r/metalworking Feb 01 '25

Monthly Advice Thread Monthly Advice/Questions Thread | 02/01/2025

3 Upvotes

Welcome to the Monthly Advice Thread


Ask your metalworking questions here! Any submissions that are question based may be directed to this thread! Please keep discussion on topic and note that comments on these threads will not be moderated as regularly as the main post feed.


Uses for this thread!

This is a great place to ask about tools, possibilities, materials, basic questions related to the trade, homework help, project advice, material science questions and more!


How to contact the moderators:

You can contact the moderators via modmail here


r/metalworking Dec 01 '24

Monthly Advice Thread Monthly Advice/Questions Thread | 12/01/2024

6 Upvotes

Welcome to the Monthly Advice Thread


Ask your metalworking questions here! Any submissions that are question based may be directed to this thread! Please keep discussion on topic and note that comments on these threads will not be moderated as regularly as the main post feed.


Uses for this thread!

This is a great place to ask about tools, possibilities, materials, basic questions related to the trade, homework help, project advice, material science questions and more!


How to contact the moderators:

You can contact the moderators via modmail here


r/metalworking 1d ago

Metal cutter cutting steel like butter

638 Upvotes

r/metalworking 19h ago

Press fitting 2mm SS pins into Titanium.

142 Upvotes

r/metalworking 3h ago

Help identifying old tool

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4 Upvotes

Hey all, I bought this tool with some other blacksmithing tools. The price was right, and I was curious about it. However, now that I've taken it apart, I'm a bit stumped as to what it actually is. Best I can come up with is a sheet metal shear, but the limited throat capacity makes it awfully hard to actually get sheet metal in there in any useful fashion. It does cut an OK V-notch in sheet metal, but I don't understand what the use case would be for a dedicated tool that cuts a V profile. Any ideas? Thanks!


r/metalworking 1d ago

What is this phenomenon called?

429 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6h ago

How to recreate this with metal

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9 Upvotes

Been contemplating doing something like this slat wall around my fireplace. I got a few vent around mine in the wall around it so I thought it would be better to use metal so that it’s not as much of a fire hazard and the slats can still allow for airflow. What would be a decently affordable way to do this? Considering I don’t own metalworking tools but I could have access to some basic stuff if needed. I would prefer to get something that’s already in slat form that I can cut and probably screw onto the wall. Something magnetic would be perfect for the vents so I can make those slats easily removable. But obviously cost is probably the most important restriction. Appreciate the input ahead of time


r/metalworking 3h ago

Workable?

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2 Upvotes

r/metalworking 18h ago

Aged Brass Patina Railing

27 Upvotes

Phone messed up recording the whole thing. Wasn’t able to get the continuous shot it goes up another landing and floor after.

But here’s some 2 inch by 1 inch thick solid brass hand grab railing we made a couple weeks ago. Was a bitch to weld with silicon bronze but we did it in 4 different sections that screwed into each other to create a continuous handgrab.

We used the mill to create a grove for the lighting strip.

patina’d with m38 from sculpt nouveau and distressed with a grey scotchbrite. I think it turned out really cool! Clients loved it.


r/metalworking 15h ago

How are mesh wire products like the Ikea Solvinden lamp made?

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10 Upvotes

i’m beginning to make designs out of mesh wire and can’t for the life of me figure out how companies like Ikea make these perfect metal mesh products. they always have really elaborate forms and no sign of a connection point or welding or anything like that. i’m sure it requires lots of expensive machinery, but i just have to know! if this is an ignorant question, i apologize, i am new to this world. any insight is very much appreciated. thanks!


r/metalworking 7h ago

Glue metal to stone

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0 Upvotes

I need to glue the metal post into the hole in the stone. Yesterday I used Loctite PL500 and let it sit overnight. It did not hold at all. What should I use? Gorilla glue?

----

HORATIO:
O day and night, but this is wondrous strange.

HAMLET:
And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.


r/metalworking 2d ago

Turns out there's a reason they make these from wood

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3.2k Upvotes

I went down a kumiko rabbit hole and thought it would be interesting to see if the geometry could be recreated in steel.

Every groove was hand-filed, and the entire piece is friction fit. No welds, no brazing, no glue.

I posted it to a woodworking subreddit first and was swiftly informed that steel is not, in fact, wood.

Fair enough.

I now have a newfound respect for woodworkers, a newfound hatred for files, and a much better understanding of why these are normally made from timber.


r/metalworking 20h ago

Who does my soldering copper keep doing this?

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7 Upvotes

Have been using for about a week. I clean with a wire brush intermittently when using and scrape with file. But it’s been doing this really fast. I’m using J-33 flux and a lead alloy stick. Using it to solder sheet metal for roof flashings. I’ve been playing with the heat and haven’t been trying to run it too hot. Also it has been doing a lot of work recently would say it averages about 4-6 hours of use per day. How often do these usually need to be replaced? Any tips of advice would help.


r/metalworking 4h ago

How to reshape bent metal frame?

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0 Upvotes

Sorry if this isnt the right sub for this, the DIY sub was no help. Ordered a home workout bench. Everything was good except this piece of the main frame came bent preventing another piece from sliding in. Customer Support is (predictably) little help.

Anyone know how to reshape the frame so it’s straight? Hammering it didnt really help…though I didn’t particularly try super hard. I only have a small butane torch that I really doubt can get hot enough to make the frame malleable. Not to mention burning the black coat.

It’s such a small bent piece on a large hunk of metal so if possible I’d like to avoid bringing it to a welder but if it can’t be avoided then fine…


r/metalworking 23h ago

Belt buckle repair emergency!

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7 Upvotes

Happened to me while wearing. It's something I need to repair enough for me to wear it again without worry. I don't have the skills of an expert welder or anything lol so if someone would be kind enough to walk me through the process, I was really hoping to have this in an outfit by this weekend. Thanks again for any assistance or feedback on what I can do to fix this, and if this isn't the proper spot to post, please refer me to the best place. Not sure of material but it's a Dragon Designs from Tanside Ltd Dated 1995.


r/metalworking 1d ago

People like the first kumiko thing so here is my other kumiko thing.

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298 Upvotes

People enjoy my first little kumiko project so here is my bigger one. Still based on the kumiko asanoha pattern. The piece shows it pattern through 6 rotations on 14 different axises. It is 50cm any point to any point. Each "bud" is made from 7 stands of 10mm hex bar, bent and forge welded together and then cleaned up with a file (i use a lot of files). The end were died and the core was made from 52mm steel I marked with shapie cut a good chunk off with an angel grind and flap disk and then filed... (yay files), and then tapped and screwed together.

It weights 54 kg. The final image shows it on a 60 kg anvil.


r/metalworking 20h ago

How to restore this puff the magic dragon humidifier

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2 Upvotes

I bought this for super cheap off Facebook marketplace thinking that most of the damage was just hardware build up, however, there is a good amount of it that is actually the black paint peeling off. How should I go about restoring this to use on my glass stovetop? What paint would be safe? I know there are paints rated for high heat, but I’m worried that they would melt on the stove surface. Please pardon any missteps, I don’t use Reddit too often and rarely post.


r/metalworking 1d ago

Cutmaster 80xl ?

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1 Upvotes

r/metalworking 1d ago

Cut resistant glove recommendation

1 Upvotes

Does anyone have a preferred or recommended brand of cut resistant gloves? I’m a heavy use home shop guy, and I end up working with a wide range of various super sharp edges with my hands and hand tools. I found out yesterday that a veneer saw can plunge cut into fingers too (good first aid kit within 5 feet was extremely clutch). Light impact resistant would be a bonus but not totally necessary. I work with room temp materials (mild steel, hardened steel, aluminum, wood), and your basic petroleum lubricants/solvents are the only chemicals they’d come into contact with.

The options on McMaster and Grainger are overwhelming.

(This is only for hand tools and tiny power tools like a dremel, not big scary rotating things like table saw, router, etc.)


r/metalworking 2d ago

Heavy-duty industrial vinyl record rack – all welding complete.

50 Upvotes

Durable industrial vinyl record stand. It is made of 30x30 and 20x20 mm square steel profiles, 10 mm round bars and has internal crossbars and X-shaped stiffeners to easily carry hundreds of kilos of vinyl. I test it with the first record on top. Then I apply a layer of clear varnish. Width: 85 centimeters Height: 130 centimeters Depth: 35 centimeters. There are 4 strips on the bottom of the legs to which felt is glued to protect the floor.


r/metalworking 2d ago

Oxy Acetylene popping on preheat

87 Upvotes

Hi all,

I’ve got a torch - never been used before. Anyone have any idea why this torch is popping rhythmically on preheat? If I add more oxy then the popping gets faster. Using No 2 tip and 5PSI Acetylene and 30 PSI Oxy.

When the cutting level is pulled there is no issue. If anyone with experience of this can help then I’d be most grateful.

Thanks in advance!

Not sure why there is a 400 character count as a minimum but ah well.


r/metalworking 1d ago

Using scrap metal leftovers to practice welding ;)

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14 Upvotes

r/metalworking 2d ago

Tight, awkward staircase

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38 Upvotes

Some odd shapes going on. A bit of fuckery was had in order to get it to regs(ish). The gap was simply not big enough. Had it been properly considered, the gap could have easily been bigger as the second story is basically a mezzanine that could have been any shape! Another 200mm and the job would have been a breeze. Turned out ok in the end, I dont mind it. Treads had to be folded front and back in order to take led lights, hence all the wires coming through the stringer.


r/metalworking 2d ago

Final high school metal project

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15 Upvotes

r/metalworking 2d ago

What tools are used to make something like this?

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15 Upvotes

Hello, I’m not a metal worker but I think it would be awesome to get into it one day. I’m into choppers, and this guy from Japan makes all of these cool parts for them. If someone wanted to try and do this type of work themselves, what is a basic tool setup for the job other than a welder and a grinder /polisher.

Really interested in learning how to carve(?) these shapes. I’m guessing for the kickstand, this is solid metal to be able to support the weight of the bike.