Which is better bronze or brass?
“Clive, which is better, brass or bronze?” It’s a question I get asked all the time, and it’s one of my favourites, because it’s completely wrong. It’s like asking, “Which is better, a surgeon or a stonemason?” The answer, of course, is that it depends entirely on the job you need done. Asking which one […]
Which is thicker, 14 gauge or 16 gauge sheet metal?
Alright, Clive here. Welcome to the workshop. Today, we’re tackling one of the most common and frustrating points of confusion in the entire world of metal fabrication. It’s a question that trips up beginners and even seasoned DIYers: Which is thicker, 14 gauge or 16 gauge sheet metal? Your brain, trained by years of logical […]
What are the 10 types of metals?
Hello, I’m Clive. For decades, I’ve been machining, welding, and shaping metal into useful things here at RapidManufacturing. People often ask me to list the “types of metal,” and the internet is full of arbitrary lists of ten, twelve, or twenty. They’re not wrong, but they’re not very helpful. It’s like asking for a list […]
Is it bearings or barings?
Alright, let’s get something straight right from the start. As a man who has spent his life making things, there are few things that set my teeth on edge faster than the sloppy use of language. When a word has a precise, physical, world-building meaning, and people toss it around like a cheap plastic toy, […]
What is the meaning of galvanisation?
Alright, let’s talk. My name is Clive, and I’ve spent more years than I care to admit surrounded by the smell of hot metal and cutting fluid. In my world—the world of making things, of precision engineering at RapidManufacturing—words have precise, unyielding meanings. But every now and then, a word escapes the workshop, gets out […]
How difficult is tigger welding?
Alright, Clive here. Let’s get one thing straight right from the start. You’ve come here asking about “Tigger” welding, and while that brings to mind a rather bouncy, striped character, the process you’re actually looking for is TIG welding. Don’t worry about the typo. It’s one of the most common misspellings in the trade, and […]
Which is larger, a #8 or a #10 screw?
You’re standing in the aisle at the hardware store, staring at two boxes of screws. One is labeled #8, the other #10. They look almost identical. You need the stronger one, the one with a bit more bite, but the numbers give you no intuitive clue. Is a #10 a tiny bit smaller than a […]
Will aluminum rust if it gets wet?
Alright, Clive here. Let’s get straight to the point, because this is one of those questions where the simple answer is useless and the real answer is the key to understanding a huge chunk of modern engineering. The question is, “Will aluminum rust if it gets wet?” The short answer is an emphatic, unequivocal no. […]
Why is aluminium difficult to melt?
Right, Clive here. Let’s tackle a question that seems simple on the surface but sends home hobbyists, amateur welders, and even some engineers into fits of confusion. You look up the melting point of aluminum, you see a number—660.3°C (1221°F)—and you think, “That’s not so bad.” After all, your kitchen oven can get halfway there, […]
What does it mean when something is annealed?
Alright, let’s get straight to it. You’ve asked what “annealed” means, and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on who you’re asking. If you’re talking to a geneticist about a DNA sample, it means one thing. If you’re talking to a machinist like me about a block of steel, it means something entirely different […]
