Object And Use

Finger plates are used for fixing on doors so that the paint is not disfigured by handling, also to form decorative features.

The Process

These should be made from 18 or 16 LS.W.G. metal, leaving 1/4 in. of metal extra all round.

1. The design should be drawn on the metal.

Fig. 4.-Some suggestions for finger plates.

2. Raise with punches on a lead block, or a shaped hammer. They could also be stuck on a block of pitch and raised with chasing punches, working from the back and dressing down on the front.

3. Put line in by tracing, or with a chisel, and where required hammer-mark either with the ball pane of a hammer or a punch.

4. Cut out the plate to the shape drawn by means of a fret saw or with various shaped chisels.

5. Trim up the edges with a file and nicely flatten.

6. Drill the holes for fixing. Know the size of the screw before drilling the hole.

7. Polish and lacquer, or bronze if required.

The Decoration is obtained by very simple means, namely, shaped outline, raised surfaces of simple forms, and engraved or chiselled lines.

Finger Plates

Based on historical styles and suitable for more advanced students (Fig. 5, overleaf).

The Processes are all similar for the Tudor, German, Celtic, and modern examples:-

1. The design is first drawn on to the metal and scribed in.

2. The metal is stuck on the pitch block.

3. The ornament is raised from the back, the plate removed from the pitch, cleaned, and stuck on the pitch again, face uppermost.

4. The modelling is now dressed down from the front, care being taken not to use sharp tools or to leave rough tool marks.

5. The plate should now be nicely flattened, cut out to the correct size and shape, and the holes drilled.

6. Final dressing up and flattening.

7. Clean up, polish, colour, and lacquer.

The Tudor plate should be made from No. 22 I.S.W.G.

The German plates should be made from No. 18 or 16 I. S.W.G.

The modern plate from No. 18, 20, or 22 I.S.W.G.

The Celtic plate from No. 22 I.S.W.G.

The Oriental plate from No. 14 or 16 I.S.W.G.

The Elizabethan plate from No. 14 or 12 I.S.W.G.

The Oriental and Elizabethan plates are cut out with a chisel and then filed up. After having been filed up the Elizabethan plate should have the face and chamfers finished by hammering, but do not put a number of honeycomb marks like pits in it, as this spoils the effect. Examine the effect as shown in Fig. 9, No. 1, Ch. xii; this is obtained by judicious hammering.

Fig 5

Finger plates based on historical styles.