Talk-Polywell.org

Like making fine automobiles. The old way. With a hammer and a pad. True craftsmen at work is always inspiring. This is just cool:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02868.html

Neat! Although I don't think you can buy the particular hammer pictured at Home Depot.

I have a hammer pretty close to that, one of a set of about 15 in my blacksmith forge set. I hope one day to learn to use them with a modicum of skill. I have a friend who is learning to be a copper/silver smith.

I think my own preference for forming a bullet train nose would probably involve a wooden form, a sheet of dead-soft 6061-T0 annealed aluminum, and an explosive charge. One big hammer blow, and then polish out the wood grain in the resulting cone. I'm not nearly so patient as those craftsmen.

So much that's not done anymore. You also can't find anyone capable of making the foot+ thick armor plate for battleships anymore--no one wants metal that thick that big these days.