Beginners Guide to Jewellery Making Cutting.
Metal cutting can be performed using a saw, shears, or a drill. All of these processes can be mechanised but are equally as effi cient using hand tools. Your choice of tool will determine the type of cut you will achieve: A saw will produce a fi ne but slightly jagged cut depending on your skill level and size of blade used, a drill will produce a precise hole which will be accurate and clean and shears or snips will produce a rough edge which may well distort your metal. Files are used to smooth out any raw edges following cutting. It is important to mark metal clearly before starting so as not to waste material and achieve accurate results. Planning, marking out and measuring are all key stages in any cutting process.
10 Tools of the trade...
A) Metal ruler: A sturdy metal ruler is a must for any workbench and they are widely available in most hardware stores. A 30cm version will cover all bases and ensure accurate measuring and straight lines to guide you when sawing.
B) Dividers: Dividers are essentially the jeweller’s version of a compass, but instead of having a pencil and a sharp point, they have two sharp points. They are used for marking out metal before cutting and are available in a range of sizes. 4” dividers are a good general starting size.
C) Scriber: A scriber is used in the same way as a pencil and is another tool for drawing on and marking out metal. It has a fi nely ground point which needs to be maintained to ensure consistent results.
D) Centre Punch: A centre punch is used in conjunction with a hammer to mark the position of a hole to be drilled. They are often more substantial than scribers with a shallower point to withstand the blow of a hammer. Handles are usually engine turned (textured by machine) to provide a good grip.
Fixed Saw Frame: A jewellers saw frame is u-shaped and the height of the ‘u’ dictates the size of the frame; (a larger frame will enable you to saw further into a sheet of metal). Saw blades are secured via screws which are tightened to create tension. A 3” frame is suffi cient for a beginner.
F) Adjustable Saw Frame: An adjustable saw frame has a screw at the top of the ‘u’ shape which can be loosened to allow the length of arm to be changed. The biggest advantage of this is that it allows you to use broken saw blades as well as new ones which can be benefi cial whilst learning to saw.
G) Saw Blades: Saw blades come in a range of sizes and are usually sold by the dozen or gross (144). The size of blade used is determined by the size of material to be cut, as well as the intricacy of the line required. They are graded as 8/0 fi nest (suitable for metal up to 0.4mm) right up to 4 which is the coarsest (suitable for metal 1mm – 1.3mm).
H) Shears or tin snips: Shears or snips are used primarily for cutting solder strips and thin sheet. They use a scissor action and handles can either be curved or straight. (Curved handles will provide more purchase causing less stress to the hands). When choosing shears check their suitability for light or heavy duties and remember that heavy duty tools will cope with thicker metal.
I) Flat, coarse fi le: A full size fl at fi le is approximately 6” in length and has a rectangular profi le featuring two, large fl at cutting faces. For the most effi cient removal of material a coarse fi le (00) is the best choice. (N.B. full size fi les do not generally come with
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Tip: Do not be tempted to make do with a plastic ruler as you will fi nd that both your metal and your hand tools will damage the straight edge quickly and result in inaccurate marking out and measuring.
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Tip: Don’t get confused with the vast array As a beginner you simply need a coarse fi le a medium cut fi le to clean up rough edges In addition to this, a set of six needle fi les w you need to perform most basic tasks. Cut with 0 being the coarsest and 4 being the fi to your collection as more specifi c needs a
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