What should welding and fabrication creators offer on Patreon?

Welding and fabrication creators offer the technical parameter documentation that video tutorials cannot convey: specific wire feed speed, amperage, voltage, shielding gas mix percentages, contact-tip-to-work-distance, and travel speed for each joint type, material thickness, and position. Tier structure for welding and fabrication instructors: Apprentice ($8–12/month, early access to project reveals, shop process posts, Discord organized by process — MIG, TIG, stick — and material type), Weld Notes ($15–25/month, written parameter documentation for each project: machine settings at each joint, material specification and thickness, electrode or wire specification, shielding gas mix and flow rate, joint preparation notes — bevel angle, root gap, tack weld spacing — and what the video compressed out: why the creator changed parameters between sections, what a bad bead looks like versus a good bead for this specific setup, and how to read bead width and crown height as feedback on parameter calibration), Critique ($25–40/month capped 8–12, monthly written critique of patron welds submitted with clear photographs showing the bead face, root if accessible, and cross-section if the patron is willing to section a test piece). The documentation layer for welding is what video cannot provide: the exact machine settings that produced the bead visible in the footage, which the camera cannot capture and which are rarely stated in tutorials because most instructors assume viewers have similar machines with similar calibration — an assumption that is wrong across the range of machines patrons own.

How does the Apple Tax affect metalworking creator Patreons?

Metalworking creators have moderate Apple Tax exposure, lower than some craft categories because the metalworking YouTube audience skews toward desktop and large-screen viewing — metalworking content is often reference material for active shop work, and a phone is less convenient as a reference display in a shop environment. YouTube metalworking and welding content: 45–55% iOS — below the craft-category average because shop workers watching reference content often use a tablet or laptop near the work area. Instagram metal sculpture and fabrication accounts: 65–75% iOS — visual finished-work accounts are more mobile-primary. TikTok metalworking shorts: 75–85% iOS. In dollar terms: a welding instructor at $400/month with 50% iOS faces approximately $60/month ($720/year) in Apple fees beginning November 1, 2026. A metal sculptor at $600/month with 65% iOS: approximately $117/month ($1,404/year). Enable Patreon's web-only billing toggle before October 31, 2026. Update YouTube channel About page links and Instagram bio to point to the Patreon web URL. The lower iOS rate means the dollar amount is somewhat smaller than for fiber arts or lifestyle craft categories, but still meaningful for creators earning $300/month or more.

What weld parameter documentation should metalworking Patreon creators provide?

Weld parameter documentation is the highest-value technical content for a metalworking Patreon because it is the information most systematically absent from publicly available metalworking tutorials. The documentation format for each project and each joint type: machine make and model (the same nominal settings produce different outputs across machine brands and ages — a Lincoln Electric Power MIG 210 and a Miller Millermatic 211 set to 'wire feed speed 3 and voltage B' are not producing the same weld); material specification (not 'mild steel' but A36 structural steel, 1018 cold-rolled, 4130 chromoly, or 304 stainless — each has different preheat requirements, wire compatibility, and post-weld cooling considerations); material thickness at the joint (measured at the thinnest member, which controls minimum heat input); wire or electrode specification (ER70S-6 MIG wire is not the same as ER70S-3 for dirty or scaled base metal; 7018 stick electrodes are not the same as 6013 for out-of-position work); shielding gas mix (75% Ar/25% CO2 C25 is standard for structural MIG; 100% CO2 changes penetration profile and spatter; 90% Ar/10% CO2 is cleaner but more expensive; pure argon is for TIG on aluminum and for some stainless applications); wire feed speed, voltage, and the resulting amperage; contact-tip-to-work-distance (CTWD) — the extension of wire beyond the contact tip, which affects arc voltage and penetration; travel speed — stated as approximate inches per minute for the bead in the video; position (flat, horizontal, vertical-up, vertical-down, overhead — each requires parameter adjustment and technique adaptation). Without this documentation, a patron watching the same video who has a different machine, different material from a different supplier, or different gas mix will produce a different weld and have no basis for diagnosing the difference.

How do metal sculpture creators structure Patreon differently from fabrication instructors?

Metal sculpture creators and fabrication instructors have different patron motivations and different documentation priorities. Fabrication instructors attract patrons who want to improve their own welding and metalworking skills — the documentation is technical and instructional, focused on parameter documentation, technique critique, and the diagnostic information that helps patrons calibrate their own setups. Metal sculpture creators attract a broader patron base including collectors, concept-interested viewers, and other makers who follow the work for its artistic rather than technical content. The sculpture Patreon tier structure centers on: design development documentation (concept sketches, model photographs, scale decisions, material selection rationale for the piece), structural engineering decisions (how the creator resolved the challenge of a cantilevered form, how armature was integrated into the final piece without being visible, how the creator accounted for thermal expansion in outdoor pieces with large temperature ranges), surface finish documentation (patina chemistry — ferric nitrate concentration, heat application, wax topcoat specification, outdoor finish durability testing), and the conceptual narrative (what the creator is working through in the current series, how individual pieces relate to each other, what the next direction is). The critique tier is less common in the sculpture context; the equivalent is a process-consultation tier where patrons working on their own sculpture projects can submit concept and in-progress photographs and receive feedback on structural approach, material suitability, or surface treatment planning.

Explainers · 2026-06-25 · ~1,200 words

Patreon for metalworking creators: tiers, welding documentation, fabrication technique notes, iOS rates, and the Apple Tax in 2026

Metalworking creator Patreons retain patrons with the parameter documentation that video tutorials cannot show: exact wire feed speed, amperage, shielding gas mix, and travel speed for each joint type and material thickness. The metalworking audience is YouTube-primary and skews toward desktop viewing during shop work — Apple Tax exposure is moderate but meaningful above $300/month, and the mitigation window closes October 31, 2026.

Creator types and tier structure

Welding and fabrication instructors

Tier structure: Apprentice ($8–12/month, early project reveals, shop process posts, Discord organized by process — MIG, TIG, stick — and material type), Weld Notes ($15–25/month, written parameter documentation for each project: machine settings at each joint, material specification, electrode or wire specification, shielding gas mix and flow rate, joint preparation notes including bevel angle and root gap, and the diagnostic information the video compressed out — what a bad bead looks like versus a good bead for this specific setup, and how to read bead width and crown height as feedback on parameter calibration), Critique ($25–40/month capped 8–12, monthly written critique of patron welds submitted with photographs of bead face, root if accessible, and cross-section of a test piece if the patron is willing to section it).

The Weld Notes tier's value is the parameter layer under the video: the exact machine settings that produced the bead visible in the footage, which the camera cannot capture. Most welding tutorials do not state specific parameters because instructors assume viewers have similar machines with similar calibration — an assumption that is wrong across the range of machines patrons own. A patron watching the same MIG tutorial on a different machine will get a different result and have no basis for diagnosing the difference without knowing what parameters the creator used.

Metal sculpture creators

Tier structure: Studio ($10–15/month, design development posts including concept sketches, model photographs, and material selection notes), Process Notes ($20–35/month, structural engineering documentation — how the creator resolved cantilevered or suspended forms, armature integration, thermal expansion accommodation for outdoor pieces — plus surface finish documentation: patina chemistry at specific concentrations, heat application notes, wax topcoat specification), Collector ($50–100/month capped 5–8, first notification and priority purchasing access for new finished work).

Metal sculpture patrons are primarily motivated by the conceptual development process and the structural problem-solving that complex forms require. The documentation is narrative rather than instructional: the design evolution from sketch through maquette through full-scale execution, the structural constraints that shaped final form decisions, and the surface finish development that produced the specific character of the completed piece.

Sheet metal and precision fabrication creators

Tier structure: Shop ($8–12/month, build posts and process photography), Build Notes ($18–28/month, layout and fit-up documentation — pattern development for complex compound curves, layout transfer methods, bend radius specifications and springback allowance calculations, fit-up sequence documentation showing what was assembled in what order and why — plus finish documentation: media blast specification, primer and topcoat product and application notes), Plans ($30–50/month, full dimensioned drawings and cut lists for completed builds, released to patrons before any public release).

Apple Tax for metalworking creator audiences

Metalworking creators have moderate Apple Tax exposure, lower than most craft categories. YouTube metalworking and welding content: 45–55% iOS — below average because shop workers watching reference content often use a tablet or laptop near the work area rather than a phone. Instagram metal sculpture and fabrication: 65–75% iOS. TikTok metalworking shorts: 75–85% iOS. A welding instructor at $400/month with 50% iOS faces approximately $60/month ($720/year) in Apple fees beginning November 1, 2026. A metal sculptor at $600/month with 65% iOS: approximately $117/month ($1,404/year).

Enable Patreon's web-only billing toggle before October 31, 2026. Update YouTube channel About page links and Instagram bio links to point to the Patreon web URL rather than the iOS app link. The lower iOS rate compared to textile and fiber categories means the annual Apple Tax dollar amount is somewhat smaller for metalworking creators at the same Patreon revenue, but it is still $700–$1,400/year for creators earning $300–600/month with typical iOS exposure.

KeepTier is a self-hosted membership page for creators who want 100% of their tier revenue and zero Apple tax. Plans start at $9/month.