Metalworking & Leatherworking

Aluminum is a strong and low-maintenance railing material. It usually has a powder or PVC coat finish that both prevents corrosion and serves as a decoration. Aluminum railings provide excellent…

Cast iron soil pipe is most commonly used in drain, waste and vent systems. Cast iron pipes are resistant to corrosion and crushing, which makes them ideal for underground installation. There are two…

When you see the "silver soldered" stamp on the bottom of a dish, it means that the joints are silver soldered -- but it doesn't mean that the dish itself is silver. More likely, it is…

A valance adds a finishing topper to a window. You can use a valance on its own or in conjunction with drapery or blinds. Valances resemble swags but they have a more solid appearance and they are…

Leather can stretch under excessive weight either immediately or over a period of time. Discoloration is usually a side effect of this problem. Fortunately, it is possible to shrink leather with an…

Freshly painted fascia board is attractive. Within a couple of years, however, the paint can start to peel and you’re looking at a weekend of climbing up and down a tall ladder to scrape, prime…

Wood burners make use of a renewable resource for generating heat in your home. Wood-burning stoves are built of a variety of materials, including cast iron and brick-lined steel. Determining whether…

Tin ceiling panels add an ornate, Victorian-style flair to a room and reflect light, creating the illusion of a larger space. Despite their sturdy appearance, tin sheets are thin and relatively easy…

A good pair of leather work boots are expensive to buy and often difficult to fit. It is easy to buy boots that fit in the store, but are loose when you start using them. Instead of fighting with the…

An aluminum gazebo provides a strong outdoor structure. It's useful for entertaining as most have canopies and a mosquito screen to protect you and your guests from bugs, wind and other outdoor…

Cast iron is durable and retains heat extremely efficiently. However, cast iron does not have a surface that can be cleaned readily, like ceramic surfaces. Give your cast iron pans and skillets the…

Coil spring spacers are more versatile than they might seem at first glance, capable of both altering a vehicle's ride height and changing its handling characteristics. A number of variables can…

If you are in the market for a new faucet, your choices may seem endless. With some faucets costing considerably more or less than others, knowing a few things about how they're made will help you…

Any time you attempt to dye a leather item at home, you risk ruining the expensive material if you don't know exactly what you're doing. The softness and delicate nature of lambskin leather makes it…

Brake technology has come a long way since the first auto engineers wrapped a leather belt around a steel drum and tightened it to slow the car. Over a century later, we have brake pads made of…

Counting coins by hand can be a hassle. It takes 50 pennies to make a standard roll of pennies. There are 40 nickels in a $2 nickel roll. Fifty dimes make a $5 dime roll. There are 40 quarters in a…

Aluminum floor plates are used in industrial settings, such as walkways, aircrafts and ambulance floors, where slip-resistant platforms are crucial. Unlike steel, aluminum is corrosion resistant,…

If you're looking for a way to distress a bronze metal finish for an antique look, you can do so through an oxidation process. Oxidizing bronze finishes creates a patina, which brings out the natural…

Aluminum pipe is used in industry, manufacturing, mining, wastewater treatment, construction and agricultural irrigation. Lightweight and portable, aluminum pipe is available in different lengths and…

A cast-iron shower base provides a sturdy, durable floor for a shower stall. With proper maintenance, this type of shower base can last for decades. Before you install the shower base, you need to…

The term aluminum laptops refers to notebook computers housed in aluminum enclosures. Several major computer manufacturers have begun to move away from traditional rigid plastic enclosures and toward…

Performing a teardown on any computer is difficult, and particularly on Apple products. The same engineering that makes Apple products durable also makes disassembly difficult, even when removing the…

Epoxy is a generic term for various polymer materials that consist of a resin and a hardener. Epoxy is used in everything from antiques repair to plumbing. Varying types of epoxies are suited for…

Bronze pieces start out bright and shiny, but over time, your bronze medals, plaques, statues and household items can develop a dull patina on their surface. Bronze is a metal alloy mainly consisting…

Lifting steel beams into place presents special problems because of the ability of their edges to cut. It is legal to use nylon slings to lift steel beams, but there have been accidents, and you…

Metal doors provide a strong barrier between the outside world and the inside of a home. Many homeowners install a window in a metal door to increase the visual appeal of the home. Because some furry…

Standard development organizations, such as ASTM International, American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and others, classify steel grades based…

Acetone is a chemical used to remove finishes or paint and can also be found in some nail polish removers. Acetone that is accidentally or intentionally applied to your leather surface can cause a…

Cast-iron heaters present an interesting challenge. Their presence is a necessity, yet the space they occupy seems completely unusable in any other form due to the intensity of their heat. One way to…

Jaymar has been creating high quality, upholstered furniture from the world's finest leathers since 1956. Furniture of such high quality can be expensive and you will want to do everything you can to…

Metal stamping is the process of applying pressure to sheet metal in order to impart serial numbers, insignias or designs or to create dense, high-quality metal products. Often these are industrial…

Aluminum sweat furnaces are used in the recycling industry for the purpose of turning aluminum scrap metal into blocks of recycled material. Sweat furnaces generally operate at extremely high…

If you are a plumber, or plan on plumbing an older home, you may encounter iron pipe. This type of pipe is made from iron that is cast in a mold and it has some characteristics that make it less than…

Microwave ovens are commonplace in our everyday lives, however, very few individuals understand how they work. One of the critical components to the microwave's function are the steel walls on the…

Aluminum shutters are a durable alternative to wooden shutters. With a coat of paint they look nearly identical to wood, but will never rot or split. One of the best ways to get even paint coverage on…

HVAC, or heating, venting, air conditioning, tubes carry air to or from the furnace or the blower for an air conditioner. The tubes, also known as ducts, may be made of a variety of substances,…

Dyeing leather is an easy way to add a stylish new look to your favorite jacket. Leather dye kits can be found online or at some craft stores, or at any leather specialty shop, containing everything…

Although the initial cost of metal sheeting can be greater than other materials, its long life and resilience makes it an attractive alternative. Its physical properties help keep a building cool in…

Silver plate flatware has a silver coating applied over another metal, such as brass, pewter, copper, tin or zinc. Since silver is a soft metal, you can easily scratch the flatware due to improper…

Silver plate trays make creative wall decor. The trays are simple to hang and jazz up a living room or kitchen wall in a matter of minutes. Rather than store an antique silver plate tray in a closet…

Discovering a tear in your leather furniture or favorite jacket is disappointing. Once leather is torn, the item is usually ruined, as leather is difficult to repair. However, if the tear is in an…

If you need to engrave a hard or soft surface, such as wood or metal, a high speed rotary tool is an effective piece of equipment to get the job done. A high speed rotary tool is an electronic tool…

Similar to human skin, leather requires care to keep it soft and supple. When the leather upholstery on your sofa gets overly dry due to improper cleaning, water damage or exposure to heat sources, it…

Steel shims are often used as bushing machines. You can find steel bushings on lawnmowers, cars, woodworking machines or just about any other kind of machine. When these bushings wear out they can be…

Floor drains, which carry away waste water from flooding, washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and other moisture buildup, can become clogged with lint, dirt, soap scum, bacteria or other…

Aluminum soffit has the advantage of never needing to be painted, which makes maintaining the exterior of your home much easier. Installing aluminum soffit panels is a fairly simple home improvement…

Welding cast iron is a useful skill for anyone wanting to become a professional welder, machinist, or plumber, or for a homeowner who wants to have the skill to use around the house. Cast iron welding…

A bandsaw is a power tool that has a continuous band of metal with teeth along one edge. The metal band revolves at a high rate of speed to cut make clean cuts to your work pieces. A standard bandsaw…

Crucible furnaces are used for melting steel and other metals at extremely high temperatures so the metal can be molded, shaped and processed for market. These furnaces use coal, oil and gas to…

If your have an older home, especially one built in the early 20th century, chances are the house has cast iron stack pipes, also known as drain pipes, instead of a modern material such as PVC. Cast…