Practical MetalworkingQ&A by dot point

Bench tools and hand processes: holding work in a bench vice, cutting with a hacksaw, removing metal by filing (cross-filing and draw-filing), cutting with a cold chisel, and the correct hammers (ball pein, cross-pein and claw).

Drilling holes with a twist drill and countersinking, and cutting screw threads by hand: an internal thread with a tap and tap wrench, and an external thread with a die and die stock.

Health and safety in the workshop: identifying hazards, using personal protective equipment (safety glasses, apron, gloves where appropriate), guarding machines, keeping a tidy area, and following safe working practices for hot, sharp and rotating processes.

Measuring and marking out: using a steel rule, engineer's try square, scriber, odd-leg (jenny) callipers, dividers and a centre punch from a datum edge to transfer a drawing onto metal accurately.

Metals and their properties: ferrous metals (mild steel) and non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper, brass), and the properties that decide their use - strength, hardness, toughness, malleability, ductility, conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Finishing processes: removing sharp edges and burrs (deburring), cleaning and preparing the surface (emery cloth/abrasives), and applying a finish such as paint, lacquer or plating to protect the metal and improve its appearance.

Mechanical joining and forming: joining metal with rivets (including pop rivets) and threaded fasteners (nuts, bolts and machine screws), choosing temporary or permanent joints, and bending and forming bar and rod to shape.

Course assessment overview: the practical activity (80 marks, 100% of the course, including a 10-mark case study) in which you plan and make a finished metal product and complete a log book, assessed by the teacher and verified by Qualifications Scotland.

Sheet metalwork: cutting sheet with tin snips and a guillotine, bending and folding on folding bars or a bending machine, and forming joints such as a folded seam, with allowance made for the bend.

Thermal joining: joining metal with heat by welding (e.g. MIG/arc), brazing and soft soldering, the difference between them (melting the parent metal versus a filler), and the safety needed for hot work.

Machine drilling on a pillar or bench drill (work clamped, correct speed, chuck and twist drill) and using an off-hand (bench) grinder to shape, deburr and sharpen tools, with the correct guards and safe practice.

The centre lathe: its main parts (headstock, chuck, tailstock, carriage, cross-slide and tool post) and the operations it performs - facing, parallel turning, parting, chamfering and knurling.