Metal Fabricator's Handbook (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Before you can build a car, or jump into any metal-fabrication project, you must have the tools and knowledge needed to "make the project happen..." (more)
Key Phrases: hammerform base, slapper face, steel slappers, Tom Monroe, Michael Lutfy, Jeff Hibbard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Winner of the prestigious Moto Award for "Best Technical How-to Book" in 1984, the METAL FABRICATOR'S HANDBOOK applies master metal craftsman Ron Fournier's unique metal fabricating skills--developed during years of building Indy cars, drag racers, stockers, custom show cars, and sports GT race cars. Covers MIG, TIG, arc- and gas-welding, fuel and oil tanks, exhaust headers, and much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: HP Trade; Rev Upd edition (August 2, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895868709
• ISBN-13: 978-0895868701
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #162,394 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, July 24, 2002

By	David Margrave (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is great! It's written in a very accessible manner. The author doesn't try to prove how much smarter or more skilled he is at metal work than the reader. Case-in-point: this book contains the best explanation I've found anywhere of the properties of different series (i.e. 2000, 6000) of aluminum. Not some tome lifted out of some mechanical engineering textbook, just a straightforward explanation. Don't know what in the world a "cleco" is or what it means to "cleco" something? Don't worry, unlike some other titles that simply tell you, "cleco the parts together and tack-weld," this book actually explains what a "cleco" is for those of us who might not know.

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For both the beginner and the professional, July 18, 2001

By	A. Aljabri (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book, in a way, is for both the beginner and the professional. The author includes a lot of helpful information for the beginner. He starts with simple and complete description of all kinds of tools that are used in fabricating metal. He starts with hand tools, moves to power hand tools, and then ends with large equipment. In the next chapter the author describes the types of metals needed to fabricate reliable auto parts. That was a good chapter. After wards, there is a chapter for each, gas welding and electric welding. The following two chapters are about basic metal forming and hammer forming. Both of those chapters are good and give a basic understanding of how metal is shaped.

There are five more chapters about sheet metal add ons, roll bars, tanks, exhaust headers, and sheet metal interior. All of those chapters were a little hard for me to follow, but I think a professional would like those chapters.

In conclusion, I find this book very helpful for the beginner; however there is a lack of information about simple detailed projects and practices.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly Decent, June 19, 2003

By	Kenneth R. Friend II (Cape Cod, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While the Metal Fabricator's Handbook provided some insight into working with metal, it didn't provide as much information as I had expected.

Ron does a good job of detailing the tools you will need to work with metal, but does not spend much time actually showing you what to do.

Most of the projects were presented in a general way, he didn't touch much on the specifics of how to do complete the tasks. It was more like watching a 30 minute show on how to fabricate many parts associated with a race car. Surely you cannot expect to be able to take this information and build a race car.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the trade. Even if you manage to learn one thing from this book, it's one thing you didn't know prior to reading it.