Breathing new life into metals in the workshop

Beyond the Machinist's Bench

Thirty years in Design & Technology education has shown me just how transformative our subject can be. From steps with basic tools and materials in Primary Schools, to final NEA prototypes, it’s a journey shaped by confidence, creativity, and an understanding of materials. In my own classroom practice, one group of materials lagged behind the others, due to my own perceptions of cost, difficulty of working and the need for specialist equipment. I have since come to appreciate the ability of metals to embody elegance, intricacy, and individuality, and have developed ways to incorporate them into D&T project work without necessarily breaking the bank.

My own training in the 90s - a four-year BEd at Sheffield Hallam - gave me the gift of breadth. As well as developing pedagogy, we had time to develop skills with: textiles, electronic and pneumatic systems, timbers, polymers and metals; developing a practical fluency that simply can’t be covered in today’s post-grad teacher training. Today, with an increasingly packed curriculum, and time-table or staffing constraints, many D&T teachers haven’t had the chance to explore metals outside of pewter-casting or steel framing. That gap is one I’ve endeavoured to fill.

Jewellery as a Gateway

Ten years ago, I took up silver jewellery making as a hobby. It became more than just weekend crafting and evolved into experimentation with an ever-expanding variety of materials and techniques. Many a YouTube wormhole fired my enthusiasm for shaping, joining, decorating and embellishing! In the classroom, I began introducing decorative metalwork in small-scale applications. Jewellery clubs ran over lunch breaks and after school, open to pupils with a spark for creativity. They were an ideal way to explore techniques not typically embedded in the curriculum, and to bridge the gap between design disciplines. Jewellery making also offers opportunities to recycle offcuts… for example, a cupboard full of (gigantic by today’s standards) dated electronic components led to some interesting outcomes as part of an upcycling theme.

I’ve found that the organic nature of metals - brass, copper, aluminium and pewter - combined with their versatility, offers endless avenues for exploration. They're not just for frames and fixings; they're also for texture, colour, form and personal expression.

CPD in the Studio: Reimagining the Role of Metals

Post-retirement, I’ve redirected that passion into continuing professional development. From my New Forest studio, I now run hands-on workshops for teachers and technicians looking to reconnect with metals - or try them for the first time.

In these sessions, we dive into:

• Etching with Ferric Chloride: Many D&T departments have some of this chemical kicking around, left over from the days of etching PCBs. Sharpies, vinyl or paint pens can be used to “resist” the etch. This quick and exciting process also pairs beautifully with CAD/CAM to create custom stencils and masks.

• Enamelling: The magic of melting glass powder to create vibrant colour effects. This can be combined with the etching process to create recesses for enamel similar to champlevé. For schools without a kiln, a crème brulé torch borrowed from the Food department and a tripod and gauze from Science, a tea strainer and some lolly-sticks are all you need to get started.

• Texturing: Using hammers, punches, and rolling mills to create tactile surfaces to create added interest.

• Anodised aluminium: Using dyes and resists to produce layered, vibrant designs on un-sealed anodised sheet. Cold-water dyes, spirit markers, stencils and stamps can be used in combination with different resists. Results are then steamed to “set” the designs before being shaped.

• Cold forming & connections: Learning tube riveting introduces mechanical joining without heat, dishing using dapping blocks (or my favourite an old wooden log) generates form, whilst using saws, shears or disc-cutters quickly create shapes that enhance the printed effects.

These techniques aren’t just for jewellers - they’re a fantastic toolkit for boosting the metal confidence of teachers and students alike.

Metals for Every Budget

Cost can feel like a barrier, but sourcing cleverly can turn it into an opportunity. I’ve begged copper wire from local electricians, and plumbers have donated pipe offcuts. A plea in the school newsletter brought in a trove of unused wire and sheet metal from parents' home renovations, as well as a hoard of unwanted “junk-jewellery” - a terrific source of beads and findings such as clasps and jump rings.

This kind of community engagement not only reduces costs but adds a deeper dimension to sustainability education: showing pupils that even materials perceived as premium can be repurposed, reimagined, and reused.