February 13, 2026 Benchmark Abrasives

John Kovalcik (@olddogmetalworks)

Welcome to this week's #benchmarkspotlight (formerly the #weldershowcase) - we had the opportunity to sit down with John from @olddogmetalworks and talk a little shop.

If you would like to be featured in our weekly spotlight (100% FREE) and have a chance at winning one of our Grinder Hoods please send us an email to leo.benchmarkabrasives@gmail.com to get you scheduled in an upcoming week. And for those of you that take the time to share your story with us, we'd be happy to provide a free BA banner. These spotlights are intended to highlight your skill, your business, and your tips and tricks. Most of all it's to have a little fun!

Name: John Kovalcik

Business Name: Old Dog Metalworks

Location: Berkeley Heights, NJ

Socials: IG: @olddogmetalworks FB: Old Dog Metalworks

Website: www.olddogmetalworks.com

Specialties: Custom metalwork – art, home décor, furniture, outdoor fire pit/garden décor, general repairs

Tell us about yourself - what inspired you to get into your trade? And how long?

I’ve always liked working with my hands to build or fix things. Became a Mechanical Engineer and worked in the bearing industry for a while then in the paper industry. Being around the machines and watching the guys fix them (under pressure and timelines) always impressed me. But it was the innovation – creating a solution where there was no blueprint or manual, on the fly, using materials and shop tools at hand that I envied. I suppose one day I decided – why not. I found a hobby welding class at a local vocational school and ended up taking it twice!

What keeps you motivated throughout the day?
The wins. I’m not off in the shop cranking out pieces or trying manipulations of materials and with every attempt sitting back satisfied. There is plenty of frustration, cursing and scrap created. But – when a component or a piece comes together as planned – it’s like hitting that one great tee shot or chip up onto the green – I get fired up and excited to keep after it.

What is your favorite shop tool and why?
My favorite tool (not the most frequently used) is my plasma cutter. There is just something gnarly about pulling the trigger and cutting through steel like scissors and paper. The plasma arc and sparks are always a bonus of course!

What's your favorite piece that you've worked on?
This is a hard one – I am pretty partial to many of them! But – one that I’ve been allowed to add to my home furnishing (my wife allowed it) is my Twisted Table. It’s not a difficult piece but it came out super clean. I like the lines and think it could sit in any house.

If you could have any job as it relates to question 1 what would it be and what would you do with that?
I’d like to get enough business for one off home and outdoor piece requests to make this side hustle a more profitable gig. I’d like to establish a business and reputation for the source to take a shot for anyone’s weird ideas and odd ball requests.

What BA product is your favorite and why?

I’m going to have to join the masses that have already said it – the flap discs. These can chew through metal (making you “the welder you ain’t”) or they can yield a very nice, fine finish if using a lighter touch. And – they last.

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What BA product surprised you in terms of quality - what about it set it apart from the competition?

The Benchmark Abrasives surface conditioning discs were my surprise find. I used these on a “Thor Hammer” project I built for my son’s youth football team a couple years back – the Hit Stick! The aggressive grade through the fine polishing disks allowed me to make this into a mirror finish! I also used the Buffing Kit sold by Benchmark on this with the disks and product. Worked very well.

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What tips and tricks do you have for us that might be different or eye opening for others to try with BA product?

Using the carbide burrs – less is more. Let the burr do the work with light pressure. Early on I first tried to use it like a flap disk on an angle grinder – big mistake when those bite! Light pressure and sweeping the surface – the metal will come off!

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If there was one person you could collaborate with - who would it be and why?

I’d like to collaborate with Ivan Iler. While I am far from his artistic creativity I think spending some time working with him would be priceless in learning some material manipulation techniques. From all I’ve seen he has an easy going, peaceful and thoughtful demeanor with his approach to each project and can articulate his past and next steps with what he is doing.

Do you have any advice for the next generation that you wish you had when you first started?

Take a shot. The machine doesn’t have to be well known, the shop doesn’t have to be big and the tools don’t have to be fancy. Jump into it – there are endless resources and videos to help and as many in the trade and arts showing their work on social media.

What are your future plans for your shop?

My dream would be to have a programmable plasma table. While that seems rather far out of reach right now – in the meantime I’d like to get it organized a little more logically. I am fortunate to have collected a large amount of many different kinds of tools to use – now I need to organize!