Subject And Uses

In Fig. 6 are illustrated a number of handles of various types, involving many processes, and the use of many metals. With very little alteration they could be used for many other purposes besides fire implements. They are suggestions showing what is really practical, and they are placed in their order of difficulty. No. 1 is the easiest to make, while No. 12 is the most difficult. Before making any of these a working drawing must be made giving the various sections through the different parts. The drawings should be finished in ink.

Fig. 6.-Suggestions for handles in various metals.

The Processes

No. 1. This is made of iron.

1. Draw down a piece of 7/16 in. or 3/8 in. round to the required length.

2. Bend it as illustrated in Fig. 7 (3), Ch. v, and twist it round the stem. This would have to be done while at a red heat.

3. Clean it up and finish it armour bright. No. 2. This is made of iron.

1. Heat a piece of 7/16 in. or 1/2 in. round iron and tie a knot as you would with a piece of cord (experiment with the cord first), and only the hammer and anvil is necessary.

2. On the piece that projects shut a collar as illustrated in Fig. 7, No. 3.

3. After the collar has been shut on raise to a welding heat and shape it with a hammer.

4. Clean up with files and emery cloth, and finish it armour bright. No. 3. This is also made of iron.

1. Practise with a piece of cord before commencing this.

2. Draw out a piece of 1/2 in. or 7/16 in. round until you have the required length, then roll up the end tightly and weld together to form the flat solid scroll end.

3. Bend up to shape.

4. Clean up and finish armour bright. No. 4. This is also made of iron.

1 Experiment with piece of cord first.

2. Draw out a piece of 1/2 in. or 7/16 in. round to the required length.

3. Bend to shape.

4. Clean up and finish off.

No. 5. This is also made of iron.

1. Measure the exact size of loop and mark it off, then allow sufficient for drawing down and welding together.

2. Flatten the four corners slightly of the length marked off for the loop, and just past the marks.

3. Put a deep chisel cut down the centre of the flat on each corner.

4. Draw down each end from the square to the round.

5. Now heat and twist this centre portion.

6. Bend round a piece of round iron and bring ends together.

7. Weld ends together, scarf, and weld on to a piece of 1/2 in. 7/16 in. rod.

8. Heat between loop and end, cool and hold end in the vice, place a piece of round iron in the loop and twist.

9. Weld a collar on as illustrated in Fig. 7, No. 3. Before actually welding on the collar it would be better to thicken the stem by upsetting it, just where the collar is going to be. This prevents the stem wasting just where the collar is.

10. Shape the collar with a top and bottom tool or with a file.

11. Clean up and finish armour bright.

No. 6. This could be made of iron, or a wood pattern could be turned and filed up, then a casting could be made in brass or bronze, and this could be brazed to a rein of similar metal, and then filed up. If it was made of iron and used as an exercise in forging it would be made as follows:-

1. Have a convenient length of 7/8 in. round and upset it where the thickest part is.

2. Draw the lower part away with top and bottom fullers until nearly to size.

3. Put neck in with top and bottom collar tools or with thin top and bottom fullers and shape up the knob with the hammer only.

4. Cut off excess material at bottom and scarf and weld on to the proper size rein.

5. Finish shaping up the flats on the handle and work the flats into the round gradually.

6. True the flat surfaces up with a file.

7. Finish off and polish.

No. 7. This is made of iron with a strip of copper inlaid. Yellow metal that will stand forging could also be used.

1. Get two pieces of 3/8 in. square iron and make them half-round with a 1/2 in. top swage.

2. Place them with the flat sides together and weld them at the top and bottom.

3. Weld a collar on at the top end to form the knob as illustrated in Fig. 7, No. 3.

4. Scarf the bottom end and weld on the rein.

5. Get the piece of metal you wish to inlay; thin the ends down and leave it a little wider than the half-round pieces.

6. Heat the handle and separate the two pieces of half-round with a thin chisel; insert the metal strip and close it all up tight.

7. Now heat it carefully all over; place one end in the vice, and holding the other end with the tongs or pliers twist it.

8. If the handle has got a little out of shape straighten it while hot with a wooden mallet.

9. Finish off and polish.

No. 8. The method of making this is shown in Fig. 7, and explained on p. 108.

No. 9. This should be made of iron and is a more difficult piece of forging. The shaping is done with the hammer. When finished it could be used as a pattern for casting from, by cutting one side just where they cross over, and bending it clear of the other side, so leaving it. If they are cast from this in copper, bronze, or brass, after they have been annealed and filed up it can be bent back again to its original shape and brazed together. If neatly done the joint hardly shows. If made of iron the method of procedure is as follows:-

1. Take a piece of 1/2 x 1/4 in., roughly mark off the length required and draw down the ends and round them, working away from the centre.

2. Shape and bend the ring at top simultaneously.

3. Finish bending and working it to shape, trim off the ends to the right length, close them together and scarf them.

4. Take the piece of iron for the rein, upset the end and shut a collar on as illustrated in Fig. 7, No. 3, leaving a piece projecting through.

5. Shape up the collar and scarf the piece projecting at end.

6. Weld the handle on to the piece projecting beyond the collar.

7. Clean up and polish.

No. 10. This would be most suitable if made in bronze, but it could also be made in any similar metal, and it is a pattern suitable for casting.

1. Turn exactly to the outline in some hard wood, such as boxwood.

2. Carve the ornament.

3. Cast in bronze.

4. Pickle it to remove the sand.

5. Turn all the plain parts in the lathe.

6. Chisel, riffle, and chase up the carved portions.

7. Polish with sand and crocus in the lathe.

8. Stain a dark brown as explained on p. 154.

9. Lacquer with transparent lacquer as described on p. 177.

No. 11. This one could be made exactly as described for No. 10, but as an alternative it could be modelled on a core, say an iron rod, in some plastic material, then cast in three parts in plaster; this would be the mould; this should be well greased, or soft soaped, then the pattern could be cast in this, but it should be strengthened with an iron core. The finish would be the same as No. 10 or varied according to taste.

No. 12. This would also look well in bronze, but it would have to be modelled as described above, and finished as No. 10. An excellent exercise in modelling in the round.