Did you know that roughly 950 hours of work are spent on welding and fabrication for every race car? Hundreds of parts are hand-cut, welded, and machined, from the chassis and suspension to the drivetrain.
The earliest form of welding was actually called "forge welding" and was performed by blacksmiths. The blacksmiths would heat the metal until it was bright red, and then pound the two pieces of metal together to form a bond, using an anvil.
No matter how skilled the operator, many sheet metal shearing methods don’t create a smooth edge, especially with certain thicknesses or types of metal. To combat this, sheet metal specialists will use shaving and trimming to give the blank a smooth edge.
In the hands of a sheet metal specialist, it may look like they’re punching or cutting the sheet metal in an imprecise location, but they actually choose their dies and locations with deliberation. When the cutting is done correctly, it’s done with planned clearances that will create a clean cut.
Did you know that aluminum is the second-most abundant metallic element in Earth's crust? It has been used in the world of engineering for anything from soda cans to cell phones and planes.
Brass is not as hard or as strong as steel, but it is harder and stronger than copper. This makes it easier to form into shapes like hexes, tubes, cylinders, and for pipes. Brass is corrosion-resistant and resistant to salt water.