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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  April, 
  1907 
  

  

  Copper 
  and 
  Brass 
  Repousse 
  Work 
  

  

  By 
  Mabel 
  Tulce 
  Priestman 
  

  

  HE 
  artistic 
  work 
  of 
  hammering 
  on 
  brass 
  and 
  

   copper 
  has 
  a 
  charm. 
  The 
  quick 
  response 
  to 
  

   the 
  blows 
  of 
  the 
  mallet, 
  the 
  play 
  of 
  color 
  on 
  

   the 
  metal, 
  and 
  the 
  many 
  uses 
  for 
  which 
  it 
  

   can 
  be 
  employed, 
  make 
  it 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  

   interesting 
  forms 
  of 
  handicraft. 
  The 
  crafts- 
  

   man 
  must 
  naturally 
  possess 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  

   drawing 
  before 
  he 
  can 
  design 
  to 
  suit 
  the 
  requirements 
  of 
  

   metal. 
  

  

  Copper 
  is 
  especially 
  attractive 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  unusual 
  

   advantages. 
  It 
  assumes 
  the 
  most 
  beautiful 
  colors. 
  At 
  the 
  

   same 
  time 
  it 
  is 
  malleable, 
  durable 
  and 
  inexpensive. 
  In 
  the 
  

   actual 
  technique 
  of 
  repousse 
  work 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  much 
  to 
  learn. 
  

   The 
  word 
  repousse 
  signifies 
  "pushed 
  back," 
  and 
  is 
  usually 
  

   applied 
  to 
  ornament 
  raised 
  out 
  of 
  sheet 
  metal. 
  

  

  The 
  repousse 
  work 
  is 
  done 
  with 
  hammers, 
  nails, 
  and 
  

   punches, 
  or 
  even 
  a 
  poker. 
  The 
  following 
  list 
  would 
  be 
  

   found 
  useful 
  to 
  one 
  who 
  is 
  going 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  work 
  

   seriously: 
  A 
  chasing-hammer, 
  a 
  second 
  hammer 
  (heavier 
  

   in 
  weight), 
  several 
  beaters 
  or 
  tracers 
  (these 
  have 
  rounded, 
  

   flat, 
  or 
  oval 
  heads, 
  and 
  are 
  useful 
  for 
  making 
  dents 
  in 
  the 
  

   metal), 
  a 
  pick, 
  a 
  wooden 
  mallet, 
  a 
  spatula 
  or 
  metallic 
  

   spreader, 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  compasses, 
  a 
  bed 
  (to 
  hold 
  the 
  work), 
  a 
  

   wooden 
  bench, 
  a 
  stone 
  slab 
  (one 
  inch 
  thick), 
  a 
  chaser's 
  bowl, 
  

   a 
  frying-pan 
  or 
  pitch-pan, 
  and 
  a 
  file. 
  

  

  The 
  tool 
  is 
  held 
  upright 
  in 
  working, 
  and 
  the 
  top 
  is 
  struck 
  

   with 
  a 
  hammer 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  metal, 
  which 
  is 
  

   placed 
  face 
  downward 
  on 
  a 
  yielding 
  surface. 
  

  

  A 
  bowl, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  easiest 
  forms, 
  is 
  usually 
  the 
  first 
  

   attempt 
  of 
  the 
  amateur. 
  For 
  a 
  bowl 
  seven 
  inches 
  in 
  diam- 
  

   eter, 
  procure 
  a 
  "nineteen-gauge" 
  sheet 
  of 
  copper. 
  On 
  it 
  draw 
  

  

  ness 
  at 
  the 
  edge 
  with 
  a 
  file. 
  The 
  bed 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  metal 
  is 
  

   worked 
  may 
  be 
  either 
  of 
  wood 
  or 
  pitch. 
  A 
  wooden 
  bowl 
  is 
  

   sometimes 
  utilized 
  for 
  hammering 
  on 
  bowls 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

  

  Drinking 
  Cup. 
  In 
  this 
  Open-mouthed 
  Type 
  the 
  

  

  Design 
  is 
  Beaten 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  Interior 
  and 
  

  

  Finished 
  on 
  the 
  Outer 
  Face 
  

  

  a 
  circle 
  three 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter. 
  Then 
  make 
  two 
  smaller 
  

   concentric 
  circles. 
  Cut 
  with 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  shears 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  

   copper 
  a 
  little 
  outside 
  the 
  largest 
  circle, 
  removing 
  any 
  rough- 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Bottle 
  in 
  Brass 
  Repousse 
  

  

  size. 
  For 
  bowls 
  or 
  cups 
  wood 
  has 
  many 
  advantages. 
  I 
  

   would 
  therefore 
  suggest 
  that 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  hardwood 
  four 
  or 
  

   five 
  inches 
  square 
  should 
  have 
  a 
  circular 
  depression 
  one-half 
  

   inch 
  deep, 
  and 
  three 
  inches 
  wide. 
  

  

  After 
  having 
  rigidly 
  clamped 
  the 
  block 
  in 
  the 
  vise, 
  place 
  

   the 
  copper 
  on 
  it, 
  and 
  begin 
  to 
  hammer 
  it 
  an 
  inch 
  from 
  the 
  

   edge, 
  over 
  the 
  hollow, 
  hammering 
  in 
  circles, 
  until 
  the 
  last 
  

   circle 
  is 
  reached. 
  The 
  blows 
  must 
  be 
  struck 
  evenly, 
  so 
  that 
  

   the 
  surface 
  is 
  uniform. 
  Too 
  hard 
  a 
  blow 
  will 
  obviously 
  

   make 
  too 
  deep 
  a 
  depression. 
  Continue 
  this 
  until 
  the 
  bowl 
  

   begins 
  to 
  grow. 
  Any 
  uneven 
  places 
  may 
  be 
  removed 
  by 
  plac- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  bowl 
  on 
  a 
  hard, 
  flat 
  surface, 
  and 
  hammering 
  gently 
  

   until 
  it 
  is 
  smooth. 
  The 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  bowl 
  can 
  

   be 
  determined 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  the 
  worker, 
  but 
  this 
  

   must 
  be 
  perfectly 
  flat 
  and 
  even. 
  

  

  Casserole-covers 
  are 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way 
  as 
  a 
  bowl. 
  

   For 
  the 
  flange 
  of 
  the 
  lid 
  the 
  edges 
  are 
  turned 
  over 
  sharply, 
  

   so 
  as 
  to 
  fit 
  the 
  casserole. 
  Care 
  must 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  

   cover 
  fit 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  dish. 
  The 
  rim 
  is 
  hammered 
  very 
  

   carefully 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  held 
  in 
  the 
  vise. 
  When 
  the 
  repousse 
  

   work 
  is 
  finished 
  the 
  object 
  is 
  not 
  yet 
  complete, 
  as 
  it 
  now 
  

   needs 
  to 
  be 
  colored. 
  

  

  After 
  removing 
  all 
  dust 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  immersed 
  in 
  a 
  solution 
  

   of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  and 
  water. 
  Two 
  tablespoonfuls 
  of 
  sul- 
  

   phuric 
  acid 
  to 
  one 
  gallon 
  of 
  water 
  is 
  a 
  sufficiently 
  strong 
  

   solution. 
  After 
  immersing 
  the 
  work 
  in 
  this 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  min- 
  

   utes, 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  washed 
  in 
  cold 
  water 
  and 
  dried. 
  If 
  a 
  bright 
  

   polish 
  is 
  preferred, 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  polished 
  with 
  emery-paper, 
  and 
  

   finally 
  polishing-paper. 
  

  

  Another 
  way 
  of 
  coloring 
  the 
  metal 
  is 
  by 
  the 
  application 
  

   of 
  heat. 
  After 
  a 
  thorough 
  cleansing, 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  rubbed 
  with 
  

   oil, 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  slow 
  oven, 
  until 
  good 
  color 
  appears. 
  

   There 
  are 
  many 
  ways 
  of 
  coloring 
  metals 
  with 
  acids, 
  and 
  

   much 
  individuality 
  can 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  work 
  by 
  experiment- 
  

  

  