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Some Like it Cold

Cold forming, also known as cold forging or cold working, encompasses all metalworking processes that shape metal anywhere from just below its recrystallization temperature down to room temperature. Where hot forming allows the metal to recrystallize into the new shape, cold forming changes the pattern of the crystalline structure within the material through bending, compress...

The Development of Metalworking

Early humans, when they began to work with metals, developed two processes that helped them immensely: heating and cutting. Using a primitive forge, metal ore could be made pliable enough to hammer into a desired shape, while flattened sheets of metal could be drilled, sawed, or sheared using implements made of harder metals.

While the two techniques were often...

Z Is for Zero Rake Angle

Metalworking Glossary for the Letter Z

See the index to the Glossaries here:

https://www.gearheadsurplus.com/blog/2295-metalworking-glossary.html

- Z-axis. One of three axes in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the Z-axis is perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis.
- Z-axis Milling. Also called plunge milling, it involves moving the cutting tool s...

Y Is for Yield

Metalworking Glossary for the Letter Y

See the index to the Glossaries here:

https://www.gearheadsurplus.com/blog/2295-metalworking-glossary.html

- Y-axis. One of three axes in a three-dimensional cartesian coordinate system, the Y-axis is perpendicular to both the X-axis and Z-axis.
- Y1, Y2 Axes. On a press brake, the vertical movement of the ram is referred to as the Y-axi...

X Is for X-axis

Metalworking Glossary for the Letter X

See the index to the Glossaries here:

https://www.gearheadsurplus.com/blog/2295-metalworking-glossary.html

- X-axis. One of three axes in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the X-axis is perpendicular to both the Y-axis and Z-axis.
- X1, X2 Axes. On a press brake, the front to back dimension is called the X-axis, and it is...

W Is for Work Hardening

Metalworking Glossary for the Letter W

See the index to the Glossaries here:

https://www.gearheadsurplus.com/blog/2295-metalworking-glossary.html

- Warm Forging. As opposed to cold working or hot working, warm forging is deformation of metal at an elevated temperature, but lower than the recrystallization temperature of the material. The heat allows for lower forces ...