Metals Lab

The Taubman College Metals Lab provides space, equipment, and training to incorporate metalworking and fabrication into the basic repertoire of design exploration, model making, and construction activity.

Taubman students are empowered to design and build metal fabrications at a range of scales, from small studio models, frames, and support brackets, to furniture, installations, and buildings. They learn essential metal fabrication skills such as welding, grinding and finishing, shearing and folding sheet metals, assembly of large frames and structures, bending metal rods and tubes, brazing, and soldering. And they gain valuable experience and confidence in the full range of project development from concept to schematic design, material sourcing and costing, detailing and adjustment for material tolerances, and production, fitting, and assembly.

The Metals Lab team is available to provide project development support and technical assistance through all phases of design, detailing, and fabrication for large and small projects for individuals, groups, studios, and faculty research.

The Metals Lab supports various welding technologies, including MIG (Metal Inert Gas), TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas), stick welding, and high- and low-temperature brazing. Additional equipment for cutting, bending, grinding, and finishing structural shapes and sheet metal allows for fabrication and exploratory work supporting studio and thesis work, research, and design-build projects.

Equipment

  • 2 Miller 110v MIG welding workstations
  • 1 Miller 380v MIG welding mobile workstation
  • 1 Miller 350 Synchrowave LX TIG welding mobile workstation
  • 1 Miller LSMW mobile spot welder
  • 2 controlled descent horizontal metal band saws (one in Wood Shop)
  • Vertical band saw (Wood Shop)
  • High-production cold saw
  • Metalwork drill press
  • 3′ Shear 16g capacity (hand-operated)
  • 4′ Shear 12g capacity (power-driven, located in Stamps Sculpture Studio)
  • 3′ Break 16g capacity
  • 4′ Break 14g capacity
  • Grinding and finishing tools, saws, and associated power tools for jig-making, fabricating, and more