Questions tagged [metalworking]
Working and shaping metals with hand tools or machines to create sculptures, jewelry, functional pieces and more.
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Pliers for chainmail that don't scratch the rings
I enjoy chainmailling in my free time, although I am still no expert.
I wanted to know if there are special pliers that exist that one can use to open and close rings without scratching the rings or ...
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Blackening steel with oil vs. vinegar - and others?
I'd like to finish a lamp I made of brazed chain, and so far my reading has uncovered blackening with oil (linseed or motor), or with apple cider vinegar. What is the difference between these two? The ...
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Beginner Question: How would I cut this shape out of 6061 Aluminum?
I have 36" of Aluminum 6061 square bar (5/8"x5/8") that I am trying to cut into uniform I-shapes shown below where two parallel 2" x 1/8" x 5/8" sections are cut from the ...
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Looking for advice on making an electric furnace that can handle 10kg/22lb of aluminium [closed]
Can anyone recommend a method/tutorial for building an electric furnace that has the capacity to handle around 10kg/22lb of aluminium?
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Any quenching tips for 1090 steel?
I have a rasp that no longer works and I found out it's made of 1090 steel, and want to use it to make a tomahawk, but I can't find the proper temperature for quenching.
In case that's important: I ...
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High temp castable refractory cement ok for molten silver?
Ive got a tub of Imperial brand Castable Refractory Cement and I'm wondering if it's able to withstand molten silver? Perhaps in casting jewelry or as a crusible.
The online product details are as ...
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How to use a drill press to drill with drawing layout
I want to make a part with 3mm thickness aluminum plate (about 10 by 10 cm).
On my first try, I painted the plate with permanent ink and drew the layout using a tungsten pen and a square ruler.
After ...
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How to drill a hole on diecast toy using dremel?
I just bought a new-ray helicopter diecast toy. I want to modify it a bit, and one of the plan is to make holes for the windows (square, around 5mm by 5mm). What I'm thinking is to use dremel to drill ...
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Is there a way to make a U-bend using a Hossfeld type bender? [closed]
I want to make the following bend in 3/16" or 1/4" x 1.5" steel flat stock:
The problem is that on most bench type benders, I don't think you can do two opposing bends like this. I ...
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How do I get quenching oil off of tool without cooling it?
I have a question about heat treating O1 tool steel. In this process the tool is heated, then quenched in oil, meaning the hot tool is plunged into a bath of oil that is normally preheated to about ...
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Okay to use a wire-brush on angle grinder to remove rust?
I found this old hammer head and I'm trying to restore it. I've had some luck removing the rust with 40 grit sandpaper and a sander but I'm going to need to get into those grooves and though that a ...
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What materials can I use to make a cast for melting lead?
What materials can I use to make a cast for melting lead?
And how would I make the cast?
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What are these blue spots on a AISI 301 steel plate? [closed]
Below is a 150x microscope view of a 301 steel plate. It is covered by this type of small blue spots.
It appeared after the steel had been treated at 400°C. The subcontractor thinks that the steel was ...
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Which steels can be nitrogen quenched?
I have been making knives as a hobby mostly for myself and friends for some time now. I have been using mostly carbon steels such as UHB20C/1095, O1, 5160. I want to step up my game with more exotic ...
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How can I create a custom lamp shade frame?
Some people make custom lamp shade frames so it must be possible. A lot of people suggest wire coat hangers but I think they're too flimsy. It has to be rather sturdy.
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How Can I Create the Metal Comb of a Music Box?
I want to design and create my own music box by hand. I'm looking for a way to create the metal comb/teeth. It would need to be a thin but sturdy metal in order for it to make tones.
I'm looking for ...
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Is there a tool that will make a rounded cut in flat metal wire?
Is there a tool that can cut flat 5mm-wide aluminum jewelry wire to leave a rounded end? (An as-yet nonexistent extremely heavy duty nail clipper comes to mind).
In the image below, the wire on the ...
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How to chose between soldering and welding?
I understand the difference between soldering and welding. What I'm confused with is how do you chose which one to use, when is one more suitable than the other and when one should be avoided. I hope ...
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What material can be used to create a mold for pouring any molten metal without problems?
I have found that for one to create a mold for pouring molten plastic in it, it only requires clay.
But what about metals? Are there easy materials to find so that I can use them to assemble them ...
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What is the Best Material for Chrome Guitar Pick Guard?
I'm looking to cut a piece of metal in the shape of a pickguard, then have it professionally chromed.
What kind of metal material should I use? Can I get it at a hardware store or it is specialty ...
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How to create a metal ring?
I'm looking for a way to create a metal ring without using any machine or drill. I'd like to use cheap, simple tools. I found two ways for creating it, and they are very simple but it seems like ...
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Align concentric holes of different sizes in 2 pieces of metal on drill press
I'm trying to make a file guide using 2 steel blocks that I want to connect using bolts, like this:
The bottom block will receive 2/4 (still experimenting what works best) 5mm holes that I'll tap ...
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Is there a cheaper alternative to aluminum wire for armatures?
I've seen many sculpting tutorials and recordings of works where the artist uses aluminum wire for the armature, with aluminum foil used where bulk is needed for the form.
However, as a beginner, ...
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How can I make a faux gold finish less garish?
I just purchased a cheap gold lamp. As expected, the gold is typically super shiny and yellow (see below).
How can I make it look more like weathered/antique gold?
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Making a diaphragm spring out of sheet metal
I want to make a relativelly small diaphragm spring for a project of mine. I'm thinking somewhere around 50-70 mm diameter, I can size the other parts to match the spring.
It's basically just a cone ...
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Which steels are most suitable for knife making?
What steels are best for all-round knife making (i.e. not for any special applications)?
Carbon steels, 420C, 440C, VG10, RWL34, Damasteel... There are a lot of options.
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How to repair bend in pewter goblet stem
I have a number of pewter goblets (by Royal Selangor) in the form of various characters from Lord of the Rings.
Unfortunately, Gimli recently fell from a first-floor (US - second-floor) window into ...
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Milling an additional slot in an arbor press table plate?
I need to add a slot to the table plate of my Harbor Freight (Central Machinery) ½ ton arbor press.
It's obviously cast iron, but the surface is polished, so I'm not sure of its exact composition or ...
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How do I get a glass jar out of refractory plaster?
So today I made a metal foundry with a 2/4 plaster 1/4 sand and 1/4 water mix and I put a glass jar in the middle of it to create room. But now the glass jar is stuck and I don't want to break it. Any ...
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Advice on how to make a pea pod style ring
I tried on these rings and I thought they were really beautiful. I was wondering how I could reproduce one - I want to do a silver course, so I would like to do one that includes this technique if it'...
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Embedding a neodymium magnet inside a forged/melted aluminum enclosure
I want to embed a rare earth magnet inside some aluminum. Think of it like an aluminum rod that has a thin layer of Al at one end, and underneath is the rare earth magnet.
Al melts at 660C. At what ...
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How to Bend Metal Rod to Make a Perch
I want to bend some 1/4" or 1/8" diameter brass rod to make the perch seen in the photo below. Is there an easy way to do this? I tried in a vice and with a mallet but couldn't get nice round bends. I'...
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Kiln elements keep burning out
So, I bought a medium kiln on craigslist for $100. It was old, and my friend and I wanted to upgrade it, so we bought some new heating elements, removed the entire controller-box, bought a ...
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Weatherproofing metal
I have some large galvanized metal disks that I going to grind into an outdoor decoration.
Grinding will destroy the zinc covering. It'll be painted afterwards.
How can I weatherproof the metal?
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Realistic tempered steel effect on aluminum
Im working on a project with aluminum Ive machined. I want to give it the rainbowy effect of heated steel known as the “heat affected zone”. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get the most realistic ...
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Building closed loops with springy wire
Background: I am a mathematician who is attempting to build some simple visual aids to assist in the presentation of my research.
To build the desired models, I need two things:
Exceptionally ...
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What is a castable gold-coloured metal that is less expensive than gold?
I have plans for a table with a gold inlay. Problem is, gold is expensive and the inlay is quite large (it's not a 'wire' inlay - I'd be casting a pretty substantial piece and setting it into the ...
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creating something like an expanding ring mandrel for my homemade lathe
I am crafting my own drill powered lathe so I can improve my ring making. The problem is, even though I can make a working lathe, I do not have a way to securely place the ring in the lathe to make it ...
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How to set the best solution for placing legs in this project
I'm trying to attach legs to the table top (50x50 cm):
and having difficulties placing them in the best way so the table can stand still:
Can any of you tell what is the minimum distance between ...
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What safety precautions should I take when working with 316L/A4 steel?
I'm working with 316L/A4 steel and I was wondering which precautions I should take when heating it. I want to heat bend a 316L steel rod, so it will need to be heated up to arround 1000°C.
316 is a ...
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Disassembling a vintage coffee grinder
I'm trying to disassemble a vintage coffee grinder, so I could clean it and put back together. It is probably made in the first half of last century, mostly or all manual work. There is a joint that ...
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Can I turn this cast iron grill into a usable firepot with possible tuyere?
I have bought a cast iron grill or furnace and saw the top part had a nice shape for a possible firepot. The bodywork under the pan and grill is entirely hollow and looks like a pot. The hollow ...
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Why are longer sheet metal screws snapping on installation?
I've been converting a school bus for several months, and I've driven thousands of 3/4" sheet metal screws with no issue. However, when I try to drive longer screws (3") through a couple inches of ...
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What wire other than 1.6 mm stainless will work for chain mail?
I've been making butted maille out if 1.6mm stainless steel wire. Cutting the rings myself. This stuff is strong and heavy! It looks and feels great! The wire is a little pricey at 11quid per 30ms. I ...
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What size saw blade should I look into for cutting letters out of a 1/32" sheet of metal (I think steel) with a saw
From this question How would I cut out lettering from a stamped piece of thick-sheet metal
I am looking to use a Jeweler's saw to cut through a piece of what I believe is stainless steel. According ...
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How do I prepare plaster casts for casting tin figurines?
I tried making some figurines from tin by casting them in hand-carved forms in plaster. The tin was bubbling and the surface came out extremely uneven, with bubbles covering it.
Someone off-handedly ...
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At a minimum what would I need to repair a fracture in a gold pendant?
I have a dragon pendant that I am sure is 10k gold. I have had for at least 15 years. The tail of the dragon is exposed so it bends from time to time. Some time in the past a small fracture started. I ...
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What specs should I look for in a hobby milling machine?
I am thinking about buying a small milling machine for home usage. I have worked with this one during an internship and really liked it. It is a bit too large and too heavy though, to put in my small ...
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How can I smoothly flatten select parts of a wire design?
I have seen some simple jewelry designs made out of wire, which I'd like to replicate. These designs are made from a single piece of wire bent into a variety of shapes.
For portions of the design, ...
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