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Knowing and appreciating the craft of metal fabrication

People perceive the skilled labor crisis differently, in part because it’s a nuanced, complex problem. Some sophisticated machines require sophisticated training, but other sophisticated machines make it easier for rookies to start producing good parts from the get-go, no long apprenticeship required.

Some say it’s a crisis in soft skills. New employees don’t show up when they should, don’t communicate well, and generally are difficult to work with. They say the issue isn’t about hard skills. You can teach someone to use a micrometer or calculate bend deductions, but there’s no straightforward way to make that person want to learn.

I think what often gets missed, particularly in the popular media, is the craft.

Few reporters visit the small job shop, those that employ 10 or fewer people, yet according to the Census Bureau, collectively they employ more workers than any other manufacturer in this country. They’re at the bottom of the supply chain, supplying a little of this and that, and they continue quietly producing fabricated parts, barely noticed. So what kind of person does the job shop need?

Tom Lipton has an idea. Author of Metalworking Sink or Swim, Metalworking: Doing it better, blogger, and You Tuber, Lipton has spent years in many small job shops, and today manages a shop of his own, Ox Tools, in San Francisco. You’ll find details from our conversation in a future edition of the magazine, but the main take-away from our talk was that many shops, particularly small ones, crave people who know not just the technology but also the craft.

Why send a plate through the deburring machine if a simple hand file will do? Why use the band saw if just cutting the sheet with a hand saw will do the trick? Admittedly, in both circumstances the machine can perform the job with greater precision, at least in most cases. But does the part need such precision? And what’s really faster? Walking over and setting up the band saw machine to cut one part, or just grabbing a saw at your workbench?

Of course, using a file, saw, or any other hand tool requires knowledge and experience. It’s about knowing how to angle the file or letting the saw do the work. In short, it’s about craft.

Metal fabrication is really the combination of craft and technology. Knowing both, a sheet metal worker can produce more quality products in less time, which of course is the ultimate goal.

About the Author
The Fabricator

Tim Heston

Senior Editor

2135 Point Blvd

Elgin, IL 60123

815-381-1314

Tim Heston, The Fabricator's senior editor, has covered the metal fabrication industry since 1998, starting his career at the American Welding Society's Welding Journal. Since then he has covered the full range of metal fabrication processes, from stamping, bending, and cutting to grinding and polishing. He joined The Fabricator's staff in October 2007.