HERAMIC STUDIO 
25 
THE MAKING OF A CASSEROLE COVER 
Ava M. Froehlich 
ONE of the most attractive serving dishes for the dinner 
table is an earthen baking dish, transformed into a real 
art b\^ adding a metal cover, which may be decorated with 
work of either a chased or an etched design of simple style. 
These are not difficult to make. Any one with a slight knowl- 
edge of metal work will have little trouble and will incur but 
slight expense in their manufacture. 
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and, witli the round end of the wooden mallet, pound into it, 
Ijeginning near the outer edge and continuing with close, even 
strokes to work spirally until the centre is reached. This will 
form the dome shape of the cover as shown in Fig. II. If 
the hammer marks have made the surface uneven, this may be 
remedied bj^ going over the metal again in the same way. 
To refine the metal place it on the anvil and pound closely 
with a hard wood or horn hammer. The edge may now be 
turned over to form a true lid by placing the circle {'a' Fig. V) 
on the edge of the hard wood profile which is held firmly in a 
vise, taking care to fit it carefully to the casserole. 
APPLYING THE DESIGN 
To prepare the metal for the design, clean it l3y immersing 
it in a sulphuric acid bath, made b\^ dissolving 2 tablespoons 
of sidphuric acid in 2 gallons of hot water. Rinse and drj?' 
thoroughly. Then put it on the chasing pitch with the concave 
side up, melting the pitch and forming a good bed of it upon a 
block of wood, pressing the cover into it. Allow the pitch to 
cool. The following are appropriate motives for the design: 
Ducks, geese or rabbits, arranged in a border, or three turkeys 
with spread tails, crabs with suggestive lines of water and 
lobsters, fish or turtles, treated in a simple way. Scratch the 
design on the inside of the cover with a metal point, and, with a 
large dull outline tool (Fig. VI) trace the entire design bj^ 
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THE MATERIALS 
10 inch of 21 gauge copper, i strip copper, -f x J for the 
handle. The medium size casserole measures about 10 inches 
in diameter. 
It is better to have the casserole to be covered on hand, as 
each is somewhat irregular in shape. These can be purchased 
at anj^ department store for about 50 cents. 
PROCEDURE 
Invert the dish on the copper and with a sharp pointed 
tool trace its outline, taking care to get accurately the shape of 
the lip of the casserole. Outside this irregular circle and + of 
an inch from it, draw a second parallel circle. Cut the copper 
along this line. Place the metal upon the sand bag (Fig. TI) 
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PLATL VI 
holduig the tool firmly in the left hand at a slight angle, against 
the metal and, with a chasing hammer strike the tool lightly to 
send it along the outline. Then with a heavy chasing tool 
(Fig. VII) pound down all the parts of the design that are to 
be in relief, having some parts more prominent than others. 
This fuller relief maj^ be obtained by more vigorous hammering. 
Another method is to outline only the important parts of the 
design leaving the rest for suggestive modehng in the chasing. 
If the crab design is used, outline onty those parts of it that are 
to 136 in highest relief as, for instance, the upper part near the 
eyes, and the extreme ends of the body. ' The claws may be 
treated in the same way, by outlining part of the back toward 
the tip where there is a chance for a decided accent. Treat the 
