Online metalworking groups & forums
All Metal Shaping is a great forum-based site and resource for metal shaping info. www.allmetalshaping.com
Metal Meet is a great organization and site for connecting with other metal shaping enthusiasts. They have an extensive Forum on a wide range of metal shaping topics. www.metalmeet.com
Metalworkforums.com has many different forums to explore from general metalwork to jewelry to gunsmithing and much more. metalworkforums.com
Regal Paints is a great resource for treating metal corrosion. www.regalfloorpaint.co.uk/metal-preservation-guide/index.html
Metal Web News in an online newsletter with discussion groups and a ton of assorted metal information if you can navigate around. It’s an older site, but there is a wide range of sources buried within. www.metalwebnews.com
West Coast Metal Shapers is another metal-shaping forum geared for those of us on the West Coast. Like the other forums mentioned here you must sign up as a member to access the information on their site. www.westcoastmetalshapers.com
Other metalworking sites by category
ART, ARCHITECTURAL, and ORNAMENTAL METAL
Art Metal is a social networking site where artisans, academics, art lovers and the general public can find some interesting photos and forums on metal art. The site is rather difficult to navigate and needs to be updated which is unfortunate as there is a ton of interesting stuff buried within if you have time to dig. (To get around easier, head to the bottom of the pages where there is a general navigation list that includes “about, archives, contact, galleries, groups, home, news, recent.” This is the best way to navigate the site – too bad they don’t have this nav at the top of the site.) www.artmetal.com
The Flaming Lotus Girls is a fun group with an equally fun website. Their all-volunteer based group of artists (mostly women) make large-scale kinetic fire art that “stands at the intersection of metal sculpture, kinetics, robotics, pyrotechnics, and electric technology.” They create interactive large-scale sculptures that are visually stunning, engaging, and entertaining. Sculptures are made of steel, stainless, copper, aluminum, glass, and wood, and range from 2 inches to 150 feet. www.flaminglotus.com
Metal Artists Forum is a place where both new and accomplished artists can share their knowledge and be inspired. MAF is a Forum for all types of Metalwork and Finishes. MAF is a place where new artists can feel comfortable to post their work and receive comments from experienced artists. Offers a permanent member's gallery showing a large selection of contemporary metal art. www.metalartistforum.com
The National Metal Museum is the only institution in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the advancement of the art and craft of fine metalwork. The museum includes exhibitions, events, a metals studio, library, and museum store. A great resource for anyone interested in metalworking. www.metalmuseum.org
National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association is the trade association of the ornamental and miscellaneous metalworking industry. Their members fabricate everything from beautiful railings to driveway gates, to structural and industrial products. www.nomma.org
AUTOMOTIVE / HOT-ROD
H.A.M.B. (the "Hokey-Ass Message Board" — aka “Jalopy Journal”) describes itself as “spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums worldwide.” They have a large website full of entertaining and educational information including a huge forum (with 8 million posts), a classified ads section, events listings, a shop that sells promotional gear like hats, t-shirts, etc, and more. www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/the-hokey-ass-message-board.5/
Frank’s Garage (Frank Hemsida) is a Swedish guy loves custom cars where "everything fun is banned by Swedish government." Great sense of humor. home.swipnet.se/frankzz/atractor.htm (site a bit hard to navigate – you can find his home page here: home.swipnet.se/frankzz/frzzint.htm)
Crailville Modern Coachbuilder. "This interesting automotive restoration website is the type of work we did at Harrah's years ago, and also the type of work my restoration company itself has done over the years, and also in concert with other shops.” — Kent White crailville.com/feature/
If you’re into cars, Jay Leno’s Garage website is always fun to peruse. www.jaylenosgarage.com
AVIATION METALWORKING
AirVenture/Oshkosh is the world’s greatest aviation celebration, and THE place to see the largest amount of aviation metalworking in one location you could ever imagine. Kent taught Aero Metalworking at AirVenture for over a dozen years. The show is massive, the collection of aircraft to be seen is unending, and everyone who is anyone in the aviation industry is there from exhibitors to aerobatic performers to expert presenters. Of interest to aircraft metalworkers is their “Presentations, Daily Workshops, and Forums” programs where you have the opportunity to learn from other aircraft builders. The schedule for those programs can be found on their website under “Features & Attractions.” www.eaa.org/en/airventure
Read the "onLine Mechanic” the no-B.S. monthly newsletter for A&P's, by A&P's, where the rubber meets the runway for airplane mechanics. FREE info. To subscribe, email pmjusa@yahoo.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line.
BLACKSMITHING
Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA) is dedicated to perpetuating the noble art of blacksmithing. ABANA encourages and facilitates the training of blacksmiths, disseminates information and sources of materials and equipment, shares the art of blacksmithing to the general public as well as other trade professionals such as architects, interior and landscape designers. www.abana.org
The Guild of Metalsmiths is another website dedicated to preserving and passing on knowledge on the art and skills of working metal including blacksmithing, bladesmithing, machining, and foundry work. www.metalsmith.org
Center for Metal Arts (Blacksmithing & Small Metals). Blog, workshops, and store. www.centerformetalarts.com
GOLDSMITHING & SILVERSMITHING
Paul Revere House has fun info about this master metal craftsmen, as well as his historic ride, and museum www.paulreverehouse.org
Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) www.snagmetalsmith.org
Society of American Silversmiths www.silversmithing.com
The Society for Midwest Metalsmiths is a non-profit organization established to promote and educate individuals interested in metals, silver- and gold-smithing, jewelry and metalsmithing workshops. www.midwest-metalsmiths.org
MOTORCYCLE
Triumph Bobber. Lowbrow Customs strives to gather the best in hard-to-find motorcycle parts, helmets, apparel, DVDs and magazines in one place for the home-built motorcycle, hot rod and van enthusiast. www.lowbrowcustoms.com
PUBLICATIONS
Village Press publishes two great publications — Home Shop Machinist and Machinist’s Workshop. Both are bi-monthly magazines with detailed full-color “how-to” articles on many different metalworking topics. They also have an extensive collection of archived articles, as well as videos, forums, books, and other resources. Kent has written a number of lengthy articles for them over the years, including articles on Welding, Brazing, and Soldering; Tank Construction; Wheeling Machines; and the Air Power Hammer.
Metalsmith Magazine is published by the Society of North American goldsmiths. It covers studio metal art and design in contemporary jewelry and metalsmithing, including contemporary metalworking, production jewelry, hollowware, furniture, collections and more. www.snagmetalsmith.org/metalsmith-magazine/
SOURCING
Artisan Ideas sells our metalworking DVD’s, and we love supporting their mission to distribute books and dvd’s to artisans, artists, craftsmen, and tradespeople on topics ranging from metalworking, to blacksmithing, armor, gunsmithing, knifemaking, coppersmiting, welding, glassblowing, woodworking, and much more. www.artisanideas.com
Meier Tool & Engineering - Metal Stamping & Metal Forming Company Meier Tool & Engineering is a precision custom metal stamping and forming company. Capabilities range from design and tooling expertise to rapid prototyping and high-speed production. www.meiertool.com
Speedy Metals stocks over 5000 items from aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, cold- and hot-rolled, stainless and tool steel, and will custom cut to any length. No cutting charges or minimums, and fast service, make this a useful company for metalworkers needing smaller quantities of material. www.speedymetals.com
Prototyping materials prototypematerials.com/machinable-boards/model-board-styling-board
Modeling & prototype board www.obo-werke.de/en/products/renshaper-pu-boards.html
REFERENCE SITES
Dictionary of Metal Terminology Some useful resource info here. www.mtpinc-exporter.com/metals/dictionary/dictlist.htm
Finishing.com has a lot of useful information and resources on metal finishing. www.finishing.com
MetalWorld.com is a worldwide information site established to promote trade in the metal industry. metalworld.com
UNIQUE FUN SITES
Guy Lautard Website for "Machinists, Gunsmiths, Metalworkers, and Clockmakers." www.lautard.com
Vendome Copper & Brass Works shows some fascinating alambique distillation apparati made of copper. Inspiring shapes. vendomecopper.com/products/brewing/
Bandhu Dunham (Salusa Glassworks, Prescott, AZ) surprised us with one of the most unique uses for our Meco Torches we’ve seen. He uses them to help shape glass for his wildly entertaining “kinetic glass machines.” We’d never heard of “glass machines” (and you probably haven’t either) as most of the contraptions were made by traveling glassblowers in the late 1800’s. In fact one of the last in existence was sitting in a museum when Bandhu decided to try his hand at making these. Our favorite are his “Marble Machines.” Here are a few links to enjoy:
WELDING, BRAZING, SOLDERING
The American Welding Society has an extensive website that also has a large forum area which can be a useful resource, as well some free articles, a bookstore where you can purchase AWS books, buyers guides, and welding events/tradeshows, seminars, etc. www.aws.org
