Essential Tools for Working with Steel

When it comes to working with steel, there are a lot of things that you need to make it happen—not the least of which is the right type of steel, which you can find in a huge selection at the steel supermarket at Wasatch Steel—but if you don’t have the right tools, you won’t be able to create what you want out of the steel you do have. Here are some of the most common tools that you might need for your next steel working adventures.

One of the advantages of shopping at Wasatch Steel is that you can often find some of the basic tools you will need right at our warehouse in the front office. We have a big selection of tools that you can check out, so you get a one-stop-shop for both your steel and your tools.

Fabrication Tools
For many different metalworking applications, you may need a lathe and lathe accessories, which gives you the option to do several different tasks with your metal while it rotates symmetrically on an axis, including cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, facing, turning, and more.

Other fabrication tools to consider include pipe and bar fabrication, beginning with pipe threaders, pipe and bar benders, pipe bender accessories, and tube notchers. These can help when you need to do extensive work with pipes or tubes. If you are working with sheet metal, the tools you might need include English wheels, planishing hammers, combination benders, manual bending brakes, metal shears, and slip rollers.

Fabrication accessories to consider include a bench rotary machine, fastener kit, body hammer and dolly kit, and bearing splitter set.

Cutting & Pressing Tools
If you have steel that you need to cut, you’ll want to have the right tools to create the shapes that you desire. That might include cutting the steel with a band saw, which comes in both a portable and stationary variety. You can also find presses, such as a drill press to create the perfect holes in your steel, or if you are looking for a way to press in bearing and shafts, an arbor press might be a good option. If you are serious about the metalworking you plan to do, you can also invest in a larger hydraulic press or pneumatic press for shearing, punching, bending, forming, drawing, extruding, and assembly work that you do.

Blacksmith Tools
There are also a wide variety of blacksmith tools that could come in handy during your next job, both for small and large projects. Some of today’s blacksmith tools have come a long way since the days of the original smiths, while others are still similar to the original tools to do the work by hand. They include gas forces, a blacksmith pein, tongs, punches, swages, mandrels, scrolling wrenches, metal finishes and sealers, and of course, protective gear to keep your hands, eyes, and body safe while you work with hot metal.

Smoothing & Finishing Tools
Once you have the steel cut the way you want it, the next step is to smooth it out so you can create the perfect look. That might include deburring and polishing tools that can smooth out the work that you do with the drill press and punching tools. You may also need sanding discs and belts, belt grinders, abrasive wheels, or sandpaper, sanding hand pads and sponges if you intend to do it by hand.

Finding the right tools is the key to ensuring that your metalworking is done well. You can find some of the tools, and all the metal you need for your next project at Wasatch Steel.