I remember sitting in my old shop back in ’84, staring at a batch of brass fittings that looked decent enough under the shop lights, but the moment they hit the humidity of a customer’s workshop, they turned a muddy, Continue reading Finishing Metal Hardware
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a green kid blow a two-week project straight into the scrap bin because he thought he could cheat the sand prep. He’d spent more time looking at a Continue reading Creating Molds for Metal Casting
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a seized-up gear assembly that most of the boys in the fabrication wing said was headed straight for the scrap bin. The air was thick with the Continue reading Reclaiming Old Metal Components
I remember standing over a workbench back in ’84, the sharp, biting scent of ferric chloride stinging my nose while a young apprentice tried to tell me he could speed up the process by just doubling the acid concentration. He Continue reading Etching Patterns Into Metal
I spent forty years in fabrication shops where if you didn’t respect your materials, they’d bite you back, and I see the exact same mistake happening in backyard plots today. People head down to the big-box stores, buy a dozen Continue reading Stop Buying Cheap Produce: How to Start a Vegetable Garden That Actually Lasts
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to force a worn-out bushing into a housing with nothing but a heavy mallet and sheer stubbornness. He thought he could skip the prep work, but Continue reading Replacing Worn Metal Components
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a piece of walnut that had been ruined because some kid thought he could skip the prep work. He’d tried to force a copper strip into a Continue reading Methods for Metal Inlay
I remember standing in a massive fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice spray a high-end clear coat over a piece of steel that hadn’t been cleaned properly. He thought he was saving time, but within a month, Continue reading Applying Protective Coatings to Metal
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a perfectly good set of custom-machined parts that had been left out in the damp for just a few weeks. When I went to grab them, my Continue reading Managing Aluminum Oxidation
Most folks think that if a copper pot looks tarnished or dull, it’s a lost cause and time to head to the big-box store for a cheap replacement. They see a bit of green oxidation and assume the metal is Continue reading Restoring the Shine to Copper