I'm leaning towards metalworking, they don't feel like they would be balanced enough to put in a router that has a lowest speed of something like 6000rpm.

I've asked this over on the woodworking sub and opinion seems to be split. I realise at least one is definitely woodworking e.g. the forstner bit, and some look very much like slitting saws (I think that's what they are called).

I found these in a late relatives' garage. They weren't particularly into metal or wood working.

Edit: solved. Someone recognised them as Wolfcraft Universal Bits. They are apparently for woodworking and go in a pillar drill. I've just tired one, and it's completely terrible - so exactly what I expected.

So I have this stainless steel outdoor umbrella holder next to our pool, the umbrella feet started to rust and left what you see here, I'm replacing the umbrella and I'm confident I can get the rust off this with something acidic like white vinegar and scrubbing, or if I have to sand it back even.

But I'm considering if it's worth painting the stainless umbrella mount afterwards for future protection.

Would a simple sand back, prime and spray work for it you think?

Hi, I wanted some advice on what the best steps to take would be on repairing this damage done to my cars frame. The lower control arm bolt partially tore through the frame causing the bolt hole to become an oval after a collision. This is the worst of the damage other than cosmetic damage, and I want to repair it myself. I feel that I am proficient at welding so I want to know how I should cut the damaged section out, and weld new metal in to make sure that it is structurally safe, especially since it’s one of the main mounts for the suspension. I will be taking the proper steps to ensure it is as straight as possible, including checking the other mount for straightness and any damage to the bolt holes there. If it is at all helpful this is a 2009 Chevy suburban 1500. Thank you

Hi everyone- new to the sub!

I’m a 4th-year Product Design student at the Riga Technical University in Latvia. For my bachelor’s thesis I’m exploring whether decommissioned railroad tracks could be reused as a material for furniture.

I've noticed that railroad tracks very often get reused as anvils in the metalworking sphere. What I am most interested about is if someone has had any experience using railroad tracks to make furniture (chairs, tables, lighting etc.)?

I’d love to hear about your experience!

Also bonus question- where do decommissioned railroad tracks end up in your country? Do they go to scrap yards? Does your country/state sell them to someone? etc.

Any help and advice much appreciated!

I started turning old keys into rings over the summer. Using a dremel to cut the actual key part, then bending it and soldering it back onto the key to form a ring. Theyre super fun to make and not hard. This is my first time ever using solder so i just used whatever i could find in my dads toolkits. My main question is whether there are different kinds of solder i can use to match the color of the key. I dont even know what kind of metal the key is which is probably important… but is there any brass/copper/bronze solder i can use for this project? Was kind of hard finding a direct answer online and id rather ask people on reddit honestly.

A friend gave this to my wife who is a painter. While she appreciated it, we don't really have a place for it. It has sat in my shed bc we did not want to leave it outside. It was from a private collection at one point. I know it is a reproduction but clueless on how to identify the artist. We don't want to ask the friend as she may realize that trying to part with it. She lives in Europe now anyway. Thanks

Another winter without power is coming to Ukraine. As the cold season approaches once again, we have a challenge: build as many stoves as fast as possible, as cheap as possible. Using scrap metal, pieces of bikes, and other junk we find, used gas cylinders we race to make as many as possible. It's a fun challenge trying to do everything as cheap and fast as possible since we have to make all our own tooling, like the sheet metal roller on picture 5. 🔥

I cant fit that mich context into here so here goes nothing:

I need a crown made out of pure nickel.

This isn't a comission btw.

I have looked into this a little and it seems like you need some special equipment because of the properties of nickel. I am aware that people can be allergic to it, im testing myself tomorrow, I found some nickel. I just came to ask if it is possible, where I have to actually request it and how much that will cost. Because I will not pay 5k for such a think. And if that's close to the actual value, Ill go mine and mold it myself.

The ending of my welds look like ass and idk how to fix it. I asked my instructor and he said "you need to push it back and make a few little circles then lift" i tried then a couple times and still looked the same, then he said "try holding the rod on it a little longer" and i did that (unfortunately I dont have a pic but ill describe what it looked like) it turned into a bigger flat circle. Im very close to getting my certification for tack welding (idk if there's another word for it) and this is very frustrating bc tbis is thr only thinkg i need to fix. pls help 😢 (just a quick note, i have only been welding since late-ish August)

Looking to buy a small CNC plasma table, ideally 4x4. I've seen the Everlast, which seems similar to the Eastwood, and I've also considered the ArcDroid, but I think it might be a bit limited for what I need. What would you guys recommend? I'm looking for something affordable, preferably available in Canada. I'm located in Vancouver, so any local dealers, used machines, or leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Picked up a pedestal stand for my bench grinder thinking it would save bench space. Big mistake. The thing walks across my concrete floor every time I use it for more than thirty seconds. The base is thin stamped steel and the feet are barely adjustable. I tried bolting it down with anchors, but the holes are in a weird pattern. Now I have three random holes in my floor I get to explain to myself every time I walk past.

My workshop is in the garage, and I need to move stuff around when I park the car inside, so a permanent mount is out anyway. I am thinking about welding a wider base plate to the existing tube, or maybe just building a heavier stand from scratch with some 3 inch square tube I have leftover from a job. The grinder itself is fine, but the vibration is driving me insane when I am trying to sharpen chisels at midnight.

Anyone dealt with these flimsy stands before? Is there a trick to dampening the vibration without adding fifty pounds of sand? I have a stick welder and basic fabrication skills from site work, but my shop time is limited and I want to fix this right once.

I had a 1” aluminum part laser cut through Xometry. What is best practice at getting rid of the laser cut marks on the sides? This is a 21” x 21” part. I have power sanders on hand, but was wondering if tools like surface conditioning tools are used for this process? It doesn’t really bother me, just wondering what it would take to smooth this out completely and what is usually done by most shops.

Experienced Welders and Pipefitters Wanted – Netherlands

Hello everyone,

My name is Alper Zambak, and I work for A tot Z Recruitment, part of Eurys-Industry.

I am building a nationwide network of experienced welders and pipefitters who currently live in the Netherlands.

I am particularly interested in connecting with:

• TIG Welders (141)
• MIG/MAG Welders
• Pipe Welders
• Pipefitters
• Welders experienced in industrial piping and pipeline projects

Depending on the project, opportunities may be available through temporary employment, secondment or self-employment (ZZP).

My current goal is to get acquainted with experienced professionals, learn about their work experience and welding certificates, and stay in touch regarding suitable future projects.

You do not need to be immediately available. If you are currently working but may be interested in future opportunities, I would be happy to connect.

I need to make a lot and i mean a lot of half moon "holes" at the edge of 1/8" metal. Annular cutter with mag drill will do the job but leaves lots of burrs which will take lots of time to clean up. I need to do this in place, edge will be vertical and have about 1.5" clearance on back side.

I know you creative suns of guns in this forum can come up with something genius! Thanks for your help.

Edit: Just to clarify these pieces of steel are already in place and cannot be moved or refabricated so I am stuck working on a vertical surface and having to move the cutting tool from piece to piece.

Hey everyone!

I'm currently diving deep into metallurgy and rolling mill production, and I'm looking to build up a solid reference library. I would really appreciate your best textbook recommendations on rolling mill theory, plastic deformation, and general metal forming processes.

I am particularly interested in resources that cover both fundamental mechanics and practical engineering calculations—things like:

• Roll bite mechanics, grip angles, and contact stress distribution
• Pass design, reduction schedules, and metal spread/forward slip calculations
• Force, torque, and power parameters for hot and cold rolling mills
• Plasticity theory, yield criteria, and strain hardening models

Whether it is standard academic textbooks, classic industry monographs, or specialized theoretical works, I’d love to hear which books or authors have been the most valuable in your studies or professional work.

Additionally, what are the best digital archives, databases, or online technical libraries you rely on to find technical books, research papers, or out-of-print manuals on these topics? I already use platforms like Google Books and standard publisher databases, but I’d welcome tips on where engineers and researchers usually search for full-text material, academic papers, or obscure engineering literature.

If you have any favorite titles—whether classics from authors like Hosford, Caddell, Wusatowski, or Tselikov, or modern reference books on flat and section rolling—please drop the titles and authors in the comments!

Thanks a lot in advance for your help and recommendations!

Hello, i am an artist. I have an idea for a promotional marketing plan that involves this glorious beast. You guys are the experts- Am I being too ambitious? Is this a practical project? What would you charge? Please be brutally honest with your opinion on cost and practicality. I appreciate your time and feedback. No feedback is bad, I am looking to have this made in the future. No this isn’t a joke, and it’s not made from gold

Any advice or resources on casting roundstock would be greatly appreciated.

I work at a manufacturing company so I have an endless amount of scrap steel/stainless/aluminum I could take home and melt down.

When I was researching aluminum casting I kept seeing people add silicon for a better finish, but if I'm machining it does that matter? Will there be empty spots inside? I eventually plan on casting more complex parts then cutting them down to save time and materials, is that a bad idea without adding silicon?

I haven't bought any casting supplies yet so reccomendations on needed supplies for primarily aluminum casting would also be appreciated.

Thank you for your responses.

Just my day to day, I do bus/truck bumpers for the most part sometimes smaller things. These, in particular , are very picky on the outer appearance. Where do you guys think I stand with my grinding ability? I've gor probably about 5 years in total working with metal, from fab, welding, metal finishing, and assembling different things. Nothing crazy mostly factory type settings and a very small amount of automotive work done outside of these bumpers.