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Author Topic: Learning metal working skills.  (Read 1056 times)

freakazoid

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Learning metal working skills.
« on: October 26, 2015, 10:54:39 PM »
Something I've been wanting to learn is how to work with metal; welding, drilling, lathe/mill work, ect. Not really sure how to go about it though. Don't know anybody that I could learn from. I'm sure there are classes I could take but I wouldn't know where to begin looking or know what is worth the money. Looking more just as a hobby, although I have some ideas that I think I could turn into a business after the Navy. One place I have found that I would like to go to is this, http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/ He's got a youtube channel that is interesting and his class isn't to far from me. Kind of pricey but it looks like I would learn a lot. Plus I figure I could start with a $300 harbor freight english wheel until I realy need to spend money on a professional one like his.
Anywhoos, thoughts?
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"so I ended up getting the above because I didn't want to make a whole production of sticking something between my knees and cranking. To me, the cranking on mine is pretty effortless, at least on the coarse setting. Maybe if someone has arthritis or something, it would be more difficult for them." - Ben

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Boomhauer

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2015, 11:25:41 PM »
Local community college.

Then lots and lots and lots of practice.



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CypherNinja

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2015, 01:03:59 AM »
If there is one (or something like it) around you, TechShop is awesome.

techshop.ws

Get access to whole bunch of tools (almost*) right away for a monthly fee.

*Some things they require you to take a Safety & Basic Usage class first, so you're less likely to break their expensive tool or kill yourself.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2015, 02:32:33 AM »
Basic tools are cheap-ish.
Basic welder
Cutting torch rig
A vise
Anvil
An assortment of clamps/vice grips
Big *expletive deleted*ing hammer.
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freakazoid

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2015, 03:00:03 AM »
Quote from: CypherNinja on October 27, 2015, 01:03:59 AM
If there is one (or something like it) around you, TechShop is awesome.

techshop.ws

Get access to whole bunch of tools (almost*) right away for a monthly fee.

*Some things they require you to take a Safety & Basic Usage class first, so you're less likely to break their expensive tool or kill yourself.

That website is awesome! There are things sort of closeish. Something like this is what I have been looking for.
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"so I ended up getting the above because I didn't want to make a whole production of sticking something between my knees and cranking. To me, the cranking on mine is pretty effortless, at least on the coarse setting. Maybe if someone has arthritis or something, it would be more difficult for them." - Ben

"I see a rager at least once a week." - brimic

French G.

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2015, 07:04:11 AM »
What kinda ship are you on? Might be some learning opportunities there. Start down at the basics, english wheel and car bodies come much later.
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AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

tokugawa

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2015, 11:36:48 AM »
It is a vast field.   Forming sheet metal on an english wheel is a specialty in itself.

Having some sense of what you want to make might be a good start, to help focus.  otherwise, start looking around on youtube and reading, and find someone who has a shop who is willing to teach.

 Two places I go a lot are the welding web and practical machinist forums, there are a bunch of other metalworking forums also, each may have a "specialty", but lots of overlap. Just reading and looking at pictures will teach a lot, and may help direct what you want to do.

 Somebody mentioned you were on a ship? Navy? Ships have machine shops- is there an opportunity there? I have no idea on that sort of hierarchy.
 
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freakazoid

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2015, 01:27:51 AM »
Quote from: French G. on October 27, 2015, 07:04:11 AM
What kinda ship are you on? Might be some learning opportunities there. Start down at the basics, english wheel and car bodies come much later.

Currently on a DDG, not for much loner though. Really the time for me to learn while on the ship was during deployment. I just never really got to know those guys though.
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"so I ended up getting the above because I didn't want to make a whole production of sticking something between my knees and cranking. To me, the cranking on mine is pretty effortless, at least on the coarse setting. Maybe if someone has arthritis or something, it would be more difficult for them." - Ben

"I see a rager at least once a week." - brimic

French G.

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2015, 07:35:34 PM »
Quote from: freakazoid on October 29, 2015, 01:27:51 AM
Currently on a DDG, not for much loner though. Really the time for me to learn while on the ship was during deployment. I just never really got to know those guys though.

Well if you end up on a bigger ship find the work shops and make friends. I did 10 years in ship AIMDs, we were there to fix airplane parts but I did unofficial jobs all over the ship. If you showed up and asked for help with a project for your spaces chances are they would be helpful, especially if you wanted to do the work.

If you go dry land do not discount high school vo-tech centers. My area one is better than the community college and does adult( apply term to self as necessary) night classes.
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AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

rcnixon

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #9 on: November 05, 2015, 03:07:21 PM »
Quote from: CypherNinja on October 27, 2015, 01:03:59 AM
If there is one (or something like it) around you, TechShop is awesome.

techshop.ws

Get access to whole bunch of tools (almost*) right away for a monthly fee.

*Some things they require you to take a Safety & Basic Usage class first, so you're less likely to break their expensive tool or kill yourself.

I hate that the one here in Raleigh, NC closed up a few years back, just as I was going to join.

Russ
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Nick1911

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Re: Learning metal working skills.
« Reply #10 on: November 05, 2015, 04:05:38 PM »
Like others have said, it's a vast field.  What in particular do you want to do?

Community colleges are great for welding.  The one near me also has two classes in the machine shop, which while basic, have been helpful.  You'll find the more you do, and the more machinists and metalworkers you work and interact with, you'll pick up different things from them.

Here's a project I've recently been working on:



This is a big pulley that I rough cast in green-sand out of aluminium in my backyard.  I'm working on boring a feature here, which will be used to hold it in the lathe as I turn the OD, then cut the pulley groves with custom ground cutter.  The geometry of the pulley groves [and thus cutter and setup] are in Machinery Handbook.
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