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
I remember my first real day in the shop, standing before a massive, soot-stained anvil that looked more like a mountain than a tool. The air was thick with the scent of coal smoke and hot iron, and every time Continue reading How to Use an Anvil for Metalwork
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to save a few bucks by slapping a cheap, spray-on lacquer over a piece of raw mild steel. He thought he was being clever, Continue reading Different Options for Finishing Metalwork
I remember a Tuesday back in ’88, hunched over a piece of fine-grained steel in a shop that had nothing but a single, flickering fluorescent tube hanging from the rafters. I was trying to check a bevel, but between the Continue reading Choosing Effective Lighting for a Metal Workshop
I remember standing over a forge in my first year of apprenticeship, watching a senior smith pull a piece of high-carbon steel from the coals. The smell of scorched oil and the rhythmic hiss of the quench tank are sounds Continue reading Basic Guide to Heat Treating Metal
I remember back in ’84, working a double shift in a fabrication shop in Sheffield, I watched a young lad spend three weeks meticulously organizing a tool cabinet only to realize he’d placed his heavy anvil on the far side Continue reading Planning an Efficient Metal Workshop Layout
I remember standing in my first real workshop forty years ago, the air thick with the scent of coal smoke and hot iron, listening to a master smith tell me that a man is only as good as his patience. Continue reading Basic Principles of Forging Steel
I spent thirty years in heavy fabrication, and if there’s one thing that gets under my skin, it’s seeing folks run out and buy those overpriced, chemical-laden “miracle” kits just to clean a bit of old hardware. They promise a Continue reading Techniques for Polishing Brass Objects
I remember standing in a massive industrial shop back in ’84, watching a young kid try to force a weld on a piece of heavy plate by just cranking up the amperage and hoping for the best. He thought he Continue reading Basics of Steel Fabrication in the Workshop
I remember standing in a fabrication shop back in ’84, staring at a workbench that looked more like a scrap heap than a professional station. I spent forty minutes hunting for a specific set of calipers while a client waited, Continue reading Ways to Organize Your Metalworking Workshop