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
I remember standing over a heavy slab of mild steel back in the shop in ’84, the air thick with the smell of cutting oil and the high-pitched scream of a bit that had finally given up the ghost. I’d Continue reading Best Practices for Drilling Metal
I remember sitting in my old shop back in ’84, staring at a piece of hand-forged steel that I’d spent three days shaping, only to realize I’d ruined the finish because I grabbed the first cheap roll of abrasive I Continue reading Using Sandpaper on Metal Surfaces
I remember a Tuesday back in ’88, hunched over a piece of fine-grained steel in a shop that had nothing but a single, flickering fluorescent tube hanging from the rafters. I was trying to check a bevel, but between the Continue reading Choosing Effective Lighting for a Metal Workshop
I remember sitting in my shop back in ’88, staring at a cracked manifold and a shelf full of expensive, brightly colored tubes that promised the world but delivered nothing but a mess. Most folks think you can just grab Continue reading Using Epoxy for Metal Repairs