I remember standing in my first real shop forty years ago, staring at a piece of molten brass that looked more like a glowing mistake than a tool. The air was thick with the smell of burnt sand and scorched Continue reading Introduction to Metal Sand Casting
I remember sitting in my first industrial shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the smell of ozone and hot scale, watching a young apprentice try to hide a botched weld by slapping on a generic, sandblasted finish. Continue reading Creating Textures on Metal Surfaces
I remember a Tuesday back in ’84, working a heavy industrial contract in a shop that smelled of ozone and burnt cutting oil. I was watching a young kid—bright enough, but impatient—try to force a high-speed bit through a thick Continue reading Operating a Metalworking Drill Press
I still remember the first time I stood in front of a heavy industrial lathe back in my apprenticeship, the air thick with the smell of cutting oil and the rhythmic, metallic shriek of steel meeting carbide. I was young, Continue reading Essential Operations on a Metal Lathe
I remember sitting at my old workbench back in the fabrication shop, staring at a piece of heavy brass hardware that had been ruined by some kid using a high-speed buffer and a cheap, abrasive compound. He thought he was Continue reading Ways to Polish Aged Brass
I remember sitting in a drafty fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to burn through a thick plate of mild steel with a machine that cost more than his first truck. He was following some fancy manual Continue reading Improving Mig Welding Bead Quality
I remember sitting in my old mentor’s shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the smell of burnt oil and fine iron dust, watching him work a single chisel for nearly an hour. A younger version of me Continue reading Sharpening Metal Cutting Tools
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a perfectly good set of custom-machined parts that had been left out in the damp for just a few weeks. When I went to grab them, my Continue reading Managing Aluminum Oxidation
I remember standing in my first real fabrication shop back in the late seventies, the air thick with the sharp, metallic scent of heated iron and the low hiss of gas. I watched an old-timer adjust his regulators, his movements Continue reading Fundamentals of Oxy Fuel Welding Equipment
I remember standing over a workbench in a cramped shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to save a few bucks by mixing a DIY batch of metal etching acid without a lick of sense. The smell of Continue reading Using Acid for Metal Etching