TFS: Tools of the Trade

Tools & Gear We Use and Recommend for your Shop! www.amazon.com/shop/thefabricationseries

My $90 Harbor Freight 10" sliding compound miter saw with $25 Concord ferrous metal cutting blade has been an absolute ROCKSTAR cutting steel for a price that is impossible to beat

"How do you do so much with so little?" That's what she said!

Thanks buddy,stumbled upon this and loving it.im in the beginning stages of metal fabrication, so this really up my alley.regards from Zimbabwe, Africa.

I have the $20 HF grinder and it has yet to let me down -besides the time I broke the locking mechanism and stuck a hardened Alan Key into it, instead of it unlocking the two nuts, it sheared off and wrecked the gears upon startup...

You, my man, are a good teacher and I have learned a lot from all your vids. Keep it up, you have a calling.

Great video, thanks for sharing!

Thank you for your service, Joe. We had my grandfather pass away early this year and served in the Air Force, as a pallbearer I felt quite a bit of emotion, but not as much as when that flag was folded directly in front of us all. I messaged some of my active duty friends and told them, Thank You. The best response I got back was, "Thanks for being an American worth fighting for". I will never forget what a great feeling that was to remind them why they do what they do, there are still some Americans left. Can't Thank you enough.

Metal shears? They are better than any of those others you were using. They cut really cleanly. They’re also fast. Up to 16 ga SS and 14 ga steel. Cut almost anything stiff (no fabric). With a little practice you can cut a perfect straight line or curve. It doesn’t distort the metal unless you hold it at a sideways angle, and that’s just on the edge, easily tapped out. I have an Irontron from Northern Tools. It’s not expensive, and works really well. Most every other portable power tool I have is a DeWalt. Love those! Was wondering why you didn’t use the shears in the beginning. Snips for short stuff and tight angles. Shears for most everything else. But no abrasive saw. Nope. Too much dust - everywhere, and in the air, where you breath in fiberglass and abrasive from the blade. Whatever metal alloy you’re cutting. Nope! Only a carbide saw. Cleaner cut, the metal isn’t hot, and the small metal cuttings go to the floor, not in the air, and your lungs. Love your channel, but there are a few things here and there.

Go to Big Sky tool and buy 4 reconditioned 7 amp Hitachi/Metabo grinders instead of a new dewalt grinder and keep each type of wheel loaded

Such an amazing series! You’re channel and Active Self Protection, I think are the best on ut. Watching your series is like having your own personal fabrication teacher!! Couldn’t thank you and your team enough for all of your magnificent work!

love it. you have motivated me to restart my own fab shop. hope to be up and running in next 3 months. Thanks!

Im in the UK and watch your videos. They are very good and helpful. Thank you

People worrying about the camera prolly didn’t even watch the whole vid smh, this is one of the best videos I have ever seen

I know you probably womt see this, but i highly reccomend the irwin offset tinsnips over the wiss. They have a thinner jaw and last waaay longer. They also dont rust as easy

Highly recommend the HTP Invertig 221. Has AC and Pulse features you cant get in the Miller unless you buy the 350 and you cant beat the price

Never use the stone grinding wheel on aluminum they will come apart

Yes, everyone should buy a $1,000 welder that rusts away in the shed ! Or buy a $100 stick welder just to TRY it out and then see if it's something that might get used more than once... If not, hell it was only $100, take it apart and play with the transformers... I got a cheap welder instead of making one out of an old microwave lol, maybe I should have went with the old microwave idea ? *Anyone looking at "cheap welders," look for 160Amp/ 60% duty cycle or something, watch out for ones that are only rated 10% duty cycle at max output (10% duty cycle is like 1 minute use for every 10 minutes), it's a marketing ploy I think. I "liked" the vid though, or "thumbs upped" it...

I have got to get one of those tube benders!

Have you tried using flat tapes? I really like them.