Maybe you’re a tinbasher with a secret hankering to create a futuristic musical mash-up along the lines of Blade Runner vs Deliverance. Or, perhaps you’re at a loss what to do with that mouldy galvanised sheeting at the back of your steel rack.

Any pig-squealing city boys in the house?

Then again, you could be just like this guy:

Retired drummer, Bill Winner, wanted to sit under a tree at the lake, and play… but playing the drums just wouldn’t do. So he built his own band of instruments, all crafted out of sheet metal and scrap metal.

The sheet metal band consists of various instruments, including drums, washtub bass, guitar, various Dobro-like open-tuned slide guitars (nicknamed Bilbros) and a fiddle, tuned in 5ths.

Read more about the sheet metal band here and listen to an mp3 of them here.

Steve at Steel Strip has started a Google Steel Search Engine.

You can read more about it here.

Anybody fancy a trip to Northern Manufacturing 2006?

It’s free, it’s in Sheffield and it’s happening this week on the 4th and 5th.

Northern Manufacturing 2006 is the exciting new exhibition for North and North West’s manufacturers. If you’re in the Automotive / Autosport, Aerospace, Rail, Defence, Food & Drink, ICT, Chemical, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Packaging or Electronics sectors, the exhibition gives you an unrivalled opportunity to see the very latest in manufacturing technology which will help your company innovate, advance process improvement and increase your bottom line - all under one roof, in Sheffield. Easy to get to, with free parking for visitors, Hallam FM Arena, is just a mile from Jct 34 on the M1.

See at first hand what’s new in: Factory & Process Automation, CNC Machining & Tooling, Packaging, Handling & Storage, Electronic Components, Assemblies & Enclosures, Labelling & Marking, Control & Motion Engineering, Design & Rapid Prototyping, Test & Measurement, Pressings, Castings & Mouldings, Fabrication & Fastenings, New Materials, Subcontracting Services & High Precision Engineering.

Here’s the job ad we currently have up at the local job centre (talk about old skool):

* Job Title:
* SKILLED/SEMI SKILLED SHEET METAL WORKER
* COF/17807

Location:
COLNE

Hours:
38 PER WEEK, 8.30AM - 4.30PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY

Wage:
COMPETITIVE RATES OF PAY

Work Pattern:
Days

Employer:
Butler Sheet metal Ltd

Pension:
No details held

Duration:
PERMANENT ONLY

Description:

Previous experience is essential and must be able to MIG and TIG weld. Duties will involve all aspects sheet metal fabrication working in a small friendly team in a workshop. Weekend work as overtime is available.

How to apply:

You can apply for this job by telephoning 01282 870033 and asking for Deborah or John Butler.

Now whilst we welcome applications from all and sundry, please note that it really does help if you’re fairly local - that means somewhere near Colne, Nelson, Burnley, Barnoldswick, Pendle, Lancashire or West Yorkshire.

Also please note that all timewasters, nutters, recruiters and anybody lacking every day common sense will be dealt with accordingly.

UPDATE: position now filled………thanks.

Obviously I haven’t got where I am today without successfully speculating on the commodities market.

However, there seems to be a minor storm in a metal teacup over the idea of a steel futures contract with quite a few of the leading steelmakers sticking the boot in:

No less than five top executives of some of the world’s largest steelmakers indicated at a steel industry conference Tuesday they thought establishing such a contract was a poor idea.

“I don’t think we need futures markets for steel,” Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of the world’s largest steel producer Mittal Steel NV (MT), said during a speech at the conference.

The remark got a round of applause, and others executives speaking at the event agreed.

Dan DiMicco, the outspoken chief executive of Nucor Corp. (NUE), said he thought establishing a futures market for steel would be bad for the industry.

“The folks who are going to make money off this aren’t in steel,” DiMicco said, noting financial professionals would be the ones to benefit.

Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD) Chief Executive Keith Busse said futures contracts “don’t add any value,” and Stelco Inc. (STE.A) Chief Executive Rodney Mott said he didn’t think the contracts were necessary.

Anybody with a finer grasp of this kind of thing care to share the potential pitfalls in layman’s terms in the comments?