I`m sure you are right,Paul.. but I do think he has some real talent.
A English wheel would be fun to try.
The guy that did the work on the cobra was amazing, but what do you do if you can`t get behind the panel so easy..... I suppose thats what bondo was invented for.
Im an amature I just net apprentice off Ryoken..
you cant use an english wheel on aluminum- its too soft, the english wheel would not really heat up the metal, it might actually just move or sheetr off some metal.
Aluminum cars are kinda rare- (aluminum body panels anyhow). Its only because that car's finish is brushed aluminum , you can't paint over it or bondo it.
Every body repair job can be metal formed perfect or panels replaced- however, bondo is significantly cheaper- so you only have to get it to "roughly" correct.
As for "access"- production cars are harder for access than race cars- as usually race cars are just a shell- production cars have all sorts of reinforcements and crash safety beams that get into the way.
I've become a big fan of stud guns. I have a big rust hole in my pickup because pre-ryoken, I had used a drill slide hammer, and crappy fiberglass filler.
Now that I have seen the dark side, I will be cutting out the panel, fabricating a new piece from 20ga or 18ga steel, put it through the roller for a slight curve, bending a 1" lip, then using a shrinker, shrink it to the contour of the lower panel edge, then mig or tig it in place, (after of course, a back side grind down and weld through primer). the top side will be almost perfect metal finish, which will then get the ryoken green spray, topped with primer, then skim coat of light bondo, sanded, glazed, sanded, then high build primer, then sanded again.
Before it gets topped off with 1 dollar home depot flat black.
