E-Book Overview
This collection of priceless tips, tricks, skills, and experiences from a veteran of the trade is presented in a way that captures the attention of users and engages them in the process of furthering the art. It includes shop-tested descriptions and illustrations of creative and unique skills and observations from almost 40 years in the metalworking trades. Whats more, it offers enough material from several metalworking trades to start a great research and development shop. It is sure to be a valuable and time-saving resource for anyone involved in the fabrication of metal.
Special Features
Includes hundreds of numerous photos and illustrative stories that help users easily understand the material presented and the techniques provided. Contains a chapter on flame straightening techniques. Offers many examples of special workholding techniques. Covers crossover skills like Welding/Machine, Sheetmetal/Welding, and Design/ Management
E-Book Content
METALWORKING
SINK OR
SWIM
Tips and Tricks for Machinists, Welders, and Fabricators
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lipton, Tom. Metalworking sink or swim: tips and tricks for machinists, welders, and fabricators/Tom Lipton. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-8311-3362-7 (softcover) 1. Metal-work. I. Title. TS205.L57 2008 671–dc22 2008027549
Industrial Press, Inc. 989 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10018 Sponsoring Editor: John Carleo Developmental Editor: Robert Weinstein Interior Text and Cover Design: Janet Romano Composition and Printing: Thomson Copyright © 2009 by Industrial Press Inc., New York. All rights reserved. This book, or any parts thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. 10
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
his book might never have existed had it not been for a few important people. I would like to take a moment here to thank them properly. Without my wife, Sargamo, I don’t think this book would have ever been finished. She was able to cheer me on at key points and breathe some life back into me. As a fellow metalworker, she can read this material and understand it fully. We met in a welding shop 25 years ago and, for some unknown reason, she has not cut me loose yet. We have the dubious and unique honor of having the worst fight of our marriage over a pair of really nice C-clamps at the flea market. She can bring home the bacon as well as weld me under the table with one hand tied behind her back. In addition to her metalworking skills, she doggedly tried to improve my grammar and punctuation in micrometer-like steps. I would like to thank all the metalworkers who have gone before me, on whose shoulders I am standing. Looking ahead to the future, I don’t like what I see for the skilled trades. I am doing
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everything I can to make sure nothing dies that shouldn’t. I have learned from so many people it would take a book of its own to thank everyone properly. Chris Owen may not be what I would call a career metalworker, but I still owe him a little credit. He had the dubious honor of letting the book-in-progress out of the bag at WESTEC 2006 to an unexpected warm reception. By the way, Chris, you still owe me a lunch. I believe that my parents had a strong hand in shaping my life as a metalworker—from the day when I was nine in the basement learning how to weld with my dad to my mom fronting the money for my first welding machine. How could I fail with support like that? Thanks to all! Tom Lipton August 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Diving In Welcome to Sink or Swim Personal Learning Attitude Shop Environment Thursday Nights What’s A Journeyman Anyway? Format
Chapter 2 Brain Food Comm