﻿April, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  i57 
  

  

  ing 
  in 
  this 
  direction. 
  The 
  relief 
  should 
  be 
  kept 
  well 
  polished, 
  

   but 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  a 
  darkened 
  background 
  gives 
  an 
  antique 
  

   and 
  interesting 
  appearance 
  to 
  the 
  work. 
  The 
  background 
  

   may 
  be 
  darkened 
  by 
  rubbing 
  paint 
  or 
  sulphate 
  of 
  ammonia 
  

   into 
  its 
  small 
  dots 
  and 
  lines. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  craftsman 
  wishes 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  brooch 
  or 
  buckle, 
  it 
  

   would 
  be 
  best 
  to 
  use 
  a 
  thick 
  sheet 
  of 
  lead 
  for 
  the 
  bed, 
  as 
  this 
  

  

  tallow. 
  Some 
  workers 
  add 
  a 
  little 
  plaster 
  of 
  Paris 
  to 
  secure 
  

   strength. 
  

  

  The 
  bed 
  is 
  made 
  by 
  pouring 
  the 
  pitch 
  while 
  soft 
  on 
  a 
  stone 
  

   slab, 
  or 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  earthenware, 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  first 
  wet 
  

   with 
  water 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  pitch 
  from 
  sticking. 
  The 
  cement 
  

   should 
  be 
  about 
  one 
  inch 
  in 
  depth. 
  High 
  relief, 
  however, 
  

   would 
  require 
  a 
  thicker 
  bed. 
  The 
  metal 
  must 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  

  

  Students 
  at 
  Work. 
  The 
  Girl 
  with 
  the 
  Hammer 
  is 
  

  

  Working 
  on 
  a 
  Sheet 
  of 
  Brass 
  Screwed 
  

  

  on 
  a 
  Flat 
  Piece 
  of 
  Wood 
  

  

  Copper 
  Plaques 
  and 
  Panels 
  of 
  Varied 
  Shapes 
  and 
  

  

  Eminently 
  Decorative, 
  Displaying 
  Great 
  

  

  Artistic 
  Ability 
  

  

  yields 
  very 
  slightly, 
  and 
  brings 
  out 
  the 
  ornament. 
  If 
  a 
  bold 
  

   relief 
  is 
  required, 
  a 
  much 
  softer 
  bed 
  will 
  be 
  needed. 
  Many 
  

   workers 
  find 
  that 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  pitch 
  is 
  the 
  best 
  for 
  this 
  purpose, 
  

   and 
  for 
  other 
  kinds 
  of 
  repousse 
  work 
  as 
  well. 
  The 
  pitch 
  in 
  

   itself 
  would 
  be 
  too 
  hard 
  and 
  brittle, 
  but 
  when 
  combined 
  with 
  

   grease, 
  or 
  fat, 
  becomes 
  plastic. 
  The 
  pitch 
  may 
  be 
  softened 
  

   by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  tallow 
  candles. 
  The 
  proportion 
  of 
  tallow 
  

   will 
  vary 
  with 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  In 
  the 
  summer-time 
  

   seven 
  times 
  as 
  much 
  pitch 
  will 
  be 
  required 
  as 
  tallow, 
  while 
  in 
  

   the 
  winter 
  time 
  twice 
  as 
  much 
  fat 
  will 
  be 
  required 
  as 
  in 
  sum- 
  

   mer. 
  

  

  In 
  making 
  the 
  pitch 
  or 
  "cement," 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  named, 
  an 
  old 
  

   pan 
  is 
  used 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  pitch 
  is 
  melted, 
  adding 
  a 
  portion 
  

   only 
  of 
  the 
  tallow. 
  When 
  cool, 
  test 
  by 
  pressing 
  the 
  finger 
  on 
  

   it, 
  until 
  it 
  yields 
  slightly 
  to 
  the 
  pressure. 
  Then 
  try 
  the 
  

   hammer 
  on 
  it. 
  If 
  it 
  cracks 
  or 
  chips, 
  remelt 
  and 
  add 
  more 
  

  

  adhere 
  to 
  the 
  cement 
  face 
  downward 
  ; 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  first 
  warmed, 
  

   in 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  pitch 
  may 
  adhere 
  firmly 
  to 
  the 
  metal. 
  This 
  

   needs 
  a 
  little 
  manipulation 
  and 
  patience. 
  When 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  

   finished 
  and 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  taken 
  off, 
  the 
  metal 
  must 
  be 
  quickly 
  

   warmed 
  all 
  over 
  with 
  a 
  blowpipe 
  or 
  a 
  hot 
  coal. 
  Sometimes 
  

   the 
  pitch 
  sticks 
  very 
  persistently. 
  To 
  prevent 
  this 
  flour 
  

   should 
  be 
  dusted 
  over 
  the 
  pitch 
  before 
  the 
  metal 
  is 
  put 
  on. 
  

  

  The 
  Work 
  of 
  Philadelphia 
  Students 
  

  

  Hot 
  Water 
  Jug 
  Made 
  of 
  Copper 
  Lined 
  with 
  China 
  for 
  Carrying 
  Hot 
  

  

  Water 
  to 
  the 
  Bedroom. 
  Brass 
  and 
  Copper 
  Lamp-shades 
  

  

  Showing 
  Realistic 
  and 
  Conventional 
  Designs 
  

  

  Another 
  practical 
  way 
  of 
  making 
  cement 
  is 
  to 
  use 
  one-half 
  

   of 
  pitch 
  and 
  one-half 
  of 
  brick-dust. 
  The 
  latter 
  may 
  be 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  plaster 
  if 
  desired. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  tempered 
  with 
  a 
  

   little 
  linseed 
  oil 
  and 
  rosin. 
  Prepared 
  cement 
  is 
  sold 
  in 
  casks 
  

   by 
  dealers 
  in 
  tools, 
  and 
  sheet-metal, 
  which 
  saves 
  the 
  trouble 
  

  

  