Malco Products, SBC, was founded in 1950 by a sheet metal salesmen who saw an unmet need for specialty sheet metal fabrication tools.

Over 40 years, Gentlemen Sheet Metal Ltd. in Brooklyn, New York, has built a reputation as a small but mighty sheet metal shop that values great work first. The shop’s focus on renovations has mostly kept it from having to swim in the big, new construction pool and protected it from labor shortages and rising material costs. But the tide is already turning.

It’s made of sheet metal, explains Layton Refrigeration Company’s Sid Taylor about the invention (pictured above) he calls a “thermal sensor test vessel” or TSTV. “But I’m not going to tell you everything.”

The DeWALT soft shell heated jacket includes a battery pack to control its heated arms. Need we say more? Pricing available at dewalt.com

With a sharp wit and sense of humor, Bryan Orr has quickly become one of the most powerful and recognizable voices in the HVACR industry — covering everything from duct fabrication to installation in his wildly successful HVAC School podcast. He is the vice-president of service at Kalos Services Inc in Clermont, Florida  which he started with his dad when he was 17, and he regularly helps his team train and troubleshoot as a working contractor. But if you ask him about it (and we did), he’ll say he’s just keeping busy.

In order to streamline your shop operations, we’re launching a special How-to section on SNIPSmag.com focusing on sheet metal fabrication, installation, transport and everything in between. To kick everything off, we asked some of our favorite contractors and companies to give us a few how-to tips on some frequently asked questions. Here’s what they said.

Nortek Air Management, the parent company of Nortek Global HVAC and Nortek Air Solutions, is announcing a price increase up to 6 percent during the first quarter of 2019.

Experienced designers know that a well-designed high-performance air system is the most cost-effective and efficient system for many buildings. Thanks to industry and ASHRAE innovation, no other air-conditioning technology has advanced as rapidly over the last 10 years.

The TED50V features Ruskiprene blade and jamb seal material. The TED50VXT is designed to protect against extreme cold temperature conditions by using mechanically-fastened extruded silicone on the blade seals and ribbed-extruded silicone on the jamb seals. 

Described as a "toolbox" for the construction industry, Autodesk's recently unveiled robot-filled shipping container mobilizes the power of two Panasonic TS-950 robots.