I remember sitting in my first apprenticeship, my hands stinging from a misplaced strike, watching an old foreman pick up a tool that looked like it had been through a war and come out better for it. Most folks today Continue reading Different Hammers Used in Metalwork
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, staring at a pair of cheap, stamped-steel pliers that had just snapped clean in half while I was trying to pull a stubborn rivet. The smell of burnt oil Continue reading Useful Pliers for Metalworking
I remember standing over a workbench back in ’84, staring at a piece of high-carbon steel that I’d spent three hours forging, only to realize I’d botched the edge. I reached for a cheap, soft-tooth file I’d picked up at Continue reading Effective Metal Filing Techniques
I remember a job back in ’84, working on a custom chassis for a client who thought he could save a few bucks by buying those bulk packs of generic, flimsy abrasive sheets from the local big-box store. I watched Continue reading Using Sandpaper for Metal Finishing
I remember sitting in my first fabrication shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the smell of cutting oil and the rhythmic, high-pitched whine of a drill pressing through a thick steel plate. I watched an older journeyman Continue reading Techniques for Drilling Holes in Metal
I remember standing in a massive industrial shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice waste a perfectly good sheet of mild steel because he thought he could “eyeball” a series of repetitive cuts. He’d spent more time cursing his Continue reading How to Build Metalworking Jigs
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to bridge a massive gap with a fillet weld just because he was too impatient to prep his edges. He thought he could hide a poor Continue reading Common Types of Welding Joints
I remember standing over a workbench in a loud, grease-stained shop back in ’84, staring at a piece of high-grade steel that I’d just ruined. I’d been so eager to get to the cutting, so focused on the speed of Continue reading Accurate Measurement Techniques in Metalwork
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid tear through a set of high-carbon steel chisels because he thought “more force” was a substitute for proper technique. He was treating those metal hand tools like Continue reading Essential Hand Tools for Metalworkers
I remember a Tuesday back in ’84, working a heavy industrial contract where the shop floor was thick with the smell of coal smoke and scorched scale. I was a young man then, eager to prove myself, and I’d gone Continue reading Selecting the Right Blacksmithing Tongs