Chasing Hammer

• Use the round side to create a “hammered look” surface.
• Use the flat side to flatten and flair metal.
• Option: Use a Ball Pein Hammer with a polished hammer head surface.
• Care should be taken to keep the smooth striking surface free of dings.

Rawhide or Wooden Mallet

• The soft, yet firm hammer head will reshape malformed wire designs and sheet metal.
• Will not mar or ding metal.

Small Household Utility Hammer/ Dead Blow Hammer or Ball Pein

• The hammer head surface will become marred and dinged, so use this hammer exclusively for striking tool stamps.
• Choose a comfortable hammer weighing approximately 1lb.

Steel Block

• Approx. 3”x 3” steel block with polished surface.
• Used as a support for your work as you flatten, straighten and harden wire.
• Care should be taken to keep the smooth striking surface free of dings.

Steel Letter/  Number and Design Stamps

• Each stake has a single letter/ number or design carved into the end.
• Use small utility hammer to strike the opposite end to  punch impressions in sheet metal.

Screw Down Hole Punch

• Used to punch holes in sheet metal and metal blanks.
• Each side punches a different diameter hole.
• Use care when removing screw, steady your metal so it doesn’t become marred by the tool.

Sand Paper/ Emery Paper/ Emery Board

• A variety of grits are useful for creating a brushed surface on sheet metal.
• 150 grit is good for removing sharp edges on snipped wire and sheet edges.

3M Scotch Brite™ Scouring Pad

• When rubbed across the surface of metal sheet, produces a soft brushed effect.
• Used to remove blackening agents from raised surfaces in stamped impressions.
• Less messy alternative to steel wool pads.

Silver Black™/ Liver of Sulfur

• Used to blacken recessed areas of stamped metal and wire.
• Toxic! Must take care to follow directions and have excellent ventilation.
• Not recommended if you can use alternative methods of blackening, such as a Sharpie Marker™.

Sharpie™ Marker (Fine Tip)

• Used as an alternative to other blackening chemicals (liver of sulfur and Silver Black™)
• Flood the recessed areas with ink and rub off the raised surfaces with a 3M™ pad.

Needle Files

• Needle files come in a variety of shapes (i.e.: triangle, round, half round)  that create decorative notches and waves in the metal edges.
• Due to the direction of the teeth, files only cut on the “away motion”. Dragging the file towards you will not produce an affect.

Half- Round File

• 10” file is useful for smoothing out cut metal edges and holes.

Hex Nuts and Bolts

• Miniature nuts and bolts are used to join sheets of metal together.
• Drill holes through all sheets and screw the nut and bolt together with two hex wrenches.
• Available in a variety of metals and sizes.

permission to use image by CFox

Socket Wrench

• Use two (one on the nuts and one on the bolt) to screw mini nuts and bolts together to join two or more pieces of sheet metal.

Shears

• Heavy duty scissors to cut sheet metal into strips and circles.
• Not good for cutting concave curves.
• Edges of cut sheet metal will be sharp and need filing/sanding.

Sheet Metal

• 22 gauge, 20 gauge, 18 gauge used most frequently for stamping.
• Available in a variety of gauges and materials and hardness.

permission to use image by CFox

Stamping Blanks

• Pre-cut sheet metal shapes
• Use to stamp into, etc.