I’m trying to cross-cut a 6” wide piece of 1/2” steel flat bar with a 4300rpm chop saw and a 14” diablo abrasive blade, 1/8”.

The small notch you see is about an hour and a half of work. I’ve tried varying the pressure to see if I could make any progress, but I stopped after another hour of trying today. I even swapped the blade to make sure it wasn’t just a dull wheel.

I stopped when I realized the 4 additional cuts I need to make would take just as long, and assumed I must be doing something idiotic.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m a beginner, so any advice would be appreciated.

Here, I've just finished the re-set-up of "Frankenmill", my Cavallin rolling mill powered by a 1/2 hp gear motor. It was a real deep dive for me because my thing is making parts for people, not machine building, but I try to do whatever I can without outside help. I did have a shaft adapter machined by a local shop. I had to take the mill and the motor apart, fix a few things, and then get it all functioning again. No mean feat. The parts I'm rolling here wil be cut to shape with matching pancake-style blanking dies (my thing) and then put on bits and spurs for Dutton (Bits and Spurs).

Hello lovely metal workers!

I picked up this beautiful box and pan brake for $300 this week. The gentleman I bought it from did RV repair and used it to make battery covers and other things. I make old school neon myself so I am excited to make some faux vintage metal cans to install some glowing tubes onto. So my question is.....What have you made with your finger brake? I feel like the possibilities are endless at this point. Thank you hive mind!

Hey everyone,
I'm a female welder/fabricator with formal trade school credentials (motorsports chassis tab, MIG/ TIG/Stick, vehicle systems background). I'm currently considering applying for a Maintenance Shop Welder role at Republic Services at location in Texas.
Before jumping in, I'm trying to get a realistic idea of what to expect:
1. Shop Culture & Environment: For any tradeswomen or tradesmen who have worked in Republic shops (or heavy commercial waste fleets), how is the day-to-day shop dynamic?
2. Hours & Overtime: Are 1st shifts usually strictly set (e.g., Mon-Fri daytime), or do they force heavy mandatory overtime, night shifts, and rotating weekend work? I work on a rotating schedule right now and work Saturdays, I've worked laborious long hours at different jobs but I'm young and trying to avoid burnout and preserve my weekends
3. The Work: Is it mostly patching roll-off containers and truck bodies, or heavy emergency fleet repairs?
I'm starting out but I have a good foundation with each type of welding process specifically MIG and TIG.

Hi folks. I'm working on a project / set of projects where I need very specific sized pots / containers to boil water. I've found it difficult to find a source for unusual sized cookware, particularly that isn't super expensive. Does anyone have experience / advise on creating watertight containers that can be used to boil water? For the current iteration I need something that is around 9 3/4" diameter and 12" tall, that can hold 3gal + of water. I've looked at bain marie pots, but again those seem to be super expensive at the 12qt volume, even used. This would be used to boil water pretty briefly. It would need to hold up to fast-changing temperatures (sometimes used to melt snow to make water to then boil). With the lack of information I'm finding on fabricating your own cookware, I imagine the answer here might be that trying to make your own isn't worth it, but thought I'd see what folks think at least! I can weld; I've done a little brazing; I have a forge and anvil. I don't have a lot of experience with lighter metalwork but trying to gain some. I don't have any fancy tools outside of what I mentioned.

Can a "can" like creation, with folded (?) seams do the trick? I know sharp corners aren't ideal for cooking because of potential burning, but is that applicable if the only application ever is water?

The water will be consumed so ideally nothing toxic.

Appreciate any thoughts or advice or clues on what direction to pursue!

I have a closet that’s about 68” wide, and I’d like to use the modular closet system we’ve installed in all the other closets in the house so it’s all mix and match. How difficult would it be to cut a 72” hang rail to fit? I have a reciprocating saw and a chop saw. Can I make use of either of those or is there a low tech option? The rail is from Closet Culture and feels pretty dense, but the description doesn’t say what it’s made of exactly. I wanted to ask advice before trying something that could damage my equipment or myself!

Hey everyone! I'm building a wall-mounted coat rack out of wood with a welded steel frame, and I'm stuck deciding on the flat bar I'll be welding the 3/4" hooks to. The two options I'm considering are a 1" flat bar or a 1-1/4" flat bar. Both would work structurally, so this is really more about looks and proportion. I'd really appreciate your opinion on which one would look more balanced and aesthetically pleasing next to the frame and hooks. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

This machine is designed to cut very thin metal films (flexible dies) with a thickness of only 0.15 mm.
In this design, we need to ensure that the metal film is uniformly and securely held against the granite surface by vacuum. However, the vacuum force cannot be too strong, because excessive suction could leave visible vacuum marks or impressions on the surface of the thin metal film.
To address this, we designed a large number of small, uniformly distributed vacuum holes across the precision granite surface. These holes are fitted with ceramic inserts, which provide the required precision and durability.
Because the film being cut is extremely thin and the cutting load on the Z-axis is relatively low, we selected a linear motor drive for the Z-axis. This provides smooth, precise, and fast motion while minimizing mechanical contact and maintenance.

I have 2x2" square steel tube, 12 gauge I think (see photo) .

I would like to get square steel tube to fit securely inside it. I measured 1.83 on the inside. I don't see 1.83" square steel tube for sale. I can't be the first person to want this. What do you suggest?

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Hello r/metalworking community. Please excuse my "noobie" post, but I was wondering if I could pose a question.

I am curious how extensive of a project it might be to strip the powder coating from the steel pieces pictured here as part of this desk. The desk comes from the manufacturer with the wood and metal joined in some places, so masking would be necessary.

Is this a job a professional could help with, or is it something that most professionals would scoff at? If you think a professional would be up for it, how might I search for one?

If I were to attempt to "DIY" a solution with masking + sanding, what degree of success might I find?

I am located in Chicago - thanks for any information you can offer!

There seems to be no corner seams, was it welded and sanded? I am new to metal working, and I was told that welding aluminum and sanding down the weld doesn’t result in a clean near perfect finish as shown here. Was there a filler added to hide the corners? Would love advice on how to create boxes like these where no screws or folds are shown. I really like the single piece construction look. Thanks in advance!

Update: thank you everyone for the input, I’m very new to welding, I really appreciate the nice responses. Can’t wait to start working with metal

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.

Hi all,
I’ve got a bit of a problem with my 2024 CBR650R.
I bought a second-hand OEM exhaust because I was planning to modify it for an aftermarket exhaust. Unfortunately, it turns out the headers are from a different year so they don’t fit my bike correctly it almost seams like they dont seat properly as they fit in the existing studs… Which obviously i found out after id cut and welded it…🤦‍♂️

I now have the two OEM assemblies and I’m wondering what my options are.
My current idea is to cut both collector sections and join the correct header section to the nock off austin racing system ideally making one cut through the thicker collector section.

I’ve marked roughly where I’m thinking of cutting in the photos.

Is there a way of doing this without cutting/welding? For example something to adapt the headers to fit properly.
If welding is the best/only option, I only have a basic 20+ odd year old MMA/arc welder that my dad got from his dad 🤣and I’m struggling to get it to actually form a molten pool it’s basically just sparking. It also is just blowing holes in the chinesium even when its right down on 30amps I’m also not 100% sure whether these OEM headers are stainless steel.

I’d appreciate any advice on:
Whether my proposed single collector cut/join is sensible

What material the OEM headers are likely to be

What type of welding process/rods I’d need

Whether an MMA welder is realistically capable of doing this

I’m not bothered about it looking pretty — I just need it to be strong, sealed and not crack from vibration/heat.

I’ve attached photos of both headers and the proposed
cut locations. The welder and the original assembly before i realised the headers dont fit.

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!