Atomic Autoworks

Atomic Autoworks Atomic Autoworks Garage – your hands-on source for DIY car builds, restorations, tools, and shop knowledge. Built by industry pros who live the trade.

Follow for practical tips, trusted parts, and no-BS automotive education. Real cars, tools & results.

06/30/2026

Can You Still Read an American Ruler? | Shop Fundamentals #1

Can you accurately read an American ruler?

It sounds simple, but it's one of the biggest skills missing in today's skilled trades.

In the first lesson of our new Shop Fundamentals series, we break down the American (SAE) measuring system step by step—from 1/64" all the way to 1/2"—and explain how each fraction relates to the next.

If you're interested in auto upholstery, autobody, restoration, fabrication, woodworking, welding, or just want to improve your shop skills, accurate measuring is one of the most important foundations you can learn.

In this lesson you'll learn:
✔️ How to read an American ruler
✔️ Understanding fractional measurements
✔️ Why measurement accuracy matters
✔️ How SAE measurements relate to common shop tools
✔️ Real-world measuring tips used every day in professional automotive shops

At Atomic Autoworks Garage, our mission is to help educate the next generation of skilled tradespeople through real-world training and practical experience.

💬 Question: What's one basic shop skill you wish someone had taught you when you first started?

📺 Watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel:
Atomic Autoworks Garage

🌐 Learn more and shop the same tools and materials we use:
https://www.AtomicAutoworks.com

**NOW STREAMING – IN THE SHOP WITH ATOMIC AUTOWORKS GARAGE!** 🎙️WE'RE BACK! 🎙️We apologize for the unexpected interrupti...
06/29/2026

**NOW STREAMING – IN THE SHOP WITH ATOMIC AUTOWORKS GARAGE!** 🎙️

WE'RE BACK! 🎙️

We apologize for the unexpected interruption to our podcast library. Due to a data loss issue, many of our previous episodes temporarily disappeared.

The good news? We've recovered everything and are rebuilding our podcast library! 🎉

Even better, we're moving forward with all-new episodes released every Wednesday!

You'll find In The Shop with Atomic Autoworks Garage and On Two Wheels with Atomic Cycle Works available on:
🎧 Apple Podcasts
🎧 Spotify
🎧 Amazon Music
🎧 iHeartRadio
🎧 Audible
🎧 Pandora
🎧 Buzzsprout
…and most major podcast platforms.

Prefer to watch? 📺
You can also enjoy the full video versions on our YouTube channels, featuring real conversations with builders, shop owners, manufacturers, racers, and industry professionals who are helping preserve the skilled trades.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. We're excited to be back—and we're just getting started.

New episodes premiere every Wednesday. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share to help us continue our mission of Bringing Back the Trades!

If you're passionate about classic cars, custom builds, restoration, hot rods, muscle cars, trucks, fabrication, paint and body, interiors, detailing, or the automotive industry, **In The Shop with Atomic Autoworks Garage** is the podcast for you.

Each episode features real conversations with the builders, shop owners, restorers, fabricators, painters, detailers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and industry professionals who are keeping the automotive trades alive.

Whether you're a professional technician, weekend DIYer, restoration enthusiast, or simply love automotive culture, our goal is to educate, inspire, and help preserve the skilled trades for the next generation.

🔧 Automotive Restoration
🎨 Paint & Body Repair
🪑 Custom Upholstery & Interiors
🛠️ Fabrication & Metalwork
🚘 Classic Cars, Hot Rods & Restomods
🚚 Trucks & Performance Builds
🧼 Detailing & Reconditioning
💼 Business, Shop Ownership & Entrepreneurship
🏁 Car Shows, Racing & Automotive Events
👥 Conversations with Industry Leaders

🎧 **Listen on your favorite podcast platform:**
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• iHeartRadio
• Audible
• Pandora
• Pocket Casts
• Podcast Addict
• Buzzsprout
…and most major podcast platforms.

📺 **Prefer to watch?**
Every episode is available in full video on our **Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube Channel**, where you'll also find hundreds of real-world how-to videos, restoration projects, product reviews, and behind-the-scenes shop content.

🌐 Learn more, shop our recommended tools, and support the channel at:

**[www.AtomicAutoworks.com](http://www.AtomicAutoworks.com)**

Our mission is bigger than building great vehicles.

We're working to **Bring Back the Trades** by educating, inspiring, and encouraging more people to build, restore, create, and work with their hands.

If you enjoy the podcast, please **Like, Follow, Subscribe, Share, and Leave a Review.** Every share helps us reach more enthusiasts and strengthen the automotive community.

**Build. Restore. Create. Inspire.**

06/28/2026

We are Learning Auto Upholstery the Right Way | Alfa Romeo Rear Quarter Panel Restoration

Most upholstery videos show you the finished product.

In this episode, we show you how a real upholstery shop thinks.

Working on a vintage Alfa Romeo, we explain why we chose to reuse the original rear quarter panels as templates instead of building new panels from scratch. We cover shop workflow, work ethic, decision making, tools, materials, and the techniques used every day in professional automotive upholstery.

You'll see how we:

✔ Evaluate existing panels
✔ Use original parts as templates
✔ Apply marine-grade vinyl
✔ Glue and wrap materials properly
✔ Finish edges cleanly
✔ Reinstall original chrome trim
✔ Make restoration decisions that save time while maintaining quality

If you've ever wanted to learn automotive upholstery, restore classic cars, or enter the trades, this series was built for you.

Check out:
🌐 www.atomicautoworks.com
🌐 www.atomiccycleworks.com

We also provide access to many of the tools and materials we use so you can learn and work on your own projects at home.

What classic interior would you like to learn next?

🎙️ **WE'RE COMING BACK... AND BETTER THAN EVER!** 🔥Get ready the **"In The Shop" Podcast** is returning with **all-new e...
06/27/2026

🎙️ **WE'RE COMING BACK... AND BETTER THAN EVER!** 🔥

Get ready the **"In The Shop" Podcast** is returning with **all-new episodes**, a fresh format, and even more content focused on the people who keep this industry moving.

This isn't just another automotive podcast.

We're diving deeper into the real world of the automotive industry with conversations that matter to:

🔧 Shop Owners
🔧 Automotive Technicians
🔧 Upholstery Professionals
🔧 Collision Repair & Paint Specialists
🔧 Restoration Shops
🔧 Fabricators & Welders
🔧 Performance Builders
🔧 Customizers
🔧 Small Business Owners
🔧 Anyone passionate about the skilled trades

We'll be talking about the challenges, successes, tools, equipment, shop management, hiring, business growth, customer service, new products, industry trends, and everything in between.

If you make a living with your hands, own a shop, dream of starting one, or simply love the automotive world, this podcast is for you.

🎧 **Real shops. Real people. Real conversations.**

Get ready... **"In The Shop with Atomic Autoworks Garage"** is coming back, and this time we're going even deeper into the trades we love.

👉 Follow our page and turn on notifications so you don't miss the first episode!

**Built by enthusiasts. Driven by passion.**
**See you in the shop.**

06/26/2026

HOURS UPON HOURS GONE... and it wasn't our fault.

This motorcycle came to us already painted. The plan was simple: add custom flames, clear coat it, and send it home looking incredible.

Then the nightmare started.

As we removed the masking, the existing paint underneath began peeling off the motorcycle. What looked like a completed paint job turned into a complete failure that no amount of skill, effort, or premium materials could fix.

Most shops would never show you this side of the business.

We did.

Because real custom work isn't just about the perfect finished photos. It's about understanding what can go wrong, how professionals diagnose problems, and why previous workmanship matters.

This one cost us more than 16 hours and ultimately had to go back to the original painter.

That's real shop life.

Have you ever had a project that looked perfect until one hidden problem changed everything?


06/26/2026

Sometimes it's worth going a little beyond the original plan.

This golf cart seat started as a basic upholstery project.

But as the design came together, we decided to add a little extra detail with custom diamond stitching and a clean green material combination.

The result?

A seat that's a little more custom than the customer originally asked for—but also something they can be proud of every time they climb into the cart.

Sometimes the difference between ordinary and memorable comes down to a few extra details and the willingness to take pride in the work.

We think it turned out great.

Would you have kept it simple, or do you like the added custom touches?


06/24/2026

One of the biggest upholstery mistakes starts before you make the first cut.

Facebook Description

Most people assume if material comes pre-cut, it must be square.

That's a dangerous assumption.

In this video, Eddie shows why we always square up our upholstery material before starting a project. A material edge that's slightly off can throw off an entire pattern, create crooked stitch lines, and make installation more difficult later.

As we continue working on this golf cart seat, we're also stepping outside our normal design and trying something a little different.

Sometimes the small details nobody sees are the reason the finished product looks professional.

Would you trust the material, or would you verify it first?


LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE TRADESLink is in the comments below.The skilled trades are the backbone of our commun...
06/23/2026

LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE TRADES
Link is in the comments below.

The skilled trades are the backbone of our communities, and it's up to all of us to help build the next generation.

Atomic Autoworks Garage is assembling fully equipped toolboxes to give away to individuals pursuing careers in the trades. Whether it's a young person just getting started, an apprentice working hard to build a future, or an experienced tradesperson facing difficult times, the right tools can make all the difference.

Our goal is simple: give back to the industries that have given so much to us.

We're accepting both tool donations and monetary contributions to help us purchase the equipment needed to fill these toolboxes. Every donation, large or small, helps put valuable tools into the hands of someone who is ready to work, learn, and succeed.

Know someone who deserves a helping hand? Nominate them.

Want to help strengthen the future of the trades? Donate today.

Together, we can invest in people, preserve skilled craftsmanship, and build a stronger future for the trades we all depend on.

ANY DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

06/22/2026

A great-looking seat starts long before the upholstery goes on.

Facebook Description

Most people only see the finished product.

What they don't see is the planning, measuring, marking, and design work that happens beforehand.

In this short video, Eddie begins laying out the design for a custom golf cart seat by finding center points, marking reference lines, and determining what the finished upholstery pattern will look like.

One small mistake at this stage can affect the entire seat.

That's why precision matters.

Sometimes the difference between an average upholstery job and a great one is simply taking the time to do the basics correctly.

Do you enjoy the design process or the finished result more?


06/21/2026

Everyone wants to learn a trade... until they see what the job actually involves.

By popular request, we're finally finishing the bomber seats we started back in Episodes 1 and 2.

The seats came out great, but this video turned into something much bigger than just installing seat covers.

We talk about upholstery schools, apprenticeships, real-world shop experience, and the reality of working in the trades.

Schools are important. They teach fundamentals, build confidence, and help people discover a passion for craftsmanship.

But real shop work is different.

Most projects don't arrive with brand-new parts and clear instructions. Most days involve solving problems, salvaging components, adapting to unexpected challenges, and figuring out how to make things work.

That's why we believe it's important to show not only the finished product but also the process, the mistakes, the challenges, and the lessons learned along the way.

The world moves fast today. Everyone wants the quick answer, the shortcut, or the 30-second video.

But quality work takes time.

The trades take time.

Learning takes time.

Maybe it's time we slow down a little and start teaching people how things are actually done again.

Do you think today's world is making it harder for people to focus on learning detailed skills and trades?


Address

Middletown, CT

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18608073913

Website

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