Processes & Technologies

Casting & Molding on Fabrication Streets is where liquid materials meet clever mold design to become repeatable, real-world parts. This sub-category explores everything from quick silicone molds for workshop one-offs to multi-part assemblies and small batch production runs. You’ll see how patterns, parting lines, vents, and draft angles all decide whether your projects release cleanly or fight you every step of the way. We’ll walk through mixing ratios, pot life,

Welding & Metalwork on Fabrication Streets is where sparks, steel, and imagination come together to turn raw stock into working reality. This sub-category is your gateway to understanding how heat, force, and filler metal can shape everything from simple brackets to complex frames and custom fixtures. We’ll walk through MIG, TIG, and stick basics, then show how cutting, grinding, and finishing transform rough welds into clean, confident lines. Along the

Milling & Turning is where Fabrication Streets really starts to feel like a precision playground. Here, raw stock meets spinning cutters and turning chucks to become parts that actually fit, move, and work the way you imagined. This sub-category walks you through the fundamentals of removing material with intent—from surfacing a plate dead flat to turning a perfect shaft that spins true. You’ll see how feeds, speeds, and tool paths

CNC Machining on Fabrication Streets is where raw stock turns into precision parts under a spray of coolant, sparks, and code. This sub-category is your doorway into a world where digital designs become real-world components—whether you’re shaping aluminum brackets for a prototype, steel fixtures for production, or custom parts for a side hustle. We’ll walk through how G-code, toolpaths, and workholding all work together so your machine cuts what you

Laser Cutting & Etching on Fabrication Streets is where beams of light turn flat stock into crisp parts, intricate patterns, and custom details. This sub-category is your front-row seat to machines that trade spinning cutters for focused photons, slicing plywood, acrylic, thin metals, and more with shocking accuracy. We’ll walk through how vector and raster jobs differ, why kerf and power settings matter, and how to dial in clean edges

3D Printing on Fabrication Streets is where ideas stop living only in notebooks and CAD windows and start stacking into real, hold-in-your-hand parts. This sub-category is your launchpad into printers that build layer by layer—melting filament, curing resin, or fusing powder—turning sketches, models, and late-night “what ifs” into prototypes, jigs, fixtures, cosplay pieces, and production-ready components. We’ll walk through how slicers translate designs into toolpaths, why layer height, infill, and

Waterjet cutting lives at the sweet spot where raw power meets clean precision. On Fabrication Streets, this category is your gateway to slicing everything from aluminum plate and stainless to stone, composites, and delicate gasket materials—often without heat distortion, warped edges, or a hardened heat-affected zone. Whether you’re exploring abrasive vs. pure water streams, dialing in kerf and taper, or choosing the right nozzle, orifice, and abrasive mesh, waterjet is

Vacuum forming is the fabrication magic trick that turns a flat sheet of plastic into a crisp, dimensional part in minutes. On Fabrication Streets, this category is your launchpad into the world of heated thermoplastics, precision molds, and that satisfying moment when vacuum pulls a softened sheet tight—capturing every radius, rib, and contour like a snapshot in 3D. From rugged ABS panels and clean HIPS prototypes to crystal-clear PETG covers,

Robotics in fabrication is where sparks, steel, and software lock arms—and suddenly your shop floor starts moving with purpose. On Fabrication Streets, this category explores how robotic arms and smart cells transform cutting, welding, grinding, forming, and handling into repeatable, high-precision workflows that scale. A robot doesn’t just “do the same thing” over and over; it tracks paths, manages torch angles, maintains consistent speed, and hits tolerances that get harder

Additive vs. subtractive methods is the fabrication showdown that shapes almost everything we touch—one builds, the other carves, and the best shops know when to let each one lead. Additive manufacturing turns digital designs into physical parts layer by layer, unlocking internal channels, lightweight lattices, rapid prototypes, and geometry that would make a milling cutter cry. Subtractive manufacturing starts with solid stock and removes material with CNC mills, lathes, routers,

Automation & smart systems are the quiet superpower behind modern fabrication—machines that don’t just run, but think, coordinate, and improve. On Fabrication Streets, this category explores how sensors, software, and connected equipment turn a shop into a living workflow: parts move when they’re ready, tools know their offsets, quality checks happen in-line, and downtime gets predicted before it bites. Smart automation can be as simple as a barcode-driven job router

Hybrid fabrication workflows are where the real shop magic happens—when you stop thinking in single processes and start chaining the best ones together. On Fabrication Streets, this category is all about building smarter: 3D print a complex core, machine the critical faces, laser-cut the brackets, bend the sheet, then weld it into a final assembly that fits like it was born that way. Hybrids aren’t “extra steps” when they’re done