Metalworking must haves

[robertgreen79]

Ive been interested lately in trying my hand at metalworking. Nothing industrial. Just your basic make a roof rack, brackets, bumpers kind of thing. Other than a mig welder, what would you guys consider the must have tools?

 

[lilredex]

Bending and cutting. Good vise, a brake (depending upon what you need to bend) and a cutting wheel or shear of some sorts. You can do a lot of cutting with just a thin wheel on your angle grinder. And some hammers.

 

[SpeedCoach]

Bending and cutting. Good vise, a brake (depending upon what you need to bend) and a cutting wheel or shear of some sorts. You can do a lot of cutting with just a thin wheel on your angle grinder. And some hammers.

not to hijack - but can you (or anyone) recommend a decent brake for home use?

 

[e-tek]

not to hijack - but can you (or anyone) recommend a decent brake for home use?

Princess Auto (Canada) - and I'm guessing HF (US) - has a great brake. They are VERY BASIC tools that just need to be made of heavy steel. I paid $300CDN for mine, so you Americans should be able to get one for about $6.....


As for metal tools, for brackets, roof racks, etc, I'd want a welding table you can use as a jig. Check out the threads where guys put a THICK chunk of metal on legs (Jack Olsen comes to mind of course!).

As for cutting, I have a Chop Saw, but find myself using a thinner (1/8")wheel in a 4" grinder more often (as was said above). But for thinner metal (16-20G), I'm gonna start using the air saw - less mess and waste.

Also, an anvil (or RR section) is a must for bending and shaping corners and flats.

 

[asp]

Angle grinder and a mig welder are the two biggest musts. Next on my list would be drill press, 3lb sledge hammer, 14" chop saw. A good vise is super handy too.

If you plan to do sheet metal work a brake can be very handy. There are plenty of home made brakes that seem to work well.

 

[Stephenw]

Here is my list...

MIG
Auto shade helmet
Welding Gloves
Horizontal/vertical bandsaw
Handheld grinder
Face shield
Assorted welding clamps
1/2 Drill and bits
Optional- bender (I have a Pro-Tools 105)
Optional- plasma cutter

 

[robertgreen79]

As far as band saws and drill presses, are there any decent benchtop versions? Remember, this is just for a hobbyist.

 

[Lump]

"Home use" and "decent" are almost mutually exclusive terms.

I have a 30" Niagara stomp shear, which will do up to about 18 gage. But these cost around $400-$600 used, and take up a lot of floor space. Cheaper units are not much good, in my opinion. Then you still need a good solid brake, and a slip roll. Box or "finger" brakes are the most useful, so you can adjust the fingers for small boxes, etc. But all three of these machines take up a lot of space.

You might be better off to strike up a friendship with a local sheet metal shop, and see if they will cut, bend, and roll your pieces for cheapo prices. Maybe you can trade them for some auto repair services on their shop trucks or something?

I was a sheet metal journeyman years ago, and got used to doing all my own metal work...using top quality equipment. The cheap tools I see at HF and other places seem to me to be so bad as to be a waste of time. But you should get your own good wiss brand aviation snips (left, right, and M5 short blade), and maybe some double-cut shears for long straight cuts. Plus various sheet metal hammers, dollies, rivet sets, etc.

Just my opinion. Good luck!

 

[W650Mike]

You can never have too many clamps; pipe clamps, bar clamps, spring clamps, and an entire drawer full of 11” swivel pad Vice Grip clamps.

It’s difficult to have too many 4½” grinders. Otherwise you’ll spend all your time changing from grinding to brushing, to sanding, to…

I would live to have a Roll-In band saw, but a chop saw will have to do for now.

 

[Bootybug]

Buy scrap or suplus steel very cheap--often at your supplier.

Also, consider a TIG welder as they are more flexible than a MIG. I hava a MIG and it works good and all but the TIG can move from metal to metal without changing gas--a big convenience. All you need is Argon for everything, and the welds are far nicer looking.

I am getting a TIG here real soon.

 

[Monte]

oxy/acetylen torch/welder

 

[Red Green]

I agree with what Lump said I searched for years before I came up with a deal on a quality sheet metal brake and stomp shear.

I bought these off of Ebay for $1252 for the pair.

 

[csp]

As far as band saws go I have yet to feel a huge need for anything beyond the portaband I have. Bought mine in new condition at an auction for less than $150.

A jigsaw with a metal cutting blade works well for large pieces of sheet stock too big for shears. It's a little slow, but I'm not running a production shop either.

 

[ZRX61]

A handy tree stump for beating things on.

 

[brats.n.harleys]

portable bandsaw, drill and drill accessories(wire wheel, buffers, bits, hole saw) MIG welder, GRIDERS!! get 3 or 4 cheapos(flap disc, griding wheel, cut off wheel, and poly abrasive wheel) good vise, hammers, at least map gas,

 

[t100]

if your work involves sheet metal, than you need rivets and Cleco's. also, snips, visegrips, hammers. rosebud torch for annealing aluminum, etc. as others said, a good vise.

 

[chad s]

Sounds like the OP wants to work with larger stock than sheet metal. Id say for what he wants to do, the biggest investments should be a good 220V welder (a 110 MIG will not be sufficient for welding heavy wall tubing and stock for use on a vehicle), either a MIG or TIG, and a decent welding bench. Cutting for this stock can be done on the cheap with an angle grinder or porta-band, and later a nice bandsaw will increase speed and accuracy.

A good bench that will allow fit-up without moving and a good welding machine that will provide good penetration are a must.

 

[spongerich]

As far as band saws and drill presses, are there any decent benchtop versions? Remember, this is just for a hobbyist.

I'd keep an eye on CL for an older Delta or even a Craftsman. Drill presses usually go cheap. Auctions are another good source (although not as much in the winter).

I just got a nice little 1960's Delta 11" floor standing drill press with a Dayton vise for $25. There are lots of good ones out there for < $100.

 

[bsaint]

angle clamps. bessey ones.

 

[mike13u]

If you have a welding outfit, you can do nearly anything with a file set, a tap and die set, a hacksaw, a level, and a combination square. Anything else just makes what those tools accomplish easier. For example, sawzall versus hacksaw, grinder versus file, etc.

 

[asp]

Ah, so begins the age old debate of 110 vs 220. I have been getting great results using my 110V mig running 0.030 solid wire and C25 gas while welding to 1/4" plate. A lot of times I do it with a single pass and no bevel. There's already a lot of good info in this thread about what you need. The only thing I use that hasn't been mentioned is a good welding jacket. Getting burned *****, so I do what I can to avoid it.

 

[ZRX61]

Did anyone mention a Lathe yet?

 

[asp]

Haha, he asked for basic must-haves. While extremely useful and irreplaceable, I don't consider a lathe to be a basic, must have...

 

[crewchief888]

well heres my list.

welder, bigger is always better, you can weld up bumpers and cages with
a 140a 110v machine.
4 1/2" grinders at least a couple, changing wheels gets old real fast
wire wheel, grinding disks/flappers, wheels, and cut off
wheels
14" chop saw great to have, but you can cut everything with a 4 1/2"
grinder
3/8" & 1/2" corded drills, drill bits up to 1/2"
and various hole saws, ifyou need them
clamps, c clamps, vise grip "type" welding clamps, adjustable magnetic
jacket or at least a heavy, long sleeve all cotton shirt (not flannel)
gloves leather
welding hood
safety glasses
assorted hammers
tape measure
magnetic angle finder
square
fire extinguisher
ratchet straps or a small come-a-long


i built my last off road truck, (cage, bumpers, seat/harness mounts, spare tire mount, SAS front axle, xmembers, skid plates, 3/4 doors) a couple sets of bumpers, 2 jeep cages, jack mounts, repaired a rusted wrangler frame with what i have listed.
i started out building my truck with a lotless, and it seemed like it was taking forever, so i added grinders, chop saw, ect to make it easier on myself.

 

[t100]

Did anyone mention a Lathe yet?

I'd take a mill, too.

seriously, a belt/disk combo sander is a must have.

 

[e-tek]

Sh!T - put together, these lists of "must-haves" look more like a list of "every-goddamn-metal-working-tool-under-the-frikken-sun-list" !!!

 

[VegasBruce]

I started with a welder, Visegrips, a 4 1/2" grinder, Sawzall and a Portaband. Along with a good selection of hand and power tools. I have since added 3 more grinders, drill press and a 4x6 bandsaw. I still need to add a tube bender and a plasma cutter.

 

[madjack]

My first must have in a new garage would be a metal topped work/welding bench. Mine is 1" thick XAR plate, but 12ga. would be more than enough. Great place to mount a vise too.

 

[jcabbbang]

Need a chop saw, drill press, brake, shear, press, grinders, sanders, cutting wheel tool, hammers, anvil or I beam, good clamps, vise, the list goes on and on.........just kind of add as you go and can afford.

 

[VegasBruce]

RR rail or I beam works well for an anvil. A vise is a must have. I used a 4' piece of 10" channel clamped in the vise for a welding bench for a while.

 

[reinhardt]

i work in ship repair. working on the ship we have to balance between the tools needed to get the job done and having to haul it all to the jobsite. i think your goal is closer in nature to what i do everyday (where we work w/ less to save hauling, you work with less to save coin!). heres the list i would suggest:

1. safety equipment- autodarken hood, safety glasses, leather gloves, hearing protection, long sleeve cotton shirt.
2. qaulity welding machine - 220v would be nice, 110v should do it
3. 4 1/2 grinder w/ grinding, cutting, flapper, and wire wheels.
4. sawz all w/ 14t - 18t blades
5. assortment of clamps and vise grips
6. bfh and ball peen hammer
7. quality vise (always find one near jobsite on the boat!)
8. combination square, tape measure, stick rule (inside read preferable)
9. drill press is a must, but 1/2 dewalt drill will work.

honestly i think that is plenty to get you rolling. the other toys are nice, but they are just that. we repair ships with above list just fine.

ben

 

[dxdexter]

Here's my list (I don't do sheet metal so I can't comment on any tools needed):

Mig Welder (gas shielded, 220V, min 150A output)
Oxy/Acet c/w brazing and cutting tips
anvil
ball peen hammers (variety of sizes)
clamps (variety of sizes and you can never have to many)
auto darkening shield (not needed, but highly recommended)
Band saw or chop saw
Locking Pliers lots of them (recommend the Grip-on over Vise-Grips)
Vise (larger the better)
Minumum 5" grinder (good quality such as Makita)
Drill press and corded hand drill (3/8" and 1/2")
Reciprocating saw (very useful but not a necessity)
Measuring tools
Paint markers
Blueing dye
Punches and chisels

The list could go on and on. One thing I have learned is that no matter how easy the job appears, you will probably need every tool you own before the job is complete.

 

[metal1313]

honestly you need safety equipment, and a fire extinguisher the most. a decent welder will do, i would recomend a dual voltage welder like a miller 211, or 180. both will do some decent work. i assume you have a drill, but get good bits just for metal working, and get atleast one good grinder. i love my dewalt, but also have a few hf grinders. if im gonna be doing something for a lng time i use the dewalt, but for quick grinding/wire/flap wheel work i use the hfs so i dont have to change heads all the time. clamps and squares are also a must. everything else makes the job easier but you can get alot done with just the above.

 

[reinhardt]

forgive me metal1313, i forgot the fire extinguisher. i feel every garage/shop should have a fire extinguisher whether welding or not. a fan of some sort is another good safety item to blow/**** the welding fumes out of the garage.

 

[robertgreen79]

honestly you need safety equipment, and a fire extinguisher the most. a decent welder will do, i would recomend a dual voltage welder like a miller 211, or 180. both will do some decent work. i assume you have a drill, but get good bits just for metal working, and get atleast one good grinder. i love my dewalt, but also have a few hf grinders. if im gonna be doing something for a lng time i use the dewalt, but for quick grinding/wire/flap wheel work i use the hfs so i dont have to change heads all the time. clamps and squares are also a must. everything else makes the job easier but you can get alot done with just the above.

I actually already did plan ahead and got the safety equipment

I was looking at the 211 and 180 and they are pretty pricey. I saw the HFT welder (http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/mig-flux-welders/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-98871.html) and was thinking of grabbing it just to play with (learn on). Its cheap and whenever I see them on craigslist, they're going for about the same price as the sale.

 

[Lump]

I personally bought a HF mig welder about 10 years ago, and while it worked OK; it wasn't so good. And I was an experienced every-day mig welder at work at the time. But every time I let it sit unused for a couple of months, I would have to fool around with it a great deal to get it working right again. And then it was very difficult for beginners to try and learn to weld with. So I upgraded to a Daytona mig welder, which was better...but still not as user-friendly and reliable as a Lincoln or Miller unit would be. I ended up giving it to my nephew when he entered the Hobart welding school, to encourage him to practice. I plan to buy myself a little Miller or Lincoln unit this summer.

 

[Az Scooter]

As far as band saws go I have yet to feel a huge need for anything beyond the portaband I have. Bought mine in new condition at an auction for less than $150.

A jigsaw with a metal cutting blade works well for large pieces of sheet stock too big for shears. It's a little slow, but I'm not running a production shop either.

I bought mine unclaimed from a tool reapir place for $199 with a 60 day warranty. It was mechanically new. I was happy.

 

[Professur]

Sh!T - put together, these lists of "must-haves" look more like a list of "every-goddamn-metal-working-tool-under-the-frikken-sun-list" !!!

There's a reason for that. it's because the more metal work you do, the more obvious it becomes that every tool is an investment. Sure you can shape sheet metal with a sandbag, mallet and tin snips .... but once you've used a shrinker/stretcher, planishing hammer, shrinking disk, etc .... the 'old' basics list just seems stupid. It would be like recommending someone learn to fix a ferrari by showing them how a flat head v8 operates .... the basics are there.

I learned to weld stick. Then I got a 110V flux core, then later upgraded to 220V gas. Seeing how much better it is with the 220V gas, why would anyone suggest that starting off with the 110V makes sense?

 

[Lump]

The real challenge here, I suppose, is that our OP has not been terribly specific in what kind of "metal work" he would like to begin puttering around with.

My replies are based on my perspective; I was a journeyman sheet metal worker, and I had daily access to brakes, shears, rolls, edge formers, welders, lock formers, uni-shears, double-cuts, Beverly shears, angle ironworkers, cutoff saws, etc, etc. Today, as a hobbyist, once in a while I want to make a metal box, bracket, install some rivets, or etc, and I miss having those big old industrial tools available to me. So my "must-have" list includes serious sheet metal tools. But to OTHER guys; their perspective of "metal work" might be as a body man who wants to putter around trying to make his own patches for a quarter panel which is not available any more, or even a new floor pan section for his 56 Studebaker. On the other hand, to my brother-in-law, "metal work" requires a bridge port and a good lathe. And then, aircraft people must be able to work with aluminum. This sometimes requires some different tools and equipment.

These disparate "metal work" perspectives and related equipment needs could go on and on and on...

This post is not a critcism of the OP; rather it is my opinion of why our answers seem so different from each other...we just all have different perspectives. The OP might be just wanting to be able to bend a piece of flat 1/8" X 1" steel stock into a bracket shape and then weld it, which would require as little as a good vise, hack saw, and welder. Or he might be wanting to learn to fashion his own body panels, etc. Different metal jobs require vastly different tools and equipment.

To the OP: I loved my years as a metal worker, and am very proud of whatever metal-working skills I may retain. You will likely enjoy it too. Let us know a bit more about specifically what you're planning to do in the near future with metal, and our answers will probably be more in synch with each other.

Good luck with learning metal work; whichever kind you choose!

 

[VegasBruce]

There's a reason for that. it's because the more metal work you do, the more obvious it becomes that every tool is an investment. Sure you can shape sheet metal with a sandbag, mallet and tin snips .... but once you've used a shrinker/stretcher, planishing hammer, shrinking disk, etc .... the 'old' basics list just seems stupid. It would be like recommending someone learn to fix a ferrari by showing them how a flat head v8 operates .... the basics are there.

I learned to weld stick. Then I got a 110V flux core, then later upgraded to 220V gas. Seeing how much better it is with the 220V gas, why would anyone suggest that starting off with the 110V makes sense?

To get started all you need is something to cut, something to bend and something to stick the metal back together. Sure more tools are better and everyone you get makes your life easier. You might even find out you want to make some of the tools. If someone starts with the minimum they can build from there. It also depends on what type of metal work you are doing, you don't need sheetmetal tools to do bumpers, or tubebenders for bodywork. Start small and work up to what your doing the most of.

As far as a welder goes, get a gas bottle. I see no need for flux core. 110 or 220 makes no difference. Just get the best you can afford. Even try used, but go with a name brand. Buying a cheap welder is useless it you can't get consumables.