I remember a Tuesday back in ’84, working a heavy industrial contract in a shop that smelled of ozone and burnt cutting oil. I was watching a young kid—bright enough, but impatient—try to force a high-speed bit through a thick Continue reading Operating a Metalworking Drill Press
I remember sitting in a drafty fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to burn through a thick plate of mild steel with a machine that cost more than his first truck. He was following some fancy manual Continue reading Improving Mig Welding Bead Quality
I remember sitting in a dusty shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to fight a piece of stainless steel with a tool that was as dull as a butter knife. He was sweating, cursing, and pushing the Continue reading Sharpening Lathe Cutting Tools
I remember a Tuesday back in ’84, hunched over a stubborn piece of etched brass in a shop that felt more like a cave than a workspace. I was squinting so hard my eyes felt like they were going to Continue reading Stop Squinting at Your Mistakes: Why Choosing the Best Lighting for Detailed Craft Work Is the Difference Between a Masterpiece and Wasted Material.
I remember standing in the middle of a fabrication floor back in ’84, staring at a half-finished jig because I couldn’t find a single M6 hex bolt. I had spent twenty minutes digging through a chaotic heap of mixed fasteners, Continue reading Stop Wasting Material to Chaos: the Disciplined Way of Storing Small Hardware and Workshop Supplies
I remember a young apprentice back in ’84 who thought he could save ten minutes by skipping the leak test and just cranking the regulators to max. I watched him struggle with a sputtering, uneven flame for nearly twenty minutes, Continue reading How to Set Up an Oxyacetylene Torch
I remember my first real shop floor back in ’78, and I can still feel the vibration in my teeth from a workbench that was nothing more than a flimsy sheet of plywood over some hollow steel tubing. I spent Continue reading A No-nonsense Guide to Setting Up a Metalworking Bench That Actually Works
I was clearing out an old barn last autumn when I found a stack of hand-hewn beams that had been sitting in the dust for sixty years. Most folks would look at those grey, weathered slabs and see nothing but Continue reading Reclaimed Wood Furniture: a No-nonsense Guide to Building Things That Actually Last
I spent forty years in heavy fabrication, and if there’s one thing I learned from working with steel, it’s that you can’t do fine work if your workspace is a disaster. I see people nowadays spending a fortune on fancy, Continue reading Stop Treating Your Craft Like a Temporary Hobby: Why Creating a Dedicated Space for Sewing Projects Is the Only Way to Build Something That Lasts.
I’ve spent most of my life working with heavy iron and stubborn steel, so when I see these flashy, color-coded “all-in-one” starter kits being pushed on people online, it makes my blood boil. They’re nothing more than glorified junk designed Continue reading Stop Buying Cheap Junk That Cracks in the Kiln: the Only Essential Tools for Beginner Pottery Makers Worth Your Time.