Dt revision

Alloy

a mixture of 2 or more metals

ferrous

metals which contain iron and are magnetic

non-ferrous

metals which don’t contain iron ,are not magnetic and they tarnish easily

Ductility

easily shaped permanently without cracking

toughness

A measure of how well a material can stand up to sudden forces eg a hammer blow. A material that is not tough is called Brittle.

Hardness

A measure of how well a material resists scratching and being worn away by other materials.

Assay

To assay a metal object is to carry out a test on it to find out how pure the metal is.

Hallmarks

Hallmarks are marks that are stamped into precious metal objects to prove that they are made of the metal that they are sold as.

Scriber

Used to mark lines on metal, prior to cutting

Ring Mandrel

Used for forming,  shaping and re shaping rings

Piercing Saw

Used in jewellery making to cut the metal (silver, gold etc). The blade is very fine and delicate.

Jeweller’s Bench Peg

A piece of wood attached to a jeweller’s work bench. It is used for small, precise work such as sawing metal or drilling holes to set diamonds.

Wet and Dry Paper

Abrasive paper used to finish the surface of metals and plastics. Numbers on the back relate to how abrasive the paper is. 1200 very fine.

Work Hardening

Hitting, shaping etc    metals will cause them to harden.  Continual working will cause the metal to split. Remember the paper clip test.

Annealing

Heating metal to remove internal stresses caused by work hardening.

Flux

Used to protect cleaned surfaces from oxidisation. eg:BORAX.

Soldering

Makes a permanent joint in metals.