210 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
mallet over a curved stake. Hammer the handle care- 
fully with the planishing hammer to harden it as the anneal- 
ing made it too soft and pliable for use. When this is 
done there may be still many little inequalities which 
must be ground out. Take a piece of ordinary pumice 
stone about half an inch square and two inches long, 
(pumice stone is easily cut with a hack saw) and grind 
the inside of the bowl perfectly smooth, using plenty of 
water. This also removes the "blue spots" caused by 
hammering. If you wish, all the hammer marks on the 
outside of the bowl and on the handle may be removed 
in this way; these, if put in carefully, add to the beauty 
of the spoon. But of course it is not proper to leave 
file marks on the metal, these may be removed with the 
pumice stone and emery cloth. After this, the whole 
spoon may be poHshed on the lathe with pumice stone 
and water and a felt wheel. 
If the spoon is to be perfectly plain it is ready to 
receive the final polish. If the handle is to be decorated 
there are several ways of doing it. It may be etched, 
pierced, carved, enamelled, or set with a stone. 
Etching is much the simplest (See lUus. No. 3.) 
and we will treat of it first. Draw the design on the silver 
with a dull steel point (a sharp point might cut too deep), 
carefully clean the metal with a solution of potash and 
water. A simple way to teU whether metal is clean enough 
for etching is to dip it in water. If the water lies on the 
metal in a thin film, it is clean, but if the water runs off 
it shows presence of grease on the surface. With a small 
brush and some thin asphaltum varnish, paint every part 
of the handle except the design that is to be etched. Dry 
the asphaltum for an hour or two, in a warm, not hot 
place, when thoroughly dry immerse in a solution com- 
posed of one part commercial nitric acid and three parts 
water. It is best to dilute the acid a day or two before 
using. After the acid has etched sufficiently rinse the 
spoon with clean water, and remove the asphaltum with 
a cloth saturated with benzine or turpentine. 
If the decoration is to be carved, (See Illus. No. 4) 
draw the design as for etching and embed the work 
in pitch. With scorpers and chisels cut out the 
low parts of the design using riffles to smooth up the work. 
The relief may be modeled slightly with chasing tools 
and the whole finished up with a scotch stone and water. 
Illus. No. 5 is a good illustration of carving and piercing. 
If a stone is to be set (See Illus. No. 6.), simply done, 
choose a stone with a fiat back, make a thin band of silver 
the exact shape of the stone and through which it will 
slip easily. Solder this setting on the handle, put in the 
stone and work the setting over it with a chasing tool 
and light hammer. Finish by polishing with tripoli and 
oil. 
No. .5. BERRY SPOON 
Pierced and carved. Designed and executed by 
Mary E. Peckham. 
No. 3. CREAM SPOON 
Etched. Designed and made by 
Emily F. Peacock. 
No. 4. SERVING SPOON 
Designed and executed by 
Harry S. Whitbeck. 
