TRAYS
TURNING OVER EDGES ON ROUND TRAYS—USING THE FORMING
MALLET—MAKING AN ASH TRAY AND MATCH BOX HOLDER
Various round trays may be made from tin cans. These are very simple to
make and are very attractive and convenient for ash trays, bottle casters
and the like. A match box holder may be soldered to the center of the
tray and any smoker will appreciate this. These simple trays have proved
to be one of the most popular problems for certain wounded soldiers in an
American base hospital in France.
=Turning Over Edges on Round Trays.=—Select a rather large can to cut
down for a tray. A can from 4 to 6 inches in diameter is best with which
to start tray making. This can should be round, as the square cans are
very difficult, if not impossible, to handle when turning over an edge.
Set the dividers to 1¼ inches and scribe a line parallel to the bottom
of the can. Cut the can down and be careful to cut it off as straight as
possible at the scribed line.
Place a square maple block in the vise; the same maple block you have
used for turning the edges of the handle for the biscuit cutter. Be sure
that the edges of the block are square and sharp.
Set the dividers to ¼ inch, rest one leg of the dividers on the rim of
the tray and scribe a line around the inside, ¼ inch down from the edge,
as indicated in Fig. 23.
[Illustration: FIG. 23.]
Rest the edge of the tray on the edge of the wooden block so that the
line scribed ¼ inch down from the edge rests directly over the edge of
the block as indicated in Fig. 24 a.
Tilt the tray back on the block until the edge is raised about ⅟₁₆ inch
up from the surface of the block, the line still resting directly over
the edge of the block.
=Using the Forming Mallet.=—Take up the special forming mallet and use
the rounded end to start hammering the tin down to the block, still
keeping the tray tilted as indicated in Fig. 24 _b_. Turn the tray around
as you hammer so that the tray is slightly flanged out by the mallet
blows as you turn it around on the block.
[Illustration: FIG. 24_a_.]
[Illustration: FIG. 24_b_.]
Be sure to hammer the tin very gently and evenly, taking care not
to stretch it down more in one place than another. Tin will stand
considerable stretching if handled gently and evenly, but heavy mallet
blows will stretch and crack it, and it will tear if unevenly stretched.
Never raise the edge of the tray away from the block more than ⅟₁₆ of an
inch, but always tilt the tray back a little more each time you hammer
entirely around it. The tin will quickly flange out and after having
hammered entirely around the tray three or four times, the rim should
flange out to about the angle indicated in Fig. 25, No. III.
[Illustration: FIG. 25.]
[Illustration: FIG. 26.]
Try to hammer in such a way as to flange the tin over evenly from the
scribed line. The mallet blows should be directed in toward the line
which always rests at the edge of the block, rather than toward the edge
of the tin.
When the edge has been turned over as far as indicated in Fig. 25, No.
III, change the position of the tray and rest the bottom of it on the top
of the block and hammer gently on the edge as indicated in Fig. 25 until
the edge or flange stands out at right angles to the side of the tray.
Continue hammering until the edge of the tray stands at about the angle
indicated in Fig. 25, No. V.
Remove the maple block from the vise and secure a round wooden mallet in
it, the mallet being about 2½ or 3 inches in diameter, or a piece of iron
pipe, if held in the vise, may be used for an anvil instead of the mallet.
Hang the tray over the end of the mallet or pipe and hold it firmly in
position, turning it slowly around the anvil as the edge is hammered down
to the side of the tray, Fig. 26.
Do not try to hammer the edge down all at once, but go entirely around
the turned flange or edge several times with the mallet, hammering very
lightly and bending the edge down more each time the tray is hammered
around. The flanges or turned part will wrinkle slightly during the
turning, but if the edge has been turned evenly and slowly from the
start, this wrinkling will not matter, as the wrinkles will gradually
hammer out. Try to hammer in such a way that the edge or top of the tray
will remain rounded and not get hammered together (Fig. 27).
When the edge is turned completely in and touches the sides, reverse the
forming mallet and use the wedge-shaped end to hammer the wrinkles out,
taking care to hammer inside the edge so as not to flatten the edge of
the tray, Fig. 28. The edge should look like Fig. 27, and then your tray
is finished and ready to be boiled up in the lye solution and painted.
[Illustration: FIG. 27.]
The edges of the tray may be made of any height that suits the maker, but
never try to turn over less than ¼ inch at the edge nor any more than ⅜
inch, as either operation is very difficult, if not impossible.
The tin is taken up considerably in the turning and the ¼ inch marked off
for the turned edge of the tray described above will be about ³⁄₁₆ of an
inch when turned.
This turning operation is used a great deal for finishing the edges of
different cylindrical and curved surfaces used in the tin can work, as a
sharp thin edge should never be left about the work.
=Making an Ash Tray and Match Box Holder.=—Make a tray about 6 inches in
diameter and ¾ of an inch in height when the edge is turned over, and
then find a smaller can about 2½ inches in diameter, such as a soup or
baking powder can. Scribe a line around this can 1 inch from the base.
Cut the can down to this line and place the can bottom up in the center
of the bottom of the first tray, holding it in position with a stick of
wood and soldering it to the tray.
[Illustration: FIG. 28.]
[Illustration: FIG. 29.]
Open a box of safety matches and measure the diameter of the end of the
box part that holds the matches. The usual measurement of the end of the
inside box is ⅝ by 1⅜ inches.
Cut a strip of tin ⅝ of an inch wide and 2⅛ inches long. Make a mark ½
inch from each end of the strip and bend the tin at right angles at each
end, using each mark for the bend.
The strip should then appear as shown in Fig. 29, _A_. Solder this strip
in the center of the small can as shown in Fig. 29, _B_, but make sure
that the cover of the match box will slide over it before soldering it
fast.
Cut two pieces of tin 1½ inches wide and 2½ inches in length. See that
they are cut perfectly square. Mark off a line ¼ inch in from one end of
each piece and turn the tin at right angles from this mark to the edge.
[Illustration: FIG. 30.]
The corners at the opposite ends of each piece should be rounded off by
cutting with the shears as shown in Fig. 29, _C_. Round over the edges
with some fine emery cloth. Place the cover of the match box in position
over the strip of tin soldered to the can in the center of the tray.
Place the two pieces of tin against the two opposite sides of the match
box as shown in Fig. 29. Then move them slightly away from the box and
mark the position of the flanged ends where they rest on the can, remove
the box cover and solder these pieces of tin in place. Be sure to solder
these pieces in such a way that the match box cover will slip between
them easily and fit over the bent strip of tin at the bottom. The ash
tray and match box holder will then be completed and ready for the lye
bath and painting.
An extra coat of some high-grade spar varnish should be given the ash
trays to prevent the hot ashes from burning the paint. This varnish
should only be applied after the first coat or coats of paint are
thoroughly dry.
The height of the trays at the edge may be altered to suit and also
the height and shape of the can soldered to the center of the tray.
The measurements are merely given for convenience in working out these
first problems. Every effort should be made to think out problems of
your own, taking the suggestions from the shapes of the cans themselves.
Thus a square can may be soldered in the center of the tray, and small
semi-cylindrical troughs of tin may be soldered to the rim of the tray to
hold lighted cigars and cigarettes.