Digital DJ wrote:

Hi, I'm trying to put together a gift for a relative, and I'd like to
ask for your help in selecting the items.

He's a recently-retired metallurgist, and has always wanted to get
into metalworking. In particular, he wants to eventually create metal
art of the type that is sold at craft fairs, etc. (He doesn't want to
restore cars or planes or anything.) Although he knows an awful lot
about the properties of various metals (being a metallurgist), he is a
complete beginner when it comes to metalworking.

So if we spend about $500 on a starter set, what should we get him? I
myself know nothing about this stuff, so I don't know if he should
start with steel, aluminum, or some other metal. I've seen one or two
kits on the web, but if they don't have everything he needs then I
must know what else to get him. Also, does he need a separate welding
setup or is a "torch" the same thing?

If it's not too much trouble, I'd really appreciate your
recommendations on the following items:

* Tools
* Metal supplies
* Videos or books
* Anything else

Rough cost estimates and pointers on where to buy this stuff would
also be great. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
old man retired, an engineer.. he always wanted a metal working shop, so
he went out and bought a new lathe, saw, mill, and cabinet after cabinet
of tools.. he must have spendt thousands and he could afford it.. was in
his basement where all the stuff was located and it was as neat as a
pin... not one thing out of place.. he was in the hospital at the
time... about one year later i saw his son... the old man died and the
son was stuck with getting rid of all the stuff in the house...
this was like 25 yrs. ago so dont ask about the tools i dont know.. his
other son was an alcoholic and lived at home and always brought another
drunk to the house who probably walked out with the antiques that were
throughtout the house along with the tools in the basement.?????