I’m obviously something of a visionary. Well, when I say visionary, I mean I’ve found another blog post about stainless steel pocket cups after I’d touted a return to the vest-pocket ashtray.

Anyway, the above fella somehow got somebody at Boing Boing all excited because he’d made his own - wait for it - stainless steel pocket protector.

“The first thing I noticed when I met Dan is that he was wearing a aluminum stainless steel pocket protector. He said he made it himself after realizing that he was tearing through at least one plastic pocket protector a week. The side seams are sewn with copper wire and coated with cellophane tape so it doesn’t snag his shirt. I think it’s a real beaut.”

Well I suggest popping round to a see a seasoned sheet metal place that knows how to weld stainless steel if you’re having to cover the seams with sellotape. I also expect you’d come across quite a few other handy contraptions they may have rustled together whilst there’s a lull.

Anybody else care to share some little project they’ve completed to make their life easier round the workshop?

We always value feedback, especially when it stops us from confusing ourselves. I’ve personally no idea who the buggery Gouchy is, but I presume he knows John and Matt from a while ago from a former sheet metal life.

He was awfully decent to point out that one of the first jobs they did - the so-called John Lennon globe - isn’t in the new John Lennon airport but the old terminal. Personally I’m a bit lost, although I do know the one and only time I flew out of John Lennon I’d taken my camera to take a few pictures of the thing in situ. And, of course, I couldn’t find the thing in situ because that isn’t where it was situated.

Thankfully, Gouchy has come to our rescue by taking a couple of pics and sending them to us:

Stainless Steel Globe in-situ

Prior to being rolled out the workshop

People are being very nice to us this month, I must admit.

Oh, and don’t forget Polish. (You’ll have to scroll down a bit to find that one.)

Found this lurking in my inbox and thought it might be useful:

The frequently downloaded Euro Inox Welding brochure is available now in an updated English version as well as translations into Czech, Dutch and Turkish:

The Welding of Stainless Steels
by Pierre-Jean Cunat
Second Edition 2007
(Materials and Applications Series, Volume 3)

Target audiences:
- Fabricators
- Teachers in vocational training

Content:
- Welding processes
- Weldability of stainless steel
- Shielding gases
- Joint preparation
- Finishing treatments
- Safe practices

Languages:
- English
- Czech
- Dutch
- Turkish

Format
- Brochure, A4, 36 pages
- PDF file (about 1 MB)

To view or download, please click here:
English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_1_EN.html
Czech: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_1_CZ.html
Dutch: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_1_NL.html
Turkish: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_1_TR.html

Still available (First Edition):
Polish: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_1_PL.html

I’m wondering if Steve Sawford can confirm the authenticity of the Turkish translation.

Our bread and butter here at Butler Sheetmetal Ltd is - yes, you’ve guessed it - fabricating things out of sheet metal. We make everything from stainless steel autopsy tables and hygienic bin washers to more specialised designer fabrication. We aren’t averse to whacking the living daylights of the odd bus panel either - but that’s more of an executive stress relief thing. You’re more than welcome to see a small selection of what we do in our sheet metal portfolio.

Showing you a selection of things we can do is altogether different to what we’re capable of doing. We’re not the biggest sheet metal job shop in the world but this is our capacity:

* CUTTING: 8mm Stainless and Mild Steel.
* FOLDING: 10mm Mild Steel - 8mm Stainless Steel
* SHEARING: 6mm x 3mtr Mild Steel - 5mm x 2mtr Stainless Steel
* WELDING: TIG, MIG, SPOT & STUD - Aluminium welding
* DRILLING
* PUNCHING
* NOTCHING: 300mm x 6mm
* NC GUILLOTINE: 8mm x 3.1 mtr
* LASERING
* SAWING: 150mm x 150mm
* FINISHING: Powder Coating, Anondising, Painting, Polishing

We’ve fabricated jobs for clients in Scotland and installed projects for clients in London. We aren’t too fussy where you are in the UK. Obviously, we don’t necessarily always get to meet face-to-face with those who are further afield, but there’s always the phone and email. It’s probably only convenient for you to pop in to see us if you’re in the Lancashire, Yorkshire or Manchester area. Although, you can always judge for yourself by checking out where we are in relation to you here and clicking the search maps button.

So, if you’ve got some sheet metal fabrication that needs doing and you’d like a quote, feel free to give us a ring on 01282 870033 and ask for John. Or you can just fire us off a quick email, with or without drawings, and we’ll be back in touch. Our full contact details are here.

We look forward to hearing from you.

At least I’m used to having Memorial Day off considering it falls on the same Bank Holiday Monday at the end of May. It’s seems to be one of the rare public holidays over here where the natives aren’t celebrating getting one over on us Brits. Although, I’m not quite used to the skies being quite so clear and the sun beating down like Jackie Chan’s furious fists on a bad guy’s backside.

But days off in the sunshine soon lose their luster when you work from home.

And so does your average grill after gathering cobwebs over the winter. But, while I let Stephanie get down to cleaning ours, I might as well show you some startling examples of grilling innovation to celebrate the start of BBQ season.

HEMI Powered BBQ Grill.


Traeger’s Novelty BBQ Grill.

Superior Welding’s BBQ Swing-A-Way Grill

Descriptions and many, many more cool grills here.