I was hunched over a rusted 1954 tractor engine last Tuesday, sweat stinging my eyes and a stripped bolt staring me right in the face, when I realized just how many folks are still trying to muscle their way through Continue reading Removing Damaged or Rusted Fasteners
I remember sitting at my workbench back in ’84, staring at a rusted-out set of old machinist calipers that had been tossed in a scrap bin like they were nothing more than junk. Most folks today would look at that Continue reading Polishing Metal Tools for Better Performance
I remember sitting in my first shop back in ’78, staring at a rusted-out cast iron lathe that looked more like a heap of scrap than a precision machine. I’d spent half my paycheck on some fancy, overpriced chemical solvent Continue reading Cleaning Metal Surfaces Effectively
I can still smell the scorched ozone and hot grease from my first summer in the fabrication shop, standing there with a heavy hammer feeling like I’d never get the rhythm right. Back then, I thought I needed the most Continue reading Fundamental Skills for Metalwork Apprentices
I was cleaning out a crate of old workshop finds last Tuesday when I pulled out a heavy copper kettle that had been sitting in a damp corner for a decade. Most folks see that thick, crusty green layer and Continue reading Managing Copper Oxidation and Patina
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice blow a fuse on a brand-new, high-end band saw because he thought the fancy digital readout would do the thinking for him. He’d spent more on Continue reading Choosing Saws for Cutting Metal
I remember my first real shop, back in the late seventies; I thought a sturdy piece of plywood and a few mismatched clamps were enough to get the job done. I was wrong, and I paid for it in bruised Continue reading A No-nonsense Guide to Setting Up a Metalworking Bench That Actually Lasts
I remember standing over a seized block in my old shop back in ’84, covered in grease and frustration, thinking that if I just bought a shiny new part, the problem would vanish. I was wrong. Most folks think restoring Continue reading A No-nonsense Guide to Restoring Classic Car Engines: Don’t Rush the Process or Waste the Metal
I remember standing over a piece of salvaged mild steel back in ’84, the smell of ozone and hot scale thick in the air, trying to figure out why my surface looked like a cheap, stamped-out piece of junk from Continue reading Adding Texture to Metal Surfaces
I remember sitting in my old mentor’s shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the smell of ozone and burnt oil, watching him pick up a rusted, pitted hammer like it was made of gold. He didn’t care Continue reading Essential Metalworking Tools