How to Make Metal Flakes with the Hand Grinder

Grinding Basics

The Hand Grinder turns solid metal into flakes. Flakes are the form metals take inside an Allomantic Vial, so every metal you intend to burn must pass through the grinder at some point. Place the grinder and use it on the ingot or raw material you want to break down.

From Ore to Flake

Raw metals such as Raw Aluminum, Raw Cadmium, Raw Chromium, Raw Lead, Raw Silver, Raw Tin, and Raw Zinc can be processed before they become ingots. Smelting or blasting converts raw material into its ingot — for example Raw Tin into Tin Ingot, Raw Zinc into Zinc Ingot, Raw Lead into Lead Ingot, Raw Silver into Silver Ingot, Raw Cadmium into Cadmium Ingot, and Raw Chromium into Chromium Ingot. Once you have the ingot, grind it into the matching flakes.

Alloy Flakes

Alloys do not come from raw ore. Raw Brass Blend, Raw Bronze Blend, Raw Pewter Blend, Raw Steel Blend, Raw Duralumin Blend, Raw Electrum Blend, Raw Nicrosil Blend, and Raw Bendalloy Blend are the intermediate forms. Smelt or blast a blend into its ingot — Brass Ingot, Bronze Ingot, Pewter Ingot, Steel Ingot, Duralumin Ingot, Electrum Ingot, Nicrosil Ingot, or Bendalloy Ingot — then grind that ingot into flakes. Keep one grinder dedicated to each metal type if you process in bulk.