I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, the air thick with the sharp, biting scent of ferric chloride and the low hum of a ventilation fan. I was working on a custom brass plate for a Continue reading Methods for Etching Designs Into Metal
I remember standing in my first shop back in ’78, staring at a piece of steel that had just refused to marry another. I’d spent two hours coaxing the heat, sweat stinging my eyes, only to pull the pieces apart Continue reading Understanding the Forge Welding Process
I remember the first time I saw a young apprentice try to use a high-end plasma cutter to whip through a thick plate of mild steel like he was cutting butter through toast. He was moving so fast, trying to Continue reading Using a Plasma Cutter for Metalwork
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a piece of brass that looked like it had been pulled from the bottom of a harbor. I’d spent three hours fighting with a high-speed buffer, thinking Continue reading Achieving a High Polish on Metal
I remember standing in a drafty fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to force a joint together with a rivet that was clearly too short for the job. He was sweating, cursing, and hitting that metal with Continue reading Techniques for Riveting Sheet Metal
I remember standing in my first real shop back in ’78, staring at a piece of cast iron that looked like an anvil but behaved more like a sponge. Every time my hammer struck, the vibration didn’t go into the Continue reading Choosing the Right Anvil for Forging
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a piece of copper that looked more like a shiny new penny than anything worth keeping. I’d spent three hours trying to follow some fancy, chemical-heavy guide Continue reading Creating Decorative Patinas on Metal
I remember sitting in a cramped, poorly ventilated corner of a fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to force a joint together by cranking the heat way too high. He thought he could make up for a Continue reading Basic Metal Soldering Methods
I can still smell the burnt ozone and the hot, metallic tang of a shop floor at noon on a humid Tuesday. I remember standing over a custom chassis back in ’84, my ears ringing from the high-pitched whine of Continue reading Effective Ways to Grind Metal Surfaces
I remember sitting in my first apprenticeship, staring at a pile of ruined iron and wondering why my mentor looked more disappointed in me than the metal itself. I had tried to force a bend before the steel was even Continue reading Fundamental Blacksmithing Skills for New Smiths