We all have our little lists of our favorite resources. The places that we keep returning to time and time again because they always havewhat we need and they can always answer our questions.

Well this list is no different. I compiled a list of 7 of the greatest resources you can have as an at home welder. I use almost all of these resources every month and they’ve all saved me loads of time, money, stress.

So here they are…

They 7 Resources You Can’t Live Without

1. King Architectural Metals - King is the place to get everything you need. From raw steel and hardware to ornamental elements and paints. King is my number one source for anything I can’t get locally.
2. Metal Supermarkets - This is a great place to get the exact amount of steel that you need for each job. Metal Supermarkets will sell and deliver steel by the foot and only charge you for what you need. Most steel suppliers will gladly sell you a few feet but they’ll make you pay for the whole piece.
3. McNichols - If you’re looking for hard to find mesh or grating materials, this is the place to call. Steel, aluminum, stainless steel, McNichols covers it all. They cost a little more than others, but they have a lot of stuff that you cant find anywhere else. They’ll deliver anywhere too.
4. OSHA Railing Codes - keep in mind that these are written in OSHA talk, which means it reads weird at times. It’s still pretty clear as to what is required. Start in section (d) for stairway railing and guards.
5. Harbor Freight - A great place to find good tools of all kinds really really cheap.
6. Northern Tool - Northern has been around for forever and their tools are as good as their reputation. I’ve used Northern brand tools like grinders, chop saws, air tools. They’re half the price of the big names and last just as long.
7. NOMMA - This is an incredible resource for all welders. They stay up on all current code changes, welding technology, business models, metal practices and just about anything you can think of that deals with working with metal. It does require a yearly membership that isn’t cheap, but when you can afford it, I strongly recommend that you join. They produce the Fabricator Magazine.

If you have any great resources on your list, please share them. It’s always great to hear about what’s working for others, besides, we can all benefit from each others recommended resources.

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS

There’s a new way to connect with me. Yep, I’ve gone fancy and The At Home Welder now has a phone number. True, it’s a little cheesy, but when I saw it was available I knew I had to get it.

Now you can call…

860-HOT-WELD

And of course, you can leave any comments and questions in the comments box or look up HomeWelder on Twitter and Skype.