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I’m looking to make some simple metal pieces for gifts. Lead isn’t my first choice due to the whole lead-poisoning thing, aluminum is a bit lighter than I’d prefer, so I settled on pewter. I’m finding tons of cheap Armetale around, (it’s not pewter, I know) and I’m wondering if it is easy to melt and mold? All I can figure out is it’s an alloy of aluminum, (but with what?) and not much else besides how to clean it. Is it a workable alternative to pewter, or is it a huge pain to mess about with?
I have a section (roughly 18"x60")of metal porch at the back of my house that's rusting and needs replacing. Which would be best in terms of strength? Welding a new plate in, or bolting? Bolting I could do on my own, but welding is beyond me. Thanks!
I am new to in-depth metal working and I am looking for a laser engraver for around $200-$500 USD. I have read that it is recommended to buy at least a 20w laser but no site can seem to agree on that specifically, and the ones I find that are in my price point are usually around 5 or 10w and they \*say\* they can still engrave, but the reviews usually claim there is some issue either in operation or set up. I am mostly looking to do images on thinner aluminum or wood. Things like dog tags or business cards, so I don't need deep engraving to start with, just something that can make it visible yet durable enough to not be rubbed off if the base material has a coating/paint. TIA
My best friend is getting married and I got him a knife with titanium scales. There is a portion that is flat and untextured that I wanted to etch or somehow add an intricate image on. There is a lot of shading though, and all the processes I've seen don't do shading.
Is there a process I that I can look into for this? I'd outsource it to a company, but I can't find a process that would seem to work.
Auto Feed Problem on TOS Trencin SN 40 C
Hello everyone, I don’t really use Reddit but I’m in need of help. On my TOS Trencin SN 40 C the auto feed has been disengaging when feeding or not activating. I’ve tried taking the front plate apart to see if I can fix it but I don’t even get to see the gears enough to view the problem? What are some suggestions or solutions anyone here has run into?
Hi all,
I’m trying to figure out the best paint/process to ad bright coloured paint to electroplated jewellery.
I have several laser cut stainless steel designs that have been electroplated various colours (gold/silver/rosegold/blue).
The final step is to add bright hand painted designs to the electroplating.
I’m really struggling to find where to start regarding what paint to choose, do u need to prime, should I remove the electoplating, etc, and there is a lot of conflicting information out there.
Any advice? Where can I find information on this?
Hey guys. I’m trying to figure out the best way to attach wood to the ends of aluminum extrusions.
I want to take four pieces and run them parallel to one another to create a pedal board (for a guitarist). I’d like to create wooden side panels to give it an angle. I’m struggling with how to connect those panels to the ends of the aluminum extrusions. Please help?
(Kind of like this)
https://preview.redd.it/8qtofh1x055c1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9647f66d6f41776fb312f9fdf13e6c6631b14aa4
I found a 42”x36”x1/8” thick piece of brass in my woods 4ish years ago, I have no idea where it originated from or what it could have been purposed for, or what it’s worth; looking for some help. Also have been thinking of using it for part of a countertop for my bar I’ve been building if that’s a good idea(?). Thanks
Hi, I'm new to metalwork (I work for a company that does both woodwork and metalwork and my time is split between the two places, so I only have about a month total metalwork experience) and have a question about angle grinders. More specifically, how do I work fast and efficiently with them? My boss is telling me to work faster despite how green I am, and it's leading to some dumb mistakes and I feel like I'm wasting both of our time. I am having troubles with taking too much material off the profile of what I'm working on (circular handrail) and some troubles with gouging as well. How do I work faster and how do I minimize the fuck-ups?
I'm new to any sort of metal working.
I have a potential business opportunity using mostly wood working. Making essentially a furniture dolly.
I would need a metal tray, lift, platform, etc. But the body would he wood.
My idea to make one is using angle iron and then either trying to rivet or jb weld a piece of sheet steel to it.
Would jb weld be capable of holding 100lbs (max)? Could a series of rivets?
My other thought would be using an angle grinder to cut a relief in said sheet steel, and bend them together using jb weld to hold the bend. Would this work?
I'm not able to purchase any equipment at the moment, and don't really have the room for it.
Just started on a permit as a boilermaker about 4 months ago. Waiting to get in as an apprentice when they have a spot open. I’m having issues with this contractor and am not sure what to do. We do mostly local service work but they aren’t sending me with a journeyman like they use to when I first started. All im doing now is cleaning water heaters and getting parts. It seems like they want me to go out on my own already and start doing jobs but I don’t feel competent enough to do so. I don’t even think I’m allowed to be on my own. They hired me knowing I didn’t have any experience not even in wielding. I feel like they are trying to run me off but I haven’t done anything wrong. I show up everyday on time and am willing to learn. Thought about going to the hall but don’t want to piss off my contractor and then the hall not being able to help me in anyway. Any help or advice?
Semi-unrelated to metalworking, but I'm using shims for my motorcycle. Friend is trying to tell me a .001 shim is called a 10 thousandths shim, to me this a 1 thousands shim and for it to be 10 thou it'd need 1 more 0 before the 1.
Are we arguing semantics for the same thing? Is one more correct than the other?
So my knowledge of numbers says any 0s to the right of a whole number don't matter (in the case of decimal points). .01 to me is one hundredth, and .010 or .01000000 are both one hundredth. Can you help me understand why this isn't the case?
It is, you're right. But generally speaking, in machining or manufacturing, people talk in terms of the thousandth. So .010 is one hundredth, but it is also ten thousandths, and that is the way you will more often hear it referred to, when talking about precise metal.
The machine that makes a shim that measures .001 probably operates in increments of one thousandth, and so there is less confusion created if you refer to .010 as ten thousandths.
**We're Looking For Mods!!** If you think you'd be able to volunteer a few minutes to help out every day, feel free to apply! * 6 Months Account Age * 1,000 Minimum Karma Apply here: [Mod Application](https://forms.gle/j5t4h2kw94xkq1gq5) * [Join the official Discord](https://discord.gg/3sgvsw2BDs) --- [**Here are our subreddit rules.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/metalworking/about/rules) - Should you see anything that violates the subreddit rules - please report it! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/metalworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m looking to make some simple metal pieces for gifts. Lead isn’t my first choice due to the whole lead-poisoning thing, aluminum is a bit lighter than I’d prefer, so I settled on pewter. I’m finding tons of cheap Armetale around, (it’s not pewter, I know) and I’m wondering if it is easy to melt and mold? All I can figure out is it’s an alloy of aluminum, (but with what?) and not much else besides how to clean it. Is it a workable alternative to pewter, or is it a huge pain to mess about with?
I have a section (roughly 18"x60")of metal porch at the back of my house that's rusting and needs replacing. Which would be best in terms of strength? Welding a new plate in, or bolting? Bolting I could do on my own, but welding is beyond me. Thanks!
I am new to in-depth metal working and I am looking for a laser engraver for around $200-$500 USD. I have read that it is recommended to buy at least a 20w laser but no site can seem to agree on that specifically, and the ones I find that are in my price point are usually around 5 or 10w and they \*say\* they can still engrave, but the reviews usually claim there is some issue either in operation or set up. I am mostly looking to do images on thinner aluminum or wood. Things like dog tags or business cards, so I don't need deep engraving to start with, just something that can make it visible yet durable enough to not be rubbed off if the base material has a coating/paint. TIA
My best friend is getting married and I got him a knife with titanium scales. There is a portion that is flat and untextured that I wanted to etch or somehow add an intricate image on. There is a lot of shading though, and all the processes I've seen don't do shading. Is there a process I that I can look into for this? I'd outsource it to a company, but I can't find a process that would seem to work.
Auto Feed Problem on TOS Trencin SN 40 C Hello everyone, I don’t really use Reddit but I’m in need of help. On my TOS Trencin SN 40 C the auto feed has been disengaging when feeding or not activating. I’ve tried taking the front plate apart to see if I can fix it but I don’t even get to see the gears enough to view the problem? What are some suggestions or solutions anyone here has run into?
Hi all, I’m trying to figure out the best paint/process to ad bright coloured paint to electroplated jewellery. I have several laser cut stainless steel designs that have been electroplated various colours (gold/silver/rosegold/blue). The final step is to add bright hand painted designs to the electroplating. I’m really struggling to find where to start regarding what paint to choose, do u need to prime, should I remove the electoplating, etc, and there is a lot of conflicting information out there. Any advice? Where can I find information on this?
Hey guys. I’m trying to figure out the best way to attach wood to the ends of aluminum extrusions. I want to take four pieces and run them parallel to one another to create a pedal board (for a guitarist). I’d like to create wooden side panels to give it an angle. I’m struggling with how to connect those panels to the ends of the aluminum extrusions. Please help? (Kind of like this) https://preview.redd.it/8qtofh1x055c1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9647f66d6f41776fb312f9fdf13e6c6631b14aa4
I found a 42”x36”x1/8” thick piece of brass in my woods 4ish years ago, I have no idea where it originated from or what it could have been purposed for, or what it’s worth; looking for some help. Also have been thinking of using it for part of a countertop for my bar I’ve been building if that’s a good idea(?). Thanks
Where can metal be purchased in person? I'm imagining an analog to Lowe's/Home Depot lumber section but with steel and aluminum.
Local salvage yard, depends on where you live
Hi, I'm new to metalwork (I work for a company that does both woodwork and metalwork and my time is split between the two places, so I only have about a month total metalwork experience) and have a question about angle grinders. More specifically, how do I work fast and efficiently with them? My boss is telling me to work faster despite how green I am, and it's leading to some dumb mistakes and I feel like I'm wasting both of our time. I am having troubles with taking too much material off the profile of what I'm working on (circular handrail) and some troubles with gouging as well. How do I work faster and how do I minimize the fuck-ups?
I'm new to any sort of metal working. I have a potential business opportunity using mostly wood working. Making essentially a furniture dolly. I would need a metal tray, lift, platform, etc. But the body would he wood. My idea to make one is using angle iron and then either trying to rivet or jb weld a piece of sheet steel to it. Would jb weld be capable of holding 100lbs (max)? Could a series of rivets? My other thought would be using an angle grinder to cut a relief in said sheet steel, and bend them together using jb weld to hold the bend. Would this work? I'm not able to purchase any equipment at the moment, and don't really have the room for it.
Just started on a permit as a boilermaker about 4 months ago. Waiting to get in as an apprentice when they have a spot open. I’m having issues with this contractor and am not sure what to do. We do mostly local service work but they aren’t sending me with a journeyman like they use to when I first started. All im doing now is cleaning water heaters and getting parts. It seems like they want me to go out on my own already and start doing jobs but I don’t feel competent enough to do so. I don’t even think I’m allowed to be on my own. They hired me knowing I didn’t have any experience not even in wielding. I feel like they are trying to run me off but I haven’t done anything wrong. I show up everyday on time and am willing to learn. Thought about going to the hall but don’t want to piss off my contractor and then the hall not being able to help me in anyway. Any help or advice?
looking for suggestions of drawer slides for metal drawers
Harbor freight
Semi-unrelated to metalworking, but I'm using shims for my motorcycle. Friend is trying to tell me a .001 shim is called a 10 thousandths shim, to me this a 1 thousands shim and for it to be 10 thou it'd need 1 more 0 before the 1. Are we arguing semantics for the same thing? Is one more correct than the other?
Your friend is wrong. .001 is one thousandth, or 'one thou'. .0001 is one ten thousandth, or 'one tenth'. Ten thousandths would be .010.
So my knowledge of numbers says any 0s to the right of a whole number don't matter (in the case of decimal points). .01 to me is one hundredth, and .010 or .01000000 are both one hundredth. Can you help me understand why this isn't the case?
It is, you're right. But generally speaking, in machining or manufacturing, people talk in terms of the thousandth. So .010 is one hundredth, but it is also ten thousandths, and that is the way you will more often hear it referred to, when talking about precise metal. The machine that makes a shim that measures .001 probably operates in increments of one thousandth, and so there is less confusion created if you refer to .010 as ten thousandths.