Category Archives: Metalwork

I remember sitting in my old shop back in the eighties, the air thick with the smell of charcoal and the rhythmic tink-tink-tink of a chasing hammer. I was staring at a sheet of copper that had been ruined because Continue reading Stop Chasing Cheap Aesthetics and Master the Real Techniques for Decorative Copper Smithing That Actually Stand the Test of Time.→

I remember sitting in my garage ten years ago, staring at a ruined piece of 6061 alloy that I’d managed to turn into a glorified piece of Swiss cheese. I thought I knew what I was doing because I’d spent Continue reading A No-nonsense Guide to Welding Aluminum Safely at Home→

I was clearing out my father’s old tool shed last summer when I found a Lodge skillet buried under a pile of rusted scrap, looking more like a chunk of charcoal than a cooking tool. Most folks would’ve looked at Continue reading A No-nonsense Guide to Restoring Vintage Cast Iron: Stop Rushing the Heat and Start Doing It Right→

I remember standing in my first real shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the smell of coal smoke and scorched scale, staring at a catalog of “beginner kits” that cost more than my first truck. They’ll try Continue reading Stop Wasting Good Steel: the Only Essential Tools for Beginning Blacksmithing Projects Worth Your Time→

I remember sitting in my first apprenticeship, staring at a piece of expensive mild steel and feeling that knot in my stomach because my freehand measurements were off by a fraction of an inch. I’d spent three hours prepping the Continue reading Creating Templates for Metalwork→

I remember sitting in my first apprenticeship, staring at a piece of scrap that a senior smith told me was “just metal,” only to have it shatter under the hammer because I hadn’t respected its composition. I’ve spent forty years Continue reading Stop Wasting Material: Why You Must Master the Differences Between Steel and Iron Before You Strike the Anvil→

I remember a rainy Tuesday back in ’84, standing over a piece of fine-grade steel that I’d spent three hours prepping, only to watch it slip because my bench-top vice decided to give up the ghost. The sound of that Continue reading How to Use a Metalworking Vise→

I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in the late eighties, watching a kid try to scrub oxidation off a piece of heavy plate with a wire brush so flimsy it looked like it belonged in a kitchen drawer. Continue reading Using Wire Brushes for Metal Cleaning→

I remember standing in my first real shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the scent of coal smoke and the rhythmic clink-clink-clink of hammers hitting hot steel. I was young, eager, and—if I’m being honest—convinced I needed Continue reading Stop Wasting Good Steel: the Only Essential Tools for Beginning Blacksmithing Projects That Actually Build Things to Last→

I remember standing over a workbench back in ’84, staring at a ruined piece of high-carbon steel because I’d used some cheap, off-brand quenching oil that didn’t have the right properties. The smell of scorched metal and failed potential is Continue reading Common Chemicals Used in Metal Shops→