I can still smell it if I close my eyes—that sharp, biting scent of cutting oil mixed with the fine, metallic dust that settles in your lungs after a long afternoon in the shop. I remember my first real encounter Continue reading Basics of Using a Metal Lathe
I still remember the smell of ozone and burnt grease from my first year in the fabrication shop—a scent that usually meant someone had been playing fast and loose with their equipment. I watched a young apprentice, eager to prove Continue reading Essential Safety Practices in Metalwork
I remember standing in a crowded hardware aisle back in ’84, watching a young lad stare blankly at a wall of shiny, overpriced tools, trying to figure out which one wouldn’t shatter his workpiece. It’s a mess out there today. Continue reading Common Hammers Used in Metalwork
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, the air thick with the smell of ozone and cutting oil, staring at a piece of thin-gauge steel that I’d just ruined. I’d been too impatient, swinging the shears Continue reading Fundamentals of Sheet Metal Work
I remember standing over a workbench back in ’84, staring at a botched aluminum housing that looked like it had been dipped in cheap, speckled paint rather than properly treated. The kid running the line had tried to skip the Continue reading Understanding the Anodizing Process for Aluminum
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, my forearms aching and my knuckles raw, staring at a piece of steel that looked like it had been chewed by a dog. I had just spent three hours Continue reading Techniques for Hand Filing Metal
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to weld a high-carbon piece with the same filler rod he’d used for mild steel, all because he thought “it’s all just metal.” He ended up Continue reading Understanding Different Types of Steel
I remember standing in my old mentor’s shop back in ’78, the air so thick with the scent of scorched sand and ozone you could almost chew it. I watched him pour a crucible of molten iron, his face illuminated Continue reading Introduction to Metal Casting Processes
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to hide a massive pocket of porosity by just running another bead right over the top of it. He thought he was saving time, but Continue reading Identifying Common Welding Defects
I remember sitting in my old shop back in ’84, staring at a rusted-out piece of cast iron that looked more like a hunk of coal than a tool. I’d spent half my paycheck on some fancy, high-end spray from Continue reading Common Agents for Cleaning Metal