I remember my first real day in the shop, standing before a massive, soot-stained anvil that looked more like a mountain than a tool. The air was thick with the scent of coal smoke and hot iron, and every time Continue reading How to Use an Anvil for Metalwork
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice toss a perfectly serviceable tungsten electrode into the scrap bin just because the tip wasn’t shaped exactly like the picture in some glossy manual. He Continue reading Selecting and Preparing Tungsten Electrodes
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, staring at a botched TIG weld on a custom manifold that looked more like a bird’s nest than a seam. I’d spent three hours fighting the arc, only to Continue reading Choosing Tungsten Electrodes for Tig Welding
I can still smell the ozone and burnt steel from my first week in the fabrication shop back in ’78. I remember a young lad—much like some of the fellas I see in the aisles of big-box hardware stores today—who Continue reading Essential Techniques for Metal Grinding
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to save a few bucks by slapping a cheap, spray-on lacquer over a piece of raw mild steel. He thought he was being clever, Continue reading Different Options for Finishing Metalwork
I can still smell the burnt cutting oil and the heavy scent of shaved steel that used to hang in the air of the fabrication shop back in ’84. I remember a young apprentice—bright kid, but far too impatient—who thought Continue reading Basics of Metal Turning on a Lathe
I remember standing over a piece of hot mild steel back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to force a radius with a heavy sledgehammer because he was too impatient to set up a proper jig. The metal didn’t Continue reading Methods for Bending Metal
I remember a job back in ’84, working on a custom chassis for a heavy-duty tractor. I was young, cocky, and thought I could “eyeball” a few key dimensions to save some time. I ignored the proper metalwork measuring tools Continue reading Measuring Tools for Metalwork Accuracy
I remember standing in my first shop back in ’78, staring at a piece of steel that had just refused to marry another. I’d spent two hours coaxing the heat, sweat stinging my eyes, only to pull the pieces apart Continue reading Understanding the Forge Welding Process
I remember the first time I saw a young apprentice try to use a high-end plasma cutter to whip through a thick plate of mild steel like he was cutting butter through toast. He was moving so fast, trying to Continue reading Using a Plasma Cutter for Metalwork