Hand fabrication

Hand fabrication is a large topic. This page will attempt to highlight processes most commonly found in a metalsmith's shop. We highly encourage you to refer to Tim McCreight's book The Complete Metalsmith for excellent information on these and other metalworking processes.

Hand Tool Processes

• Sawing
• Filing
• Sanding
• Stamping
• Dapping/Doming
• Disc cutting

  Disc cutting notes:
  How to use a disk cutter:
  Use a disk cutter on top of a rubber pad for support. We recommend to use this with a 95 duometer urethane pad to extend the life of the cutters.
  Use a cutting lubricant, like Stay Sharp, to lubricate the cutting edges of the punch.
  Use a suitable mallet, never a nail driving hammer. We suggest brass mallets.
  Always support the opposite side of the cutter with a sheet of the same diameter metal that you are cutting. This will help keep the upper and lower parts of the disk cutter in alignment and help minimize material sticking in the disk cutter.
  Do not exceed the maximum thickness recommended for your disk cutter.
  Only cut soft non-ferrous metals like brass, copper, silver and gold.
  Make sure your cutting edges are down.
  To prevent rust, keep your disk cutter lubricated between use and store in a dry location

• Hammering
• Pliers, cutters, mandrels

Power Tool Processes

Drilling

Notes

From Mike Thomas
Drill bits for use on steel are 118 degrees at tip vs 100 (pointier) for wood or copper. Drill shanks for wood and steel use are basically hardened steel. It is the kind of tip that makes it suitable for steel. Copper uses a pointier tip because the flatter one will tend to work harden the surface.