Explore a variety of welding-related topics that don’t quite fit into the main categories—but are just as valuable. From unique project ideas and industry news to creative applications, community stories, and beyond, this section is your go-to for all the extras that fuel inspiration and broaden your welding knowledge.
A shaky workbench can come from two different problems: the frame racks sideways, or one leg does not contact the floor. Loose fasteners, cracked welds, a flexible top, or weak leg-to-frame joints can add more movement. Diagnose the cause first,…
I reach for J-B Weld on aluminum when the repair is small, non-structural, and better suited to a cold-cure adhesive than a torch. It can make a durable bond, but the number printed on the package is not a promise…
The first time I considered fixing a cracked steel bracket with J-B Weld instead of a welder, the obvious question was: how much weight can J-B Weld hold? The honest answer is that there is no single pound rating. The…
Getting the fillet weld size right is one of those jobs that looks simple until the joint has to carry a real load. Guess too large and you add heat, filler, distortion, and cleanup. Guess too small and the weld…
A bottle jack can provide the force for a compact hydraulic press, but the jack is only one part of the machine. The frame, beams, welds, bed, pins, plates, guides, anchors, and dies must all carry that force without bending,…
One winter evening in the shop, I mixed a batch of J-B Weld to patch a small crack in a steel bracket. Hours later, it was still soft. The cold workpiece and unheated air had slowed the cure far more…
I build shop tools by breaking a problem into simple parts and joining those parts into something useful. A sprocket-and-chain vise clamp can hold round or awkward work that ordinary flat jaws struggle to grip, but it needs more than…
I burned through a thin sheet of stainless because I did not fully understand how gauge thickness worked. My MIG welder was running, the filler wire was loaded, and the joint looked ready, but I had selected settings for material…
Not every hole in metal needs a welded repair. For non-structural sheet metal, enclosures, gates, toolboxes, and cosmetic automotive panels, you can often use a metal-filled epoxy, an adhesive-backed patch, a riveted patch, solder, brazing, or a reinforced filler system.…
Green or blue-green buildup on metal can stop you before you even strike an arc. It usually forms on copper, brass, bronze, or copper-plated parts, and it may block electrical contact, contaminate the weld area, or hide pitting. The safest…