What are you using this crafted piece for? Is it appropriate and safe in the space?
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Do you know how to properly care for this particular metal? Some metals can react differently to certain polishes or cleaners.
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Is the design appropriate to the piece’s function?
consider...
What information about caring for the metal is provided?
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Has excess solder been minimized and excess resin removed? Seams should be completely even, avoiding untidy filler.
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If the work will be in contact with food, is it free of lead or cadmium bearing alloys?
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Was the iron brightened before finishing, with rust-proofing?
...ask the artist about
the material
Metalwork is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large-scale structures. The term metalwork includes a wide range of applications, from industrial projects such as large ships and bridges to smaller technological parts for engines and electronics, and even fine jewellery. Without metals and the skill of metalworkers, goods and services would cease to move around the globe on the scale we know today.
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Since the times of ancient populations, metalwork and precious metals have held a significant value, requiring rules of ownership, distribution, and trade. Metalworkers were very skilled at creating objects of adornment, religious artifacts, trade instruments of precious metals (non-ferrous such as aluminium and copper), and of course weaponry, usually made of ferrous metals and alloys.
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Today, metalwork objects and techniques have only become more common and grown progressively more complex.
metal
identifying features
Precious Metal: Precious metal such as gold, silver, and platinum usually has a high lustre and is high in value.
Base Metal: There are many metals that are considered base metals, so they have a range of features and are inexpensive. Examples include copper, zinc, lead, and nickel.
properties
Precious Metal: Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metals with high economic value, known for their high lustre and ductile properties. They are noble metals (a category which also includes various alloys) and are therefore resistant to corrosion and oxidation even at high temperatures. While sometimes used industrially, they are known for their use in art, jewellery, and coinage.
Base Metal: Base metals are more common. They are defined as types of metal that oxidize fairly easily and, in addition to the examples listed above, include steel, aluminium, and tin.
common uses
Due to metal's durability and versatility, it is a natural choice as a medium for a range of applications including everyday items such as cutlery, serving utensils, coinage, and electronics. It can be used for delicate products such as jewellery but can also be used in large scale sculptural work or in industrial machinery.
techniques
Brazing: Though a similar joining process to soldering, brazing melts the filler metal at a higher temperature and involves parts that are fitted together much more closely. Brazing is favoured over soldering for its strength.
Casting: A forming process that requires no mechanical force. Molten metal is poured into a mold, where it then cools into the desired shape.
Cutting: A series of processes where the metal is transformed into a specific shape by removing excess material, also known as chips or swarf. Techniques include manual cutting (chisel, saw), machining (milling, grinding), welding (laser, oxy-fuel burning), erosion (water jet, abrasion), and chemical (photochemical machining).
Forming: When the metal is modified by shaping the material through mechanical force and often heat as well. Forming is different from cutting in that no metal material is actually removed during the process. Instead, it is simply reformed.
Joining: Refers to the process of attaching metalwork pieces. The right joining method ensures stability and quality. Sometimes cement or epoxy is used when riveting, soldering, or welding are not possible/practical based on the design.
Riveting: A permanent metal fastening process, typically used in machinery, where a metal rivet consisting of a tail and a flat or cylindrical "factory head" that is placed into a drilled hole. Once inserted, the rivet tail is "bucked," meaning it is flattened with force into a "shop head," keeping both the rivet and metal pieces in place.
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Soldering: The joining process where metals are joined together by melting a filler metal or solder into the joint. They filler metal will have a lower melting point than the adjoining workpieces. Thus, upon heating, only the filler metal will melt, fusing the pieces together, while the workpieces remain intact.
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Welding: A fusing process unlike soldering or brazing, in that the workpieces or base metals are melted in addition to a filler metal. It involves a higher temperature, melting the base metal as the main fuse, with a filler metal to strengthen and further stabilize.
for reference
Beading edges: A means of finishing a metal edge, commonly applied when making stained glass.
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Burr: A raised edge or leftover material that remains attached to a workpiece after any sort of modification. Typically an unwanted result of metalsmithing. Burrs are removed with the use of various tools in a process known as deburring.
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Fire-scale: A reddish purple "stain" that occurs on silver and copper alloys such as sterling silver when the metal is heated in the presence of oxygen. Takes the form of blotchy patches, making it appear as a blemish.
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Workpiece: The term workpiece refers to the base metal pieces a metalsmith is working with. Other metal materials involved in metalwork includes filler metals, rivets, solder pastes, etc.