The metal shaping team here at Baileigh Industrial stays in close contact with our metal shaping customers, even years after the sale. Many of them send pictures of their projects: cars, trucks, airplanes and all sorts of metal art. They are treated like family as they share the love of metal shaping as much as we do. We are glad to help promote them and their work in any way we can. Many of these guys are metal shaping royalty already, but there are a few that are just getting started and are already turning out amazing works of metal art.
The Baileigh Industrial metal shaping family is:
Austin Paruch restores Ferraris in Appleton, Wisconsin. In a shop full of high end metal shaping equipment from all around the world, his favorite machine to shape metal is the Baileigh MH-19 Power Hammer. He is very enthusiastic and full of energy when it comes to metal shaping. He will be helping out with a few of our metal shaping classes this summer. Here is a link and sample of his handy work:
http://s274.beta.photobucket.com/user/alparuch/profile/
Mike Philips, Owner of Phillips Automotive: Specializing in Race cars, Auto Restoration, Hot Rod and general fabrication. Mike picked up metal shaping faster than anyone we have ever meet. He has had his MH-19 power hammer less than a month and is already producing amazing metal work. Check him out here:
http://phillipsautomotiverepair.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Phillips-Automotive-Performance-LLC/140144852696123?ref=hl
Kyle Yokum @ Fantomworks is a rock star when it comes to shaping metal with the MH-19 Multi Hammer. Only 24 years old and shaping metal like an old timer. He is very humble and appreciates any press that he gets. Check him out here:
http://www.fantomworks.com/fw/other-news-and-info/fantomworks-on-the-baileigh-multi-hammer/
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BypXLFi7jwZ1WXFoM2ZtVVllSmM/edit?pli=1
Bobby Bacon @ Tatu Metal Art is our crazy metal artist in Texas. Great sense of humor and a true thirst for knowledge when it comes to metal shaping. He attended our first metal shaping class in January and was the first student there and the last one to leave. He is hammering on his Baileigh power hammer every day and sends us pictures all of the time. Be on the lookout for his work as he will be making some noise with his art. Check him out here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tatu-Metal-Art/122236014479552
Tatu Metal Art, founded by Bobby Bacon, is a metal sculpture company located in Austin, Texas. The company is named after one of the first sculptured animals, the armadillo – Tatu, Portuguese for armadillo – Bobby’s first piece. His medium is primarily mild steel and rebar with some forays into more exotic metals and now concrete. The subject matter ranges from animals, to abstract concept forms, to human and exaggerated human form. Many of the sculpted animals have been placed in their natural habitat. Bobby’s work is displayed in (and outside) homes in Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Vermont, Kansas, and California.
Bacon combines his love of working with metal with the personal pursuits of flying, business and all things mechanical. “I love to weld, grind, pour and create. I see each piece in my mind as a finished product and the process to build them as an exercise. It is very satisfying to see them come together.”
Bacon’s donated work received the highest bid at the 2006 Children of Malawi silent auction in Austin. In addition, he received one of the highest bids for the 2007 AIDS Society of Austin silent auction. The Primordial Fish was displayed at 2008 Burning Man and featured on the Discovery Channel. In 2009 the Primordial Fish was set up on the First Street Bridge in Austin for the Arts Alliance Event
Big Oak Garage in Hokes Bluff, AL is a high end Hot Rod and restoration shop that turns out mind blowing rides. They have a true metal shaping artist on staff that has mastered the PH-19VS reciprocating hammer with the planishing attachment. Check them out here:
Mark Daniele is a race car driver in Maine. He is a pretty laid back dude that works on his Lotus in his spare time with his Power Hammer. One of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Here is some of his handy work.
Vultures Row Aviation in Cameron Park, California is a full blown airplane restoration shop. Specializing in WWII war birds, the MH-19 Power Hammer gets a work out on a daily basis. Current projects included a Curtiss Helldiver and Douglas Dauntless. A great group of guys that are truly incredible metal shapers. Check them out here:
http://vulturesrowaviation.com/
http://www.baileigh.com/blog/shaping-metal-solution/
The Litzenberger Company in Hesperia, California specializes in aircraft components and professional race car prototyping. Here you see one of the guys shaping a jet engine exhaust out of .050” 625 alloy Inconel sheet. The shop is filled with Swedish and German metal shaping equipment, but all of his guys prefer the Baileigh Power Hammer over them all.
Mike Smith @ All About Metals is one heck of a fabricator, a great metal shaper, a great family man and a good friend. He is a metal artist that makes beautiful plants made out of 16 gauge steel using his MH-19 Power Hammer.
Check out all of his work here:
http://www.baileigh.com/blog/mike-and-his-power-hammer-a-love-story/
Gladstone Industries in Las Vegas, Nevada is a very unique customer of ours. They purchased the MH-19 not to shape metal, but to put divots in ¼” and ½” plate steel. With an upper die that is shaped like a ballpein hammer, they are able to put this random pattern in the plate steel before they bend it up into contemporary furniture like tables and chairs. Check them out here:
http://gladstoneindustries.com
Mike Breashears @ Vintage Airframes is a master metal shaper. He is using his Baileigh Power Hammer to restore the world famous Dottie May from WW2. Here is the story:
On 13 June 2005, one of the most historic surviving American aircraft of WWII was recovered from the Traunsee in Austria by Sandy Air Corp. The P47 was known about for sixty years and was often discussed at 405FG reunions. The loss had even been covered in a book on the 405FG in 1986 but it had still taken nearly sixteen years for someone to initialize a possible salvage. Finally, in April 2005, nearly sixty years to the day since she was lost, ‘29150 was finally located by sonar and the next day the pictures were finally seen from the ROV. ‘29150 had been located a third of the way up the lake and about 600 feet out from the Eastern shore. Her depth was 210 feet and she was lying upside down in the silt of the lake bottom. Having been protected by the depth, cold and silt, ‘29150 still looked in very good condition, although some damage to the lower fuselage was quite visible. Trojan Aircraft Services funded the search and recovery and was invited to accompany Sandy Air Corp as guests and advisers during its recovery.
Clyde Oneal @ Oneal Machine and Repair was sort of a pet project for the metal shaping team here. He and a friend rode their Harleys all the way from West Virginia to Wisconsin to learn how to shape metal. They spent about 4 hours with Shane Henderson and Chris Rusch on the MH-19 power hammer and left with a head full of knowledge. He is learning metal shaping quite well on his new Power Hammer and constantly sends us pictures of his project, a 51’ Chevy Truck.
Rob @ Robair Repair specializes in replacement and reproduction parts for aircraft. His most common parts created on the MH-19 power hammer are for Cessna 207’s. Here is a link to his website: http://www.robairrepair.com/
Ken Crain @ Studio 217 is a master woodworker in Dallas, TX. He is breaking into the metal shaping world as we speak. He meticulously documents his life through photography and updates his blog almost daily. Check out his work here:
https://www.facebook.com/Studio217
Dave Byron is a local Hot Rod builder and general fabricator here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He has been personally trained by Chris Rusch on his power hammer and also attended one of Baileigh’s metal shaping classes this winter. One heck of a nice guy and an incredible metal shaper. Be on the lookout for Dave in the metal shaping world.
Randy Grubb is a founding father of the Blastoline group and is a world famous metal shaper. His clientele include Jay Leno and Ron Pratt. He has been shaping for over 15 years and prefers his Baileigh power hammer over any shaping machine in his shop.
Check out some of his work here: http://www.randygrubb.com/