Page 12 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

2: Working
with metal
The science of understanding how metals behave, and using this knowledge to make them into things, is called metallurgy.
Why metals are used
Metals are relatively easy to work into different shapes. That, as much as anything, accounts for their widespread use instead of other materials such as fibreglass, plastic, wood, or ceramics.
When a designer chooses a metal for a job, there are two main points considered: the suitability of the metal for the job, and – if there is a choice of metals – which one can be worked most easily. This second point is vital because the faster a thing
can be made, the cheaper it is to make. A cheaper metal that is difficult to work can take much longer to make into a product than a slightly costlier metal. Often differences in labor costs far outweigh differences in metal costs.
(Above and opposite) A blacksmith bending an iron bar by first heating it in a furnace (above), then hitting it with
a heavy hammer on an anvil. This is an example of a craft level of hotworking.
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