Glossary of Metal Terms
For the purpose of general reference, the scope of these glossaries extends beyond terms used in the textbook. Other Glossaries:
Ceramic
Fiber
Glass
Metal
Wood
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- Alloy
- a combination of two metals in a specific ratio, which forms a new metal Return to Top
- Anneal
- the process of heating metal to make it easier to work with; a process that occurs throughout the metalworking to keep the metal from breaking or cracking from being overworked Return to Top
- Anodized aluminum
- aluminum which has been coated to strengthen and protect it from corrosion, and often coloring the surface with a bright color Return to Top
- Anvil
- the block on which metal is hammered or forged Return to Top
- Bakelite
- a form of plastic developed for use in household products and costume jewelry Return to Top
- Base circle
- the circle drawn onto the center of a sheet of metal, which will become the vessel’s base as it is raised into a vessel Return to Top
- Base metal
- any metal other than a precious metal, such as copper or zinc Return to Top
- Basse-taille
- An enameling process similar to cloisonne, in which colors are applied side by side without being separated by metal lines Return to Top
- Beating down
- the process of methodically hammering a piece of sheet metal into a mold to create a specific form; beating down sheet metal produces vessels with straight sides Return to Top
- Beryl
- A hard, brittle metal with the chemical name beryllium aluminum silicate Return to Top
- Bezel
- From the French, biseau, meaning slanted edge, bezels are settings for stones with a slanted edge. Return to Top
- Cabochon
- stones with a slant-cut edge Return to Top
- Cames
- Another development was the use of stiff cames of grooved copper or zinc replacing soft lead cames to hold together the glass segments Return to Top
- Casting
- the process of pouring molten metal into a mold to create an object Return to Top
- Champleve
- enamel work in which transparent or opaque enamel is fired into etched or carved areas leaving the metal partly exposed Return to Top
- Chasing
- a process of applying decorative elements to metal objects using specific tools Return to Top
- Cloissone
- enameling in which the colors are separated by thin metal ribbons or wires to maintain the pattern and keep the melting colors from running together Return to Top
- Cold rolled annealed
- a process of making sheets of copper by rolling cold copper into sheets, and then annealing it to make it easier to work with Return to Top
- Constructed
- hand made in parts and assembled to form a whole Return to Top
- Crimping
- a faster method of raising a piece of metal into a vessel form, by dividing the vessel into 12 parts, and raising each section, at the end of the crimping process the sections are hammered into smooth sides Return to Top
- Cut soldering
- soldering using small cut pieces of metal to join two pieces of metal together Return to Top
- Electroformed
- creation of a metal object by electrically depositing metal on a master form of wax; after the wax is removed, a metal shell remains Return to Top
- Electroplated
- coated with a thin layer of metal (usually precious) by passing an electric current through a chemical solution containing a source of the metal Return to Top
- Embosser
- a tool used to raise a design from the inside of the metal vessel Return to Top
- Enamel
- a usually opaque vitreous composition applied by fusion to the surface of metal, glass, or pottery Return to Top
- Engraving
- using a tool to cut designs into metal; often done by etching machines using templates Return to Top
- Epoxy
- a plastic coating applied to the surface of metal which may look like enameling Etching (the process of using acid to cut designs into the metal) Return to Top
- Fabrication
- making an object in parts and then assembling it to form a whole Return to Top
- Fibula
- a rib-shaped piece of metal, often used in jewelry making for pins or brooches Return to Top
- Fire scale
- the black residue left on a copper alloy after it oxidizes Return to Top
- Flatware
- the common name used for table utensils made of silver Return to Top
- Flux
- a cleaning solution painted onto metal to ensure the most ideal soldering conditions Return to Top
- Forging/forged
- the process of hammering metal on a block to shape and stretch the metal into the desire shape Return to Top
- Forming
- the process of hammering sheet metal over a mold or raising it into a form Return to Top
- Granulation
- tiny balls of metal heat-fused to a metal surface without the use of solder Return to Top
- Grisaille
- enameling made by firing carious layers of fine, whit, opaque enamel on an opaque black background Return to Top
- Holloware
- a form of metalsmithing, in which the completed object is made of hollow metal Return to Top
- Hot rolled
- a process of making sheets of capper by heating it and rolling it into sheets, resulting in a weaker form of copper Return to Top
- Lapidary
- the art of cutting, polishing, and engraving precious stones Return to Top
- Lost wax casting
- a one-time reproduction process in which an object is impressed into sand or surrounded with a special plaster to make a mold; the wax is burned out, and molten metal takes the form of the “lost” wax Return to Top
- Married metal
- patterns or imagery developed by joining various colored alloys, such as bronze, copper, and silver adjacent to one another Return to Top
- Melting point
- the specific temperature at which each metal becomes molten Return to Top
- Metal plating
- the process of coating one type of metal with another using a thermo-chemical bonding agent Return to Top
- Mokumé-gane
- a process originating in 17th century Japan for decorative sword handles, which involves fusing sheets of metal together, cutting them into billets and re-fusing them until the metals are mixed and able to be carved, forged or hammered into sheets and raised. Return to Top
- Niello
- A black metal alloy made of two parts silver, one-third copper and one-sixth lead, used to create delicate enamel designs. Return to Top
- Oxidation
- a chemical reaction which causes alloys containing copper to turn black upon exposure to heat Return to Top
- Patina/Patination
- 1) a surface coloring, usually brown or green, produced by oxidation of bronze or another metal, occurring naturally or produced artificially; 2) the substance used to create the effect; 3) a surface luster occurring from age or use Return to Top
- Pickling
- a cleaning process in which oxidation residue is removed from copper alloys by dipping them into a heated solution of water and sulfuric acid Return to Top
- Pitch
- a suspension material used to keep a metal object stationary as a metalsmith decorates its surface Return to Top
- Planishing
- hammering a metal to finalize the object’s shape Return to Top
- Plating
- the process of coating one metal with another by electronically bonding metallic ions to a base metal Return to Top
- Plique-a-jour
- enameling in which transparent enamels fill small openings in metal, suggesting stained glass windows Return to Top
- Poker soldering
- soldering in which the soldering material is put into place using a poker Return to Top
- Pot metal
- a slang term for cheap metal alloys used for casting, especially for experimentation before using more expensive metals for a final product Return to Top
- Punch
- a tool used fro making indentations or holes in the metal surface Return to Top
- Raising
- the process of hammering a sheet of metal over a stake into a specific form; raising metal can produce vessels with curved sides Return to Top
- Repoussé
- a process of creating patterns on metal using steel tools Return to Top
- Resin
- a plastic which may be bonded to metal or cast in molds Return to Top
- Resist
- the coating painted onto the metal surface which protects the areas which are not to be etched by acid Return to Top
- Reticulated
- a metal surface delicately wrinkled by a special heating process Return to Top
- Rivet
- a two-piece permanent cylindrical fastener, hammered together to connect two sheets of metal together from opposite sides Return to Top
- Sand-cast
- to produce a casting by pouring molten metal into sand molds Return to Top
- Scrimshaw
- whalebone or similar material having intricate scenes or designs engraved on its surface; ink is then rubbed into the engraved lines for contrast and definition Return to Top
- Soldering
- the process of joining pieces of the same metal by heating a different metal to bond the pieces together Return to Top
- Strip soldering
- using strips of soldering material to join two pieces of metal together Return to Top
- Sweat soldering
- soldering flat pieces of metal together by allowing pieces of soldering metal to melt as a bonding medium between the flat pieces Return to Top
- Tracer
- a tool used for making straight and curved lines on the metal surface Return to Top
- Wire soldering
- soldering metal together by heating the end of a wire to achieve just the right amount of solder necessary to bond metals together Return to Top
- Wrought
- shaped by beating or hammering, often elaborately, for decorative effect; wrought iron is also a low-carbon metal which can be elongated without breakage and is resistant to corrosion Return to Top
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