And thus is born...

[Aaron Koehl]

... The General Metalworking and Power tools forum.

[Scott T Smith]

An excellent addition to SMC! I've always found that woodworking and metalworking complement one another.

[Dan Hintz]

Thanks, Aaron (and Keith) One more forum for me to whittle away my time in

[Scott Challoner]

Thanks, Aaron (and Keith) One more forum for me to whittle away my time in

My thoughts exactly. How am I supposed to get anything done?

[Keith Outten]

Based on requests from a number of people in the Turning Forum we now have a Metal Working Forum.
Clearly almost every woodworker has to deal with cold steel every now and then. Whether we need to make a custom knife, gouge or simply drill a hole in a custom jig we use metal tools and often find ourselves working with metal in some capacity.

There are solid reasons why we would establish a Forum here dedicated to metalworking, not the least important is the need to be able to share our expertise and some friendly advise.
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[Chris Fournier]

While metal may not be the first love for many here, being able to manipulate it can make the woodworkers life a lot more interesting and fulfilling.

We all have a little metalworker in us; the simple act of sharpening our tools is just a start.

Being able to turn, mill, forge, weld and heat treat metal can really advance our woodworking pursuits.

Thanks for the new forum.

[David Warkentin]

Yes, thanks Keith!

[Matt Meiser]

Guess I better make something out of metal so I can post here!

[Bruce Page]

Great idea Aaron. I actually know a little on the subject.

[John Coloccia]

I just thought someone might find this amusing. This is my old airplane building sight. There's two planes on there. The RV-7 is the interesting one. I'm no longer building as I live on the east coast and it just doesn't make sense to own a plane out here for the kind of flying I enjoy.

Anyhow, despite the ".com", there is no commercial interest on this site. I'm just sharing a different aspect of metalworking that most are probably not exposed to

http://www.ballofshame.com/flying/index.html

[Chris Fournier]

I just thought someone might find this amusing. This is my old airplane building sight. There's two planes on there. The RV-7 is the interesting one. I'm no longer building as I live on the east coast and it just doesn't make sense to own a plane out here for the kind of flying I enjoy.

Anyhow, despite the ".com", there is no commercial interest on this site. I'm just sharing a different aspect of metalworking that most are probably not exposed to

http://www.ballofshame.com/flying/index.html

Very interesting John. I've told my wife many times that I'm going to build a Pitts Special when I turn 50. She always says: "That's nice Chris." Its likely a empty threat much like my "I'm gonna get in shape." pronouncement. Did you do your own tube chassis welding? OA or TIG?

[John Coloccia]

Very interesting John. I've told my wife many times that I'm going to build a Pitts Special when I turn 50. She always says: "That's nice Chris." Its likely a empty threat much like my "I'm gonna get in shape." pronouncement. Did you do your own tube chassis welding? OA or TIG?

The Bearhawk (the tube frame one) was a "quickbuild" kit, so I didn't weld any of the structural parts. I do have an Oxy-acetylene rig, though, and I do know how to weld. Many prefer OA to TIG for this kind of thing because the OA distributes the heat more evenly and you build up less stresses in the metal, including local hardening of the metal. It's not uncommon to go back over the structure with an OA rosebud to stress relieve the welds after TIG. In fact, it's not uncommon for the entire fuselage to come out crooked when you're done. There's a bit of an art to straightening out the fuselage when you're finished, much like stretching carpet. A little heat here, a little heat there, a bit of luck and voila, it's straight again

You can even use MIG, and in fact many of the old tube & fabric aircraft were produced using MIG. The problem with MIG is that it's very easy to make a great looking weld that has practically no penetration whatsoever. With TIG and OA, you can be very certain that you have good penetration because you're staring right at the edge of the weld puddle. If it looked good when you did it, it's probably a good joint. MIG takes practice to make a joint you're willing to risk your life with.

I've always wanted an S2C, but now I'm lusting after the Model 12. It's the perfect match for the kind of flying I like to do (mostly aerobatics, but I like to occasionally go for a $100 hamburger....more like $200 these days!). The other plane I LOVE, and the one I learned to fly in, are Citabrias. I almost bought a 7KCAB while out in California. Ultimately, if I ever do decide to get an airplane, it will almost certainly be a 7KCAB. Maybe it's just because that's what I learned in, but of everything I've flown, that's the one that I feel very intimately connected with. When you can consistently beat the minimum landing distances in the manual without breaking a sweat, you know you've found the right plane for you

Alas, now that I live in New England again, it's just not very practical to have a $50,000 toy, sitting in an expensive hangar, that I'm only going to fly a handful of times a year. Back in California, I could head out at lunch and do 40 minutes of acro pretty much any time I wanted. I usually flew at least once a week, and often more than that! It was a way of life.

C'est la vie. Hopefully the planes are in good hands and will be airborne someday.

Anyhow, now that I'm here, I should be building a boat.....or maybe a sled.

[Bruce Page]

John, a good friend of mine completed his RV-8A a couple of years ago. Here’s a YouTube video of his build & first flight: Guy’s RV-8A.

If you look quick you’ll see my name in the credits – I machined some air intake parts for the engine in my garage shop.

[Stephen Pereira]

Good addition to SMC.

I see lots of metalworking topics..how to flatten a plane's sole, how to heat treat irons etc.

For those who are contemplating metalworking machinery..if you think you spend a lot of money on woodworking tools just wait until you buy metalworking tooling.

[Leigh Betsch]

I just found this forum.
Yeah, now were talk'n. Metal is my first love. Although much slower that working with wood so I never seem to get much done.