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.

My welded tag alder next to the real thing.

Hello all,

My name is David Hebert. I've been doing fabricated metal sculpture for about 7 years now, after previously doing structural aluminum fabrication. I mainly do abstract contemporary wall art in steel, and aluminum as well as ornamental iron. I'm looking forward to learning some of the other techniques others of yall are doing. Also could anyone help me get into doing commercial and public art? I'm not sure how to get started in all that and would love to learn.

I've noticed in several posts that a number of you have included glass, plastics and other materials into metal railings and sculpture. How have you fixed the materials in place? I'm particularly interested in outdoors pieces and how different "mounting" techniques have stood up over time.