I remember sitting in my old shop back in ’84, staring at a piece of brass that I’d completely ruined because I thought I could skip the prep work. The acid had bit into the grain unevenly, leaving me with Continue reading Techniques for Etching Designs Into Metal
I can still smell the burnt oil and ozone from that old fabrication shop in ’84, the kind of place where the floor was permanently slick and the air felt heavy. I remember a young apprentice—bright kid, but far too Continue reading How to Use a Metal Vise Correctly
I can still smell the ozone and burnt steel from the time I nearly lost a finger back in the fabrication shop in ’84. It wasn’t some high-tech equipment failure that did it; it was a moment of pure, unadulterated Continue reading Safety Tips for Using an Angle Grinders
I remember standing over a piece of scrap mild steel back in ’84, thinking a little extra heat would solve everything. I was young, impatient, and frankly, a bit arrogant. I tried to weld a piece of high-carbon tool steel Continue reading Understanding Common Metal Alloys
I remember standing in a massive industrial plant back in ’84, watching a kid try to fix a cracked mounting bracket with a brand-new, high-tech laser welder he’d spent three months’ salary on. The machine was fancy, sure, but the Continue reading Essential Equipment for a Metalwork Workshop
I remember sitting in my first fabrication shop back in the seventies, watching a young apprentice try to force a joint together by cranking the heat like he was trying to start a bonfire. He thought more temperature meant a Continue reading Techniques for Soldering Metal Components
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to force a thick strip of steel into a curve using nothing but brute strength and a prayer. The metal didn’t just resist; it Continue reading Common Methods for Bending Metal
People will tell you that if a tool is pitted with rust or has a seized joint, it’s nothing more than scrap metal waiting for the bin. They’re wrong. I spent forty years in heavy fabrication, and I’ve learned that Continue reading Restoring Old Metal Tools to Working Order
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, my forearms aching and my knuckles raw, staring at a piece of steel that looked like it had been chewed by a dog. I had just spent three hours Continue reading Techniques for Hand Filing Metal
I still remember the smell of ozone and scorched iron from my first year in the industrial shops—a scent that used to mean progress, but eventually started to smell like near misses. I once saw a young lad, eager to Continue reading Maintaining Safety in a Metalworking Workshop