really cheating on your metal work merit badge

This depends on the metal, but for most metals, the answer is : heat the metal to red heat, then cool it slowly. This is called annealing. copper is one of the exceptions. To anneal it, get it red-hot then dunk it in cold water.

Heat Treatment of metals is a secondary process after production or mid production to enhance the properties of the metal. Heat Treatment can harden, anneal (make softer), or relieve internal stresses of the metal.

Yes, it can anneal to either the template stand or the newly synthesized strand.

really cheating on your metal work merit badge