I remember sitting in a dimly lit workshop back in ’84, squinting through a cloud of grinding dust just to see the edge of a copper sconce I was trying to shape. The smell of hot ozone and scorched oil Continue reading Lighting Requirements for Metalwork
Most folks see a hairline crack in an old skillet and think it’s headed straight for the scrap heap, but that’s a load of nonsense. They’ll tell you that once the iron breaks, the piece is dead, but I’ve spent Continue reading Repairing Cracked Cast Iron Items
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 sitting in my first shop back in the late seventies, staring at a catalog filled with shiny, overpriced equipment that promised “professional results” for the amateur. I spent half my paycheck on a fancy power hammer that ended Continue reading Essential Tools for Metal Forging
I remember sitting in a cramped, soot-stained workshop back in ’84, listening to the rhythmic clink-clink-clink of a hammer hitting an anvil while the smell of hot iron and burnt oil filled my lungs. I watched a young apprentice try Continue reading Fundamental Metal Fabrication Skills
I remember standing in a client’s workshop back in ’88, watching a young kid try to convince a homeowner that a complex, spindly pattern was the pinnacle of modern ironwork design. The lad was talking about “aesthetic fluidity” and “minimalist Continue reading Designing Ornamental Ironwork
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 massive fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to grind a bevel on a heavy steel plate while his table wobbled like a leaf in a gale. Every time his grinder bit Continue reading Building a Metalworking Workbench
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 remember standing over a ruined piece of high-carbon steel back in ’84, watching the surface pit and discolor because I’d been too impatient with the quenching bath. The smell of scorched oil and the sight of that wasted material Continue reading The Chemistry of Metalwork