HOW-TO GUIDE FOR

THE PIN PROJECT

Designed by Jenny Bird for Far + Wide Collective,
this pin is in the shape of a kite and will be made
by refugees and returnees in multiple countries.
 02 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

x
X
Style#: REFPIN01
Style#:
Collection: THEREFPIN01
PIN PROJECT
Collection: UNHCR PIN PROJECT
Date: 08.31.17
Date:Size:
Metal: Brass 08.31.17
35x25x1.75mm
Metal: Brass
Size: 35x25x1.75mm
HOW TO MAKE THIS PIN:
1. MakeHOW
mouldTOand MAKE
cast kite THIS
in brassPIN:
- See Kite Casting Section for more details
2. Solder pin backing - See Assembly kite
1. Make mould and cast in brass
Section - See Kite Casting Section for more details
for details
2. solder pin backing - See
3. Finish design with polishing and antiquing on frontSection
Assembly for details
- See Finishing Section for details
3. Finish design with polishing and antiquing on front - See Finishing Section for details

Step 1 - Casting:
Enlarged View:

25mm
35mm

Front View

engraved lines

Enlarged View:

1.75mm

engraved lines

Side View

beveled edge
1.25mm

0.5mm

Pg. 1 of 2
 03 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

x
X X
X
StepStep 2 - Assembly:
2 - Assembly:
Step 2 - Assembly:

*Pin *Pin Hardware

Hardware willprovided.
will be be provided.
*Pin Hardware will be provided.
BackBack
ViewView
Back View

SideSide
ViewView
Side View
Pin Hardware
Pin Hardware Placement:
Placement:
Pin Hardware Placement: centered
centered
centered

14mm14mmdowndown
14mm down
fromfrom the
the top top
from the top

Solder
Solder pin hardware
pin hardware 4mm4mm above
above center
center of pin.
of pin.
SolderSolder
pin hardware
spot is 4mm above
shown by redcenter
circle. of pin.
Solder spot is shown by red circle.
Solder spot is shown by red circle.

StepStep 3 - Finishing:
3 - Finishing:
Step 3 - Finishing:
1. Both sides of casting must be shiny, smooth, andpolished.
highly polished. See ref images below.
1.1.
Both
Bothsides
sidesof
ofcasting
casting must be
must beshiny,
shiny,smooth,
smooth, and
and highly
highly polished.
SeeSee ref images
ref images below.
below.
2. Both
1. No markings,
sides of pitting, must
casting bubbles
be or defects.
shiny, smooth, and highly polished. See ref images below.
2.2.
No Nomarkings,
markings,pitting,
pitting, bubbles
bubbles or ordefects.
defects.
2. No markings, pitting, bubbles or defects.
3. AThen wipeantiquing
pply dark clean. See ref images
liquid to front below.
of pin. Apply neatly and evenly to fill up engraved lines.
Then wipe clean. See ref images below.
Thenwipe
Then wipeclean.
clean.See
See refref images
images below.
below.

Reference Image: For Shape of Edges Reference Image: For Dark Pattern Lines
Reference Image: For Shape of Edges Reference Image: For Dark Pattern Lines
Reference Image:
Shiny, Smooth,For Shape
beveled of Edges
edges. Reference Image: For Dark Pattern Lines
Shiny, Smooth, beveled edges. wipe clean.
Highly polished onbeveled
both sides of pin.
Highly polished on both sides of edges.
Shiny, Smooth, pin. wipe clean.
Highly polished on both sides of pin. Wipe clean.
Pg.
Pg. 2 of22of 2
Pg. 2 of 2
 04 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

Instructions Equipment

01 Hammer a
0.5mm thick
sheet of brass flat.
Flat surface
and wooden
or leather
hammer.

02 On a piece of paper
draw a template of
the kite shape, use the
Paper, pencil or
pen and super
glue or similar.
Design notes earlier
in this document for
the exact dimensions.
Place glue (super glue
or strong glue) on the
piece of brass.

03 Use a pencil with

square sides to roll the
paper flat to remove
Pencil with
square sides.

any air bubbles.

 05 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

04 Take a saw frame and

insert a saw blade,
teeth up and running
Saw frame
and saw
blades.
downwards. Move
the blade into place
by pushing the frame
into the bench peg to
get greater tension in
the blade. Tighten the
screws at the bottom
and then the top to
secure the blade into
position. Check it is
tight enough by using
your thumb to pluck
the blade and it should
make a high-pitched
sound if properly
in place.
 06 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

05 Use the saw blade to

cut out the kite shape.
Move the blade
Saw frame
and blade(s).

straight up and down

in a smooth motion
and cut along the
outline of the kite.
 07 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

06 Using a metal
file, straighten the
edges using forward
Metal file and
ring clamp.

strokes of motion
with the file.

07 To double the
thickness of the sheet,
cut another piece of
Tin snips.

15mm thick brass

sheet that is bigger
than the kite shape
already pierced out.
 08 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

08 Burn off the paper

template that is glued
to the brass kite shape.
Blow torch
and heat
resistant mat.

09 Anneal a second sheet

of brass, 1.25mm thick
– heat the metal with
Blow torch,
heat resistant
mat and
the blow torch until it tweezers.
changes colour to be
rose coloured evenly
across the whole
sheet.

10 Use pickling
solution to clean (if
available) or water
Pickling
solution or
water and
and a wire brush. wire brush.
 09 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

11 On the sheet, apply a

thin layer of the flux or
borax (whichever you
Solder, borax/
flux, small
paint brush,
have available) with tweezers, heat
a small paint brush. resistant mat
Using tin snips, cut
and tin snips.
small pieces of solder
and place these on
top of the layer of flux
using tweezers.
 010 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

12 Place the kite shaped

piece over the second
sheet and heat with a
Blow torch,
heat resistant
matt, tweezers
blow torch. Use the and pickling
tweezers to hold the solution.
kite in place as the flux
bubbles and the solder
flows.

As the metal changes

colour with the heat,
the solder will flow to
the edges of the kite
shape. Once the solder
has evenly spread
on each side, stop
heating. Once cooled,
place in pickling
solution to clean it.

13 Remove the excess

metal from around the
edges of the kite shape
Tin snips.

using tin snips.

 011 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

14 File the sides straight. Metal file.

15 Measure out where

the engraving lines
should be based on
Ruler and
engraving tool
or dividers.
the design.
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16 Score the lines using

an engraving tool and
ruler.
Ruler and
engraving tool
or dividers.
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17 Using an engraving
tool, run along the
scored lines and
Engraving tool.

engrave deeper lines.

 014 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

18 Using a triangle metal

file, file along the
lines to make them
Triangle metal
file.

deeper, widening the

lines at the bottom of
the kite.
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19 For the round

engraving at the
top of the kite use a
Motorized
engraver.

motorized engraver.

20 Hammer to ensure
completely flat.
Hammer
(preferably
leather) and
flat surface.
 016 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

21 Sand to finish, going

through 800 – 2000
coarseness in paper.
Sand paper
– 800, 1000,
1200, 2000.
Polishing motor makes Polishing
this process faster but motor is
this can be done by
optional.
hand too.
 017 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

22 For polishing, use

polishing compound
by applying it on to a
Polishing
motor,
polishing mop
polishing mop. The and polishing
mop will rotate and compound
the compound is
(Tripoli polish
applied in a downward
motion to the mop.
and Rouge
The kite piece is polish).
polished in the same
direction, downwards
away from your body.
 018 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

FOR CASTING IF AVAILABLE

23 Mold is made of the

pin for casting.
Metal file and
ring clamp.

24 Pin is cast. Wax is injected into the mold and then attached to a wax
tree that is incased in plaster. The wax is melted out and molten metal is
poured in.
Wax injector,
casting
machine.

25 Pin returns from caster with sprew (extra metal) that needs removing. This is
removed using a saw blade, cutting as close to the edge as possible. The edge
is then filed clean.
Saw and blade,
metal file.
 019 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

26 Faced downwards,
the pin is soldered
on to the back of the
Tweezers,
blow torch,
heat resistant
kite shape. Flux or mat and
borax is applied using pickling
a brush to clean the
solution.
area that the solder
will be placed. The pin
is held in place using
tweezers and the blow
torch is used to heat
the kite.

When the kite is

heated to the right
temperature, move
the flame up the pin
and the solder should
flow to join the two.

Once cooled, the pin

is placed in pickling
solution to clean.
 020 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

27 Sand to finish, going

through 800 – 2000
coarseness in paper.
Sand paper
– 800, 1000,
1200, 2000.
Polishing motor makes Polishing
this process faster, but motor is
this can be done by optional.
hand too.

28 For polishing, use

polishing compound
by applying it on to a
Polishing
motor,
polishing
polishing mop. The mop, polishing
mop will rotate, and compound
the compound is (Tripoli polish
applied in a downward and Rouge
motion to the mop. polish).
The kite piece is
polished in the same
direction, downwards
away from your body.
 021 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

Quality Control Guide

It is important that all the pins produced are a consistently high standard. Once the pins are finished, they must go through a
quality control check as follows:

Assessment Correct Checked

Design, shape Same as design/sample dimensions: 25mm x 35mm x 1.75mm

Pin position Centre top (14mm down from the top)

Engraved lines Clear and straight lines

Marks, scratches No marks or scratches on the metal

Pin hole marks from casting No pin hole marks on the surface of the metal

Polish High shine

Pin marks Fits securely

Quality Control Watchlist

PIN PLACEMENT ON KITE: Pin should be centered on kite back. Follow guide on spec and draw template for placement of
pin. Using template, mark placement of pin on kite back before soldering.
 022 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN PROJECT

EXCESS SOLDERING: Area around pin on kite back should be clean, with very little visible soldering mess. Polish area around
pin on back of kite to remove soldering mess.

LEFT OVER POLISHING COMPOUND: Polishing compound can get caught up in the engraved lines of the pin. This needs
to be completely removed. Pins can be put in a ultrasonic machine or handwashed in soap and water to remove the polishing
compound.
 023 | HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR THE PIN

Packing
Far + Wide Collective will provide a small card and plastic bag for the packing of the pins once they have passed quality control.

Step 1
Artisan signs the back with their name, country and date.

Step 2
Pierce the card with pin so that the kite shapes overlap and match.

Step 3
Place the card with pin attached into plastic bag and seal the bag.