Custom Car Metal Shaping: Hand Forming vs English Wheel on a Rat Rod Truck

Custom Car Metal Shaping: Hand Forming vs English Wheel on a Rat Rod Truck How to shape sheet metal without an English wheel | custom car fabrication Sometimes the best tool… is your hands and a hammer Today, Ian Roussel is back on Little Jewel, the 1956 International COE rat rod truck—and this one gets real. What starts as a simple plan to shape the front apron turns into a reminder every fabricator knows… tools don’t always cooperate. After jumping on the English wheel and feeling a little rusty, Ian makes a call— ditch the machine… and go back to what he knows best: 👉 hammer, steel, and pure instinct. This is what real custom car building looks like. No CAD. No templates. No shortcuts. Just problem solving, adapting, and getting it done—no matter how long the week’s been in the shop. If you’ve ever hit a wall on a project… this one’s for you. 🔧 In this episode: Shaping the Little Jewel front apron English wheel struggles (yep, even masters have off days) Old school hammer forming techniques Real talk about long weeks in the shop & staying on track This is the side of custom fabrication you don’t see on TV. No drama. No script. Just the work. 👍 Like 💬 Comment 🔔 Subscribe Your support keeps real custom car culture alive. 🔥 ABOUT IAN ROUSSEL Ian Roussel is a master fabricator and star of Full Custom Garage, known for building one-of-a-kind hot rods and custom vehicles completely from scratch using raw materials, imagination, and old-school craftsmanship. On this channel, it’s all about true full custom builds—no shortcuts. #IanRoussel #FullCustomIan #FullCustomGarage #CustomCars #LittleJewel #CustomTruck #RatRod #HotRod #MetalFabrication #CarBuild Little Jewel 💎 is the original build that launched our YouTube channel — and it’s back in the shop. This wild project started with a 1956 International COE truck, and true to form, Ian Roussel is taking it FULL CUSTOM from the ground up. Follow Ian and Jamie on Instagram @Full_Custom_Ian @Mrs_Roussel Concept/Fabrication: Ian Roussel Editing/Producing: Jamie Roussel #LittleJewel #FullCustom #CustomFenders #HotRodBuild #MetalFabrication #CustomCarBuild #RatRod #OldSchoolCustom #HandBuilt #GarageBuilt #superbowl #customcars