Metalsmithing Equipment and Safety

Definitions

• Annealing- a heat treatment wherein a material is altered, causing changes in its properties such as hardness and ductility. It is a process that produces conditions by heating to above the critical temperature, maintaining a suitable temperature, and then cooling. Annealing is used to induce ductility, soften material, relieve internal stresses, refine the structure by making it homogeneous, and improve cold working properties.

• Soldering- a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal (solder) into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the work piece.

Annealing and Soldering Equipment

• pumice

•

annealing pan

copper tongs

• Flux pickle

• Jewelry/enameling kiln- fires in minutes to 2000°

• Flexible Shaft - this flexible shaft machine is perfect for cleaning, polishing, sanding, drilling and much more. Fully interchangeable unit. Variable speeds up to 22,000RPM.

Soldering Torch

Oxygen

Gas

Hard Solder

• There is easy, medium and hard solder. We use hard solder. Put flux on both pieces first, then place the solder on with the brush.

Third Hand and Steel Tweezers• The third hand is used for holding rings or things that

might need to stand up while soldering. Use the tweezers for adjusting metal while soldering and picking up hot metal and putting it in the water for quenching.(quench - cool (hot metal) by plunging into cold water.)