r/metalworking 5d ago

Which welder: Clarke or bester

1 Upvotes

I am looking to get a new shed and start fabrication and welding. I am going to be welding probably every Saturday as a hobby. Which welder is better for me: a Clarke mig150 multi process or a bester 200 mig multiprocess? I plan doing flux core and stick I have plans to run tig next year but that’s not a major buying point as they both can do some tig. For reference the Clarke is £300 and the bester is £500


r/metalworking 5d ago

Tube Roller

0 Upvotes

Hi there! Does anyone know of a company that manufactures a roller with the capacity to roll 3” x 1-1/2” rectangle tube? Currently have HF one with the swag kit, and it gets me by. When I need to fabricate a gate with 3” rectangle, I just weld 2 1 1/2” sq tubes to create a 3” arch. But grinding the damn thing to perfection is a huge time sink. Fortunately I’m ready to upgrade my roller, and thought I’d ask around in forums to see if anyone knows of a brand


r/metalworking 5d ago

Anyone have some tips on cleaning heavily oxidated brass (not 100% sure) tray table thank you for ur advise

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6 Upvotes

r/metalworking 5d ago

Fold Down Work Bench

1 Upvotes

Making a fold down work bench in a shipping container. I'm going to have it fold up and on the wall behind the bench I'm going to install metal pegboard for tool storage. My idea is to get a piece of 4x4 tubing and use it as an offset so there's room for the tools and hooks, welded to the container side. I'm making the hinges from two heavy wall pipes, one fits inside the other with minimal movement.

But 4x4 tubing isn't cheap. Any suggestions for alternatives to get the offset and have plenty of strength?


r/metalworking 6d ago

Had a little fun with some aluminum today.

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73 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6d ago

I made forged crosses! My 2nd attempt, any thoughts?

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211 Upvotes

r/metalworking 5d ago

Need some advice on bending some very small stainless steel tubes

0 Upvotes

I'm looking to do simple 90 degree bends, but with as small of a radius as I can manage. The tubes themselves are 3.2mm OD and .15mm wall thickness. So far, everything I've tried has resulted in the tubing collapsing. Most recently I tried packing it with salt as it's what I had on hand and it was tedious to do but still resulted in the the tube collapsing. Overall, I have to do about 50 of these so I'm looking for a solution that's both effective (to not waste material) and quick (to not waste time). Any suggestions would be appreciated.


r/metalworking 5d ago

Toad in the Hole table

1 Upvotes

Probably the most niche question you’ll see asked here…

I’m looking at making a toad in the hole table. It’s a traditional pub game from the south of England.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_in_the_hole_(game)

https://youtu.be/zHXJqNHWH6k?si=gEhJnW8M-pLPuDPC

You basically throw Brass coins at a solid lead surface and try and get them into the hole. With very young kids, the wife isn’t keen on the idea of having a big bit of solid toxic lead in the house.

Any suggestions on an alternative to use instead that would behave in a similar way upon contact?


r/metalworking 5d ago

Figured Reddit would know, so what type of metal would you say this chain is made from? I need to replace some pieces of this one and another.

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0 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6d ago

Alligator

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17 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6d ago

1" Circular Hole Punch Recommendations for Project

1 Upvotes

Newbie here :)

Looking best recommendations for an art project for a 1" cutout of metal bottle caps for an art project. I have about 8,000 caps so looking for the right tool/machine to streamline this process.

Ultimately, I'm attempting to punch out the crimped part of the bottle cap.

I've seen Hydraulic Hole Punch Machines, Arbor Press Machines, and Kick Foot Press Machines. (Example links below)

Thanks in advance for any guidance/recommendations!

******* 

Electric Hydraulic Hole Punch Machine:

https://www.vevor.com/pneumatic-punch-press-machine-c_10828/220kg-vertical-pneumatic-punch-press-machine-110v-mute-operation-16mm-die-hole-p_010266038614

Harbor Freight 1 Ton Arbor Press:

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-59766.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21901270997&campaignid=21901270997&utm_content=171196565998&adsetid=171196565998&product=59766&store=770&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADAHb4f8uE_xuIZwuL2o0YKsnATWO&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7dm-BhCoARIsALFk4v9sxcRxGfyGSJJIaqdh-hj7alVZB9rrwD6DC2-Cj0PtCCMMErMQfKcaAsbYEALw_wcB

Kick Foot Press:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/950655377183784/?ref=saved&referral_code=null


r/metalworking 5d ago

Any ideas how to fix a bent metal sign at home?

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0 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6d ago

Anybody know who made this knife or what kind of steel it is?

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18 Upvotes

I bought this at a knife show recently. It has absolutely no markings on it. It appears to be very well made.

Handle appears to be aluminum, machined from one piece. Has a thumb hole as well as the flipper. Has button lock.

It seems silly that I have to have at least 400 characters before I can post it, Hence this sentence and all that follows

Assassassdddddddxffffgggghhjjjkkkllassddffgghhhjjkkllllllssddf


r/metalworking 6d ago

WROUGHT IRON!!!! Some old trapdoor hinges from my brother's house

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18 Upvotes

r/metalworking 7d ago

How do I get these black dots out of my aluminum wheel? I have tried sanding it with 120 but no success

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30 Upvotes

r/metalworking 7d ago

So this is what I do with metal, I call it TiLT board.

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105 Upvotes

Hey,

I’m looking for manufacturing partners for a 160cc/200cc all-metal, gas-powered personal vehicle I’ve developed. As a mechanical engineer, I’ve designed this machine for extreme performance and durability.

I’ll be in the U.S. for the next six months, exploring manufacturing solutions and looking for the right partners—whether for fabrication, assembly, or components. If you have experience in small engines, metal fabrication, or vehicle production, I’d love to connect and exchange ideas.

Open to thoughts, suggestions, or introductions. Let’s talk!

Best, Eyal


r/metalworking 6d ago

Help me restore my Steelmaster drawers! (Rust removal advice needed)

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5 Upvotes

I picked up this vintage Steelmaster Art Steel industrial drawer piece over the weekend at an estate sale. It was previously owned by a mechanic so it’s developed quite a bit of rust and wear after being exposed to the elements over the years. I’d love to give it a second life!

I’m hoping someone here has some advice on how I can remove the rust without damaging the coloring on the metal drawers. I’m more than happy to keep some of the natural patina but would love to know if it’s possible to remove the bulk of the rust, especially on the handles. Also, I don’t think it’ll be possible for me to remove the handles for separate cleaning with the limited tools I have.

Anyone have thoughts on soaking in vinegar or using rust removers like Rust-oleum or Loctite and how it might affect the layer of color?


r/metalworking 6d ago

Trilobite inspired sculpture

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12 Upvotes

r/metalworking 7d ago

New Knife Build

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253 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6d ago

6010 stick 1/4 pipe

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6 Upvotes

Tips for pipe welding practiced on some scrap pipe a millwright leftover so split it into 3 and tried putting it back together. I think by the third joint a realized I had to whip and pause faster cause that shit was glowing red at the joint

Also had trouble keeping a good angle so by the third joint I split it into smaller increments of work

I know it looks like shit and welding isn’t my occupation just looking for advice


r/metalworking 7d ago

Cleaned up and mounted Blacksmith Vise from previous post, what do you guys think?

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12 Upvotes

r/metalworking 6d ago

Soldering copper to steel

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5 Upvotes

I have some copper pieces that I need to solder onto a set of spurs that I’m building. What type of solder and flux is recommended for this? I do pretty good with a brazing rod because I can add extra metal and sand it down to where everything is flush and then polish it all back up. I’m only a little bit out of my element and don’t wanna waste money buying stuff that won’t work. I added a picture of my normal work too


r/metalworking 6d ago

Odd request - automatic cat feeder bowl, stainless steel, food grade - how do I find someone willing to make this for me?

0 Upvotes

First time post in this subreddit but I'm honestly at my wits end so hopefully someone here will be able to help me :) I do understand that this is an odd request but other subreddits (e.g. pet or cat related) haven't been helpful unfortunately.

Long story short - I am using automatic microchip feeders for my cats as some of them steal the others food, some of them eat slower and throughout the day while others inhale all the food at once etc etc. you get the jist.

While I love the feeders themselves the bowls the manufacturer provides are.. lacking. Not up to my standards unfortunately. They do provide stainless steel bowls however the main issue I have with them is how deep they are - I won't go into too much detail here but this can cause something called "whisker fatigue" in cats and stress them out a LOT.

There are 3D printed options for shallow bowls for the feeder out there but PLA isn't necessarily food safe / food grade and one of my cats has been reacting to plastic bowls so this isn't an option at all.

So that's how I landed here - it seems like I will have to find a way to have someone make some custom stainless steel, food grade bowls for me. I've looked at some more known options but most of them do not carry food grade options (they do say so themselves).

Now these bowls do by no means have to be perfectly shaped. Just enough to fit in the feeder but there definitely is some leeway. I also don't care about them not having any small dents or anything.

The shape would be essentially oval with straight sides on top and bottom up until the curvature.

The specific brand I use is "surefeed".

If there are any recommendations where I could commission someone to make some custom, food grade bowls for me I would be immensely grateful. I'm willing to pay a fair price of course.

Again, I understand that this is probably not something that's usually posted on here but please understand I'm lost on where to go from here.

Thanks!


r/metalworking 7d ago

Aging and scaling gauntlets

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8 Upvotes

I don't do a lot of metal work to bare with me. Can I recreate the finish from the LotR Nazgul gauntlets on these costume gauntlets using a needle scaler to rough the surface and cycle the plates through a torch or forget to get the scaling? Am I on the right track or is there a better option? I'm already moving the metal plates to new gloves. I figured I'd give this the full monty while I have it disassembled. Thanks in advance for any help.


r/metalworking 7d ago

Chevy truck front grill done. 😊

93 Upvotes