First Metal Shop Project: Key Clip

This is a project designed to give some quick and simple practice on three key machines in the metal shop, as well as some very basic layout technique.  You should be able to finish the whole thing in about 30 minutes, with material from the scrap bin.  It takes about the same amount of time to walk to the hardware store, purchase a similar key clip, and walk back to TechShop.

You will need:

1) a shear
2) a bending brake/ finger brake
3) a multi-metal disc sander
4) a bench vise
5) a file
6) a scribe or sharpie
7) 30 minutes

Step 1: Find a scrap to transform; cut to width using the shear

Take a look in the scrap bin and select a nice flat piece of metal.  You're going to need something that's not aluminum, because you'll break aluminum if you try to bend it as far as we're going to for this project.  If you don't know what I mean, grab a piece of aluminum as  well and try it alongside steel- it'll get you more familiar with the differences between the materials.

You'll need a piece at least 8" long, and you'll be using the shear to cut it to the width you want your keychain to hang from.

Lay your keychain next to your metal scrap.  Make a mark on the metal so you know where to line the shear up; I cut mine to about .5", because that will work nicely with the diameter of my key chain.

SHEAR!

Comments

[carlo$]

nice.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Awesome! Very simple and practical!