When I first started in the trades, I missed the lead-wiping joint requirement on my Journeyman’s test by just one year. Although lead-wiped joints had been out of use for many years, the skills ...

This article was updated March 7, 2023. It was originally published Dec. 9, 2004. Engineers have an impressive array of ways to join two pieces of metal including adhesives, nuts and bolts, and a long ...