Stamping

We just learned about Bending.

Another part of metalworking is stamping.

Stamping is when you take a large piece of flat metal and you want to shape it and cut it.


(from: wikipedia - stamping (metalworking))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil Face

Bending

We've just learned about what a metal Burr is.

Another way to work with metal is Bending.

Sometimes if you have a long metal pipe or sheet of metal that you want to be bent in a certain way, you have to use a tool or machine to get the exact bend you want.

You might want a nice rounded curve, or you might want a V shaped bend of exactly the right size.

There are different types of bends that you can make, everything from air bending, bottoming, coining, three-point bending, folding, wiping, rotary bending, roll bending, elastomer bending, joggling.

There are many types of machines to do all different types of bends, like a cornice brake, box-and-pan brake, bar folder, press brake, punch press, screw press and stamping press.

Many of the tools use something called a "die" which is something with a special shape used to bend the metal the way you want. There are many dies out there, like v, rotary bending, 90 degree, acute angle, gooseneck, offset, hemming, seaming, radius, beading, curling, tube and pipe forming, four-way, channel-forming, u-bend, box-forming, corrugating, multiple-bend and rocker!

Basically any way you want to bend your metal, there is a tool and die for it!


(from: wikipedia - bending (metalworking))



(from: wikipedia - brake (sheet metal bending))



(from: wikipedia - press brake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil

Burr

We just learned about Grinding.

Another part of metal working is a Burr.

Many times when metal is cut, the sharp edge where it was cut has little rough pieces of metal left over that are called burrs.
When someone works to remove those little burrs to make the metal nice and smooth, that is called deburring.


(from: wikipedia - burr (edge))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Forging

Grinding

We just learned about the Hole Saw.

So far we have learned about cutting metal using a lathe or a mill, putting holes in the metal by threading, boring or drilling.

Another type of way to work with metal is called Grinding.
This is a way to use one rough piece of metal or even diamond to scrape off metal, almost like using sandpaper on wood.
Usually a grinder is a metal disc called a grinding wheel, that spins around very fast.

There are different types of grinders like angle grinders or bench grinders that you might use depending on what you want to do with the metal.


(from: wikipedia - angle grinder)


(from: wikipedia - bench grinder)



(from: wikipedia - grinding wheel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blacksmith

Hole Saw

We just learned about the Twist Drill Bits.

Another type of drill bit is the Hole Saw.
Sometimes you need to drill a really big hole out of a piece of wood or metal, and this type of bit can grab on to the metal with the smaller bit in the middle called the "pilot drill bit".
Then the teeth on the larger bit can cut the hole for the right shape.


(from: wikipedia - hole saw)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Metalwork

Twist Drill Bits

We just learned a little about Drill Bits.

One type of drill bits is the Twist Drill Bit.
For these bits, there is a spiral cut along the bit, and the taller that spiral is, the faster the bit is meant to go.
The more compact and shorter the spiral is, the slower the bit goes.

At the end of the bit is the "tip", and there are many different types of tips.
Some bits have a "brad point" which is a tiny little spiky point that holds on to the metal or wood so the bit doesn't slide around when it is drilling.
Some tips are very flat, and some are very pointy, depending on what you are trying to drill.



(from: wikipedia - drill bit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Typhoon

Drill Bits

We just learned a little about Drilling.

When using the drill, the tool that goes at the end is called the drill bit.

There are lots of different types of drill bits, some that are used for cutting wood, some that are used for cutting metal or cement.

Depending on what is being drilled, the bits can be made of different things.
Most drill bits are made of steel, but many are made of titanium, tungsten, or even diamond tips.



(from: wikipedia - drill bit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 5 Hurricane

Drilling

We just learned about making metal holes bigger using Boring.

Another type of metal working is Drilling.

Drilling uses a cylinder shaped tool called a drill bit that spins around hundreds or thousands of times every second, and cuts into the metal, leaving a cylinder shaped hole, like a tunnel.


(from: wikipedia - drilling)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 4 Hurricane

Boring

We just learned about Swarf.

Another part of metal machining is called Boring.

When a hole has been drilled into a piece of metal, sometimes you may want to make the hole bigger, or sometimes to make a tapered hole that starts small and opens up as it goes out.

The boring bar is put into the hole that was already drilled, and then it spins around and makes it bigger or tapered.


(from: wikipedia - boring (manufacturing))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 3 Hurricane

Swarf

We just learned about Threading.

Another part of Metalworking is Swarf.

This is the leftover metal shavings and chips that come off when you cut metal with a lathe, mill or other type of machining tool.


(from: wikipedia - swarf)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 2 Hurricane

Threading

We just learned about the Skiving Machine.

Another type of metal working is called Threading.

If you've ever seen a nut that spins onto a bolt, you've seen something made by a tap and die.
The nut has to be cut exactly right to fit onto the screw, or else it won't screw on.

The tap is the tool that cuts the hole into the nut or other hole where the screw will go.
The die is the tool that cuts the lines onto the screw so it fits into the nut.

There are hand taps and dies that you can use with just your hands if you are strong enough, or there are machines that use strong motors to cut into the metal.


(from: wikipedia - nut (hardware))



(from: wikipedia - tap and die)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 1 Hurricane

Skiving Machine

We just learned about Hobbing in a Milling Machine.

Another type of metal cutting machine is a Skiving Machine.

Sometimes metal workers want to cut just a thin slice of metal off.
A skiving machine uses a sharp blade to slice down on a larger piece of metal and just cut off the perfect size every time.


(from: wikipedia - skiving machine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

Hobbing

We just learned about the Milling Cutter.

One type of milling cutter is called a Hob.
Cutting with a hob is called hobbing.

When you need to make a gear or sprocket to be used in a machine or something like a bike chain, the hob can be used to cut the teeth of the gear into the right size and shape.



(from: wikipedia - hobbing)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tropical Storm

Milling Cutter

We just learned about Milling.

In the Mill that cuts the piece of metal, there is a tool called the Milling Cutter.

This is the piece that spins around and cuts the metal into shapes.
There are many different types of cutters, and each one has a special purpose for cutting different types of metals in different ways.



(from: wikipedia - milling cutter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tropical Depresssion

Milling

We just learned how a Metal Lathe is a piece of metal being spun around while a sharp tool cuts it.

Another type of tool for cutting metal is a Mill.

A mill is a machine that has a tool that spins around very fast, while the piece of metal you want to cut is being held still.
So in a way it's the opposite of a lathe, where the metal is spinning and the tool is held still.


(from: wikipedia - milling (machining))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tropical Cyclone

Lathe - Carriage

We just learned about the Lathe Bed.

Another part of the lathe is the Carriage.
The carriage is what holds the tool that is used to work on the metal that is being spun around on the lathe between the headstock and tailstock.

The carriage moves the tool in closer, and the tool works like a scraper or a drill and cuts parts of the metal off as the metal spins around.


(from: wikipedia - metal lathe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: F5 Tornado

Lathe - Bed

We just learned about the Lathe Tailstock.

Another part of the lathe is the Bed.

The bed of the lathe is the part in the middle connected to the headstock and tailstock.
The tailstock is attached to a rail along the bed, so it can slide back and forth to fit the metal being worked on.


(from: wikipedia - lathe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Heart Wall - Pericardium

Lathe - Tailstock

We just learned about the Lathe - Headstock.

Another part of the metalworking lathe is the Tailstock.

Just like the headstock holds one end, the tailstock holds the other end of the metal being worked on.

When the piece of metal is put onto the lathe, first the metal is placed up against the headstock, and then the tailstock is moved closer and closer until it is holding the metal tight between both spindles.
The tailstock is moved by spinning a small wheel called the "handwheel" or "feed screw".
After the metal piece is in the right place and held tightly by both the headstock and tailstock, a locking lever is pulled down that works like a clamp to keep the tailstock from moving.


(from: wikipedia - metal lathe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: F3 Tornado

Lathe - Headstock

We just learned about the metal lathe.

One part of the metal lathe is called the Headstock.

The metal lathe holds a piece of metal at two ends, and then spins it around very fast.
The two ends are called the headstock and tailstock, and each of them has something called a "spindle" that is what holds on to the metal.

At the headstock end, there is a motor which spins the spindle very fast, which spins the metal around very fast.
There are controls to make the motor spin faster or slower, and there are different types of connectors you can connect to the spindle to hold different metals.


(from: wikipedia - metal lathe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: F2 Tornado

Metal Lathe

We just learned about the blacksmithing fuel Coke.

We've learned a lot about the old fashioned ways of working with metal.
Let's learn about some of the newer things people do with tools.

One tool for working with metals is called a metal lathe.
This is a tool that takes a piece of metal and spins it around quickly, so that someone can cut or shape the metal easily.

(from: wikipedia - metal lathe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: F1 Tornado