When you first learn the skills required in a metal workshop, you will want to make something easy and quickly.

Here are a few good projects that you can make at Your DIY Spot in 3 hours or less. Let me know which of these you’d like to start with and you can get going straight away.

If you like these ideas, and come up with some variations of your own, give me a call and I can talk with you about how you can do the modifications.

Spark Plug Holder

A spark plug holder can be quite helpful when changing engine spark plugs. It keeps the plugs in one place so you won’t lose them in your workshop. Race teams use holders when they don’t have time to deal with the plug packaging – the holder makes a fast changeover possible.

Adjustable Stand

When you need an extra hand to manage large workpieces, this simple adjustable stand is extremely helpful. It acts similar to a sawhorse for supporting materials.

Workshop Stool

A shop stool is a comfortable addition to your garage or work area. Durable construction with steel legs and footrest bar. Generous 13 x 13 inch seat. The overall height of approximately 23 inches suits most people, but if you want to change it to be lower or higher, we can work that into the plans.

Serviette Holder

Aluminium Serviette Holder

This is a perfect starter project for when you move on to welding aluminium.

Camp oven lid lifter

This is a Camp Oven (Dutch Oven) Handling Tool. To maintain an even oven temperature and prevent “hot spots”, you need a tool to lift and rotate the oven and lid periodically during cooking. This tool makes that easy. If you need to check on your food or rotate the lid, you just place the tool over the lid, squeeze the tool handles together, and lift. When you need to rotate the entire oven or pick up and move the entire Dutch oven, you just hook the tool on the oven handle and pick it up and move with ease.

Materials used: Bolt, nuts, 1/4″ steel rod, and weld rod.
Steps to build: Take measurements of your camp oven and plan the idea; cut the steel rod pieces and heat and bend applicable pieces of steel rod to desired angles; fit and tack weld the nuts, bolt, and steel rod pieces together; check to make sure the tool works properly, then weld to complete.

Trailer Trolley

This one would best be tackled after you have mastered welding and metal work basics. It will take longer too, about 4 or 5 hours and will require additional material than what we usually carry in the workshop. The trailer trolley will allow you to move your boat, trailer or caravan quickly and easily. It’s a useful tool for positioning and manoeuvring a trailer into tight spots. A long handle reduces the strain on your back. We recommend using larger pneumatic tyres than the ones pictured here.

The information provided here has been gathered from a wide variety of sources and is not subject to any intellectual property rights law. It is provided for the purpose of general knowledge and as an insight into the ability to fabricate using a metal fabrication processes. The indication of times to manufacture the projects are based on an estimate for the average person to complete and should not be relied on when you decide to make the item. Talk to us first and we can go through the details with you.