Thomas Martinez

Just because two beams are shaped the same (e.g., an I-beam) doesn’t mean they act the same. Specificly, aluminum does not act like steel. Even … Read more

Here’s the scenario: You’re standing in a hardware store looking at a rack of black steel pipes. You want to construct a heavy duty shelving … Read more

Put the books on the shelf. Step back. Does it hold? Later gravity test that out too. A sagging shelf is your sign that something … Read more

Too many times you pick up steel plate that looks light on paper, only to find it weighs about as much as a lead anchor … Read more

When you imagine a steel beam failing, perhaps you imagine it snapping in half. That doesn’t actualy happen very often. In real world, a beam … Read more

Thickness isn’t what makes a board strong; it’s depth. Yes, a 12-inch beam will be heavy. But it’ll support more than a four-inch thick piece … Read more

If you’ve ever walked on edge of a roof deck, you know the hollow sound. It’s thin oriented strand board stretching across unsupported span. This … Read more

There is a balance between heat and voltage drop when it comes to sizing your welding leads. The amperage rating on your machine isn’t the … Read more

The wire feed settings don’t account for most of the welding cost; it’s the spool bin. If you think you’re using X pounds of wire … Read more

How do you remove a tree stump? Well, you figure you chop down some wood and it goes away. Seems like a brute force kind … Read more

The vast majority of problems with laser cutting happen in the first couple seconds of use. It happens the moment you hit start and beam … Read more

After pressing the cycle start button you hear the CNC spindle scream like a turbine and you know you guessed at the feed rate rather … Read more

It’s happened to every fabricator; you are standing in front of a pile of welding rods and asking yourself, “Did I get enough? Did I … Read more

Steel: On first thought, mild steel seems pretty straightforward. A pound here and a pound there, right? Not quite! Steel can be lighter or heavier … Read more