Cut and pierce jewellery or silverware components
Overview
This standard covers the skills to identify and use different types of equipment for cutting and piercing a range of shapes from materials for a range of projects.
You will be required to work to instructions, using a range of saws appropriate to various designs of products. You will also be expected to check the quality and accuracy of your work against given tolerances. You need to be able to recognise any defects, to determine the appropriate action to rectify them and ensure that the finished work meets the given specification, including timescales.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- follow instructions for cutting and piercing a range of components in line with industry best practice
- select cutting tools for different projects in line with industry best practice
- select saw blades and drill bits for different projects in line with industry best practice
- experiment with different cutting methods, types of wire and types of sheet to achieve various outcomes in line with own professional development needs
- cut out a range of items using a piercing saw frame in line with project needs
- check the work for defects in line with project needs
- take action to rectify any defects detected in line with workplace instructions
- complete the work to the given specification in line with workplace instructions**
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- safety precautions to be taken when using sheet metal, cutting and piercing tools and equipment
- methods of marking out, drilling and piercing a range of shapes and patterns
- how to check that equipment is in a usable condition
- how to cut sheet materials using different cutting equipment
- the type of saw and blade to be used for different materials
- the importance of keeping the work area safe and tidy to retain valuable waste (metal find)
- how to separate scrap for recovery and scrap for recycling
- how to check that the piercing and cutting meets the needs of the specification
- best practice in cutting and piercing within chosen jewellery industry
- the importance of following the given specification and timescales
- common defects and ways to rectify these
Scope/range
1. Types of instructions related to cutting and piercing:
- verbal
- written
- drawing
2. Saw blades and drill bits include:
- piercing saw frame
- junior hacksaw frame
- standard hacksaw frame
- hand drill
- pendant drill
3. Cutting tools include:
- hand shears
- guillotine
- bench shears
4. Different shapes using a piercing saw frame can include the following for either jewellers or silversmiths:
Group 1 – Jeweller
- Parallel straight lines
- Parallel curved lines
- Round back holes
- Square back holes
- Honeycomb
- Symmetrical design fretwork
Group 2 – Silversmith
- Straight lines
- Spiral
- Round or oval holes
- Square or rectangular holes
- Symmetrical design fretwork