Fold Forming and Curved-Score Folding with Paul Wells

Delivered in person at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, this course will help you to:

• Inject technique-led processes to develop ideas and boost creativity in your designs.

• Expand your understanding of metallurgy principles such as work hardening and the importance of annealing.

• Develop your competency to form metal, including stretching, hammering and use of the rolling mill.

• Step-by-step demonstrations followed by a series of practical exercises to build up your confidence and develop forming techniques and processes.

• An understanding of the effects of fold forming in the transformation from 2D to 3D forms.

• Create different types of folds and curved-score samples.

• Produce a variety of folded copper forms – both samples of the demonstrated folding techniques, as well as your own sculptural explorations.

Our small class size offers you the chance to get group tuition as well as individual guidance on a 1:1 basis with your tutor, allowing you to receive tailored advice to deepen your knowledge and understanding of fold forming sheet metal.

Please bring your own basic toolkit, including but not limited to:

• Tin snips.

• Piercing saw frame.

• Saw blades 2/0 or 4/0 x 1 bundle.

• Half-round hand file with handle.

• Rawhide mallet.

• Pair of dividers.

• A blunt butter knife (this is used to open up your pieces once folding has taken place).

• Ear plugs.

• Protective clothing or clothing you do not mind getting dirty (e.g. an apron), and closed-toe shoes.

What will I be provided with?

• All sheet metal (copper) needed to produce sample work.

• Wire for scoring.

• Dip gloves.

• Access to all workshop equipment necessary.

• Beginner: Limited prior experience required.

No previous experience of fold forming is needed. You should be comfortable working at the bench with basic hand tools such as a piercing saw and mallet. Paul demonstrates each folding and scoring technique before you try it, and the emphasis is on understanding how sheet metal behaves as it is folded, annealed and opened out.

• Intermediate: Practical experience and understanding of listed skills required.

This level suits makers who already work independently on tasks such as piercing, filing and annealing. You’ll be able to push the techniques further, combining folds and curved scores in your own sculptural explorations and using what you learn about work hardening to control more complex forms.

In order to benefit most from this course, participants should have experience of working in a workshop environment and be able to work independently on basic tasks such as piercing, filing and annealing.

We are committed to making our training programmes and events as inclusive and accessible as possible. If you have any access requirements, please inform us as early as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements. While we will do our best to accommodate your needs, advance notice is essential to ensure we can provide appropriate support.

To discuss your requirements when booking tickets for our Goldsmiths’ Centre training programmes, please contact us at boxoffice@goldsmiths-centre.org.

We believe that talent should not be held back. Here at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, we are open, accessible and inclusive to all. Our Access Grants help anyone to build thriving creative careers, supporting jewellers, silversmiths and allied industry practitioners to access our training courses for free.

If you need help to cover fees for our business and technical skills short courses, please apply for one of our Access Grants. To find out more and read our application criteria, click here.

The Access Grants are delivered by the Goldsmiths’ Centre and funded through modern philanthropic giving, via the Goldsmiths’ Foundation, from members of the Goldsmiths’ Company.