I remember standing in a high-end boutique last month, staring at a piece of “decorative metal art” that cost more than my first truck. It was nothing more than some thin, stamped sheet metal with a cheap powder coating that Continue reading Creating Decorative Metal Art Pieces
I remember a job back in ’84, working on a custom chassis for a client who thought he could save a few bucks by buying those bulk packs of generic, flimsy abrasive sheets from the local big-box store. I watched Continue reading Using Sandpaper for Metal Finishing
I remember standing in a drafty fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice try to force a heavy-duty joint together using nothing but a pneumatic gun and a prayer. He was rushing, trying to bypass the fundamentals of Continue reading Methods for Metal Riveting
I remember standing over a heavy workbench back in ’84, staring at a piece of high-grade tool steel that I’d just ruined because I trusted a cheap, knocked-off caliper. The smell of scorched oil and the sight of a part Continue reading Taking Accurate Measurements in Metalworking
I remember standing in a dusty fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a green kid blow through a perfectly good set of bastard files because he thought speed was the same thing as skill. He was trying to force a Continue reading Using Files for Metal Shaping
I remember sitting in my first shop back in the seventies, staring at a piece of brushed steel that looked like absolute rubbish because I’d tried to “speed up” the finishing process. I had grabbed a handful of whatever cheap, Continue reading Sanding Metal With Various Grits
I remember standing over a workbench in a drafty shop back in ’84, watching a young apprentice ruin a perfectly good piece of high-carbon steel because he thought he could skip the soak time. He was impatient, treating metal heat Continue reading The Importance of Heat Treating Metal
I remember sitting in my first fabrication shop back in the seventies, the air thick with the smell of cutting oil and the rhythmic, high-pitched whine of a drill pressing through a thick steel plate. I watched an older journeyman Continue reading Techniques for Drilling Holes in Metal
I remember standing in a shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to fix a pitted chrome bumper with a high-speed buffer and a handful of cheap, abrasive compounds. He was moving so fast he couldn’t even see the Continue reading Restoring Pitted Automotive Chrome Trim
I remember standing over a rusted-out lathe back in ’84, watching a kid try to scrub away decades of oxidation with some fancy, overpriced chemical spray he’d bought online. He was scrubbing like his life depended on it, but all Continue reading Methods for Cleaning Metal Surfaces