We use four original cast iron English wheels in our workshop
Our Wheeling Machines
The first wheeling machines were developed in England in the late 1890s. Craftsmen in the UK preferred using an English wheel – rather than the mechanical hammers which were popularly used for shaping metal on the continent – as they are kinder to the metal and they also help it to retain it’s integrity. Mechanical hammers don’t produce as refined or as smooth a finish as a wheeling machine and they are quite brutal as they repeatedly bash the metal into shape, compared to the the smooth, curving movements of a wheeling machine.
During the Second World War, wheeling machines were used to create aerodynamic aircraft panels – which brought them to the attention of American industrialists who referred to them as ‘English Wheels.’ Two of the most prolific manufacturers of wheeling machines during this time were London-based coachbuilders, Ranalah and the Besco brand, by FJ Edwards.
Although many companies nowadays are creating modern, commercially available wheeling machines for home hobbyists and workshops, we believe that nothing comes close to the efficacy of an authentic English wheel. Most traditional craft panel beaters prefer to use original equipment and all of our English wheels are vintage cast iron machines dating from 1930 – 1950.
Here in the workshop we have one Ranalah machine – known as the Rolls Royce of wheeling machines – and 3 Edwards machines. Ranalah wheeling machines were used predominantly for the war effort where they were mainly utilised in the production of aircraft. Because of this, they are often referred to as the ‘Aircraft Wheel’ or ‘Spitfire Wheel.’ It is highly likely that our Ranalah machine was used to produce smooth curved panels for Spitfires and other WWII aircraft. Our Edwards machines are also exceptionally effective at creating compound curves.
If you enrol in one of our courses you will get to use some of these amazing machines and find out why they are still the best thing around for creating bespoke curves. Follow us on Instagram to see what’s happening in the workshop.
What our students are saying
“It has been a privilege to have Adrian impart his vast knowledge and experience over the last three days so concise and clearly, and to share in his passion and respect for the history of his craft and trade. The metalworking skills I have learnt will provide me with a solid foundation for the future.”
“Superb 3 days of training/knowledge hand over. Really valuable, and crucially very good fun. Also for me it was great to glean all sorts of other info from you about restoring cars.”
“It was such a great experience and a great course. Thanks to Adrian and the team, I learned a lot about wheeling that will really help me reach my goals with my own projects.”
“I could not be more happy with the courses…humanly and technically far beyond what I expected. A link with the past of this fascinating trade and a strong personal commitment make Adrian unique, amazingly skilled and the only one able to pass on the trade with the care it deserves.”
“With great encouragement and enthusiasm Adrian elevated my existing ability and skills to the next level, during the 3 day Advanced course. His teaching methods, passion for the craft and personality resulted in an upskilling experience that was a joy to undertake. I have secured further commissions for bodywork restoration and bespoke sheet metal artisan pieces, as a direct result of undertaking this specialist training.”
Ready to Book your English Wheeling Course?
Fill in your details on our booking page and we will get back to you with available dates.
Wheeling Course Gift Vouchers now available!
These can be made out for any amount, either in part-payment towards the cost of a wheeling course or for the whole price of a one day or three day course here at our workshop in Somerset.
Call or email Adrian to order a voucher. You can find out more about what we do on our courses page
