Fluting Copper Arts & Crafts Items
Arts & Crafts Era Copper
Beating Down, Fluting, and Modeling of copper Craftsman Art
BEATING DOWN, FLUTING, MODELING.
The square smoking set, Fig. 58, is shown not as a regular problem in this coarse, but to give some idea of the possibilities that lie in the development of the processes of bending and riveting.
It was made almost entirely from flat metal by bending,
the only "raising" being
on the cover of the box and the base of the match-box holder,
which was done in the manner described for the lantern-top. The
large tray, the ashtray, and the box, were all made in practically
the same manner; a rectangular piece of copper was cut to size;
then the corners were snipped out with the shears and the sides
and ends bent up, forming the tray or box; the side and end pieces
were next cut to shape and fitted; then the brass trimming along
the edges was fitted to its place, these together making three
thicknesses of metal at the top edge and two at the bottom edge.
The holes were then drilled and the rivets put in.
This set is also a good example of the use of construction as a
feature of the decoration.
The fireplace hood, Fig. 59,
shows another possibility of bending and riveting. The design on the front was beaten up from the back with the ball end of the ball-pein hammer. Another problem that may be constructed by bending and riveting is the humidor shown in Fig. 60.
A flat piece of copper was cut to size, bent round, and the seam drilled and riveted; the feet were cut out and shaped; and a tight-fitting bottom was driven in from the top and held by parts of the edge bent under at the bottom.
The next regular problem in the series we are following is the round plate, Fig. 61.
This may vary in size according to its use. The card-tray is usually from 5" to 7" in diameter and rather shallow. 'The fruit plate is from 9" to 12" in diameter and rather deep, with a wide border.
The method of making a round plate of any diameter
is as follows: Cut out of 18-gage soft copper or brass a circle
1/4" larger
in diameter than the plate is to be; next, lap over the edge1/8" all
around the flat piece of metal in the manner described for lapping
the edge of the book-ends, Chapter 9., being careful to follow
the steps as shown in the drawing, Fig. 13. When lapping
over the edge be careful not to strike the hammer on the flat part
of the copper, as that will make a disfiguring mark that will
show on the finished plate.
If it is desired to etch a design around the border. Fig. 62,
the design
must be painted on after the edge has been lapped over, remembering
that the design must be painted on the side opposite to that
on which the lap is seen. Paint the design on with sapolin; then
etch it, and remove the sapolin according to the directions given
in Chapter 8.
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