METAL VOCABULARY Wire = metal drawn out into the form of a thin flexible thread or rod. Sheet Metal = metal formed into thin sheets, typically by rolling or hammering. Alloy = A homogeneous mixture of two or more metals Gauge = a standard measure of dimensions used to describe the diameter or thickness of metal or wire Malleable = a term used to describe metal that is bendable, able to be easily manipulated, or formed Copper = a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. Copper is a pure element therefore it isn’t made up of anything, but itself. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; a freshly exposed surface has a reddish-orange color. Í Copper Sheet Metal Copper Wire Î
Brass = A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, sometimes including small amounts of other metals, but usually it is made up of 67 % copper and 33 % zinc. Í Brass Sheet Metal
ÍBrass Wire
Nickel Silver = an alloy made primarily of copper and including zinc, and nickel. It contains no silver. This alloy is often referred to as "German Silver." ÍNickel Silver Sheet Metal
ÍNickel Silver Wire
Nu-Gold = A copper-based, nickel-free alloy that mimics the look of gold. Often referred to as Merlin's Gold, it is made up of 85% copper and 15% zinc ÍNu-Gold Sheet Metal
Nu-Gold Wire Î
TOOL VOCABULARY Í Vise = A two-jawed clamp used to hold tools or work in place. Hand-held vices typically hold smaller tools and Bench-vices are usually used to hold stakes for forming.
Í Bench Block = a small block of steel with a polished surface and crisp edges will provide invaluable for riveting, centerpunching and similar light hammering.
Í Bench Pin = A "v" shaped wood block that is used in jewelry making to help support a piece while sawing or filing
Í C-Clamp = a clamp in the shape of the letter “C”
Centerpunch = a tool with a point for making an indentation in an object to allow a drill to make a hole at the same spot without slipping
Jeweler’s Saw frame = a U-shaped steel frame with a handle and clamps that hold a jeweler’s saw-blade
Metal Shears = Scissor-like hand tool used to cut metal. (Also called snips)
Safety Glasses/Goggles = required for use in the metals lab to protect your eyes.
Punches / Stamps = Tools made of hardened steel used to decorate, texture, and form metal.
Í Hole Punch = Used to pierce metal in order to insert the saw blade into it
Í Cordless Hand Drill = A drill is a tool fitted with a driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit, used for boring holes in various materials.
Í Ruler = a straight strip or cylinder of plastic, wood, metal, or other rigid material, typically marked at regular intervals, to draw straight lines or measure distances.
Í Flush Side Cutter = A tool that has sharpened blades on their interior surfaces with jaws that end in a point that allows you to cut the wire from any side or angle.
Í Round Nose Pliers = Smooth, round jaws used for making loops and round bends in wire.
Chain Nose Pliers = Pointed flat nose pliers, used for gripping and tucking in wire ends, and getting into tight places.
Wire Cutter = a tool for cutting wire.
File = a tool usually of hardened steel with cutting ridges for forming, shaping, or smoothing metal surfaces
Needle Files = Small files made primarily for smaller, delicate pieces of work.
Mallet = A leather, rubber, or plastic "hammer" used to form, shape, bend, etc. metal with very little if any marking or denting of the surface.
Rawhide Mallet = an organic tool that is used to shape metal without marking the outside of the piece of jewelry.
Mandrel = A metal or wooden cylinder that secures a ring or other round jewelry that aids in various tasks such as bending, forming, buffing, polishing, and carving. Ring Mandrel = a rod of steel used to measure the size of an already existing ring
Ball Peen Hammer = a hammer with a flat end and rounded end.
MATERIAL VOCABULARY Sandpaper = paper with sand or another abrasive stuck to it, used for smoothing or polishing woodwork or other surfaces.
Beeswax = Used as a lubricant on a saw blade in order to keep the blade moving easily across the metal. Use sparingly, it sometimes gunks up the metal shavings and clogs the blade.
Saw-blades = Used in conjunction with a Jeweler’s Saw frame. Saw blades come in many different thicknesses and your blade selection will depend on the material being sawn and nature of the work being done. For very fine delicate work, and for cutting very thin material use a finer blade, and for general purpose cutting a heavier blade. Saw blades have a range of sizes, from finest to coarsest: 8/0, 7/0, 6/0, 5/0, 4/0, 3/0, 2/0, 1/0, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Rubber Cement = Used for adhering your design to the metal
Drill Bit = Used to pierce metal in order to insert the saw blade into it
Jump Ring = A ring that allows a pendant or jewelry piece to hang properly from a key chain/necklace
Buffing Compound = A compound that has an abrasive that will remove metal for the topmost layer to eliminate fine scratches from metal
Rouge = a red colored polishing compound that produces a brilliant shine after buffing
Buffing Wheel / Buffer = a machine that holds and spins buffing pads used to polish/buff metal
Buffing Pads = Used in conjunction with a buffing wheel and buffing compound in order to polish metal. Most buffs come in size from 2 to 6 in. diameter, and also in a variety of special shapes such as those used to polish the inside of rings, cups and bowls, crevices, etc.
TECHNIQUE VOCABULARY Stamping = Stamps are short steel rods used to impress a pattern or texture into metal. They can be commercially bought or made. Piercing = The use of a saw frame and blade to create shapes from within a piece of sheet metal as opposed to coming in from the edge. Forging = the controlled shaping of metal by the force of a hammer. Rivet = A specific type of cold join that usually involves using a cylindrical piece of metal such as a pin or hollow tube. They are slid through a snug hole and upset or bulged over on each end to lock pieces together. Riveting = A method of joining two objects together by making the same size hole in each piece, passing a rod or a tube (that fits snugly) through both of the holes, cutting the top and the bottom of the rod/tube almost flush with the top and bottom of the objects, then pounding the top and bottom of the rod/tube to create a flat head that is bigger than the opening of the hole so that the rod/tube does not slip out of the hole on either side. Cold-Connection/Joining = Attaching two or more pieces of metal without the use of heat or glue Planishing = the use of a hammer or similar impact tool to smooth a metal surface Texturizing = Changing a normally smooth/shiny metal surface by either sanding or using another type of abrasive, chasing tool, chemical or heat, etc.
TECHNIQUES PIERCING Piercing = The use of a saw frame and blade to create shapes from within a piece of sheet metal as opposed to coming in from the edge. Though it is a deceptively simple technique, piercing is not only an extremely versatile process, but a preliminary step in many other procedures. When done correctly, sawing is a relaxed and rhythmic experience • • • • • •
The piece being sawn should be horizontal and securely held. A wooden bench pin is the typical arrangement. The blade must be tightly strung in the saw frame. (See Blade Insertion) The teeth of the blade must point out away from the saw frame and down toward the handle. To determine the direction of the teeth, look closely or stroke the blade against fabric. The blade will snag the cloth in only one direction. The blade should always travel at a right angle to the workpiece. The hand holding the saw frame should be relaxed. Do not clench or jerk the frame. The correct size blade has three teeth on the metal at a time.
Blade Insertion Method #1 Clamp one end of the blade in place and tighten the screw (A) finger-tight. Adjust the length of the frame so the tip of the blade just overlaps the other gripping plate then tighten (B) the frame screw well. Lean the frame against a table, blade uppermost, and press hard enough to “spring” the frame. Slide the loose end of the blade into place and tighten the last screw (C). The frame springs back, putting tension on the blade.
Lubrication This is not always necessary, but it sometimes speeds sawing especially on “gummy” metals such as copper. Beeswax can be used for this.
Piercing This is the term given to sawing when working within a piece. Begin by drilling a hole in each compartment to be sawn. Only a tiny hole will be needed. With the blade secured into the frame at one end, thread the other end through the hole and connect to the frame as usual. After completing the cut, it is often helpful to refine the shape by ‘filing’ with the blade, rubbing it along the sawn edge. To remove, loosen either end of the blade and withdraw it.
RIVETING Riveting = A method of joining two objects together by making the same size hole in each piece, passing a rod or a tube (that fits snugly) through both of the holes, cutting the top and the bottom of the rod/tube almost flush with the top and bottom of the objects, then pounding the top and bottom of the rod/tube to create a flat head that is bigger than the opening of the hole so that the rod/tube does not slip out of the hole on either side. Rivet = A specific type of cold join that usually involves using a cylindrical piece of metal such as a pin or hollow tube. They are slid through a snug hole and upset or bulged over on each end to lock pieces together. Making a Standard Rivet 1. Drill matching holes in the pieces to be joined. If many rivets are being made, set two before drilling remaining holes. This will prevent the pieces from sliding or rotating. 2. The rivet is made of annealed wire that makes a snug fit in the holes. After being cut and filed flat, this should extend a half a diameter on each side of the items being riveted together. 3. Holding the assembly slightly above a steel surface, tap the wire with a small cross peen in two directions making a “+”. 4. As a head develops and the rivet is held in place, use the flat face of a hammer to shape and smooth the rivet.
Preparing a Rivet
(Forming one head before inserting.)
1. Drill holes and select a tight-fitting wire. 2. Hold wire in vise or in pliers supported against a bench/table. Form a rivet head on one end of the wire, as in #3 above. 3. Slide the wire into the workplace, tap lightly to seat it, cut off excess wire and form second head to lock the rivet in place. When connecting soft materials such as wood, leather, etc. use a washer to keep the rivet head from pulling through. This can be of almost any shape and offers a good chance for design enhancement.
If the wire on hand is a little too large to fit a rivet hole, sand or file a gradual taper. This is faster than drawing the wire down.
When forming a rivet head in a tight spot, a flat punch held in a vise is a useful anvil
STAMPING
SANDING Sandpaper is a special type of paper made from an abrasive material. In fact, sandpaper is often said to be a coated abrasive. Sandpaper is usually used for home improvement to make a surface smoother and remove tiny quantities of material from the surface. Sandpaper is used in different types of work. It is generally made of garnet, emery, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, zirconium oxide and chromium oxide. It is available in many different forms (sheet, disc, belt, and sponge) and sizes. Distinguishing Coarse and Fine Grits Sandpaper is numbered with grits, and according to this scale, the lower numbers mean that the grit is coarse and the higher numbers mean that the grit is smaller and more refined. For this reason, you are recommended to start working with coarse sandpaper and then continue with finer sandpaper as you move on with the sanding job. The average grit scale of sandpaper varies from 220 to 600, thus 220 is the coarsest type and 600 would be the finest. There are four numbers that we use: 220, 320, 400, and 600.
COURSE GRIT MEDIUM GRIT FINE GRIT
Sanding Sheet Metal Be careful when you use sandpaper on sheet metal. Sandpaper can be used on several types of sheet metal i.e. copper, brass, silver nickel, and nu-gold. Start sanding the metal with 220-grit sandpaper because if you use a lower grit, you risk damaging the metal with deep scratches. You use sandpaper to remove scratches and dings from the material. NOTE: It is very important that you sand in one direction and maintain that direction all the time Using 320-grit sandpaper When you see that you have no more scratches left on the sheet metal, put away the 200-grit sandpaper. Get up, go to the sink, and wash your sheet metal properly with soap and water. Gently dry it off with paper towel and go back to your seat. Get out your 320-grit sandpaper -this will be one step finer than the
SANDING CONTINUED… 200 grit sandpaper. Use this new sandpaper by sanding in a perpendicular motion to the previous direction. This means sand in the opposite direction that you already sanded in with the 200 grit sandpaper. Inspect the material and check that the 220-grit sandpaper left no marks. Using 400-grit Sandpaper Once you finish sanding with the 320-grit sandpaper, make sure you wash it thoroughly and then replace it with 400-grit sandpaper. Start sanding in a perpendicular direction to the previous one so that you are now sanding in the same direction of the 220-grit sandpaper. Finishing With 600-grit Sandpaper Repeat the same procedures with the 600-grit sandpaper. Now your material is sanded and it is ready to be polished. Always remember to avoid inhaling the particulates removed by the sandpaper or wear a facial mask. You will also reduce the presence of particulates in the air if you decide to use sandpaper with water. Sandpaper is not used only to clean sheet metal prior to fabrication. It is also used as a finishing tool for art jewelry. Sandpaper is usually used to give jewelry a shiny polished look; like that of a mirror, or a rough look; as if the jewelry is scratched.
POLISHING
MISCELLANEOUS Findings = originally the bits and pieces taken from recycled objects by silversmiths (who later “found” a use for them). Today the term includes all manner of attachments that contribute to the function of a jewelry piece, such as ear-wires, clasps, and so on. OR… Commercial or handmade fittings or fastenings used to attach jewelry to the wearer: clasps, ear wires, earring posts, pin assemblies, etc. Clasp = A fastening device, such as a catch or hook, used to hold two or more objects or parts together, as with chains. Chain = a connected flexible series of metal links used for fastening or securing objects and pulling or supporting loads.
