your wood, put a double angular tool (No. 4 of the slide-rest tools)
into your rest; turn the slide-screw till the tool is exactly in the
centre of your work, when, if you move the wheel round, you will
find the tool will only cut a dot. The outer circle is the one with
which to commence; turn the slide-rest screw forwards ten whole
turns, and you will find you have the circle of the proper size. Now
approach the tool to the wood, cut the circle carefully at first,
till you decide on the proper depth for the cuts; then set your screw
guides, and proceed as follows. For the other ten circles, move the
eccentric chuck downwards half a turn, and diminish their size by
moving the slide-rest screw backwards half a turn, so as to keep the
lower part of each circle in the same place. To have a good effect,
shells should be _well cut up_—that is, each circle should be of a
sufficient depth for the edge of the cut to meet the former one, and
thus efface the lines made in preparing the wood. The rays from the
centre are worked with the drill; put a fine round-ended tool, No. 3
of the drill tools, into the drill; place it in the slide rest, stop
the fly-wheel, arrange the cords, and set the tool with the screw
guides to cut very little at first. By means of the slide-rest screw,
push the drill forwards till the tool touches the outer edge of the
shell; hold it well up to the work with the lever; make the lathe go
very quick, and move the drill on the slide forwards very slowly, by
turning the slide-rest wheel round with the key 12 turns FORWARDS,
then the same backwards. Move 12 numbers on the eccentric chuck wheel
for each of the other middle lines, and cut them as above; then move
the slide-rest half a turn forwards to shorten the line, and move
1 number on the eccentric chuck wheel, and cut a line moving the
slide-rest 11 turns forwards, by which it will be equally shortened
at each end. Move to the other side of the long lines and do the
same. The whole pattern is done in this manner, counting one for
every line on the eccentric chuck wheel, and gradually shortening
them by reducing the turns of the slide rest. For the third pattern,
which would look better done in dots than in circles, take away the
drill, put back the slide rest tool-box, and take a flat-ended tool;
set it to cut a dot about the same size as the circles, just deep
enough to efface the under lines, so that each dot will look bright
and shining. Having cut one, count 2 on the eccentric chuck wheel for
each of the other 60; then screw the chuck downwards 2 turns, so that
the next row may be just above those already done; cut five dots,
counting 2 numbers for each, then pass over four and cut five more;
and so on to the end. The upper circle is worked precisely the same
as the lower one. The outer pattern is done like the arc patterns in
plate 12, counting 5 for each arc on the eccentric chuck.
PATTERN 2.
The middle pattern is formed of eight shells, with only four lines
in each; but these parts of shells begin at the centre point, not
round it, as in the former pattern. Use a double angular tool, screw
the tool slide out 10 turns, and the eccentric chuck _downwards_,
till the outer or largest circle just touches the centre; cut one
circle, move 15 numbers on the eccentric chuck wheel; cut another,
and continue the same till the eight are done; then diminish each
as directed for the shell, counting 15 for every circle. The second
pattern, of rings one within another, is worked with the same tool;
set it to the centre point of the wood, screw it forwards four turns,
then screw the chuck downwards until you can cut a circle just above
the shells; count 6 numbers on the eccentric chuck wheel for each of
the 20: then diminish your circles by turning the slide-rest screw
_backwards_ half a turn; do the second row, counting 6 as before, and
the same for the two inner ones. A still prettier way of doing this
pattern is to cut steps instead of circles. Put a fine flat-ended
tool into the slide, set it to cut a circle the same circumference
as the largest in the pattern; then reduce its size as before, and
cut the next deeper, by screwing out the screw guides a very little;
the third is still smaller and deeper. A little dot should remain
in the middle, standing up as high as the level of the wood; to do
this pattern the wood must be thick, as the steps require a certain
depth. The outer pattern is done in the same manner as that in
pattern 1, only the numbers are counted differently.
PATTERN 3.
Count 40 on the eccentric chuck wheel for each of the three large
circles, diminish one turn of the eccentric chuck. Then diminish the
circle two turns of the rest screw, and lower the eccentric chuck two
turns, and cut a circle every 20 numbers; the others are done the
same. For the second pattern of circles, cut one for every number
on the eccentric chuck wheel; then move one number on the eccentric
chuck wheel, and move the eccentric chuck downwards one turn, and cut
a circle every 15; by moving the chuck down, and advancing one number
every time, the circles are made to incline sideways. The outer
pattern is much the same as in the two former ones.
PATTERN 4.
This is a double shell in the centre. Begin with the large circle,
having fixed the eccentric chuck wheel at No. 120. Having cut one
whole shell, move the wheel to No. 60, and work the other in the
same way. For the circles, keep the tool in the same place on the
slide rest, and screw the eccentric chuck down two turns to clear the
edge of the shell; cut one circle every 12 numbers on the eccentric
chuck wheel, enlarge the circle by moving the slide rest one turn
forwards; cut the second row, and so on till the fourth or largest
one is done, then diminish the size for the other two WITHOUT
altering the chuck, but counting the same. The white dots are worked
out with a flat-ended tool, cutting one every six numbers on the
eccentric wheel; then move your chuck downwards three turns, and cut
one every 12; this done, move back to the former row to the dot that
comes between the circles, replace the double angular tool, enlarge
your circle, and cut one every 12; screw the chuck downwards three
turns, and proceed the same; then screw the chuck upwards one turn
and a half, which will bring your tool to a level with the middle of
the two former circles; move the eccentric chuck wheel one number on
each side of the former ones, and the rosette will be finished. The
border is formed of plain circles, omitting 3 numbers every ninth
cut.
PATTERN 5.
The middle and second row of circles are too simple to require
explanation. For the clusters of rings, begin with the middle row;
cut two a little apart from each other, then one through the middle
of them, and so on to the end; set the eccentric chuck wheel to the
_middle_ circle of one of the clusters, and move the eccentric chuck
downwards, till the tool can cut through the middle of the others,
then upwards the same number of turns. The extra half circle is
made by moving the wheel of the lathe with the hand, as for the arc
patterns, and counting the numbers on the eccentric chuck wheel,
_between_ those already formed.
PATTERN 6.
This is merely a circle of shells, worked the same as in pattern 1;
only with this difference, that each circle is done to correspond in
each shell, instead of working every one separately, which would be
more tedious; 15 is counted on the eccentric chuck wheel for each row
of circles. The rays in the middle are done with the drill; these can
also be done without an eccentric chuck; the numbers must then be
counted on the fly-wheel, which, for this kind of line work, is kept
steady with the stop.
PATTERN 1, PLATE 12.
Cut a small circle, then one every 12 numbers on the eccentric chuck
wheel. Move the chuck downwards two turns, and the eccentric chuck
wheel 1 number, either backwards or forwards; if the former, the rows
of circles will incline to the right; if the latter, to the left.
Proceed the same for every row of circles, always counting twelve
between each, and advancing the chuck 1 number at the beginning of
every new row.
PATTERN 2.
Begin with a small circle in the middle, then turn the eccentric
chuck down two turns, and cut one every 15. For the other two rows
proceed the same, lowering the chuck two turns, and counting 15 for
each on the eccentric chuck wheel. For the chain work, cut a circle
every 15 near the edge; then screw the eccentric chuck one turn
upwards, move 1 on the eccentric chuck wheel on each side of the
others; thus, if the upper row of circles begin at 120, the second
row will begin at Nos. 1 and 119, then at Nos. 14 and 16, and so on:
the third and fourth rows are the same as the two first; and the last
is cut between the others.
[Illustration: _Plate 12._]
Patterns 3 and 4 are called arc patterns, and are worked in a
different manner. In plate 4, fig. A is a drawing of the brass
fly-wheel of the lathe, with the numbers marked upon it. D is a brass
circle half an inch wide, which is attached to it: and upon which
are marked 144 lines, every 18 of which is described by a number. B
B are pieces of brass which, by means of a groove in the edge of the
circle, fit upon two steel slides that fit into the groove, and are
kept firm by two nuts, which fix them opposite any number you wish. P
is a long thin piece of steel, which enters by one end the bed of the
lathe, so as always to stand quite upright, by which means, when the
brass fly-wheel is gently turned with the hand, the flat end of the
stop, P, catches upon the lower piece of brass, B, and if you reverse
the motion of the fly-wheel, the other piece, B, will rest upon the
stop, so that you will find the wheel can only turn half or three
parts round, just as you choose to set the stops. These patterns,
it will immediately be seen, are worked with the hand, which must
guide the wheel slowly up and down; therefore slip off the cord, and
having arranged a double angular tool in the slide rest, hold it up
to the centre of the work, put the stop, P, into the hole, _n_, of
the bed of the lathe, and gently move the wheel till you find the
extent of circle you wish to cut; fasten on one slide firmly, then
fix the other end of the arc, and fasten the other slide. This done,
approach the tool carefully to the wood, and cut the first long arc
by moving the fly-wheel with your left hand as far up and down as
the stop will allow; then move 20 numbers on the eccentric chuck
wheel for every one of the other five arcs, and cut them in the same
way. After these are completed, move one number on the eccentric
chuck wheel and unscrew the UPPER slide, and move it down as many
lines as you think fit, in order to shorten the next arc; count 20,
as before, for every other of the 5. Each row is worked the same,
shortening the arcs and advancing one number on the eccentric chuck
wheel for each row. Pattern 4, and the border in pattern 1, plate
11., all are done in the same manner, only counting differently. A
great variety of arcs can be worked, and have a very curious effect,
but you must be careful in cutting them not to let the tool go too
deeply into the wood or ivory, or it will either stick fast, or else
cut jagged, uneven arcs; rather prefer to spend more time over the
work, by working the arcs over and over again till the proper depth
is obtained.
These patterns will enable the learner easily to discover and invent
many others, all beautiful when properly and neatly worked.
PATTERN 5.
Cut a circle every 24 numbers of the eccentric chuck wheel. Lower the
chuck one turn, and cut a circle on each side of the former ones, so
as to form the five knots of threes. The edge is worked like the arc
patterns, making each half circle meet and join with a dot, cut with
a small flat-ended tool.
PATTERN 6.
For the border cut three circles, one for each number on the
eccentric chuck wheel, then cut another at 6, 7, and 8, and so on
till all are done. The pattern in the middle needs no explanation.
[Illustration: _Plate 13._]
Plate 13 contains several specimens of eccentric turning. The temple
may be made either of wood or ivory, and be left open, as in the
plate, or have a coloured card-board case made to fit inside it.
The upper and lower parts of the pillars, six in number, are fluted
with a round-ended drill, but the middle parts are worked with the
eccentric chuck, and are curious specimens of its powers. They
much resemble a spiral staircase, and though at first sight they
may appear difficult, yet they are not so when properly explained.
Begin by turning the wood or ivory perfectly cylindrical with the
slide-rest tool. This done, screw your eccentric chuck _one turn_
downwards, and turn the screw of your rest _one turn_ forwards,
moving 12 numbers on the eccentric chuck wheel for every step. As
this requires great nicety, delicacy, and care, (the cuts being very
deep,) you must no longer depend upon the lever to approach the tool
(which is No. 1, of the slide-rest tools) to the work; instead of
using it, screw one of the screws, L, at the end of the tool slider,
to the deepest cut, and leave it so; then, as you push the tool
against the wood, gently unscrew the other screw, L, till the first
one prevents its cutting any deeper. For every step, move exactly the
breadth of the tool. If the piece you are working is thin and long,
it will be necessary to use the back puppet; in which case remember
to draw it away from the wood at every change of movement; for, of
course, when the eccentric chuck is altered, the centre of the work
becomes altered also. Nos. 1 and 2 of plate 13 are different patterns
for pillars, both worked _without_ the eccentric chuck. The depth
of the cuts, it will immediately be seen, form the steps. The rings
now demand our attention; the tool used for forming them is No. 6 of
the slide-rest tools, plate 5; one side of the tool cuts the outer;
the other, the inner part of the rings. Put the tool into a handle,
where it must be held firm by a screw; the same handle will be very
useful to hold the slide-rest tools for making mouldings and delicate
ornaments. The end of the ring tool, No. 6, being very sharp, cuts a
road for itself into the wood or ivory, then press it gently to the
left, till you find one half of the ring is formed, which will be
seen by its filling up the half circle of the tool; then remove
the tool to the outside of the work, and press the other side against
it till the ring falls off. It is a good way to turn a small cup and
line it with velvet, or some soft article, into which to allow the
rings to fall, as the delicate ones would be apt to split by striking
against the steel bed of the lathe. To form the chain, cut the rings
carefully through on one side with a sharp penknife, and slip them
one through the other. The handles of the temple are large rings, the
pins they hang upon are of wood. Flatten the knob either with a file
or a small saw, and drill a hole through it to receive the ring; the
pin is then glued into the moulding.
The ball at the top is turned quite round, and may be ornamented
with the circular rest. The ball pendant from the chain is circular,
except on one side, where a small pin is left, through which drill
a hole and slip the ring through it. All the ornaments, pillars,
and flutings may be made of separate small pieces of ivory, which,
when worked, are easily fastened together by a strong cement made of
isinglass melted in gin. The top of the temple may be worked with the
universal cutter, or the drill, and the feet are turned quite round,
and then ornamented with the eccentric cutter, as directed for the
stopper of the bottle, B, plate 9. The needle-case, E, in plate 13,
is also a specimen of curious turning; the whole thing should be of
ivory, or else the twists of ivory, and the pillar in the middle of
cocoa, or some dark wood. Turn the ivory perfectly cylindrical, and
hollow it very carefully; this done, throw your eccentric chuck four
times outwards, the screw of the sliding rest one turn downwards,
and the eccentric chuck wheel four numbers for each plate. The other
twists are each worked exactly the same, and they must have a small
pin left at either end, which is glued into the moulding. When your
centre pillar is hollowed, fit the twists to it.
Another method for working this pattern is with the aid of the
drill, and by this means the twists are in the _same_ piece of ivory
as the pillar. Having formed a smooth cylinder, hollowed it out,
and made the screws, take your largest flat-ended drill, and drill
fifteen holes round the pillar, or one at every eighth number of
the eccentric chuck wheel. Your ivory must be very thick, to enable
the tool to cut very deep. Having cut one row of holes, slowly and
carefully, you must move the sliding rest forward two turns, then cut
another hole every eighth number again; do a third circle the same,
moving the chuck and slide the same every time. Now examine your
work, and see whether the twists begin to appear. They should, as in
the plate, be quite _separate_ from the ivory tube in the middle,
being only joined at the top and bottom. For this no exact rule can
be given, as it depends on the circumference of the work: if very
large, the tool must cut very deep to detach it: but, after trying
two or three times by these directions, it will be found quite easy.
As the ivory twists are, of course, very delicate, and the least jar
in working is apt to break, do not use the lever, but employ the
screw guides, as directed for the spiral turning. _Line_ the ivory
before beginning the twists, and leave about half an inch at each
end, which you can ornament with the cutter: this gives strength to
the work. For the same reason, it is advisable to cut one piece of
your ivory longer than the other: on the shorter one make the outside
screw, and below it about half an inch of ornament; on the other,
make the inside screw, and work it with the cutter to correspond
with the other part, quite beyond where the screw extends. When
screwed together, it will not be perceived that the two pieces are
not even; and as the part where the inner screw is worked is, of
course, thin, you would have no thickness for the spiral pattern.
When one end is finished, put a fine double angular tool into your
cutter, and very carefully cut some circles at regular distances
between the twists: this adds much to the curious effect of the
patterns: to do it, work backwards, counting the same numbers on the
chuck wheel and on the sliding rest as for the twists.
Patterns that are not cut deep can have the impression taken off on
paper, either by slightly rubbing the wood over with printers’ ink,
and laying upon it silver paper, which must be pressed down upon it;
or by laying the paper on the wood, and rubbing it well with a piece
of lead melted into the shape of a pencil. Patterns on ivory also
look very well by rubbing a little printers’ ink well over them till
the lines are full of it, then wipe off the superfluous ink from the
surface, and the design will be black on a white ground.
An immense variety of most beautiful and intricate patterns are
worked with the eccentric cutter, in conjunction with the eccentric
chuck; indeed, many of those formerly supposed to be only done with
the double eccentric chuck, invented by Mr. Ibbetson, can be worked
by these two when used together, but they require much patience, and
knowledge of the powers of the eccentric chuck, to enable the learner
to use them properly. When the eccentric cutter is used, always set
the tool exactly in the _centre_ of the work, at its lowest degree,
before you begin any pattern, or you will never be quite sure that
your work is done straight; when once you have settled the centre,
the patterns will diverge regularly and evenly from it. In the
patterns we are going to describe, the slide rest fixes the position
of the tool; the chuck must be screwed down to the proper situation
to meet it, and the cutter tool must then be screwed out to cut the
circle required.
PATTERN 1, PLATE 14.
This pattern is formed of four groups of circles, containing seven in
each. Your wood being perfectly smoothed and _lined_, set the cutter
tool (a double angular one) at its lowest degree, exactly in the
centre of the work, so that if moved it would only cut a dot. Unscrew
it eight or ten turns to make a large circle, then by impelling the
cutter box forwards with the slide-rest screw, fix it so that the
tool cuts the circle a little _over_ the centre: arrange your screw
guides: having cut one circle, count 30 on the eccentric chuck wheel,
and the same for the other two. It will be observed that these four
groups go in straight lines, each towards the edge of the work; to
perform this, in the six following rows of circles, move the slide
rest forwards half a turn, and the small wheel of the eccentric chuck
half a turn upwards for each row of four circles, counting 30, as
before, till the twenty-eight are all done.
PATTERN 2.
[Illustration: _Plate 14._]
Arrange the circle a little smaller than for pattern 1, and on a
level with the centre point of the work. Set the chuck wheel at
120, cut a circle; then one at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, when
you will find the eight _outer_ circles of the pattern are formed.
Then move the slide-rest screw forwards four numbers, and to No.
1 on the eccentric chuck wheel; then to Nos. 14-31, 44-61, 74-91,
104. By following the same rule in the other circles you will find
the pattern is not difficult, though at first it may appear very
intricate. As all depends upon properly counting the numbers on the
eccentric chuck wheel, to make the calculation more easy, I give the
proper numbers for the sixteen circles composing one cluster, and you
will then see that the others can readily-be done the same, always
remembering to move the slide-rest screw forwards four numbers for
every row; 1, 15-2, 14-3, 13-4, 12-5, 11-6, 10-7, 9-8; the latter
single number forms the centre or outer circle near the edge.
PATTERN 3.
This pattern requires great attention and care to work it properly.
Having arranged the cutter tool, screw it out four turns to make the
circle the proper size, then move the cutter to the edge of the work,
cut a circle at Nos. 120, 40, and 80, on the eccentric chuck wheel,
then set the wheel at 20, and leave it fixed. Your next operation
must be to screw down the eccentric chuck, and alter the position
of the tool on the slide-rest, till, by laying your hand on the
fly-wheel and moving it gently, the tool of the cutter appears to
describe a half circle _across_ the wood, in the same way as for the
arc patterns. Having arranged the first arc, move 40, as before, and
see whether the second will exactly meet it, then the third; they
should each diverge from the centre of the first circles which were
cut round the edge; if they do not exactly fit, move the chuck up and
down, and the slide-rest screw backwards or forwards, till you find
the exact position; as, however, the arc is difficult to settle, the
line being of course an imaginary one, as the tool must not touch the
wood, it is a good way to cut a piece of pencil to fit like the tool
into a box, and with it mark the arcs; they will easily rub out, and
thus you will be able to be more certain of your proper distance and
position. The next thing is, to see on the fly-wheel of the lathe how
many numbers are required to form the arc; thus, if it begins, as the
one I have worked did, at 360 of the brass wheel, and ended at 85,
stop the wheel at the former number, cut a circle, then one at every
fifth number on the same wheel, till you arrive at 85; then move
forty numbers on the eccentric chuck wheel, and do the other arc the
same; then the third one.
PATTERN 4.