A No-Nonsense Guide From the Shop Floor to the Job Site
Spend five minutes in a fabrication shop and you’ll know one thing for sure: this isn’t a job for the faint of heart. It’s a world of sparks flying, steel bending, and problems getting solved with a torch, a grinder, and a good dose of skill. Here at Edwards Unlimited Inc in Henderson, North Carolina, metal is our medium—and we know how to make it work.
Let’s break this down like we’re talking over coffee in the shop.
Metal Fabrication—What Are We Really Talking About?
Metal fabrication is the craft of taking raw metal and turning it into something useful. Think stair rails, toolboxes, trailers, custom brackets, signage frames—you name it. If it’s made of steel or aluminum, someone had to cut it, shape it, weld it, and make it stand strong.
It’s not assembly line work. It’s skilled labor, start to finish. And a good fabricator? They think five steps ahead. They don’t just read a blueprint—they interpret it, then bring it to life in the real world.
The Steps of Metal Fabrication
Every job is different, but here’s how a typical project goes down:
- Blueprint Reading or Designing – Sometimes the client brings plans. Sometimes we help draw them up.
- Cutting – Could be plasma, water jet, saw, or a good old torch. Depends on the job.
- Bending/Forming – Using press brakes or rolls to give the metal its shape.
- Fitting & Tack Welding – Pieces are test-fit, squared up, then tacked before full welding.
- Welding – That’s where everything comes together for good.
- Grinding & Finishing – Clean up the welds, apply finishes, paint or powder coat if needed.
- Delivery/Installation – On-site work or ready-to-pick-up builds.
Nothing cookie cutter about it.
Let’s Talk Welding—The Glue of the Industry
Without welding, all those cut and bent parts would be just a pile of metal. Welding is where the real magic happens. You’re literally melting steel to steel—forming a bond that, done right, is as strong as the metal itself.
At Edwards Unlimited, we use different methods depending on the job:
- MIG Welding – Fast, clean, and perfect for most general shop work.
- TIG Welding – More precise. It’s what we use for thinner metals or when the weld needs to look beautiful.
- Stick Welding – Tried and true. Rugged and reliable, especially outdoors or on dirty steel.
A good welder isn’t just someone who can run a bead. They’ve got an eye for heat control, joint prep, and penetration—because good welds aren’t about looks; they’re about lasting.
So Who Needs This Stuff?
Pretty much everyone who builds or fixes anything. We’ve done metal work for:
- Local contractors building custom homes.
- Farmers needing equipment repair and tractor brackets.
- Commercial property owners wanting custom staircases or railings.
- Folks restoring classic cars or trailers.
- Manufacturing outfits needing precision parts.
And sometimes? It’s just someone with an idea who walks in and says, “Can you build this?” Chances are, we can.
Why Custom Metal Fabrication Beats Buying Off-the-Shelf
We get this a lot: “Can’t I just order one online?”
Maybe. But here’s what you don’t get with off-the-shelf:
- Strength Where You Need It – We can beef up the weak points and build for your load.
- Perfect Fit – Built to your specs, your space, your mounting points.
- Durability – Thicker materials, better welds, and smarter design.
- Service – You get a fabricator who understands your problem and helps you solve it.
Bottom line? If your application is mission-critical—or it just has to fit right the first time you want custom.
What Makes a Good Fabrication and Welding Shop?
It ain’t just about the fancy equipment. It’s about the people behind the tools.
What you really want in a shop is:
- Experience – Not just years, but hours. Thousands of them. Hands-on.
- Precision – Anyone can cut metal. Doing it square and consistent? That’s another thing.
- Honest Advice – If there’s a better way to build it, we’ll tell you. If something won’t work, we won’t pretend it will.
- Local Pride – We serve Henderson and the surrounding communities. That means every job has our name on it—literally and figuratively.
Real Story from the Edwards Unlimited Inc
One of our recent clients came in with a broken factory-made mower deck bracket. It was a common design flaw—too thin, bad welds, cracked under load. We reverse-engineered the part, used quarter-inch plate instead of stamped sheet, and MIG-welded it solid.
The guy said it was better than the original—and we believe him. That’s the kind of difference custom fabrication makes.
A Final Word
If you’ve ever wondered what is metal fabrication and welding, now you know: it’s the work that makes so much of modern life possible. It’s the behind-the-scenes industry that holds up buildings, moves machines, and makes ideas real.
We’re proud to be a part of it. And if you ever need something built, fixed, or figured out in metal, give us a call at Edwards Unlimited Inc We’re not just a service provider we’re your local partners in steel.
