1. Manufacture Instructions
Tea Light Holder
Manufacture
Instructions

2. Marking the dish shape. Sharpie pen
For the purpose of this exercise the top shape has been done for you. It is a square with the edges rounded off. The holder has 4 legs. To make the cutting easier a sharpie pen will be used along with a shaped template.
Sharpie pen
The pen creates a dark line that is clear to see when cutting.
The heavy line makes seeing where to trim the metal very easy.
The template has holes drilled in the corners. This is where the rivets go. Mark them clearly and mark the centre with a centre punch.
NOTE:- If you do not intend to rivet the pieces together do not drill the holes.

3. Cutting to shape Engineers Vice Tin-mans snips Second cut file
Cutting to shape is relatively easy. You will need to use an engineers vice, tin-mans snips, and a file to smooth the edges.
Secure one leg of the snips in the vice. This will make the snips easy to use. It will some times be necessary to cut bits off the corners to make trimming to shape easier.
Engineers Vice
You should be able to follow the line on the metal closely. A bit like cutting tough card with scissors. Cut along the middle of the line.
The trimmed metal (swarf) will be sharp, be very careful when handling it.
Tin-mans snips
Trimming with the snips will create burr (a rough edge)on the bottom edge of the metal this needs to be smoothed off. Use a file to do this.
Second cut file

4. Drilling the holes part 1
Centre punch
Drilling the holes is easy they can be drilled before cutting, after cutting, even after bending the sheet metal.
Safety is paramount and the metal must be held using mole grips, or a hand vice. The metal is then held against a wooden block for support.
After drilling the holes are de-burred using a rose bit countersink.
As ever goggles must be worn.
3.5mm Twist drill
Pedestal drill
Hand Vice
If the metal is still flat it must be held with a hand vice.
Mole Grips
Rose bit countersink
If the metal has been shaped into a dish shape it must be held using mole grips.
De burr the holes
Drilling block
NOTE:- Safety guards have only been removed to allow photographs to be taken.

5. You need two shaped dishes.
Shaping the dish is achieved using a bossing mallet, or a ball pein hammer, and a boss. A boss is simply a block of wood that has been hollowed out on one side to form a dish shape that the metal can be hammered into.
Different tools can have a dramatic effect on the overall finish achieved. Carefully using a wooden bossing mallet can achieve the smoothest results the frequency, and space between hits effect the quality of finish. Hitting the metal hard will shape the metal but may also damage the surface by putting dents in it. Lots of little taps close together will produce the best results.
Using a ball pein hammer will produce a more rustic effect. This is because the steel hammer head is much harder than the mild steel you are shaping. Small dents are unavoidable, but may be used to good effect.
Bossing Mallet
Shaping the dish
Ball Pein Hammer
Shaped boss
To achieve the best results the metal must be constantly turned as it is being shaped. Staying focused on the task will help to prevent sore fingers.
You need two shaped dishes.

6. Shaping and smoothing the legs
The legs can be easily shaped by clamping them together in the vice. A gentle rub with a file will round all of the corners at the same time.
Depending on how you want to shape the legs they can be filed into more complex shapes.
Some examples are shown.
A card template will help to make marking easier and clamping them all together in the vice will make shaping them a less laborious task.
Burrs, and sharp edges must be removed using a file and emery cloth.
The sharp edges need to be removed and this can be achieved by gently stroking the metal with a file while holding it on the flat surface at the back of the vice. A rub with some emery cloth will smooth off any remaining rough areas.

7. Drilling the holes part 2.
To rivet the pieces together holes need to be drilled in both the dishes and the legs. All 4 of the legs can be drilled at the same time. Clamping them together tightly with the hand vice makes this easy and safe.
Mole grips
Hand Vice
All of the legs are carefully lined up and drilled at the same time.
The metal must be held securely using a hand vice.
Drilling the holes part 2.
As with the dish
any drilled holes can be de-burred using a rose bit countersink.
Mark the middle of the line with a dot.
Put a line at 60mm from each end of the legs. This is where the legs will be drilled for joining together.
NOTE:- Safety guards have only been removed to allow photographs to be taken.

8. Bending the legs Method 1.
Once the legs have been drilled and filed to shape they need to be bent to shape. This will require a little judgement with a visual check to see that the metal has been bent to the correct angle.
The metal strip for the legs is carefully bent round a metal post until it fits into the right angle of an engineers square.

9. Bending the legs method 2
Saw cut
Press the metal over against the former It will spring back a little this has been allowed for.
Place the bending jig securely in the vice
The end of the metal should be pushed into the saw cut as far as it will go.
Welding guide
Bending the legs method 2
Make the second bend. Remember it will bounce back a little. Remember to mark the welding guide with a sharpie pen.
Mark the spot welding guide size using a sharpie pen.
Line up the dish and leg as shown this can be held in place using a bull dog clip if you like..
Bending jig sizes

10. Spot welding
The spot welding machine is easy to use. The metal to be joined is placed between the electrodes and is then clamped together. A high powered electric current is then passed through the metal at the electrodes heating it to about 1500 degrees in an instant fusing the bits together.
The different parts of the model will need to be held together using bull dog paper clips. These will allow you to manipulate the model into the correct shape before welding. Once you have positioned everything properly weld the joints together.
Spot welding is the easiest way to join the metal together. It is fast, and simple process. The main problem with it is that it is instant and permanent. You need to make sure that it is in the correct position before committing to the final weld.
WARNING:- You must allow several minutes before touching the metal at the weld spot as it will be very hot immediately after welding has occurred.

11. Curving the feet
The feet of the stand need to be curled round. This is achieved using a simple jig. The metal is first bent to a right angle. This allows you to check that all feet are being bent in the same direction.
Having bent the legs to a right angle they now need to be wrapped round the former. This creates a curly foot that looks attractive. Care must be taken to bend them the same distance each time.
An alternative to curling the feet would be to shape the ends, and slightly bend them to create some shape. Some examples of shapes are shown

12. Riveting part 1 RIVET HEAD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The diagram above shows the hammering pattern. It is important to hit the rivet with small taps at different places each time. This will stop the rivet from deforming in one direction only.
Partly shaped rivet
Riveting is a lot slower than spot welding. It does give you some adjustability as the pieces will still be able to move a little as if hinged. You will need to use a rivet set and snap to do this.
The Set is a drilled hole that fits over the round shaft of the rivet. It allows the metal to be pushed hard together and any gaps to be eliminated.
Set the rivets tightly in place by putting the drilled hole set of the rivet set over the top of it and strike once with the hammer.
Form the dome shape by placing the snap shape of the rivet set over the partly shaped rivet and hammering until the shape is completed.
The snap is a dome shaped hollow in the tool that forces the shaped rivet into a perfect dome shape. This mirrors the shape of the snap head of a rivet.
Rivet diameter = 3.5 mm
The rivet should be sticking out 1.5 X 3.5 = 5.25mm
When forming the rivet it is important to have the correct amount of rivet sticking through the metal. For a snap head this will be 1.5 times the diameter of the rivet.
If the rivet is too long then shaping it successfully will not be possible. It will need to be cut to length. This can be achieved using end cutters shown above.

13. Riveting part 2
To start riveting use the flat side of the hammer to shape the rivet this fill flatten the end of the rivet and start to squash it down. Three or four well aimed blows will suffice. It is very important to hit the rivet straight as it will bend over and need to be removed otherwise.
SET
Once you have cut the rivet to length it needs to be set in place. One rivet set should be in the vice and you should holding the other. Put the dome shape of the rivet in the snap of the rivet set, and use the set(drilled hole ) over the cut rivet. One sharp blow with the hammer will push all of the bits tightly together setting them in place.
To complete the riveting exercise it will be necessary to use a second rivet set. Use the SNAP part of the rivet set to complete the shaping of the rivet. Two or three sharp blows with the hammer will finish the shaping off.
RIVET
HEAD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
SNAP
Once this has been achieved you can start to shape the rivet. Turn the hammer over and start to use the ball side of the hammer. Do not hit the rivet in the same place twice in succession. As this will bend the rivet over. Follow the hammering pattern show in the diagram. The rivet will start to form a mushroom shape as the end gets splayed out. T finish you will need to use a second rivet set.

14. Finishing
It is always a good idea to plan ahead. Ensure that all edges and surfaces have been properly cleaned before bending any of the metal. Cleaning afterwards is almost impossible. Smooth files steel wool, and emery cloth will give the best finish quickest.
Hammerite paint is the best finish for the model. Applied with a brush in 2 stages will achieve a very good finish. It is available in a variety of colours in both a hammered finish, and smooth.
Note:- This will be very messy, and time consuming. I would suggest that this becomes a homework exercise that the pupils can perform with a little supervision from mum and dad. I have seen some decorated with glitter before the paint sets.
Caution:- The model should not be plastic dip coated. Although designed for LED tea lights many parents will ignore this and use ordinary candle Tea lights and the plastic coating will be very dangerous in this situation.