Metal Fabricator's Handbook
by Ron Fournier
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Book Reviews of Metal Fabricator's Handbook
Book Review: For both the beginner and the professional
Summary: 3 Stars
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.
Book Review: Great, well-rounded metal fabrication book.
Summary: 5 Stars
Ron Fournier's Metal Fabricator's Handbook is one of the items a hobbyist fabricator should have on their bookshelf. The book's sturdy binding even lends itself well to sitting on the workbench, where some of my favorite machining and fabrication books end up, to be thumbed through with dirty hands.
The Handbook starts off with a pretty detailed chapter on handtools, paying particularly good attention to the vast array of hammers, mallets, dollys and spoons that made even a seasoned fabricator like me say "hunh, so that's what it's for" to a couple things. After handtools, the book goes into power tools, forming tools such as English wheels, brakes and shot bags, then jumps into the use of it all through detailed automotive projects the author has done. Some of the projects are definitely a bit dated, but the techniques are what's important.
Overall the Metal Fabricator's Handbook is a well written, informative part of a hot rodder's library.
Book Review: Fairly Decent
Summary: 3 Stars
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.
Book Review: outdated
Summary: 3 Stars
Bought the book recently. I find it very outdated. The pictures show all sorts of operations going on without any modern saftey measures employed! Things like die grinding or 5" disk grinding with operators nearby without any safety glasses or disk guards in-place! Makes me cringe.
Other than that, it does show some good ways and tools to form sheet metal. The entire bent of the book is fabricating sheet metal for cars, so if you are not into making car sheet metal....
I give it a C+
Book Review: Great book for general information.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an excelent book for anyone who wants to get started or just looking for general info on metal fabrication. However I have to agree with some of the previous posts regarding it's lack of specific details. The book offers readers a good deal of information on the tools of the trade and the basics of metal fabrication. It is a great reference to point you in the right direction but you will have to go elsewhere for the more specific information.