Raising, Planishing, and Wax Finishing a Lantern
Arts & Crafts Era Copper
Raising, Planishing, & Wax Finishing an Arts & Crafts Lantern
CONSTRUCTION, RAISING, PLANISHING
It is best to make the top of the lantern first; this is usually from 5" to 7" square. Always cut the metal for the top 1/2" larger than the finished top is to be. This extra 1/2" is to allow for squaring and lapping the edge. When the metal is cut to the required size, draw a pencil line parallel with the edges, where the top will start to be beaten or "raised" upward. The location of this pencil line is indicated by the arrows on the drawing, No. 1, Fig. 48.
With the neck hammer beat down the metal over the edge of a block
of wood held in the vise, using the method shown for the match-holder
base.
RAISING
The progressive steps for the "raising" of the lantern-top are shown in Fig. 48. No. 1 is the flat piece of metal cut 1/2" larger than the finished top. No. 2 is the way it should look after beating it over the edge of the block with the neck hammer. It is probable that the edge will at this time bend slightly out of shape; if it does, place the top on a flat piece of wood and flatten the edge with the wooden mallet.
To proceed to No. 3, draw pencil lines from corner to corner on the inside of the bottom of No. 2, intersecting at the center. Procure a block of hard wood (maple is best, but oak will do) 3" square and 7" long, and with a gouge cut a depression in one end about 1/2," deep. Fasten the block in the vise, hold the lantern-top over the depression, and with the neck hammer beat the metal along the pencil lines, hammering a little harder in the center where the lines intersect, being careful to hammer only on the pencil lines. This will make the top look like No. 3.
Care must be taken during this process to keep the lines square and straight. If it is desired to raise the lantern top to a high, sharp peak, it will be necessary to raise it part way and then "anneal" it by the process described in chapter 11.
After the top has been made like No. 3 it will be found that the sides have been drawn in by the hammering, as shown in the sketch marked A, Fig. 48. It will, of course, be necessary to straighten the sides by cutting with the shears, and then we may proceed to lap the edges as shown in Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 7, altho it is not always necessary to carry this process thru Nos. 5, 6, and 7. If we turn the edges down as in No. 4 it will be satisfactory in most cases.
Some of the lanterns shown in the photographs were finished like No. 4, but if it is desired to carry the lapping process thru to No. 7, the process is exactly like that described for the bookends in Chapter 9.
After the top is raised to the desired height and the edge finished, it will be necessary to hammer it all over with one of the hammers on either the No. 157 lapping-stake or the 153 H smoothing-stake. This final hammering, besides offering an opportunity to square and true the work, stiffens and hardens the metal, and covers the surface with hammer marks which add greatly to the charm of the finished piece of work if it is carefully done. This process is known among professional metalworkers as "planishing," and the process of beating and hammering the flat metal into shape is known as "raising." These terms will be used hereafter in this series to distinguish one process from the other.
PLANISHING
The term planishing meant to the metalworkers of years ago the process of smoothing and stiffening the metal by hammering it carefully with the smooth flat face of a planishing hammer. In our case it would be with the flat face of the ball-pein hammer.
Within the last few years the custom of hammering the metal with the ball end of the hammer and with the neck hammer has also been called planishing. All these methods were used on the lanterns shown in the photographs and may readily be distinguished by the long narrow marks of the neck hammer, the small distinct round marks of the ball end of the hammer, and the smooth, almost invisible, marks of the real planishing with the flat end of the hammer. For the beginner the easiest method is to planish with the neck hammer or the ball end of the ballpein hammer.
Now the lantern-top is ready for the hole thru which the electric wires pass. This hole should be 3/8" in diameter. It may be bored thru with a drill, or sawn out with the saw frame used on the drawer-pulls and hinges.
The hole is made 3/8" in diameter because that is the size of the small brass nipple, that is used to hold the electric socket in the lantern. These nipples cost five cents each and may be obtained from any dealer in electric supplies. There is a thread on both ends, but as only one is necessary the other may be sawn and filed off as indicated in the drawing, Fig. 48.
It is now necessary to make the handle and rivet it on the lantern top. This handle may be made of round wire flattened at both ends to allow of riveting, or it may be made of a strip of flat metal cut out and bent to shape. When riveting the handle to the lantern top have the head of the rivet on the outside. These rivets are known as oval head rivets, —the term oval applying to the cross-section view of the head which is half oval. The heads of the rivets used on the lanterns in the photographs were 3/16" and 1/4" in diameter. They may be obtained at almost any hardware store.
After the handle is fastened to the top, cut a paper pattern for the corner pieces. If the lantern is to be the same size at the bottom as it is at the top the pattern will look like B, Fig. 48, but if it is to be wider at the bottom than at the top, the pattern will look like C. Cut out the corners from the flat metal and planish them with the same hammer used in planishing the top. If they get very hard from the plarrishing, soften them by "annealing. "
Then draw a pencil line down the center where the
corners are to be bent at right angles. To bend the corners, get
two pieces of hard wood about 10" long x 1" thick x 2" wide,
and place the copper between the pieces of wood so that the center-line
comes
exactly to the edge of the wood as illustrated in the sketch, Fig.
48. Fasten in the vise, and with the mallet carefully and smoothly
hammer over at right angles the part that projects above the wood.
In making the paper pattern of the top crosspiece, allow 1/4" extra metal along the edge that goes next to the top for the purpose of riveting the body of the lantern to the lantern-top. Planish the cross-pieces to match the top and corners, and bend the extra 1/4" over at right angles between the two pieces of wood as before. Cut out and planish the bottom pieces.
The photographs show a rivet in the center of each bottom and top crosspiece. The purpose of this rivet is to hold a small piece of sheet copper of the dimensions indicated at D, Fig. 48. These pieces are made of 24-gauge soft copper.
After the lantern is colored and finished, this small piece of copper is bent over on to the glass to hold it in place. It is better to cut out and rivet these pieces on the cross-pieces before the cross-pieces are riveted to the corner pieces. Next locate and drill the holes in all the pieces excepting the top, and rivet the lantern together. Then place the top in position, mark and drill the holes, and rivet the top on to the lantern and it is ready for coloring and finishing.
FINISHING WITH WAX
For finishing the lantern a new process is suggested, that of waxing. This finish is much better for the larger pieces than banana oil. The wax finish is prepared and used in the following manner: In a tin cup melt some beeswax; when it is liquid move away from the fire and pour in an equal amount of turpentine, stir together and set aside to cool. Color the lantern by any of the previously described methods of coloring, or polish as bright as possible with the steel wool or emery cloth and leave bright.
After the desired color is secured, warm the lantern over the bunsen burner, or any other flame that will not smoke, and with a small piece of cloth rub on the lantern a small amoint of the wax. The lantern must be warm enough to melt the turpentine and beeswax as it is applied, but not hot enough to cause the wax to smoke. After the wax has been rubbed lightly and rapidly over the lantern, allow it to get perfectly cold, then polish briskly but lightly with a soft, clean cloth. The finish gives a soft sheen to the metal that preserves the color indefinitely and adds materially to the beauty of the finished article. It remains only to put in the glass and bend over the glass holders, and the lantern is finished.