care for your craft: metal
Do you know how to care for your metal work?
Due to metal’s durability and versatility, it is a natural choice as a medium for a range of items. These range from everyday items such as cutlery, serving utensils, coinage and electronics. It can be used for delicate products such as jewellery but can also be used in large scale sculptural work or in industrial machinery.
To know how to properly care for your metal craft, ask yourself where the product will be used, and kept, in your home.
A few things to look our for when you are shopping for metal craft:
- What are you using this crafted piece for? Is it appropriate and safe in the space?
- How to properly care for this particular metal, for example, polishing and cleaning; some metals can react differently to different cleaners.
- Is the design appropriate to the piece’s function?
- Was the iron brightened before finishing, with rust-proofing?
Durability, functionality & aesthetics
Upon selecting a metal piece, focus on the relationship between its durability, functionality and aesthetics.
The piece should be clean, meaning excess solder minimized and excess resin removed. Seams should be completely even – avoiding excess filler. No tool marks should be visible unless intended by design.
The work must not contain lead or cadmium bearing alloys if in contact with food for health safety.
For example, all food serving items and children’s toys must have non-toxic finishes. All toys must meet Health Canada material, production, packaging and labelling requirements, such as age requirements for choking hazards.
Ask the artist about their pieces to learn more about their process - there is always a new story, technique, or material that you can discover when you purchase craft!
We have recently added a selection of metal craft by member professional artists to our shop online. You can now find a variety of shapes, sizes, and types of metal to shop from the comfort of your home!
Craft pictured: Top: Tiny Trap Necklace by Sherri Pelican. In text: Serve Spoon by Stefanie Dueck