What is Metalsmithing?

 

A metalsmith or smithy is a craftsman fashioning useful items (for example, tools, kitchenware, tableware, jewellery, and weapons) out of various metals. Smithing is one of the oldest metalworking occupations.

As Jeweler’s, the tools and techniques used for smithing are brought down to a much smaller scale but the same basic tools and principles still apply. 

Metalsmiths use a variety of tools and techniques to cut and form raw metals into beautiful works of art that you can wear. 

There are many ways to manipulate metal and that doesn’t always require the use of solder and brazing techniques.

In this article, we are going to focus on tools used to basic forming techniques Wire and Sheet Metal supplies. 

Keep in Mind this is a Beginner’s List to which you will add many many items as you hone your craft and perfect your skills. 

You will need to have a working knowledge of metal gauges and tempers. I plan on additional posts for these topics, but the basics are this:

Gauge – refers to the thickness of the metal sheet or wire. As a rule of thumb, when referring to the Gauge of a metal, the lower the number, the thicker the metal. Therefore, an 8 gauge wire is much thicker than a 20 gauge wire. 

Temper refers to the elasticity and hardness of a metal. The most common tempers of jewelry metals are:

  • Dead Soft
  • Soft
  • Half Hard 
  • Hard

In the Beginning...

The type of tools you need to make your Jewelry is directly related to the type of work you want to do. 

No matter what type of Jewelry you design and make, you will still need some basic tools to aid you in the finishing steps of your work.

When I got started in the Business, I was totally absorbed in Bead Weaving. 

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I started out with a cheap set of jewelry tools from Walmart.  The kit came with the following tools:

  • Flush cutters
  • Round Nose Pliers
  • Chain Nose Pliers
  • Bent Nose Pliers
  • Bead Reamer
  • Tweezers/Bead Scoop
  • Crimping Tool 

These tools worked for me for a very long time, and I still have and use them all to this day.
At the time, I was doing mostly bead weaving and needed a few tools to help me add findings and finish my designs.

In the Kit, I had a tools to cut, form and define my metal wire. Tools that could open and close jump rings and loops on findings. And tools to use with Beads.

But eventually I wanted to up my game. I wanted to make my own findings to add that special touch to my pieces and I also wanted to take my work to the next level. 

I needed a much broader knowledge base as well as some more specialized and more precision type tools.

As we talked about earlier, the types of tools we need are directly related to the tasks we need to perform. 

Metalsmithing Tools ~ Types of Tasks

Metalsmithing Tasks

To Work with Metal you will need a way to :

  • Cut the Metal – Sheet, Wire, Rod 
  • Move the Metal – Flatten, Harden, Straighten 
  • Form the Metal – Shape, Roll, Remove, Refine 
  • Connect the Metal – Solder, Fuse, Cold Connections, etc. 
  • Polish and Finish The Work

In this Series, we will cover the basic tools you will need to perform these basic tasks in Metalsmithing at Home.

I will take each task one at a time, and explore the tools, talk about cost and effectiveness. 

Stay Tuned by following My Blog on the right side of this page. 

Don’t forget to Check out my Solder Station Basics Series for more on Metalsmithing Basics.