Metalsmithing Introduction

Posted by Wangkiky Wangkiky over 6 months ago

Metalsmithing is the process of taking metals and manipulating them into the form of jewelry. The 'manipulating' encompasses all kinds of techniques including shaping with hammers, stamps, punches, dies, doming blocks and mandrels, cutting with a saw or shears, drilling, adding rivets, soldering, engraving, etching, forging, stone setting, and casting. Metal is malleable and is therefore a brilliantly versatile material, and the different designs you can create with metalsmithing are endless. [url=http://www.jawaysteel.com/stainless-steel-bars-suppliers.htm]stainless steel bars suppliers[/url] Metalsmithing is separate to wirework, with wireworking being where wire is used to create a variety of jewelry components and ornate creations. Wirework is an easier and less expensive skill to start learning because it doesn't require as many tools, and quite frankly it isn't as easy to hurt yourself with wirework! [url=http://www.jawaysteel.com/wholesale-stainless-steel-rod.htm]wholesale stainless steel rod cheap[/url] When working with metals, especially when sawing, texturing and heating, you need certain equipment and tools on your workbench. Scrap wood is always useful to have to save your bench surface, and a wooden bench pin and clamp is highly recommended for working with sheet metal. When using a hammer, the metal you are working on must be against something that is not your work surface; this is either a metal block (resting on a leather sandbag to deaden the noise), or a doming block or some kind of metal mold which you want to shape the metal onto. [url=http://www.jawaysteel.com/Stainless-Steel-Checked-Sheet.htm]Stainless Steel Checked Sheet[/url]