Whether at our jobs, or in our garage or shed, having your own systems and organization is key to succeeding. What good is a shop filled with tools if you can't find that 9/16" box wrench? Today, I'm going to go over a few ways to get things organized in your work place. Actual Work … Continue reading Work Place Efficiency
Chances are, you love to create with your hands, and you don't mind a little hard work. If the above sentence doesn't sound like you, then there is still a place for you in manufacturing... but, you'll need a degree, or significant experience in management, programming, or accounting. But, for the rest of us, maybe … Continue reading Want a job in manufacturing? Here are 4 things you should consider!
Back in High School, you may have taken an introduction to wood shop. I'll be willing to bet there was a lathe in that classroom, even if it was rarely used (if it was used at all). We didn't know what we were doing, so all my classmates and I ever made on those things … Continue reading What is a lathe?
Reading "insert near side" seems like an odd statement, but that's a note you might see in a blueprint if you're in one very important department in a sheetmetal manufacturing facility... This department can be known by a fewnames: "Pemming", "Insertion", and I'm sure there are others. For the sake of this post, we'll just … Continue reading Pressing Topic: Hardware
One of the core skills of any process in manufacturing is called "print literacy". Meaning that the person carrying out an operation is capable of reading a blueprint or "drawing" to satisfy the requirements of the part. Depending on the level of involvement per department in a shop, employees will need to have a more … Continue reading Reading Blueprints Will Make or Break You
If you think that welding may just seem like really hot glue (if the glue was molten metal), then you're on the right track, but it goes deeper than the surface [literally]. I'm not going to drop into the entire history of welding, but basically welding is the heating of two metals to fuse them … Continue reading Thinking about being a welder?
You've got your work piece bent, and welded at the seams.. Now what? Do you just leave the exposed weld and paint over it? Sometimes you'll want to leave that exposed weld for aesthetic purposes or because shaping and polishing the weld not necessary for the application of that particular part (for example, internal components … Continue reading Back to the Grind
It's not a mystery that when more equipment is around, the inherent risks of operating (or even existing in the space) becomes more hazardous. But seriously, how bad could it be? Considering I've seen plenty of people who hardly ever wear a respirator (or even a simple dust mask), we've got a few things to … Continue reading Safety in the shop
Your work is designed and cut out, so it's time to bend it or something right? NOPE. You've got to put a finish on there first! Depending on your final finish, you'll have to go different with strategies at this point. If you're going to get the finished product powder coated, chances are you won't … Continue reading Surface Finish: The Magic Results
Let's get right to the point, you won't be able to make much without cutting down your materials. When it comes to sizing up your work piece, there are a lot of options out there depending on the size of your operation and bankroll, you could spend $10 or well over $1 million to get … Continue reading How do metalworkers cut material?
The Handy Writer 
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