Beginners Guide to Jewellery Making Metal Forming.


Metal forming is one of the most fundamental processes of all jewellery making. It involves the manipulation of metal in its raw state using hammers, formers, punches and pliers in order to change it into a different shape. Formed metal pieces will create the basis for all of your work and can potentially involve numerous tools but it is important as a beginner not to buy too many inappropriate items before fully understanding what they all do. Your work will determine the specifi c tools you need to buy in the long run but in the initial instance, it is entirely possible to manage with just a few basic items.


6 Tools of the trade...


A) Nylon Headed Hammer: A nylon hammer has two identical faces and is used when you want to move metal, but not mark it. It is an essential hammer suitable for many different tasks. The heads of a nylon headed hammer screw in enabling them to be removed and replaced as they wear out.


B) Jobbing Hammer: This is a basic, lightweight hammer otherwise known as a ball-pein. It has a polished fl at, round surface on one side and a domed face to the other. A 4oz/115g ball-pein is a good, general purpose weight to start off with.


C) Raising Hammer: A raising hammer has two rectangular heads and is used for stretching and shaping metal. A fl at piece of metal can be beaten into a three-dimensional shape using a raising hammer. A 9oz/225g raising hammer will serve as a good multi-functional tool.


D) Anvil: An anvil is a shaped, steel former which metal is struck against to alter the contour. A former supports the metal as it is being shaped. An anvil is tapered at either end, often with a rounded taper to one and a square taper to the other. Anvils come in a range of sizes, but a bench anvil is suitable for most jewellery purposes.


E) Flat Plate: This is a fl at, polished steel block which provides the perfect surface for fl attening metal.


F) Ring Triblet or Mandral: A ring triblet is a long tapered steel former for shaping metal into rings. It has no markings on the outside and is not to be confused with a ring sizer. It needs to be secured in a sturdy vice before use.


G) Round Nose Pliers: Round nose pliers have two tapered, fully round jaws and are absolutely essential for wire work. They are used for gripping and bending and forming metal into loops and curves and come in a range of sizes. The size of your pliers should suit the scale of your work, but if selecting just one pair, go for the slightly larger size, usually 130mm.


H) Flat Nosed Pliers: Flat nosed pliers have two tapered, fl at jaws and again are used for gripping, forming and bending metal. They are particularly useful for creating angular bends due to the square section of the jaws.


Tip: Any surface or too metal has the potentia metal if not maintained If tools do get damage it is advisable to get th and polished to preven being imprinted onto y


K


Tip: Steel hammers will shape, stretch and mark metal, wooden mallets will shape and stretch it slightly and rawhide and nylon hammers will shape and not mark, providing care is taken.


A


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24