12/20/2025
Wanna know the secret to making an outdoor sign that really lasts?
Don't use wood...or steel.
New Orleans is hot, humid, and unforgiving to wood and steel outside. These materials will inevitably degrade over time. Instead, use aluminum and never worry about it again.
1/2" aluminum plate with a proper paint job will last forever.
Woodworking is a big part of what I do but the capacity to work in any medium is the secret sauce to custom fabrication.
I actually prefer metalworking over woodworking. It's more forgiving when you make mistakes and tends to have more options for clean builds.
It's a dirty, greasy, loud and intense craft but once you get the hang of it, your options for fabrication open up dramatically.
Metal dust is the worst dust so I take care to protect myself when working on metal projects. Also, don't weld in short sleeves. You'll get a wicked sunburn and it's really not fun. Wear fire retardant long sleeves and mask up. Welding is easy - the prep and setup is where the real skill comes in to play.
Thats my 2 cents on metalworking.
If y'all like getting a little insight into how I work, drop a comment. I'm working through some ideas on the type of content I want to start putting out consistently and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
If you don't like a long caption with my thoughts, thats cool - keep on scrolling to the next thing that the algorithm has picked for you to keep you stuck staring into and endless stream of peronsonalized nonsense. Or, even better, put your phone down and go actually do something creative and beautiful. Your time is precious - don't let this little device in your hand dominate your life. Go make something. I promise you'll feel better after an hour of doing something you love than you will after an hour of swiping through reels.
Part of reason I don't post much on here is because I really hate how much social media has stolen our attention. I prefer to do the work. I also recognize the importance of having an online presence as a business owner and I am working on reconciling these competing feelings.
Thats all. Enjoy your day and get off your phone 🫠