FREEPOST is valid between Mon 21st – Wed 30th September! Don’t miss out, place your order online NOW! To help you reach that £50 limit here are a few suggestions on this weeks e-mail including our freepost favourite jewellery tools, jewellery making kits and machinery to maximise those P & P savings!

FREEPOST on ALL UK Orders Over £50

As well as the great savings available from our FREEPOST event, why not order yourself a copy of our latest ‘Student’ mini catalogue. This month’s catalogue features savings of up to 50% OFF selected best selling sterling silver findings, up to 25% OFF selected jewellery tools and up to 15% OFF our must-have kits. We also have a host of our rolling mills on special offer including our 80mm Durston Rolling Mills now ONLY £329.99! Why not take a look at this new catalogue in a convenient electronic flick book format.

Click here to share your thoughts on this post or ask the Cooksongold team a question

Thanks to everyone who took part, and keep your eyes peeled as there is another big competition in the horizon. Also, to further increase your chances of winning one of Cooksongold’s fantastic competition prizes sign-up today to receive our weekly e-mails including our top offers and promotions, great savings, new products and freepost events as well as those latest competitions!!!

Check out here what our extremely jealous forum members had to say on the news that Miss Tully had won our latest competition prize… Also, if your not already a forum member then what are you waiting for, register today and join over 400 jewellery professionals and enthusiasts online now for the latest industry news, information, hints and tips as well as the opportunity to make lots of new jewellery contacts as well as the chance to seek and share ideas and inspiration for your new pieces. If that wasn’t already enough, Cooksongold.com are giving away 20 mystery prizes to new forum members for simply posting comments on our NEW Jewellery Making forum, it’s as easy as that!

Forming metal is an essential part of jewellery making, and as a process the level of skill involved is often overlooked.  Forming refers to any process that maneuvers metal into the desired shape or design. Unlike many other skills in jewellery making forming is more a combination of a range of techniques that change an objects shape, rather than one particular process. 

Under the heading of forming are processes such as bending, chasing, repousse, sinking, hammering, using stamps/dies and forging.  These processes will affect the pieces shape, thickness and often the texture of the metal being worked on.

Forming Tools
The range of forming tools available is as wide and varied as the different processes contained within the skill.  The key forming tools available are:

Mallets
The simple mallet allows the craftsman to apply direct force without stretching or damaging the metal.  The head of the mallet is softer that the metal so not to mark the surface.

Mandrels or Triblets
Mandrels or Triblets are used for forming shapes, and are most associated with rings or bangles.  Mandrels are available in a variety size and shapes, and in both steel & wood.

Hammers
Hammers can complete a variety of jobs from stretching the metal, polish/smoothing or adding texture. Jobbing hammers are ideal for general use and metal forming. The planishing hammer is used for smoothing, shaping and polishing metal.  Riveting hammers are designed with a small head for detailed rivet work. Raising, bossing and chasing hammers are used in the different stages of forming.

Doming Blocks & Punches
Doming blocks & punches are the ideal way of shaping metal and making domed, shaped pieces or hollow beads. Pieces of circular metal/discs are place over the hollows of a doming block, and then using punches and a hammer the metal is formed into a shape. 

Steel Blocks
Steel blocks provide the ideal flat surface for working, flattening sheet or wire or to support work as it is raised or forged, riveted or textured.

Swage Blocks
Rather like doming blocks, Swage blocks help form metal into tubes, curves and channels.  Different blocks will allow different shapes and sizes to be formed.

Sandbag / Grit filled Cushion
These bags provided support whilst you work and form your piece. They help keep your work firm and in place whilst working.

Pliers
Pliers have a multitude of uses but they are the most basic tool for holding/gripping, forming and shaping wire.  Having a basic selection of needle nose, round nose, flat nose, half round and a pair of parallel action pliers, will give the jeweller the flexibility to complete most jobs.

Stakes
Often used by silversmiths, the metal is placed over the stakes (usually clamped independently into a vice) and hammered to achieve the shape required. Various shapes can be achieved by using different stakes.

Files
Files are essential for removing excess material, and fine tuning and shaping your piece.  The different sizes available allow the jeweller to work large areas or at a more intricate level. To start with buy a selection of shapes containing round, square, triangular, half round and warding.  Plus consider the cut ranging from 0 the coarsest, to 6 the finest.

Draw plates
Draw plates are most commonly used to reduce the size or change shape of wire. Each plate has a series of holes through which the wire is passed through, this then changes the size of the wire. The holes in the plate are of decreasing size allowing you to continue draw down the wire to the required size.

Rolling mills
These larger machines often seen in jewellers’ workshops are ideal to reduce the thickness of sheet, or help decorate sheet. If used with Square and D shape sections rolling mills can be used to form or shape wire. 

This selection of forming tools & equipment allow jewellers, and metalsmiths to create any number of shapes, textures and patterns.  As with all jewellery projects the range of forming tools jewellers have will start with the basic i.e. pliers, hammer and perhaps a doming set, and then expand as their projects demand.

Forming Tools

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A COMMENT, POST A COMMUNAL QUESTION OR ASK THE COOKSON TEAM A QUESTION

Rolling Mills – Basic Concepts

Rolling mills are one of the more common jeweller’s tools seen in small and medium sized workshops. In essence the rolling mill is a simple machine that shares many traits with a mangle. The traditional jewellers rolling mill will have steel rollers, so that when metal is passed between them it become compressed, changing the gauge or even shape of the piece. For example changing a circle into an oval shape.  

As a rough guide when halving the thickness of sheet you will double the length (if rolling in one direction). Rolling should be a gradual process, and the resulting compression of the metal will mean that the metal will work harden. Therefore in between each stage of rolling, the metal will need to be annealed.

In addition to rolling sheet many of today’s mills have the ability to roll wires into square or D shape sections – ideal for creating a tapered or shaped effect.

Smaller rolling mills are the most practical for the small or home workshop with one pair of rollers. Larger and automatic mills are available for the larger workshop, but with all mills they must be secured to a firm and steady surface – and many manufacturers recommend a dedicated stand bolted to the floor.

Rolling Sheet

First ensure your sheet is prepared for rolling i.e. it’s has been annealed, and cleaned, and importantly dried. Then adjust the width of the rollers, many machines have a dial gauge to aid precise rolling gap measurement. As a physical test try pushing the sheet between the rollers. If the sheet passes through, the rollers should be adjusted until it will not pass between them.

Once the rollers are in the correct position the mill is ready to roll down the metal. The sheet should be supported in one hand, whilst the other turns the handle, thus drawing the sheet through the rollers.  The sheet should be caught as it comes through, and thickness checked using a vernier/calliper.  Then re-roll to achieve the required thickness.

Rolling Silver circles to create Ovals

To create an oval take a silver disc, set the rollers as you would for rolling sheet, and then feed the disc through. Once the disc has been through the mill, check the thickness and length of the piece using a vernier/calliper, and repeat the process as necessary. When feeding the oval through the mill again, ensure that it is fed through the rollers in the same direction to ensure it elongates the oval.

Shaping Wire

Using a rolling mill with square grooves allows jewellers to shape (often into a square shape) and taper round wires. Before starting the process the wire must be annealed, pickled and cleaned and dried thoroughly. The wire is then pushed between the square grooves and the handled turned so the wire is drawn into the grooved section of the rollers. This then shapes the wire. To ensure the required shape is achieved turn the wire each time by 90 degrees.

Formed D Shape wire

Rolling mills with D shape channels allow D shape wire to be formed, and follow similar principals as shaping. The wire is fed through the D shape section rollers and once the wire has passed through check the thickness. If it is not of the required thickness repeat the process.

Best practice when using rolling mills

When using a rolling mill consider the following best practice hints & tips:

•           Always use dry metal – any dampness will leave marks on the rollers
             – and risking pitting.

•           Roll metal gradually, as too much pressure may result in the piece�
            cracking when next annealing.

•           Keep your mill well maintained and oiled.

•           Remove any marks on the rollers. Clean with a damp cloth and�
            acetone to remove dirt. For more stubborn marks carefully remove
            with fine wet and dry paper and fine steel wool.

•           Keep the mill covered when not in use, to protect the rollers
            from workshop debris.

Click here to view our range of rolling mills

Rolling Mills are one of the more expensive jeweller’s tools, and although simple in nature the mill can be put to many uses. When buying a mill, like many tools you should buy the best mill you can afford, with the better mills being more robust and having heavier and stronger rollers.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A COMMENT, POST A COMMUNAL QUESTION OR ASK THE COOKSON TEAM A QUESTION