Unit 2: Cold Connection & Stamping

Learning Objectives:

Students will create a layered design for earrings, pendant, or key chain
Students will saw and pierce metal
Students will drill holes through multiple sheets of metal
Students will fasten a rivet
Students will learn to anneal metal with a torch
Students will learn to stamp metal
Students will experiment with metal patina

Assignment:

You will need to create a piece of jewelry that attaches two pieces of metal together using at least three rivets. The design needs to be inspired by an animal. You will need to create a textured design in the piece through stamping. Finally, you will have the option to patina your texture a darker color. You can make a pendant, earnings, pin, or key chain. Have fun!

Examples:

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Casey K. 2023

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Casey K. 2023

Kiera W. 2024

Navaya W. 2024

Art Inspiration

Riveting

What is a rivet?

A rivet is a type of COLD CONNECTION- or connecting two pieces of metal (or other material) without using fire.

A rivet is a tube that gets placed into a drilled hole through both jewelry pieces.

Using a hammer, the rivet is flared at the end so that it becomes bigger than the whole and holds the two pieces together.

Rivet: Tools, Materials, & Vocab

Types of rivets:

Tube rivets: Hollow rivets, leaving an opening in your piece.

Cap Rivets: Have a shaft and a cap, one size will be domed and the other flush

Wire rivets: Cut from a longer wire, flared on both ends.

Electric drill and drill bits: Used to put properly sized holes into metal. Holes need to be the right size to fit the rivet.

Burr: A rough patch on the backside of the metal after drilling. It needs to be filed off before setting a rivet.

Hammer: Used to flare rivets and set them in place.

Ball peen- used to flare tube rivets

Riveting- used to flatten wire rivets

Anvil: a steel surface where hammering and forming can be done

Steel bench block: A steel surface where hammering can be done

How To Set a Rivet

How to set a rivet:

Drill:Drill or punch holes the correct size for your wire. File any roughness off of the metal.
Fit: Fit rivet through your layers of metal sheet, pre-cut blanks, and/or other components.
Flare:Set item on a steel bench block and keep the components centered on the rivet. Use a riveting hammer to tap a few times on the top of the rivet, then flip the piece over and tap a few times on the other end of the rivet. This starts mushrooming the rivet.
Hammer: Hammer gently around the edges of the rivet on one end, then flip over and repeat.
Finish:Keep flipping over and repeating the steps on each side until both ends are domed and smooth to the touch.

Creating Texture on Metal: Stamping

Using steel stamps:

Place annealed metal on steel bench block or anvil
Choose stamp tool of choice
Make sure you are holding straight up
Hammer with a solid straight blow. Use a metal hammer.
If stamping marks are not showing up very well after several marks, you may need to re-anneal.

Hammering texture:

Create texture by repeating hammered strokes into metal. Different types of hammers will create different types of marks.

You can also use other tools hammered into metal such as a center punch, dapping tool, etc.

Hammering wire into metal

Create a shape from thin wire.

Hammer that shape into your metal piece repeatedly.

Annealing

What is ANNEALING?

Annealing is the process of reducing stress within the metal by heating it to a prescribed temperature. In other words you are softening the metal in order to form it. When annealing the metal, you should heat the piece until it has a slight orange glow.

We anneal so that the metal Is soft enough for us to stamp!

How to Anneal:

Coat your metal with "FLUX"
Place metal piece on soldering stone or another non-flammable surface
Turn torch on, flame should appear bushy
Move the flame over the surface of the metal evenly in slow sweeping motions
When metal turns light orange turn off torch and stop the heating process
Using tongs move piece to the PICKLE to be cleaned and to cool
Wash piece with soap and water

Torch- A nozzle-like instrument attached to the gas tank that directs the flame.

Flux- comes from the Latin word ”flow”, and refers to the chemical that assist in the flow of solder by preventing the formation of oxide.

Pickling solution- This is a strong chemical bath used to dissolve surface oxidation and flux residue from the metal’s surface.

(crock pot)

Patina

What is PATINA?

Patination refers to the process of developing or forming a colour upon a surface or sculpture. A patina can be thought of as a desirable, protective or even decorative tarnish or finish. This is most commonly seen on works of bronze or copper.