Do you know what amazes us about pieces of jewelry?
It is how the impressions are properly handcrafted. This is one of the ways experienced buyers can tell the difference between top-notch products and average or below par ones.
The way the impressions are stylishly and flawlessly made determines the value of the product to a large extent. Of course, this is asides from the texture and quality of the metal that is stamped.
In this article, we will be discussing some tools DIYers need to know to make the most of the stamping technique. This is regardless of the technicality of the handcrafted impression you are making.
However, several companies render custom metal stamping services if you prefer to work with experts.
We strongly recommend this if you are not given to frequently making metal stamp items, or if you are faced with a project that is more than you can handle. Having established this, let us briefly go over what this technique is all about.
This comprises of forming techniques used to make custom-shaped metals from a raw flat state. Some of the methods used to achieve this include any or a combination of techniques such as – bending, blanking, punching, piercing, and several others.
This rather complicated process is required to be precise and void of mistakes. As a result, there is a need for the right tools to achieve this. Some of the tools needed to make a DIY metal stamped product with the right impression include:
You cannot afford to settle for just any hammer. The chosen hammer must be able to drill impressions without adversely affecting the looks and texture of the item worked upon.
Also, noise pollution is something that you should consider. On that note, getting a brass hammer is one of the best options.
Blocks can be described as the work surface. They are important as stamping on an uneven or rough surface can badly affect the overall look of the item. This is especially at the opposite end as it stops the metal from bouncing awkwardly.
Therefore, you should work with the right block. Considering that there are various options available, you should use one that best suits your need.
You may even choose to use more than one at the same time. For example, the steel and rubber bench block. For more information on bench blocks used for stamping, you can check out this video.
This tool is used to drill holes into the item worked on. The drilled hole can serve an aesthetic purpose or act as a handle for attaching the metal to a chain.
To get the hole drilled, there are two kinds of hole punches we have observed. The first is something that looks and works like a paper puncher pliers.
To use it, you have to identify the part that needs to be punched. Afterward, you fit that part in between the hole punch and press tightly. The essence of holding firmly is to ensure that the metal does not slip away, getting an unexpected place punched.
The second hole punch we have observed works like a vice. It has two ends, one of which you can screw and unscrew. To use this option, you are to make sure the tool is unscrewed first. This is so that you can fit the metal into the appropriate part of the hole punch.
After it is fitted in, the next step is to screw the tool right above the chosen spot. You can then unscrew after drilling.
We strongly recommend the latter option if you are finding it hard to choose between both hole punches explained here. This is because of the ease of use and the flawless holes it makes.
Compared to the first option, the chances of having unwanted ring marks and sharp edges around the drilled hole are little or none. So, the vice-styled punch hole is the perfect option in our opinion.
You must drill holes using the right tool to avoid damaging the item. This is especially for delicate metals such as aluminum.
If you want to know more about stamping especially from a large scale production stance, you can visit: https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/custom-manufacturing-fabricating/understanding-metal-stamping/
Are you interested in making handcrafted metal stamps products yourself?
If your answer is in the affirmative, then you should be concerned about using the right tool for the right tasks. In this article, we have touched upon some important tools and hope that you use them when you are about to carry out your project. By so doing, you are more likely to have a smooth job.
Continue ReadingAccording to December’s Office for National Statistics figures, the number of job vacancies now available in the construction industry is back up to pre-Covid levels.
26,000 vacancies are currently available in the sector, which represents a 43% increase since the last quarter. Construction is one of only three industries that has seen an increase in vacancies overall since the same time a year ago.
Almost a thousand of those vacancies have recently been uploaded to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy funded Construction Talent Retention Scheme (Construction TRS), a recruitment platform launched by the Government, construction industry groups and businesses earlier this year. A national portal for construction jobs and free to access for employers and candidates, it is straightforward to search, view and apply for jobs.
Chris Jarman, director of the Construction TRS, says:
“Every week we get another 200 live vacancies advertised on our platform. From electricians and forklift drivers, to site managers, customer services, project managers, engineers and office administrators – every sort of role you could imagine is here, and the demand from businesses is strong. Employers with vacancies range from large contractors, housebuilders and engineering firms through to a vast array of smaller regional and local businesses throughout the UK.
“My advice for anyone who’s looking for a new role in construction is to go to the Construction TRS website and upload your CV today. You can search for jobs in your trade or profession in your geographic area and you can sign up for alerts to be told when new jobs are advertised. It’s completely free of charge and is simple to use.”
Kat Betts, senior resource business partner at civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale says:
“The Construction TRS is an essential tool for people looking for jobs in the construction industry. Applications come through directly to the recruiting companies which means a faster, more streamlined process. We have a range of great vacancies and graduate opportunities available on the site with more to be uploaded in the new year. Christmas is the ideal time to upload your CV so you’re ideally placed to apply for jobs in the new year.”
Here are 10 ways to increase your chances of securing your dream job in construction this Christmas:
Sarah Beale, chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), says:
“Throughout the pandemic UK construction has worked hard to stay open. There is a very strong demand for skilled people in our industry – the number of vacancies is back to where it was before the pandemic hit. And with the level of government investment in infrastructure, new homes and retrofitting for reducing carbon, we are expecting a big recruitment drive in the New Year. There’s a wide range of opportunities available – so get registered and be the first to see them.”
www.trs-system.co.uk/construction
About the Construction Talent Retention Scheme
The Construction Talent Retention Scheme (CTRS) is a not-for-profit programme, funded by Government, and backed by business organisations, professional institutions and construction unions.
The online portal allows skilled individuals to showcase their experience and expertise and helps businesses across the industry find the skills they need.
There has been strong interest in the scheme since it was announced as part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Plan for Jobs in July 2020. More than 700 employers have signed up to use the scheme. These companies, drawn from across Britain, range from multinational engineering giants to micro businesses. While almost half of all live vacancies are posted by regional SMEs, some of the bigger companies with vacancies listed include Barhale, Kier, Aecom, Balfour Beatty, ISG and Travis Perkins.
The free-to-use site allows the redeployment of staff at risk of redundancy and enables temporary employee loans between businesses. It also gives displaced workers from other sectors a route to find new employment.
The platform offers a fully featured system allowing companies to easily search candidates’ online profiles and CVs on a local, regional and national basis. It allows you to promote and directly manage information about your business, services, latest vacancies, news and events to skilled workers seeking new opportunities and to contact them directly.
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What is plant competence or competency training?
First, let’s answer the simple part. What is a plant?
This is basically a site where production or manufacturing takes place. This is usually characterized by buildings where workers are found operating different kinds of machines to produce or manufacture things.
Now to the second part:
Competency training or skill-based training is a kind of developmental course that focuses mainly on improving specific skills or competencies in individuals.
This program is usually broken down into smaller segments in order to focus on developing a major skill in the learner. After the learner has mastered that segment, such an individual can then be introduced to the next segment of the program until all the skills are mastered. Based on their performance at the end of the training, they may receive certification.
So, Plant competency is the training given to workers operating on a production or manufacturing site that helps them master the art of working more effectively and also efficiently.
As an employer, making efforts to train and enrich your workers or employees with skills they need can go a long way in improving productivity and the growth of your organization. Therefore, ensure that you go out to employ proactive learners because the worker has to first be willing to learn or else your effort will end up being a wasted one.
The steps below will guide you through the process:
Need more information on how to go about it? Get it here.
What we are looking at in this segment are the benefits to be derived from a process such as this. Its benefits are numerous but we will divide them into two sections here: The employer’s benefits and the employee’s benefits.
Productivity generally improves when employees become competent in their work since they know exactly what is expected of them. Also, since they have been trained, they have insight into the overall target of the employer.
Furthermore, communication between the employer and the employee is improved with training. This also imparts productivity positively.
Since training is focused on areas that require improved performance, money and time are channeled to such areas after assessment thereby cutting down cost. For instance, employees will not be trained again in areas they are already good in. Employees are usually motivated when they understand the benefits that come with performance improvement.
Also, since the focus is on improved performance, cost overruns caused by poor performance are reduced.
Organizations can make available information needed by the employees as they do the job. This works to the advantage of the organization in two ways; employees can solve problems using their skills and knowledge while the organization reduces the number of errors they encounter. These could impart profit positively in a significant way.
Time between training and work on the job is reduced since employees are trained on the job they are doing. They become more competent in the areas they are required to in less time.
Well trained and assessed employees are able to carry out their required tasks efficiently and in good time. They are able to provide high-quality services to customers in service-related industries. This increases customer satisfaction. You may want to see the importance of customer satisfaction here: https://medium.com/@wishdesk.com/6-reasons-why-customer-satisfaction-is-important-69900307b9ed.
An employer can create groups of people with corresponding skills. In order to do this, a record of employees’ knowledge, skill acquisition, safety procedures and other procedures as well will be taken by the employer and used in identifying areas where the employees need training, development and assessment.
This process helps employees build growth, developmental paths and also become competent in other areas that are not their specified roles. This eventually provides the organization with the ability to expand adequately reducing the risks they face.
While the benefits the employer stands to gain are quite clear, why would you, an employee, make the investment in plant competency training like that offered by EM Training solutions? Well, here are some great reasons to do so…
Mastery of skills is attained in shorter times since the trainings are broken down into smaller segments. This helps employees acquire skills without leaving the tasks they have to do for too long.
Trainings can be self-paced. This means that the speed of learning and completing a training is entirely dependent on the individual. Individuals can also skip when they already know what is taught in a segment. This way, those who are fast do not need to wait for those who are not.
Since training is at the pace and time that suits the individual, individuals can be more focused on a particular segment. This ensures better retention. For more tips on how to retain information, you can check this article.
Since these types of trainings are objective in nature, as employees are assessed, they have a path to growth in their carrier and this can result in pay raise as well.
In conclusion, plant competence training can cause substantial growth of an organization if given the required time.
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https://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/
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No matter how careful and vigilant you are on your property, all homeowners will discover a plumbing leak in the home from time to time.
The frequency in which you notice a plumbing leak, however, can be dramatically reduced if some common ground rules are followed.
Here in this article, we aim to provide you with the knowledge and skills to hopefully spot the warning signs of a plumbing leak. Once you do you will be able to minimise the damage it can do to your home!
So, read on below for our best tips on how to stop a plumbing leak causing water damage on your property.
Don’t Leave Water Consuming Devices On When You Are Not Home
Now it goes without saying that if you leave home, you will not leave the oven or TV on. It is a waste of gas, electricity and is often associated with fire risks.
Now our first tip is to take this diligence and apply it to all of your water consuming devices. That means your washing machine and dishwasher! Never leave them running when you are not home.
If a pipe comes loose at the back and starts leaking (or god forbid flooding), you must stop this as quickly as possible to avoid water damage to your walls, ceilings, floors or surrounding areas.
We know it can be tempting to leave it running as you go to drop the kids off to school. But you would be surprised how many times people will say to their plumber “I only popped out for a second, and when I came back water was everywhere…”.
Don’t be that person. Limit the use of these devices to when you are at home. That way if you spot a leak you will likely be able to deal with it quicker and avoid the plumbing leak causing expensive water damage to your property.
Know The Location Of Your Stopcock
Now we often go on about this a lot. Every homeowner in our opinion should know exactly where their stopcock is, and how to turn it off.
The stopcock on your property acts as a shut off valve, to stop the flow of water on your property. So if you have spotted a leak it should stop the pressure from building and the leak from getting any worse.
You can then have an experienced plumber fix the leak without the risk of further damage occurring.
It is important to ensure that multiple members of your household know where this is and how to operate the stopcock. Not only does this take the pressure off of one person’s shoulders, but it also means that people are more vigilant in your household to leaks, and the first step to successfully dealing with them.
Install A Water Leak Detection Device
Now the wonders of technology have allowed you to control many things in your home. From controlling the temperature of your house from your phone, to smart fridges that can let you know when you are running low on milk.
Thankfully, technology can also help you to prevent leaks from causing water damage. At a relatively low cost you can install a device that remotely shuts off your water supply when it detects a leak in your system.
This can work much quicker than the naked eye, as leaks which are not visible are detected. You often link this device to your phone and receive an alert when there is a problem with your water system. That way you can feel safe in the knowledge that even the biggest of leaks will have the water shut off immediately and minimise the chaos and destruction that would have been caused.
If you are interested in installing one of these devices read up online for the best water security systems and installers in your area. We recommend that you give GROHE a look in for how they can help improve the water security on your home.
Get Leaks Investigated And Repaired Promptly
By now you probably have a good idea about the damage a leak can cause if left unattended. What you may not realise however, is that even the smallest of leaks, can become huge, and often expensive, problems if they are left unattended.
Water pressure has an effect over time and turns even the smallest of cracks into giant gaping holes if given enough time. The time to act when you spot a leak is right there and then.
If you are going to tackle the leak yourself be careful to avoid making common DIY plumbing mistakes. You are much better off calling out a highly experienced plumber to tackle the repair works on your behalf.
You should be aware that usually your standard home insurance will not have you covered if the water damage is found to be caused by a lack of maintenance on your property. Often the damage will need to be proved to be from an occurrence that is sudden and accidental in nature.
Leaving a leak on tomorrows to do list can often create you a whole wealth of problems you did not even consider.
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