Things You'll Need:
- Sheet metal
- Bench pin
- Saw blade
- Jeweler's saw frame
- Bastard file
- Steel block
- Masking tape
- Liner tool
- Chasing hammer
- Rawhide mallet
- Center punch
- Wood block
- Drill bits
- Flexible shaft machine (drill)
- Digital caliper
- Rivet wire, 14- to 18-gauge
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Step 1
Get a piece of sheet metal to practice on and learn the techniques. Place the sheet metal on a bench pin. Install a saw blade into a jeweler's saw frame. Do not make the blade too loose or too tight, which could cause the blade to break.
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Step 2
Place the saw at a 90-degree angle to the metal and do an upward stroke on the edge to make a mark. Put the top of the saw on the indent and move the blade up and down, letting the teeth do the work. Sawing is an important method for creating shapes or patterns. Cut a few 3 inch by 3 inch pieces for practice, and save them.
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Step 3
Use a bastard file to smooth out the edges of the square pieces you just cut. This is important for removing rough edges. Note that the metal is only removed on the forward stroke. The backward stroke of the file scratches the metal and can give the illusion that it has removed metal.
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Step 4
Place one of the sheet metal squares onto the steel block and use masking tape to secure it. Draw a line on the metal, then rest a liner tool on the metal where you will chase a line. Chasing is a way to make imprints in metal, looking very similar to engraving.
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Step 5
Make gentle taps with a chasing hammer. Move the liner tool along the line, being careful not to pick up the tool. This will ensure a continuous-looking line. If the metal becomes domed or deforms in any way, turn it over and lightly hammer the surface with a rawhide mallet to reshape the metal. Chasing can also create shapes and texture using stamps or other chasing tools to imprint the metal.
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Step 6
Use either the sheet metal square from the chasing or a new square and rest it on the steel block. This prepares for the next technique of drilling or piercing metal. Decide where you want to create a hole. Take a center punch and put the tip on the decided hole location. With the chasing hammer, tap the top of the tool to make an indent in the metal.
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Step 7
Put the sheet of metal on top of a wood block. This provides the back surface for when you drill into metal. Secure a drill bit into the flexible shaft and put the tip on the indent. Make sure the drill is at a 90-degree angle and drill your hole.
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Step 8
Measure another piece of sheet metal with digital calipers and make a note of the reading. This will help determine the length of the rivet wire you will cut. It should be cut 2mm longer than the metal's width. Rivets can be used to join metal together without using heat, and can also provide interesting elements for design. In addition to wire, two other common types of rivets include tube and split.
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Step 9
Decide where you would like the rivet and indent the metal at that location. Use a drill bit that is the same as the wire gauge for the rivet. Place the drill bit on the dimple, and drill a hole. Cut the wire to the appropriate length and thread the rivet wire into the hole. Place the threaded metal onto the steel block and gently tap on the wire with the chasing hammer. Flip the metal over and do the same.
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Step 10
Use the techniques of sawing, chasing, drilling and riveting to begin shaping your designs for metal jewelry.
