How to Shape and Form using Cutting, Abrasion and Addition

• Shaping and Forming using Cutting, Abrasion and Addition


  • You need to be able to give examples and make good choices about how to shape for and join your materials
  • This could be tested in the exam and should be talked about using technical terms in your coursework
• Paper and card


  1. Cutting with scissors and craft knives for manual cutting of paper and thin card when detail is needed

  2. Using a CAD drawing and a laser cutter for multiple complex shapes

  3. Straight lines cut with a guillotine for layers of material and thick card

  4. Repetitive shapes cut using a specially made metal die with high pressure to cut through many layers at a time
• Paper and card


  1. Creasing and scoring to help paper or card neatly crease (fold)

  2. Perforating paper to make it easier to fold or tear off, used in raffle tickets or cheque books

  3. Perforations can be added to dies or cut with a laser cutter
• Timber


  1. Hand saw with wide blade for straight cuts or thin blade for cutting around a bend

  2. Circular saws, band saws, jigsaws for machine cutting of wood

  3. Drilling with hand drill, brace drill, pillar drill or power drill using twist drill bits, flat bits, hole saws

  4. Chiselling with hand chisels or electric routers to remove material and create grooves, slots and shaped edges

  5. Sanding by hand with abrasive sandpaper or power tools like band sanders, disk sanders, palm sanders

  6. Planing with bench planes or power planers to shave off layers of wood
• Metal based material


  1. Cutting with hand shears, power shears, hack saw, band saw

  2. Drilling with stronger drill bits made of high speed steel, also using lathes and milling machines

  3. Turning on centre lathes to shape metal rod

  4. Milling to remove thin layers and create perfectly flat surfaces

  5. Casting by pouring molten metal into a mould and cooling

  6. Welding with oxyacetylene torch to join metal
• Polymers


  1. Cutting with coping saw, jigsaw, band saw

  2. Drilling with wood drill bits

  3. Casting by forcing molten plastic into a mould, or vacuum forming/blow moulding heated sheet plastic

  4. 3D printing to layer up molten plastic

  5. Joining with liquid solvent cement, superglue, epoxy resin, or plastic welding
• Textiles


  1. Sewing by hand stitching or sewing machine, overlockers for strong seams and hems

  2. Pleating by folding fabric into a zig zag pattern

  3. Gathering by sewing a row of stitching and pulling to ruffle the fabric

  4. Quilting by sewing a fabric-wadding-fabric sandwich

  5. Piping by folding fabric over cord and stitching close to the edge
• Electronics


  1. Cutting circuit boards accurately using laser cutting and CAD drawings

  2. Drilling tiny holes in printed circuit boards (PCBs) at right angles using a drill stand

  3. Soldering to permanently join components, with automated soldering in industry