If you’re anything like me, you’ve lived your life working with tools. You’ve probably even got your fair share of tools out in the garage or shed and maybe in the truck. Let’s take a minute to take a quick look at my home metalshop tools.
From raw logs and timbers, all the way down to dimensional framing lumber, my background as a contractor and carpenter has been mostly working with wood. But like so many others in the trades, I’ve done my fair share of a little bit of everything. And no matter what your back-ground, there’s always a time to have at least the basics in metal working tools around.
This video highlights the basic metal working tools in my home metalshop. Like many home shops, my space is limited. I operate this workshop in a 12′x 20′ space. That’s about the same size as any single car garage.
As you will see, this shop is set up with relatively inexpensive tools. These are all tools that anyone can purchase from their local discount tool store or any home improvement retailer.
Of course, the first thing every metal-shop needs is some kind of welder. Unlike years past, there are many inexpensive home welders available on the market today. I use a Magnesium Inert Gas or MIG welder.
The specific unit I use is a Lincoln Electric 3200 Welpak. This unit plugs right up to any standard 110 outlet and can be used with or without shielding gas which makes it extremely portable. In my shop setting, I typically use .035 welding wire and a 75%-25% mix of argon/carbon dioxide shielding gas.
Now let’s face it, having a welder in your home metal shop is critical but if you don’t have the ability to cut metal precisely time and time again both the quality and the capacity of your output is limited.
When it comes to cutting metal in my home metalshop, I have several inexpensive options. I use a basic 4 1/2″ Metal Cutting Band-saw. I picked this saw up for a couple hundred bucks about eight years ago and can’t imagine trying to do any kind of metal work without it.
Then there’s the abrasive cut-off saw . This saw works like a carpenter’s chop-saw or miter-saw with an abrasive cut-off blades. And of course there is the 4 1/2″ angle grinder which, in my opinion, is one of the most versatile tools available. My angle grinder is perhaps the most used tools in my shop. I use this tool so much I’ve got two of them.
And finally when it comes to cutting metal, no metal-shop would be complete without an Oxygen-Acetylene torch set. This is probably be a good buy Unisom online time to mention fire suppression. If you do any kind of metal work at all in your home shop, be sure to keep a Fire Extinguisher handy. More importantly, be sure it is up to date and sufficiently charged.
The next tool on my list is the Drill Press. This is another tool which sees much action in my home shop.
And right next to my drill press is my Bench Grinder. Never underestimate how much you will use this tool for everything from grinding to sharpening and even polishing.
If you are working with metal, odds are, from time to time, you are going to want to bend it. For bending metal there are several options. I have a tubing roller, a parts bender and a hydraulic pipe bender, all of which see there share of steel.
Lastly, when it comes to air tools in your home metalshop, the first thing you are going to need is an air-compressor. When looking at air-compressors, there is a wide variety depending on your collection of air tools and your specific demands. Before investing in any air-compressor consider what you will be using it for.
Hope this article has been helpful.
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