Sheet metal craftsmanship
07/06/2024
Around 1930, the tools in this wooden case were sufficient to shape the entire body of a Bugatti Type 35 or an Alfa Romeo 8C from normal aluminum sheets. The only tool missing from the case due to its size is the wooden peg, which is sanded to different curves and used to tap the sheets into shape.
Ventilation slots are first cut into the sheet metal and then recessed on one side. That was still hours of manual work. When you consider that today entire fenders are pressed into shape within seconds using a huge CAD-controlled press,...
The hand is the most important instrument here, because it feels the unevenness. The yellow framework at the bottom determines the basic shape of the body, to which the panels are adapted with millimeter precision. Regardless of whether it is tapped, rounded, bent and pulled ten or even thirty times, the "cage" is repeatedly checked for accuracy of fit. Until all the panels finally fit perfectly and a Bugatti, Alfa Romeo or Maserati has been created.
Only very few people still master this ancient craft. But if you own a car whose hood, fenders or rear section cannot be found in the nearest scrapyard or ordered from a catalog, these few people are indispensable.
