Making items from thin sheet metal and wire
Sheet metal is made into machine and instrument housings, water pipes and vessels. A long metal rod up to 8 mm in diameter is called wire. Wire thicker than 5 mm is made by rolling; thinner wire on drawing machines, by pulling it through a series of ever thinner holes. Steel wire becomes nails, screws, rivets and springs; copper and aluminium wire mostly becomes electrical conductors. Factories supply wire in coils; the needed piece is cut with sharp-jaw pliers and straightened before use, on a plate with a mallet or through cylindrical pliers. Wire is bent at the needed angle with flat-jaw pliers and into complex curves with round-jaw pliers. Wire ends are sharp: work in goggles under adult supervision and never bend wire toward your face or look straight at its ends.
Wire bending (supervised): from a soft 20 cm aluminium wire with rounded or taped ends, bend an animal or letter. The teacher alone cuts the wire pieces; goggles are worn; wire ends are kept away from the face, and ends on the finished item are wrapped with tape.