I remember standing in a massive fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young kid try to force a complex piece of art together using nothing but a cheap MIG welder and a whole lot of ego. He was so Continue reading Constructing Metal Sculptures Through Welding
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to force a heavy-duty copper fitting onto a steel frame using nothing but a cheap, low-temp solder and a prayer. He thought he was saving Continue reading Uses for Brazing in Metalwork
I was clearing out an old storage unit last summer when I stumbled upon a “designer” piece of decorative metal sculpture that someone had paid a small fortune for. It was nothing more than a thin, flimsy sheet of cheap Continue reading Creating Decorative Metal Sculptures
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a green kid try to patch a pressurized copper line with a bit of soft solder he’d picked up at a hardware store. He thought he was being clever, Continue reading Stop Settling for Weak Joints: the Critical Difference Between Brazing and Soldering if You Actually Want Your Work to Last.
I remember standing in a shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to patch a fender with nothing but cheap body filler and a prayer, thinking he could just sand away the evidence of a bad job. The smell Continue reading Approaches to Automotive Sheet Metal Repair
I’ve seen too many folks walk into a hardware store, buy a shiny new welder or a pile of steel, and then stare at it like it’s a puzzle they can’t solve. They think having the material is the same Continue reading The 7 Best Essential Tools for Home Metalworking to Build Your Dream Workshop
I remember standing over a heavy industrial lathe back in ’84, the smell of cutting oil thick in the air and the rhythmic screech of a dull bit grating against my nerves. I watched a young apprentice try to force Continue reading Common Metal Surface Finishing Methods
I remember my first real job in the shop, standing over a piece of heavy plate with a borrowed torch and a stomach full of knots. I thought I could just pull the trigger and let the machine do the Continue reading A No-nonsense Guide to Welding Steel: Stop Rushing the Heat and Start Building Things That Last
I remember sitting in my first shop back in the late seventies, the air thick with the scent of hot oil and burnt scale, listening to the rhythmic clack-clack-clack of a pneumatic hammer. My mentor, a man who didn’t say Continue reading Techniques for Joining Metal With Rivets
I remember standing in my first real shop forty years ago, staring at a piece of molten brass that looked more like a glowing mistake than a tool. The air was thick with the smell of burnt sand and scorched Continue reading Introduction to Metal Sand Casting