JEWELRY AND METAL ARTS TOOL GUIDE AND NOTES

ELEMENTS OF JEWELRY AND METAL ARTS THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA DEPARTMENT OF JEWELRY AND METAL ARTS

SALVATORE ALETO JR. JEWELER’S SAW

AFTER SECURING ONE END OF THE BLADE USE YOUR BODY TO COMPRESS THE FRAME TO SECURE THE REMAINING END

MAKE SURE THE SAW BLADE IS IN WORK SHOULD BE THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND TIGHT ------PERPENDICULAR ------TO BLADE USE BEESWAX TO LUBRICATE THE BLADE, NOT TOO MUCH

START WITH A FEW UPSTROKES TO MAKE A CLEFT, USE THE CLEFT TO START CUTTING DOWNWARD

KEEP THE SAW FRAME LEVEL WITH THE BLADE PERPENDICULAR TO THE WORK

KEEP THE WORK FIRMLY OVER THE BENCH PIN, OR IT WILL WIGGLE FILES WE USE PUSH-CUT FILES HALF ROUND PUSH CUT FILE (THERE ARE ALSO PULL-CUT) DO NOT PULL/DRAG A PUSH CUT FILE

PUSH CUT: MEANING THE FILE IS PUSHED AWAY FROM THE FILE’S HANDLE 

FILES RANGE FROM COARSE TO FINE CUT, THE FILE’S CUT NUMBER INDICATES THE TYPE OF CUT

0 - IS A COARSE CUT FILE 2 - IS A MEDIUM CUT 4 - IS A FINE CUT, ETC.

CLEAN WITH A FILE BRUSH ALONG THE GROOVES, AND OIL OCASSIONALLY

DO NOT USE IMPROPERLY: FILES ARE DIFFICULT TO SHARPEN- THEY REQUIRE A SPECIAL HONING TOOL TO SHARPEN THE MANY TEETH EQUALLY STEEL TOOLS SHOULD NOT GET WET HAMMERS & MALLETS

BRASS ROUGH WORK HAMMER • Great for all rough work, daps, dies and disc cutters CHASING • For chasing, chiseling, riveting or peening RIVETING • For forming metal and riveting FORMING • Used to move/form heavier gauge metals RAISING • Used to create seamless form without thinning the metal PLANISHING • Used for hardening metal and to smooth the surface TEXTURING • Used to apply various textures BALL PEEN • Popular hammer used for shaping and flattening metal RAWHIDE MALLET • For light forming without roughing surface DELRIN AND NYLON MALLETS • Also for light forming without roughing surface

DAPPING BLOCKS AND PUNCHES PUNCHES

WHEN DAPPING, THE METAL SHOULD BE ANNEALED

FIND THE APPROPRIATE SIZE PUNCH FOR THE DAP YOU ARE USING ON THE DAPPING DAPPING BLOCK BLOCK

DO NOT USE TOO LARGE OF A PUNCH, IT WILL ONLY DAMAGE THE DAP AND PUNCH

ONLY USE BRASS HEAD OR DAPPING SET ROUGH WORK HAMMERS

USE ON THE WOODEN WORK TABLE, NOT THE STEEL BLOCK

DISC CUTTERS USE THESE PROPERLY!

EACH SET IS DIFFERENT, BUT IT WILL ALWAYS BE CLEAR THAT ONE SIDE IS FOR STRIKING AND THE OTHER FOR CUTTING (DO NOT REMOVE THE ALLIGNMENT PINS)

THE SLIGHTLY BEVELED EDGE IS FOR STRIKING (THE PAINTED SIDE)

THE PERFECTLY FLAT EDGE IS THE CUTTING EDGE

NEVER STRIKE THE CUTTING EDGE

USE THE BRASS HEAD OR ROUGH WORK HAMMERS - IDEALLY WITH ONE SOLID STRIKE USE ON THE WOOD WORK TABLE, NOT THE STEEL BLOCK

DISC CUTTERS ARE ALSO GREAT FOR MAKING WASHERS

DRILL PRESS DRILL BIT

KNOW HOW TO TURN OFF!

ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES

TIE BACK LONG OR LOOSE HAIR, AND ANY LOOSE CLOHING

DO NOT WEAR HEADPHONES

DO NOT WEAR GLOVES

USE A PUNCH TO SET A GROOVE FOR THE DRILL BIT TO SEAT

SECURE THE METAL WELL CHUCK KEY

USE A CHUCK KEY TO SECURE THE BIT BY THE SHAFT, DO NOT INSERT BIT TOO FAR OR COVER FLUTES

DRILL SLOWLY, THE BIGGER THE BIT, AND THICKER THE METAL, THE SLOWER YOU DRILL STAMPING & REPOUSSE

WORKS EASIEST WHEN ANNEALED BECAUSE THE METAL IS SOFTENED

WHEN STAMPING YOU ONLY WANT TO STRIKE ONCE FOR CRISP DETAIL

STAMPS CAN ALSO BE USED TO CREATE PATTERNS AND TEXTURES

YOU CAN USE A RULER, BOARD, OR SCRAP METAL AS A GUIDE FOR CREATING STRAIGHT LINES OF TEXT

USE ROUGH WORK, BRASS HEAD, OR CHASING HAMMERS FOR REPOUSSE (CHASING IS TRADITIONALLY USED FOR REPOUSSEE)

FOR REPOUSSE THE WORK IS SET IN PITCH OR WAX, AND REPOUSSE AND CHASING TOOLS ARE USED TO IMPRINT DESIGNS

Chasing and Repousse article on Wikipedia • Metal must be Forming annealed and clean. • Protect your metal; use the appropriate hammer for your stage of forming • Use the premade dies to your advantage, forming is extremely time consuming • Annealing is important!

Forming and Forging • Metal must be annealed throughout the process to avoid stress and cracking • Forging uses compression to shape (form) the metal • Be careful – Don’t smash or cut your fingers! Forging can create sharp edges! Traditional Anticlastic Cuff – Google images Forming and Raising • Forming simply means giving the metal shape • Metal is typically formed with presses, dies, hammers/stakes, by hand, or by raising • Raising is a traditional method of forming bowls and vessels out of flat sheet David Huang Vessel: Raising Chasing and Repousse Hydraulic Forming •Always anneal! •Uses dies to form •Great for units or repetition •Common in industry •Generates nice organic shapes •Can be done repeatedly to create depth

Hydraulic Press Basics Basic Operation WATCH THE PRESSURE •Anneal metal every time GUAGE! ALWAYS < 20,000! •Always center everything •Make sure the pressure lever is engaged (up) •Pump the lever slowly: It has two stages: down first, then up Always place •Disengage the pressure lever work in center of when finished (drop the table) piston! •Study the case on the wall •Black rubber = depth •Orange rubber = definition •Sand can be added for depth •Make your own dies, reinforce with brass for durability Our release is the red lever •Be mindful of design distortion found on the left side Hammer Marks

• When forming be aware of hammer marks • They can be removed through planishing, filing, and sanding • And/Or, the metal can be carefully formed • Consider making custom dies and jigs for bending/folding and/or forming your piece(s)

Kee-Ho Yuen Remember to use the appropriate hammer Brass/Rough “Green” Hammers for daps/ BRASS ROUGH WORK HAMMER dies • Great for all rough work, daps, dies and disc cutters Forming FORMING • Used to move/form heavier Hammer gauge metals RAWHIDE MALLET • For light forming without roughing surface Rawhide Mallet Raising Hammer DELRIN AND NYLON MALLETS • Also for light forming without roughing surface PLANISHING • Used for hardening metal and to smooth the surface Delrin and RAISING Nylon • Used to create seamless Mallets form Planishing Hammer without thinning the metal

COPPER - Cu

100% RECYCLABLE (use those scraps!) Susceptible to corrosion 

Ductile

Malleable

Great thermal and electrical conductivity

Anneal to deep red: 371-648 °C/700-1200 °F NOT bright red orange! Or use flux method

Melting Point: 1084.62 °C/1984.32 °F

Copper article on Wikipedia ALUMINUM - Al

100% RECYCLABLE (use those scraps!)

Corrosion Resistant- Good for jewelry that will be in contact with skin! 

The third most abundant metal

Anneal with wooden dowel/rod (or chopstick), making sure you are getting a fresh charcoal mark 337-354 °C/640-670 °F

Melting Point: 660.32 °C/1220.58 °F

Aluminum article on Wikipedia BRASS

90% RECYCLABLE (use those scraps!) Alloy of Copper and Zinc: Proportions vary depending on application

Corrosion Resistant  Malleable Great acoustic properties

Anneal to deep red: like copper 426-732 °C/ 800-1300 °F NOT bright red orange! Or use flux method

Melting Point: 900 -940 °C/652- 1724 ºF

Brass article on Wikipedia BASE & NOBLE METALS

BASE METALS NOBLE METALS (precious)

CORRODES AND OXIDIZES EASILY CORROSION AND OXIDATION RESISTANT COPPER, LEAD, NICKEL, ZINC GOLD, PLATINUM, IRIDIUM, PALLADIUM, OSMIUM, SILVER, RHODIUM, RUTHENIUM

Base Metals article on Wikipedia Noble Metals article on Wikipedia

FERROUS - SCRAP IRON & STEEL FERROUS METALS & NON-FERROUS METALS

FERROUS METALS: Mild, Carbon, and Stainless Steel, Cast and Wrought Iron

CONTAIN IRON AND ARE MAGNETIC

Non-ferrous Metals article on Wikipedia NON FERROUS – SCRAP Al, Cu & TIN

NON-FERROUS METALS: Aluminum, Beryllium, Copper, Lead, Titanium, Zinc

DO NOT CONTAIN APPRECIABLE AMOUNTS OF IRON AND ARE NOT MAGNETIC

Ferrous Metals article on Wikipedia

Places to Purchase Metal

• Here-SAAH (Ben) • Map/Directions • Paul’s Hardware • Hobby Corner • Blick Art Materials • Michaels • Hobby Lobby • Ace Hardware • Lowes • Menards