ENAMELLING. 



583 



FnameMn*. to measure the frames of the watches : and supposing 

 --y^ that lie finds the frame to correspond with one of the 

 divisions on the gauge, he should chuse a die half a size 

 larger, as the dial must always be one size larger than 

 the frame, which will be the case when the thickness of 

 the copper is included. It will be found, if all is con- 

 ducted according to our directions, that the dial, when 

 completed, will extend over the frame just enough to 

 fill the groove in the inner case of a watch, which will 

 be turned for that purpose. If the dial is to be made to 

 a brass edge, the die should be full one size less than 

 the inner rim ; for as the dial has to lie within the rim 

 of the edge, an allowance must be made for the thick- 

 ness of the copper, and likewise for the swelling of the 

 plate in the fire, which is a circumstance that invari- 

 ably happens. The proper die being chosen, place one of 

 the pieces of copper on that side of the die which has 

 the smallest diameter, and as nearly in the centre as pos- 

 sible ; lay the die, with the copper upon it, flat on a 

 table or board, and the round ended punch, Fig. 2. 

 being put on the centre, press it down and wriggle it 

 round till the end of it is forced as far as it can go into 

 the centre hole of the die. The copper is then to be 

 taken off, and the bulge thus formed must be filed 

 nearly through. Let the copper then be placed on the 

 die in the same manner as before, and the round 

 broach gently thrust through the centre hole, till it fits 

 it nearly tight to the die. When this is done, holding 

 the die and copper in the left hand, with the die up- 

 wards, let the copper be cut as nearly round as possi- 

 ble, leaving it about T * c th of an inch larger than the small- 

 est side of the die. This may be best accomplished by 

 holding the scissars a. little aslant, till the desired breadth 

 is obtained. The die, with the copper uppermost, is 

 then to be laid on the work board, and gently rubbed or 

 burnished over with the round broach, till the copper 

 lies quite smooth and flat on the die. Hold the die 

 and the copper firmly in the left hand, and having the 

 broach in the right, burnish that part of the copper 

 which extends beyond the edge of the die, which is 

 best done by rubbing the broach round the copper, and 

 pressing it close to the edge of the die. The copper is 

 now to be taken off the die, and the ed^e or rim thus 

 formed must be finished by filing it till it is equal on 

 every side. The centre hole must be filed a little to 

 take off the ragged parts, but it must not be made so 

 low as the edge ; and the bur that is formed by filing 

 should be scraped off with the edge of a graver. The 

 copper is then set up to the desired convexity, by pla- 

 cing it in the setting die, and rubbing it with the setting 

 spatula till the copper touches in all parts ; after which 

 the feet is soldered on. 



The inconveniences that attended the use of plain 

 copper wire soldered with spelter for the feet, are now 

 entirely obviated, by employing copper wire plated 

 with silver. When the copper is set up properly, place 

 it exactly on the frame of the watch. Hold the cop- 

 per and frame in the left hand, and with the point 

 or needle mark through the holes in the frame where 

 the feet should be placed ; then place the copper 

 in the setting die, and describe small squares, about 

 each of the marks that have been made with the 

 point, observing that these must be large enough to 

 admit the foot wire to be placed within, as the in- 

 tention of the squares is nothing more than to throw 

 up a bur or ridge, to prevent the foot from slip- 

 ping out of its place during the operation of soldering. 

 The feet for the coppers must now be cut, by fixing an 



iron peg into the work board, and the pieces of plated Enamelling, 

 wire being held against it, it will be found to form a '-Y""'' 1 

 very good resistance to the action of the file. It shoidd 

 be observed, that if coppers are to be made for flat 

 plates, the feet should be filed at right angles ; but if 

 the plates are convex, they should be filed at an angle 

 as nearly as possible corresponding with the curve form- 

 ed in the hollow part of the copper, because when the 

 foot is placed on the copper, it will be found to stand 

 perpendicular to the base line, or edge of the copper. 

 The feet thus filed should be cut off with the nippers ; 

 if for frame plates, about three-sixteenths of an inch 

 long ; but if for flat plates, one-eighth will be sufficient. 

 A small quantity of borax should now be rubbed upon 

 a piece of slate, with the addition of a few drops of wa- 

 ter, into which the filed parts of the feet being slight- 

 ly dipped, will greatly facilitate the soldering. The 

 copper is then to be held in the left hand, and the 

 feet taken up with the tweezers are to be set in 

 their proper places on the copper, when it will be fit 

 for soldering. When a great number are to be done 

 at once, it will be the best way to set up all the 

 feet before any are soldered. In this case, the frames 

 set on the board with the pillars upwards, make very 

 convenient stands to place the coppers on till they 

 are soldered. It must be carefully observe! in this 

 kind of soldering, to use the borax very sparingly ; for 

 as it blubbers up when the heat first comes to it, the 

 feet would be thrown down, which would occasion much 

 difficulty and loss of time in replacing them. ! 



Take now a large piece of charcoal of a close texture, 

 and hollowed out, so that the copper may lie conveni- 

 ently in it, and having your lamp near the ed:;e of the 

 board, and the copper placed on the coal, which should 

 be held in the left hand, put the end of the blowpipe 

 into the centre of the flame, and holding the copper 

 nearly under it, give a very slight but steady blast till 

 the copper is red hot. The pipe should now be with- 

 drawn from the centre, that the whole of the flame may 

 be collected, which will be done if the operator blows 

 as hard as he can. When the copper is arrived nearly 

 at a white heat, the centre of the blast must be directed 

 immediately over each of the feet till the solder runs 

 down to the copper, and the soldering is complete. 

 If the feet have kept in their places, they will fit into 

 the holes of the frames ; but if they have shifted a 

 little, which will frequently be the case, fit them , 



into the frame, by placing the copper in the setting die 

 with the feet upwards, and the frame being held 

 over the feet, bend them whichever way may be re- 

 quisite, by introducing the setting spatula between the 

 frame and the copper, pressing it against that side of 

 the foot or feet that may be necessary, till they fit into 

 the holes of the frame. When this is done, the copper 

 is to be gently withdrawn from the frame, and if, 

 upon examining the upper side, any dints or bulges 

 have been made, they must be taken out by putting 

 the copper into the setting die, and rubbing the spatula 

 round the feet till such imperfections are removed. 

 When a copper is made to a brass edge and frame for a 

 second watch, the second, or eccentric hole, must be 

 made in the following manner, after the copper has been 

 soldered and set : Place the copper in the brass edge 

 and frame, holding the copper downwards on the board, 

 with a fine needle or point put perpendicularly through 

 the seconds hole of the frame ; prick quite through the 

 copper a very small hole, which must be bulged or 

 raised, by having a corresponding hole drilled in one of. 



