Workshops

2025 Workshops

Read the reviews below!

See the dates here!

All the 2025 workshops will be hands-on, and limited to only one student each day. This ensures that each student will get undivided attention, and you'll quickly see that Ron loves to help people learn new skills. Ron's been teaching since 1995 - helping over 10,000 students to date, in 9 countries around the world. His years of building award-winning cars and motorcycles, plus his strong background in sculpture and design gives him a broad background of experience to share with his students. Ron can often suggest creative approaches for getting a job done that you might not think of yourself. These classes are open to men and women who work in many different fields, including furniture design, sculpture, automotive and motorcycle fabrication and modification, or any field that involves fabrication with sheet, plate, tubing, and bar.

You can shape metal to fit one of Ron’s pre-made bucks, or work on projects he has patterns for (such as Air Scoops, Tables, Gas Tanks, or Bomber Seats). Another approach is to focus on one or more tools (such as the English wheel, beading machine, or planishing hammer) and work through a set of projects which are progressively more challenging. Alternately, you can concentrate on processes such as layout and patterning, welding, making bucks and hammerforms, or metalfinishing. If you don’t know where to start, Ron can suggest projects appropriate for your interests and skill level.

Ron is open to setting up training or consultations for individuals or small groups, on ANY mutually-acceptable dates, including weekdays. Contact Ron for more details.

All classes will be held at Ron's shop in Freedom, California (80 miles south of San Francisco). You can register for one or both days, and the cost is $800 each day. If you are flying in, San Jose is the closest major airport (about 1 hour away, depending on traffic). There is a regional airport in Monterey, which is about 45-minutes away (again, depending on traffic).

Watch Ron's YouTube video on the 2025 Workshops to learn more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2sZVIXFSjA

Here’s a partial list of the tools available for students to use:

• 3 English wheels – two floor models, and one benchtop version
• A Dake Reciprocating Machine (similar to a Pullmax)
• A Dake 25 ton power H-Frame Press
• A Chicago Pneumatic planishing hammer
• An Eckold hand-held planishing hammer
• 3 Beading Machines – A fully-tooled JS Tools machine, plus manual Pexto, Niagara, and import machines
• 2 TIG welders – a Miller Dynasty 350, and a Miller Diversion 180
• 2 MIG welders – a MillerMatic 180, and a MillerMatic 255
• A Miller 625 Extreme Plasma Cutter
• 2 Oxy-Acetylene outfits – with Victor and Cobra (Henrob) torches
• 2 Tube Bending Machines – a manual Shop Outfitter, and a Mittler Bros Hydraulic Bender
• Shrinker-Stretchers – Erco, JS Tools, and Lancaster
• A 12 x 36 Atlas Lathe, with tooling
• A well-tooled Bridgeport-style Milling Machine, with a vise and rotary table
• A 20-inch disc sander
• A 2-inch Burr King belt sander
• A wood and metal-cutting bandsaw
• A 12-inch table saw
• A 14-inch Cold saw
• A 6-foot 10-gauge Chicago Leaf Brake, and a 3-foot 16-gauge Pexto Pan and Box Brake
• A ‘gap’ shear that can cut any length of 16-gauge steel
• A full set of Mittler Bros Punch and Flare dies – Round, Oval, and Triangle
• Many, many patterns, bucks, and hammerforms, made for a wide variety of Ron’s past projects
• Most common electric and air tools – drills, sanders, die grinders, shears, etc.
• Lots of hammers, dollies, mallets, and sandbags, plus most common layout and fabrication tools

You must pre-pay to register. Click the 'add to cart' button under each workshop listing, or call us at 831-768-0705 to register with a credit card.