10.000 hours. I heard about this again this summer. What was put forward is not simply doing something for 10.000 hours, but deliberate practice with a mentor or coach working with you.

Here's a quote from an article in the Wall Street Journal:

When I started out crafting things out of metal, I wasnt really amused. My psychiatrist told me that making metal art may be a good way of removing my panic attacks because in one side, the sheer sound of the clashing metal and the sparks flying totally induces the attack. But at the same time, tempered with the right attitude and the right thinking, I would be able to treat myself and snap out of it.

Hello All. I am new to the group. I am looking for help in die design. My work involves fabricating elevated water tanks. We press or dish our elliptical heads involving segemented pie shaped plates. We use the typical male over female die configuration checking both raduis with radius boards as the piece is pressed.

Hi, I am new here.
After reading some of the pioneers' post. There are lots of good experiences.
Here I want to share some of my experience.
1, for making punches, go to flea market my some used Allen wrenches, they are good steel, shape them on a grinder/sander as long as do not over heat them. Especially the little bends use it to make off center punches. The hexagon body is better to control when you hold it.

This is an eight strand weave,in stainless wire.
It's a good material for this design because even though the weave itself requires forging (with the acetylene torch)to make it tight,the final shaping of the WHOLE piece can be done by hand cold.