2.1 SHAPING MATERIALS CONVENTIONALLY 30 The oldest known evidence of metalworking is a copper pendant uncovered in Iraq which dates back to 8,700 BC. Go online and find out the difference between a blacksmith and a metalsmith. To make a bend or curve in the metal, heat it and hold it over the anvil horn and strike it with a hammer to make your desired curve. You can strategically heat sections of your metal in the forge before bending it, rather than heating your entire piece. METALWORKING Metalworking is the process of forming and shaping metals to create useful tools and objects. The term covers a wide range of work, from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewellery. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills, processes, and tools. The origins of metalworking Metallic ores have been extracted from the earth for thousands of years and precious metals have been worked into objects and valued by ancient civilisations , from Pharaohs in Egypt to Mayans in North America. Metalworking, in fact, has been a way for civilisations to communicate status, religious beliefs, and symbolism through artefacts. Artisans and blacksmiths were very skilled at creating objects of adornment, religious items, and trade instruments of precious metals and many of these ONLINE RESOURCES Origins of metal working The six simple machines blacksmith: fabbro ferraio brazing: brasatura fashioning: modellare, forgiare horn: corno, sporgenza metalsmith: fabbro mould: calco/stampo ore: minerale panel bender: piegatrice punch press: punzonatrice soldering: saldatura therefore: quindi welding: saldatura 70 ancient techniques are still used by metalsmiths today. The art of metalworking evolved from the discovery of smelting various ores in order to produce malleable and ductile metal to make tools and adornments. Iron and steel were essential to the progress of man and the knowledge of working metals gradually became an integral part of developing civilisations. Certain metalworking techniques are still in use at present, especially in a goldsmith s art. Modern techniques Modern metalworking processes, though diverse and more specialised than in the past, can be categorised into the following processes. Cutting is a collection of processes where material is brought to a specified shape by removing the excess using various kinds of tools. Casting involves the introduction of molten metal into a mould cavity. Forming is the process of fashioning metal parts and objects through mechanical deformation; the workpiece is reshaped without adding or removing material, and its mass remains unchanged. Joining brings two or more pieces of metal together through one or more different processes which include welding, brazing and soldering. A number of machine tools capable of creating precise and useful workpieces are used. Commonly used metalworking tools range from the simple hammer and anvil to complex tools including fibre lasers, punch presses, panel benders and welding equipment. Shaping and joining materialS MechPower.indb 70 30/01/24 17:07