I remember standing on the shop floor of a massive fabrication plant back in ’88, watching a young kid try to troubleshoot a brand-new, computerized vibratory tumbler. The machine looked like something out of a sci-fi film, all sleek plastic Continue reading Machines Used for Metal Finishing
I can still smell the burnt ozone and stale coffee from that Tuesday back in ’84 when I ruined a perfectly good sheet of 10-gauge steel because I thought I could “eyeball” a curve. I was young, impatient, and convinced Continue reading Making Templates for Metal Projects
I remember standing in a massive fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a young kid try to force a complex piece of art together using nothing but a cheap MIG welder and a whole lot of ego. He was so Continue reading Constructing Metal Sculptures Through Welding
I remember sitting in a drafty fabrication shop back in ’84, staring at a pile of cheap, stamped-out hardware that snapped the moment I applied any real pressure. People today seem to think you can just wander into a big-box Continue reading Tools for Installing Rivets in Metal
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid try to force a heavy-duty copper fitting onto a steel frame using nothing but a cheap, low-temp solder and a prayer. He thought he was saving Continue reading Uses for Brazing in Metalwork
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a kid blow a perfectly good piece of tool steel because he thought he could “eye-ball” a measurement before checking it. He had a brand new, expensive set Continue reading Using Calipers for Metal Measurement
I remember sitting in a cramped fabrication shop back in ’84, watching a green kid blow a two-week project straight into the scrap bin because he thought he could cheat the sand prep. He’d spent more time looking at a Continue reading Creating Molds for Metal Casting
I remember standing over a rusted-out 1950s lathe back in my apprentice days, the smell of damp iron and old grease heavy in the air. I had been told by some high-priced consultant that I needed a specialized ultrasonic scanner Continue reading Identifying Types of Corroded Metal
I remember sitting in my old shop back in the nineties, staring at a seized-up gear assembly that most of the boys in the fabrication wing said was headed straight for the scrap bin. The air was thick with the Continue reading Reclaiming Old Metal Components
I remember standing over a vintage lathe back in ’84, trying to pull a stubborn fastener out of a custom housing, only to realize the “professional grade” set I’d bought the week before had just cammed out the screw head. Continue reading Stop Buying Disposable Junk: How to Choose the Right Screwdriver Set That Actually Lasts a Lifetime.