Introducing Silversmithing Tools
Topic outline
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An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked"). Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher their inertia, the more efficiently they cause the energy of striking tools to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool. Before the advent of modern welding technology, it was the primary tool of metal workers. The great majority of modern anvils are made of cast steel that has been heat treated by either flame or electric induction. Inexpensive anvils have been made of cast iron and low-quality steel, but are considered unsuitable for serious use, as they deform and lack rebound when struck.
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Chunky hammers with two striking surfaces covered with rows of pyramidal metal teeth or points; used in stone carving.
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Steel hand tools with teeth or raised oblique ridges; used for scraping, redressing, or smoothing metal or wood.
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The fretsaw is a bow saw used for intricate cutting work which often incorporates tight curves. Although the coping saw is often used for similar work, the fretsaw is capable of much tighter radii and more delicate work. It has a distinctive appearance due to the depth of its frame (typically between 10 and 20 inches (25 and 51 cm)), which together with the relatively short five-inch (13 cm) blade makes this tool appear somewhat out of proportion compared with most other saws. Compared with the coping saw it has much shallower blades, which are usually extra-fine, up to 32 teeth per inch (13 teeth per centimeter). This allows much tighter curves to be cut—with many blades even sharp corners are possible—but the blades are also much more fragile compared with that of a coping saw. Unlike the coping saw, the blade has a fixed orientation in relation to the frame. This means that the fretsaw is less useful when cutting long narrow components, but the increased depth of the frame does allow access much further from the edge of the board. The fretsaw is similar in many respects to the scroll saw, which is essentially a powered fretsaw with a table. Blades between the two tools are usually interchangeable, and indeed scroll saws are often known as "fret saws" informally. The tool takes its name from its use in fretwork and ultimately from the French freter (lattice)—a reference to the intricate patterns often created using this tool.
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Gravers come in a variety of shapes and sizes that yield different line types. The burin produces a unique and recognizable quality of line that is characterized by its steady, deliberate appearance and clean edges.
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High-melting brazing alloy, typically brass with silver, requiring temperatures ranging between 750 and 900 degrees Celsius to melt.
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A piercing saw, also known as a jeweler's saw, is a type of saw commonly used in jewelry making on sheet metal. It is usually used on softer metals as the saw is delicate.
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Implements that use a reservoir of ink to make a mark or marks. A marker may have pointed or blunt tips, usually of fiber. It is distiguished from a felt-tip pen in that it typically makes a thicker mark than a pen and is more often used for labeling or marking rather than writing or drawing.
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Paper made of the pulp of wood. In 1854, a process was patented for the mass production of paper pulp from wood, which was inferior in quality and durability to earlier papers. Paper manufactured before the 1850s was made primarily from bast fibers obtained from linen, flax, rags, or cotton.
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Acidic solutions are applied over the Modern Masters Effect Reactive Paints. They react with the real metal particles in the paints thus speeding up the oxidation process. Water-based patinas create an extensive range of colourations on metallic and non-metallic objects. Applying them to crafted pieces can greatly enhance their aesthetic value. The patina solution can be applied by brush or spray directly to copper, brass, bronze, silver and other white metals.
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A pencil is a writing or drawing implement with a solid graphite core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand.
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Hammering tools of modest size, having a handle and relatively large head, usually of wood but sometimes of other materials. Often used to drive another tool, such as a chisel or a gouge.
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The 8" Polishing and Buffing wheel is fitting with a scotchbrite medium wheel on the left for rapid cleaning and de-burring of metal and a Cloth wheel on the right hand side with fine polishing compound.
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Polishing is often used to enhance the appearance of an item, prevent contamination of instruments, remove oxidation, create a reflective surface, or prevent corrosion in pipes.
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Straight-edged strips or cylinders of medium size, usually of wood, metal, plastic, or ivory and having demarcations to indicate units of measurement, used for measuring and for guiding a pen, pencil, or other marking-instrument in forming straight lines upon paper or another material. They are used in geometry, drafting, drawing, carpentry, building, interior design, crafts, and other disciplines. For very long bars or strips of wood or metal having straight and true edges and used for a variety of purposes, including cutting or establishing the evenness of surfaces, use "straightedges."
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Tough paper coated on one side with an abrasive material, such as sand, silica, garnet, silicon carbide, or aluminum oxide; used for smoothing and polishing. Sandpaper is sold in several grades of coarseness usually specified by the size sieve that the particles can pass through, e.g., 400 grit is finer than 100 grit.
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A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire.
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