Category Archives: Art

How To Craft Logos and Signs Using Sheet Metal Stamping

October 20, 2011 – 2:23 am
Have you ever heard of the heavy metal band, Metallica Creation? Some very enterprising young fans have begun to order the band’s name from companies engaged in sheet metal stamping. Sheet metal stamping is the modern-day version of burning or sculpting metal so that you get the results you want – whatever that may be. For logo making, it can be used to imprint a logo onto a metal sheet.

Just imagine have a belt buckle with your favorite band’s name on it; or a bag that has been decorated with your favorite Metallica Creation song. There is no end to how you can use heavy machinery equipment to create delicate metal pieces including jewelry and certain tools.
Sheet metal stamping is being used by many industries like the medical instruments and tools, auto manufacturing, computer hardware, jewelry, toys, and even in making coins. There are different procedures that can be done by a sheet metal stamping company like bending, blanking, stamping, coining, flanging, and embossing.
Logos are usually embossed and stamped but it does go through a series of steps before it is ready for use. The usual problem with trying to get anything metal stamped and finished is the volume one has to order. Most companies will have a minimum order unless what you need is something they already have in stock, which almost impossible.
The minimum order can run into the hundreds of thousands pieces so if you just want a few pieces of a certain logo, you will be charged an astronomical fee. You would do better to find specialized companies willing to accept a lower minimum order.
The beauty with creating something using metal is that it is durable and can last several lifetimes. You can choose the specific kind of metal to use, and how you want the finish to look like. There are shiny, glossy finishing or the matte finish which is classic but a bit on the dull side.
If you are planning to start a business that is related to sheet metal stamping or raw materials that must pass through sheet metal stamping, do be sure to tap into a company with a good reputation in complying with top quality and zero back jobs. Even if you don’t pay for rejects, you do have to pay for the delays in production, so shop for the right company instead of looking for the cheapest quote.
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Working With Softer Metals to Make Jewelry

October 15, 2011 – 2:09 am
There is such a thing as softer metals for jewelry and the most common is gold. However, because of its characteristics, it is impossible to create jewelry from 24 karat gold. This is because it would be soft and would not hold well. For this reason when you see an ad about 24 karat gold jewelry, keep in mind that it refers to 99% gold with a little allow added to give it strength.

Some of the metals used to create this strength in gold jewelry are copper, fine silver, brass, nickel, low carbon steel, and sterling silver. Silver is used even if it is considered a soft metal because it is harder than gold and so can bring the needed durability to gold jewelry. There are different kinds of silver, and if you have tiny scraps of silver jewelry you don’t use, you can melt these down to create a new piece of jewelry, provided you get the right instructions on how to do it.
Some of the silver used to create jewelry are Bali Silver, Argentum Sterling Silver which is 92.5% pure, fine silver which is 99.9% pure, Hill Tribe Silver which comes from Thailand and is almost 99% pure, German silver which is also known as Nickel Silver, and Oxidized Sterling Silver, to name just a few.
When you hear about plated jewelry like gold-plated, it means that the jewelry has a base metal form and the precious metal merely coats this form to add luster and shine. Gold-plated or silver-plated jewelry are cheaper, can easily tarnish and last but a few years. People who are allergic to certain metals should stay away from plated jewelry.
When you see Sterling Silver as the description of jewelry, this means it is an alloy of 92.5% silver with the rest being copper. It is not as white as pure silver but it is more durable with a tendency to tarnish. You can prevent tarnishing by storing it in a sealed container and away from other metals.
Finally, colored gold refers to gold mixed with other metals like copper, nickel and silver. Gold and copper produces a reddish gold; gold and nickel produced white gold; whereas gold and silver produces a green gold shade.
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Metalwork in Art

August 30, 2011 – 6:32 am

Metalwork is simply what the name suggests, using metal to make a part. Metalwork in Art is a part of the large picture, and is as popular today as it was before. Art uses different medium of expression, and metal is just one of the medium. Over the centuries we have seen some rather remarkable pieces of this art and one of them is precision metal stamping. The popularity of precision metal stamping can be gauged by the fact that it used to be taught in schools and colleges. However this is just one small part of metal work in art.

precision metal stamping

 

If you take a look at the furniture present in antique shops, you will find iron beds and other items made up of metal. Let us take an antique iron bed for example: it usually has a headboard and a foot board in which this kind of art is used. In olden times, a lot of attention was given to detail, so the art you will find in these items is intricate. There are so many details filled in, and you will find flawy flower wines, patterns and many kinds of designs in this kind of furniture. Then there are other things like door knobs, and handlers in which you can find beautiful carvings, often featuring things like a lion head, a slithering serpent, or even the figurine of a beautiful angel, and the attention to detail is such that it will take your breath away.

Metal is a very robust material, and the best part is that it can easily be reused, and over the years many artists have tried their hands at it. The antique furniture is just a small example, this kind of artwork is used in many different things and one of the most common examples of this art work is jewellery. It doesn’t matter whether they are working on gold or silver, or simple metal; there are designers all over the world who use their skill and vision on a simple piece of metal to make it into a glittering piece of jewellery that is simply mesmerizing, or something as hard to make as filigree.

Apart from this we see many art pieces that feature this form of art like candle stands, and carved steel bowls. There is a lot of variety in this art.

 

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The Art of Planking

August 30, 2011 – 6:13 am

Art is one thing that never becomes clichéd, because as soon as one form becomes popular, another form comes out to replace it. Art is all about expression, and planking is the new way of expression. Planking is a form that includes the art of photography.

The idea of planking is rather simple. All you have to do is lie face down, flat on your stomach and make sure that your hands are by your side. You are all stretched out, and that is the state you are in when the picture is taken. This picture is then posted on the internet, and that is what there is to the art of planking.

 

planking, art

Now this will surprise some: if everybody is going to lie flat on their stomach and take photos, what is the point? These pictures are not just taken when you are, say, lying on your bed. Instead, the art is all about using this posture, and coming with unique pictures.

The pictures can be made unique by choosing an innovative location. You have the compulsion of using the posture as it is, and you have to make the best use of it. It is up to you where you choose to lie, and the more creative you are, the more appreciation you get.

To give you an idea, let us give you an example. This is basically the description of one of the many planking pictures that make it to the internet. There was a picture in which a person was lying in the planking pose in between a stationary army tank, and then there was a picture in which more than one person is using the planking poses to make an interesting pattern. These are just examples of planking, and if you are innovative and creative, there is a lot that you can do.

When you are planking, the only thing that you need to keep in mind is that you need to choose planking locations that are safe. In your fervour, and excitement do not do something stupid, and end up getting hurt. This is a fun activity, and do not make this into something dangerous.

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