockup.

Day 2 - Annealing, Shrinking, Stretching, Planishing
This is where the copper is laid out, blanked, and the shape is put into it. We will use hand tools, home made tools, and forming Machines to work the sheet into some creative shapes. Annealing, hardening and hot work will be included for your benefit. Embossing and pressing will round out the day.

Day 3 - Tubing: measure, bend, cut, fit, weld/braze
The two types of tubing will be used to show how structures can be made strong with either one. Cutting and bending will surprise you, as I think I can show you unusual methods of bending you may not be aware of, bending tube of any kind. Welding and brazing will be introduced, and then continued on Day 4.

Day 4 - Welding, brazing & soldering, polishing, coloring, and patination
Joining copper (and brass and stainless) to each other can be a wonderful accent to a sculpture, as can patination. Once we learn to weld, braze, and solder this metal then we can think about the final color, and make choices based on weathering, location, or coating the finished piece. Commercial patinations will be used as well as home-brewed concoctions.

Cost: $395 per day (includes breakfast, lunch, materials & supplies).

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