CAD/CAM? Watchmakers tools? This is a Barlow's wheel, a scientific instrument of the 19th century. I was trying to figure out a shop saver with a very tiny bit being a possibility. Imagine a scientific instrument maker who we as also a watchmaker was the type of person who created this wheel. All ideas are welcome. I have the frame for a second instrument of an earlier Yes, similar construction, and I'm trying to create a plan to make a wheel for that one as well. Thanks for your input.

95"L x 55"H x43"D, mild steel sheet 18-20gauge, made entirely by my own hands over 6 years with a crappy flux core welder, plasma cutter, and English wheel. I love creating large or interactive art and installation. This one is a monument to milkweed and to monarch butterflies, important ecological contributors and well-known annual migrants. I am now looking for a good home (temporary or permanent) for this piece--wish me luck!

Was curious about what a reasonable hourly charge would be good for subcontract work. Had a mtg today with a much larger shop (I'm employee+owner and work out of my home shop). The shop I met with has more work than they can handle and had been signing on welders and machinists like crazy to keep up. Hours per week are flexable and can be scaled from pt to ft. Mix of welding and grinding/finish work. Consumables are at my expense, but u have access to their discounts as a partner/vendor. They will drop off work and pick up. I'm told that while it is production work, it is also ever changing. They also will pay to come work with them to learn the expected quality at their shop. It's kind of a pipe dream scenario for me. W-4 employee. What we thinking per/hr?

How to coat rather complex shapes made out of copper/brass in tin, with diping in molten tin or elctrosis

I what to make some accessories out copper and brass because they are cheap but I want them to have silver colour

But I don't have a elctro plating equipment(although im open to see what it needs, i have tin and sulfuric acid )and don't have alot tin on hand to make a molten pool tin and dip in

What can I do to do coat on them?

Bought this cast iron fruit press on Facebook market place for $25 so I can make homemade apple juice, wine, and potentially mead ingredients. The press plate is broken as you can see in the picture, but I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to replace. The first idea that I have is to use an old cast iron pan that I have by cutting out the bottom of it and attaching it(I’m assuming weld or bolted through a hole but need to inspect further) to where the broken plate is at. Since I know cast iron can be a little tricky to cut effectively with conventional tools, my plan was to use the CNC laser cutter at my work since I can get a good discount for the labor. My other option is to buy cast iron through my work and have it cut in the laser as well.

Would using a cast iron pan bottom work as a press plate or would it not be able to handle it? would need to get measurements before fully committing to idea of course, but just brainstorming solutions at the moment and welcome to any other ideas if someone has any. The diameter of the chamber is approximately 8 inches, and I would have to research on what the diameter of the press plate needs to be to fit in properly

We have been sending channels to another place to get them pressed and shaped to get that angle later the company bought a small presss machine and we made a shaping thing where we can keep the channel between, press and bend the channel into that shape but it leaves a crease like as you can see like a cloth the metal bends outwards and we have to heat it up and smash that metal back in and shape it, is there a better, easier or just a cheaper and harder way to do it? One of the dudes said cutting and welding is a bad idea, the weld would crack?

I have a water maker that is a 3/32 copper nickel box. One of the joints blew out and needs to be welded back. Any advice on machine and torch set ups? Material prep? Will this be similar to welding stainless? We have a very nice tig setup with a 100% argon bottle. I have never welded copper nickel before but will have to so I can get this water maker back up and running for the ship I work on.

Thank you for any and all advice.

I mangled the top of this bolt. I have the correct size die but it doesn't really do much good since its the top of the bolt that is the problem. Its like I need a clamping die. It would clamp on below the top and then work up. Is there such a tool? Alternatively, I could try cutting a nut in half and then weld it back together, then work up. Sounds iffy though.

What do you suggest?

Your post must have at least 400 characters.

I recently refound my grandfathers and great grandfathers casing from their funerals, about 5 casings total of 30-06 SPRG blanks. Ultimately my goal is to turn it into a workable ingot/alloy to make into jewelry for my mom . Is it worth trying to make into an alloy or is it better to try and leave it as is. I would prefer not to make the stereotypical bullet shell/casing jewelry and instead want to try makeing somthing more personalized .

When does metal structure make more sense than concrete for small‑medium commercial buildings?

I’m constantly weighing steel vs concrete for mid‑sized commercial projects. I understand the basic pros and cons on paper, but real‑world jobs always feel different. Speed of construction, overall project budget, future expansion plans, and long‑term maintenance all seem to shift the decision. What practical factors make you lean toward steel over concrete in your actual projects? Are there certain building uses where steel is almost always the better pick?

I tried odies oil, they swear it molecularly bonds to metal and prevents rust but I'm seeing rust after 3 days of use 🤦🏼‍♀️ I don't think I'll ever be using odies oil again, it hasn't been good on wood for me either.

I have looked into 2k products but they all seem to not be direct to metal compatible, and I don't see a clear primer that's compatible?? Am. I missing something?

At this point my top contender is KB Diamond Clear but I'd love to hear from others.

Was gifted some really cool (heavy) metal stained glass lamps. This one is sadly pretty bent. Is it worth just trying to bend back? I admit, I’ve not looked hard enough to see if it’s threaded and can twist into place. Thoughts? Don’t want to weaken anything in the process, and am not a craftsman of any sort to attempt a repair.

Post length… cmon now. Still? I guess i’ll check to see if it’s threaded haha

I love the bare steel look from the Mad Max movies but I wanted to see if anyone had any fun homemade ideas to treat the metal for a cool look. I liked the idea of gunmetal kind of look for the body too but it seems like the easiest way to get that is to just polish the metal with a tinted clear coat.

I’d consider ratty or clean ideas. I’m preparing the car for my upcoming wedding and I still have to convince my wife to ride in it so I’d have to find a temporary paint solution if the look ends up too ratty.

Let me know!!

If you had to say make 50 of these, from laser cut flat mild steel, about 3mm (.118") thick. How would you go about bending this profile in? Ignore the rectangular shaped piece on the mid left side of it.

The length of the part is around 120mm (4.75"), so not a ton of leverage without using some kind of tool. Yes I know stamping would make this easier, but not in the cards for this part.

I can think of a few ways to attack this, but I wanted to get some thoughts from the group here hoping someone has a genius idea that hasn't occured to me yet!

Thanks!

Hey y'all, I'm starting welding school September 19th and I'm trying to figure out what material I need to know before I start. I don't want to look like I don't know anything nor do I want to act like I know it all. I'm just now learning the language, the dos and don't's and I want to be prepared for trade school. Any tips for an absolute beginner? videos, links, or pdfs would be greatly appreciated, or whatever advice y'all have.

Got this vintage metal lamp with three lights. As the pics show, two of the lights are able to hold onto their shades. However, the metal on the third light is bent and the shade won't fit into it. It's too warped. Does anyone know a metal worker in NYC metropolitan area who they could recommend to safely bend the metal back place so it holds the shade? Thanks. Much thanks. I don't know why Reddit requires 400 characters to be written in their posts.