A TRAY CANDLESTICK
THE CANDLE SOCKET—CUTTING A HOLE IN THE DRIP CUP—MAKING THE
HANDLE
After the ash tray and match box holder is successfully completed
the next problem that should be taken up is the tray candlestick, a
photograph of which is shown on the opposite page. This problem presents
some interesting and instructive forming and soldering operations and
should be made before attempting to make the toy auto truck.
Two trays should first be made up—one to be used for the base of the
candlestick and one for the drip cup. The edges of both trays should be
turned over carefully.
=The Candle Socket.=—The next thing to be made is the candle socket which
is also used to connect both trays. Cut a piece of tin 2¾ by 3½ inches,
set the dividers to ¼ inch and scribe a line ¼ inch inside three edges
of the piece as shown in Fig. 31, No. 1. Clip off the corners and fold
down the strip marked _A_, flat against the tin. _C_ and _B_ should be
partially folded over but not closed up, Fig. 31, No. 2. These two flaps,
_C_ and _B_ are to be locked together to form a locked seam as shown in
No. 3.
If this seam or joint were merely lapped and soldered together the candle
socket would melt apart if the candle should be allowed to burn down
inside it.
[Illustration: FIG. 31.]
Place a small bar of iron in the vise jaws—this bar or pipe should be
about ¾ inch in diameter and is used as an anvil over which to round up
the candle socket.
Lay the piece of tin that is to be used for the candle socket over the
anvil with the fold _A_ uppermost—bend the tin around the anvil with the
hand or with light mallet blows, taking care not to close up the flaps
_B_ and _C_ as you round the piece over the anvil. You will not be able
to get the socket into a perfect cylindrical shape at first and until _B_
and _C_ are fitted together as shown in No. 3. Simply round the piece up
as best you can until flap _B_ fits into flap _C_. Then use a pair of
flat-nosed pliers to pinch _B_ and _C_ together as shown in No. 4.
When the two seams are fitted together or locked the socket should be
again placed on the bar and the hammering continued until the socket is
cylindrical and the seam hammered together.
Examine a tin can—most of them have locked seams at the side.
If carefully made, this socket should fit a common candle which is ⅞ of
an inch in diameter.
[Illustration: FIG. 32.]
=Cutting a Hole in the Drip Cup.=—When the candle socket is completed, a
hole should be cut for it through the bottom of the drip cup. The socket
is slipped through this hole until the bottom of the flange _A_ rests
against the bottom of the drip cup, see Fig. 32. A small chisel should be
used to cut the hole through the bottom of the drip cup. The drip cup is
rested on a small block of wood which is held in the vise jaws, and the
chisel used in the same manner as a punch, the end of the wooden block
supporting the tin as the chisel cuts through it. The cutting edge of
the chisel should be about ⅛-inch wide and should be very sharp. Such a
chisel may be purchased at most tool dealers or a ⅛-inch nail-set may be
purchased and the end ground to a chisel point on a grindstone. A common
steel nail may be used for a chisel if the point is filed off entirely
and the end of the nail filed to a chisel point. The shank of the nail
should be ⅛ inch in diameter.
Set the bottom edge of the candle socket in the center of the drip cup
and trace a line around it with a sharp pencil or a steel scriber. Then
place the drip cup on a block of wood and cut out the disk of tin inside
the line, using a series of chisel cuts to follow the line. Take care not
to cut the hole too large—it should just fit the candle socket as shown
in the sectional drawing, Fig. 32. A half-round file may be used to file
away any rough or jagged edges left by the chisel cutting.
=Making the Handle.=—A handle should next be made from a piece of tin 1½
by 8 inches. The handle should be made tapering and a dimensioned drawing
for this is shown in Fig. 33. When the tin is cut to the shape shown the
dividers should be set to ³⁄₁₆ inch and a line scribed ³⁄₁₆ inch inside
each side of the handle. The tin should be folded over on these lines so
that the sides of the handle will be nicely rounded and made stronger.
Directions for making a straight fold will be found on page 50 and need
not be repeated here as the operation is very simple.
[Illustration: FIG. 33.]
The handle should be shaped as shown in Fig. 34. It may be shaped or
formed up by placing it over a round anvil and using a mallet in exactly
the same way that the handle of the biscuit cutter was formed, see
Fig. 35, except that the handle for the candlestick will have a better
appearance if the folds are left on the outside, see Fig. 34.
[Illustration: FIG. 34.]
[Illustration: FIG. 35.]
The ends of the handle should be bent over at right angles as shown in
Fig. 34. The small end hooks over the drip cup and the large end hooks
over the edge of the tray or bottom of the candlestick.
The different parts of the candlestick are now ready to be soldered
together. The socket should be fitted into the drip cup and these two
soldered together first. Apply the solder to the bottom of the drip cup
and socket in the angle where the socket and the drip cup meet, as shown
in Fig. 32.
When the socket and the drip cup are soldered together they should be set
in position in the center of the bottom tray and soldered in place. (The
candlestick will have a much better appearance if the seams in the side
of the drip cup, socket, and bottom tray are in line with each other when
the candlestick is soldered together.)
The handle is the last thing to put in place and it is soldered to the
drip cup and to the bottom tray—which will complete the candlestick.
Many pleasing varieties of this simple and practical candlestick may be
made by changing the diameter and shape of the cans used for the trays
and the length of the candle socket and the shape of the handle.