Keychain

Students will create a sheet metal keychain using at least two negative space cut outs. Students will use the jewelry saw, sandpaper, hand files, drill press, buffer, and polisher to make the sheet metal keychain. Afterwards, students solder the jump ring as an introduction to the soldering torches, pickle pot, and ultrasonic machines.

This unit has six parts: research, drawing to scale, sawing practice, sheet metal keychain (cutting, drilling, sanding, filing, buffing, polishing), jump ring (soldering), and documentation of the finished work.

Overview Unit Goal

Picture

Composition Concepts

  • Negative Space Cut-outs
  • Silhouette

Technical Skills

  • Sawing
  • Drilling
  • Sanding
  • Filing
  • Buffing 
  • Polishing
  • Soldering

Tools & Supplies

  • Jewelry Saw
  • Drill Press
  • Sandpaper
  • Hand Files
  • Buffer
  • Polisher
  • Soldering Torch

Keychain Design Ideas: Use a Silhouette with 2+ Negative Space Cut-outs

Composition Concepts

Technical Skills Videos

Tools & Supplies

Sawing Practice
  • Jewelry Saw with Saw Blade
  • Burr Life
  • Bench Hook
  • Sheet Metal, Rubber Cement, Practice Drawing
Keychain Project
  • Drill Press Station: drill press, chasing tool, rawhide mallet
  • Jewelry Bench: Jewelry Saw, with blade, burr life, bench hook, Sandpaper (3 levels), Micro Files
  • Buffing & Polishing Stations: finger guards, glasses, support block
  • Soldering Station: torch, fire brick, fire starter, quenching bath, tweezers, solder, cutting pliers, flux

Unit Components

Research

Spend a few minutes thinking before you search the internet for ideas. Sometimes your ideas are better than the ones that come up in a google search.

When searching, you don't need to search for a silhouette. You can make any image a silhouette yourself! Just draw the outline of the image and skip all the details inside.

Make sure you end up with at least two negative space cut-outs in your design. 

Drawing

Sawing Practice

Drilling Sheet Metal

Cutting Sheet Metal

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Sanding

  • Start with the roughest sandpaper and work the whole surface
  • Sand both sides with three levels of sandpaper, ending with 400

Filing

  • Use the micro files from your toolbox to file the edges of your keychain at a 45° angle.

Buffing & Polishing Stations

  • Buff both sides of your keychain
  • Use the wood support block to keep your keychain metal flat while buffing.
  • Remember to use all of the safety gear (finger guards, glasses, hair tie)

Soldering Station Introduction

  • You must have a teacher or TA guided introduction to the soldering station
  • You will need your keychain metal with jump ring attached

Documenting your Keychain

  • Use a solid background (no distracting lines, shadows, table, or other stuff) like the photo cube
  • Use quality lighting (soft shadow from sculpture only)
  • Photo should be in focus, with keychain centered
  • One photo from front high angle with diffuser
  • One photo of top

Email an image of your Keychain