History of Metal Spinning

Metal spinning is actually considered to be one of the oldest methods of forming sheet metal, believed to be developed in ancient China originally as an art form and now considered a trade. American revolutionary hero Paul Revere was a metal spinner, and much of his hollow wear is in museums. It is an excellent economic alternative for many projects that would be impractical with other forming methods. There is no foreseeable technology that will replace the metal spinning process.

Every spinner spins differently and the product varies slightly according to each spinner’s experience and ability. In metal spinning, the forming process is accomplished by the use of a spinning lathe. The spinner skillfully forms a flat piece of metal (cold roll steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and copper) over a specially designed chuck to create the shape you want, much like a master potter at a wheel.

A flat circle or blank piece of metal is formed around a preformed chuck with a series of passes of a roller on a shaft or a tool housed under the arm. The chuck can be hundreds of different shapes, and the metal is formed to the shape of the chuck.

Ultimate can spin an object from ¼” to 60″ in diameter, and can spin your job in any type of ferrous or non-ferrous metal, with thicknesses from .015″ to .250″.