These SKILLS Change Everything About Car Restorations

Metal Finishing skills learned from our good friend Ken Sakamoto have been a game changer for our shop. From Hammer and Dolly to proper use of a shrinking disc we have limited the amount of body filler needed and eliminated a host of other issues. This video is intended to give you an overview of these skills and get you started. If you truly want to master metal finishing we suggest you get a hold of Ken (info below) and start practicing. This is a dying art and we hope to keep it alive for the next generation of craftsmen.
Questions we will answer:
What is the best metal shrinking disc?
How do I use a Shrinking Disc?
How do I fix a dent with a hammer and Dolly?
How do I metal finish a panel?
Do I need to metal finish my car restoration?
#sylvesterscustoms
CLASS INFO:
sylvesterscustoms.com/
Videos To Watch:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OEM VS AFTERMARKET Panels • Avoid costly mistakes:...
Dangers Of Sand Blasting • What They're Not Telli...
Mig Weld Like a Pro • Amazing TIPS to Mig We...
Social Media and Vender Links-----------------------------------------------------------
Ken Sakamoto [phone]
Tell him Sylvesters Customs sent you
ken.sakamot...
/ ken.sakamoto.77736
Filmed and Produced by Blown Grit Media:
/ blowngrit
Sylvesters Customs:
Class Info: sylvesterscustoms.com/
/ sylvesterscustoms
email: [e-mail]
Tools & Products ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hammer and Dollys Contact Ken Sakamoto
Grinder used. amzn.to/4azvpAz
Dycom Layout Fluid amzn.to/3ymR2qD
Chapters
0:00 intro
1:38 Hammer and Dolly
11:14 Shrink Disc
19:21 Fine tuning your Metal Finishing

[@nomar5158]

just took kens class a couple months ago after hearing about him through your videos!!!Great experience!!!!

[@lucashawkins9575]

Hey Travis, I’m a 21 yr old collision tech that does restoration projects in my spare time. I just wanted to say I love your videos and the things you teach has helped me so much with both collision and restoration. Especially making the switch from Durablocks to the acrylic style hard blocks completely changed what I’m capable of. I really appreciate the time you take to make these videos for us.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

That is awesome! Thank you glad they help!!

[@alexhickey8869]

Love the video! I’ve been wanting to take both Ken’s and Wray’s classes they offer for metal finishing and so on. Both are super skilled. My finances on the other hand are lack luster, so I’ve had to learn metal finishing here on KZbin and just from the school of hard knocks 😂. I appreciate you sharing some of what Ken taught you! The biggest thing I would like to add and it’s probably contradictory to what Ken and Wray teach is using water to cool the panel down. I prefer to let the panel cool down naturally with no help. It can harden the material you’re working with, and can cause uneven shrinkage which you touched on. Now, I generally use way more heat than you showed, but I’m fixing stuff that got beat up by people with anger issues and probably should’ve went to the scrap yard 🤣. And I understand that you waited 10-15 seconds before quenching and that helps tremendously to keep it from hardening, but I don’t recall if you mentioned hardening.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

I would agree with this if you have the time, but the biggest thing is running a business doing it for a living if I waited for the panel to cool down every time it would take 10 times as long, but you are definitely correct. That is the main reason that we tried to get everything as close to ironed out as we can with the hammer and dolly so that way you’re only using the shrinking disk minimally, good luck on the finances lol I highly recommend Ken’s class and Lazze

[@SkaterStimm]

I have been doing this for the last week to my crushed roof and my hands are blue from the sanding of the dykem. It is coming out amazingly good, the shrinking disk is genius.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Awesome!!!

[@stillraven9415]

They never taught this in class! Thanks! We started with perfect sheets and tried to shape them never the other way around.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

That’s not metal finishing that’s metal shaping. Two different things. Hope that helps

[@stillraven9415]

@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS yeah, this is very interesting

[@NorthWalesAutomotive]

​@@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMSwe call it forming here in the UK 🤙

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

If you are searching how to get ahold of Ken Sakamoto go to description and scroll down his phone and links are attached 👍🏻

[@fredbarnes3969]

GREAT HOW TOO WITH KENS DISK. I BOUGHT ONE about 10 years ago. Also thanks for talking about safety, I have a 1 inch cut in my knee cap from that disk. (you do have watch where you sit down. Thanks again. Fred Barnes

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

You bet!

[@davidlongo7293]

Another awesome video, Travis. It would be nice to see a video of your current projects.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you if you look us up on Instagram, we post daily of what we have going on maybe in the future we will do a video on KZbin

[@davidlongo7293]

@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS Great, following you on Instagram.

[@Kevinrichardsonministries]

Awesome video... very detailed... theory and procedure... Thumbs Up !!

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you kindly!

[@stevemurphy402]

Nice job Travis, thanks for showing us what’s involved to take a panel like this back to straight. Ken’s class is on my bucket list. Cheers

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

It’s a must!! Thanjs

[@kenpiscitelli2703]

Great info thanks

[@CarlosMendez-hs8yi]

Brillantly explained Travis this video is just excepcional loads of information learned loads well great thank you and keep uploading

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bentnickel7487]

Man I've learned a lot from this video. Watched it 3 times, so far !!!!!

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you!

[@porschmn]

No wonder I've been make my simple small dents get worse rather then better using hammer, dolly and shrinking disk. Thanks for this in detail tutorial, now I hope I have the ability and patients to make them better.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Awesome hope it helps you!

[@Truthsearcherforever777]

Thanks for giving knowledge

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

It's my pleasure

[@travlite8496]

Can you make a CD where we can watch what happens in you're classes for purchase?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Maybe in the future

[@paulnewton943]

Great tutorial Travis. Only thing I could possibly add is ken should link this video with his. Thanks once again for hooking me up with ken. Not only is he a master, but incredibly patient. Ask me how I know.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Getting Ken to do that might be a task 🤣

[@michaelhallas6450]

Good Video question does Ken have a website on selling those shrinking disc and other metal working tools ? Thanks

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

If you go on his instagram his phone number is on there I don’t believe he has a website. [phone] leave a message he will get back to you. If you go to the description, there’s also links to his social media pages.

[@hqlion]

Brilliant, thorough video! I liked how you said start in the good or better areas first and work your way to the bad areas so you understand the shape of the panel and then sneak up on the bad parts. That makes so much sense, but no “expert” has ever said that. I guess it’s hard for many experts to remember such maybe basic things when teaching novices.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

That’s how Ken Sakamoto also teaches it 👍🏻 thank you

[@brendendyson8470]

Great tips mate👍🏻

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Glad you enjoyed

[@p-m2127]

Great vid once again Travis...I used a little soap on the surface when using my smooth edged shrinking disc as per the maker (John Kelly) I guess the serrated edge doesn't need that. I also liked the counter intuitive tip of hammering into a dip with a crowned dolly below to lift a low..good stuff!! Cheers!

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you.

[@garylietz6305]

Excellent tutorial......

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you

[@MusicSensations1971]

Very interesting video !

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thanks for visiting

[@troyadams1076]

Great video

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thanks!

[@lazyhoundracing9621]

Awesome.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thanks!

[@67cudaksa34]

love this, can you do a video on areas that you can not get the the back

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

I’ll add it to my list

[@user-ko7ph2vl6f]

Very very good ...

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jimdrechsel3611]

“Zen and the Art of Metalworking” Very detailed and you do a great job of promoting patience. I have a project car that has been blasted years ago and epoxy primed. It sat at locations before I bought it with stuff stacked on it and the metal for sure has some oil/grease residue in/on the metal panels/hood /trunk etc. You really stress removing ALL rust pits or it will come back. The car does have new panels as well. Areas not replaced are the roof, doors, hood, trunk and taillight section. How would you attack this situation? What steps and procedures/products would you use? Degrease? DA sand with 80? Rust/metal conditioner? Rust Mort? I don’t think blasting would be a good idea cause it would impregnate contaminates into the metal. A stripping disc would rub/polish stuff into the metal. I won’t know for sure I removed all the rust from sitting years. Would you recommend using rust conditioner over the entire panels then use a converter for added insurance? Eastwood sells an encapsulator. Would you cover the blasted areas from the past with encapsulator and just seal any lingering rust in? I really don’t want to go through all this work for nothing and I can’t afford or want to dip the car. Do you have a Facebook page to share project pictures and discussion? Thanks in advance for your advice.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

You already blasted it years ago why not just do it again? Yes there’s a sylvester’s customs Facebook page. I’m most active on instagram 👍🏻

[@jimdrechsel3611]

@@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS Your past discussions about blasting made me think to avoid this. If I didn't go for the blasting route how would you remove existing epoxy and prepare for a fresh coat of epoxy primer? Blasting really throws media every where and collects in areas that may create moisture. When I got the car I spent hours blowing out pockets, the frame and when I replaced rocker panels there must have been pounds of media I would never have known about. I would like to avoid as much blasting as possible. Any advice for steps and products to use if I was to remove the old stuff mechanically?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

A DA with 80 grit and strip discs. Lots of time

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

A DA with 80 grit and strip discs. Lots of time

[@jimdrechsel3611]

@@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS thanks. I’ll degrease first? Would you follow up with rust remover and/or converter products?

[@wakeup6826]

First time I saw you with rays shrink disk. What do you like better? Ken’s or rays smooth disks? What do you feel is the difference?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

I like Ken’s better. The serrated helps you to hear the exact pinpointed high spot because it will give you a louder pitch to listen for. I also feel like it creates more heat.

[@SkaterStimm]

I noticed the Dykem acts like a lubricant with the shrinking disk where it doesn't get nearly as hot as a naked panel with just sharpie marker acting as a lubricant. What have you found to work well? I am also not convinced we need to use a rag to cool the panel, we want the panel to cool naturally so the molecules will relax naturally, shocking them into place seems wrong since we can't control it with a rag.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Not sure I agree with any form of lubricant. It heats the same in my opinion. But as for cooling with a rag if you take a damp rag and give it only a quick swipe it def won’t shock it as bad give it a good 15 seconds before cooling it slowly. I know when I get it to the last 10% I like to let it naturally cool also.

[@carguytroy]

if you dont have access to the back side of the panel, would it be safe to say you would somewhat over stretch the panel then shrink from the side you have access to?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

I have done that at times yes

[@MikeSchweitzer-ww6ro]

I was hoping that the shrinking disk would be a good "metal preserving" substitute when leveling the surface? Hammering on-dolly has allowed me to retire my pick hammer. A flat board and felt marker guide coat has allowed me to retire my vixen file (for finding highs and lows). But can the shrinking disk allow me to completely retire my vixen file and/or 80--grit-on-a-grinder for leveling? Your comment about the shrinking disk not raising lows has got me thinking that the highs must not be holding the lows down?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

You have to work the lows up and highs down evenly till you get the desired shape. More shaping videos coming soon.

[@MikeSchweitzer]

Raising lows by on-dolly slapping/hammering works great, but I can't explain why! It's counterintuitive that hammering or slapping on-dolly in a low area would raise the low area. I say this because the low area is stretched as the result of some accident, and hammer/slapper on-dolly only stretches it further! I'd think that we'd end up with more stretching after the on-dolly work? Perhaps that is exactly what happens, which is why we follow up by shrinking with the shrinking disk?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

You are definitely thinking of it correctly. It is already stretched hence why it is low. But you have to stretch it upward. The reason that it’s coming up is because it is taking the shape of the lower crown on the dolly for example, if you had a hammer that had more crown than the dolly you were using, it would go the wrong direction. The best way to think about it is you have to balloon it slightly upward so that way you can get to the point to shrink it. With that being said if you have an area that is low and stretched to begin with, if you had back access, you could shrink the backside and create the best result

[@MikeSchweitzer]

@@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS Okay, now I understand. It's the same as taking a dolly and driving a dent out from below, which creates a bulge above the proper contour that we then shrink. Your comment about "creating a potato chip" by using a shrinking disk on both sides of a panel has me cautious, as I do have complete access to the backside. I'm doing the last 5% of this job (restoring a low crown 1970 GM hood with the inner brace removed), which of course takes 95% of the time, so all the lows are very minor and seem tailor made for the shrinking disk. They're probably too subtle for torch shrinking. Thank you so much for your comments, and of course these videos.

[@user-wv9qe6jt7p]

Have never had any instucion on this guess was just luck to understand any of this from body shop school

[@user-wv9qe6jt7p]

In the same breath i have a 95 4x4 so it's ok that it is not perfect

[@glbn6832]

Hi there Could you share a link about the hammer and dolly please

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

What I use is made by Martin brothers brand, but all of them have been sanded and corrected myself

[@glbn6832]

@@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS cheers :)

[@rickyhastings8872]

I started watching this vidio and stopped , I watched 3 parts of the 49 willys that was going to be done without filler and couldn't find where you finished it ? Am I wrong?

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

We are actually working on the Willys as we speak to have it done for Sema 2024. Even if you metal finish something to a mirror, there is still minimal filler that will be needed from one panel to another to make it seamless. However, this project has been going on for about five years, and the goal is its entered in battle of the builders this year. Fingers crossed. The goal of these videos is to show people what the possibilities are and not abuse filler

[@michaelmacpherson-wm6mh]

I bought my shrinking disc so long ago it came with a VHS tape. those things are dangerous!

[@theinsaneshecklador6598]

Wray Schelin sells a version with turned up edges making it a little bit safer.

[@matrltgt]

HEY SYLVESTER. HOW GOOD IS ALL U NEED PRIMER BY CLAUSEN.

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Never used it sorry

[@pamdunn8454]

thanks for sharing

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Thank you too!

[@user-wv9qe6jt7p]

Would rather see you metal finish a real car fender

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Can’t please everybody you need to learn the basics first on a flat piece of sheet metal. This is how I learned and this is how I would expect everybody else to approach it. It makes you understand basics. We will be doing a series of Metal Shaping videos very soon. And Metal Finishing will be involved.

[@Bartolobot]

manbrave pants are a rip-off don't buy them you will be disappointed!

[@SYLVESTERSCUSTOMS]

Good to know. 👍

[@gacloud-car-tec]