I remember standing over a heavy workbench in a fabrication shop back in ’84, the air thick with the smell of cutting oil and the rhythmic, grating screech of a junior apprentice who thought he could finish a job in Continue reading Techniques for Manual Metal Filing
I remember standing in a dusty salvage yard back in ’84, looking at a rusted-out enamel advertisement that most folks would’ve called scrap. A young kid from the local college told me I should just sand it down to the Continue reading Restoring Vintage Metal Signs
I remember standing over a piece of glowing cherry-red steel back in ’84, my hands shaking not from fear, but from sheer exhaustion. I’d spent three hours trying to force a shape using a cheap, poorly balanced mallet I’d picked Continue reading Types of Hammers for Metalwork
I remember sitting in my first apprenticeship, my hands stinging from a misplaced strike, watching an old foreman pick up a tool that looked like it had been through a war and come out better for it. Most folks today Continue reading Different Hammers Used in Metalwork
I remember a rainy Tuesday back in ’84, standing in a fabrication shop that smelled of ozone, burnt oil, and old iron. I was staring at a precision grinder that had seized up halfway through a critical job, all because Continue reading Maintaining Equipment in a Metal Workshop
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice blow through a perfectly good piece of mild steel because he’d grabbed a dull, cheap saw blade just to save a couple of dollars. The smell Continue reading Essential Tools for Cutting Metal
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, staring at a pair of cheap, stamped-steel pliers that had just snapped clean in half while I was trying to pull a stubborn rivet. The smell of burnt oil Continue reading Useful Pliers for Metalworking
I remember standing in a heavy fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice spray a thick, glossy coat of cheap sealant over a pitted steel beam. He thought he’d solved the problem, but within six months, that moisture Continue reading Preventing Corrosion on Metal Surfaces
I remember a job back in ’84, working on a heavy-duty structural frame for a local mill. Some kid, fresh out of a course and eager to prove himself, decided to run a fillet weld on a butt joint just Continue reading Different Types of Welding Joints
I remember a Tuesday back in ’88, working on a heavy-gauge chassis repair, when I learned a lesson the hard way. I was rushing, trying to move a piece of glowing orange steel, and I thought my old, thin leather Continue reading Choosing Gloves for Metalwork