OF THE INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY.
The first thing the artist must procure must be a board of fine,
close-grained wood, free from knots, to prepare and cut the several
parts of his work upon. The best for this cutting-board is beech,
sycamore, or pear-tree wood; it should be, at the least, one and a-half
inch thick, by twelve inches broad, and about eighteen inches in length.
I should prefer it even thicker than stated, as continual planing of the
surface to erase the marks of the knife soon reduces its thickness. Let
it be squared perfectly every way to allow the T square to work
accurately along its edge. As before stated, care must be taken, when
the surface has become too much cut up, to have it re-planed, or
otherwise the knife is apt to follow the marks in the board, and cut the
paper irregularly upon the under side. The size of board mentioned will
be found most useful for all ordinary purposes; should the work be of
very large dimensions, of course another must be procured,
proportionally larger. Two or three boards of close-grained deal will
also be found of service for cutting obliquely, &c., &c.
THE MODELLING PRESS.
This apparatus will be found of essential service to the artist, as by
its aid he forms the cardboard which is the basis of his model. It may
be either of iron or wood; the former is lighter, and more elegant in
appearance, but the latter, though plain and homely, is in my opinion
preferable in many respects. A common copying press may be used, care
being taken not to place the damp paper between the iron, but between
two hard, close-grained pieces of wood. On page 27 is an illustration of
the press I use, which any joiner can construct for a few shillings. It
consists of a cross-beam, A, through which the screw passes; two
uprights, B B; a bottom, C, to which, and to the cross-beam, the
uprights must be firmly mortised. Between them is a moveable top-piece,
D, which by means of cord running through two small pulleys, E E, keeps
it pressing continually against the screw; the weight F, at the end of
the cord being slightly heavier than will balance the top-piece. By
these means, as you unwind the screw, either to place under, or look at
the progress of work already there, the top-piece moves out of your way.
The sizes of the wood for the different portions is given, and care must
be observed in not breaking it by too great a pressure of the screw; as
the object of the press is to keep the sheets flatly and firmly
together, while the adhesive material sets, no undue degree of force is
necessary; indeed it will, for reasons hereafter to be described, be
found a disadvantage to press them too closely.
[Illustration:
THE MODELLING PRESS.
SIZES.
]
C Bottom piece 18 inches by 12 inches by 2 inches.
B B Uprights 12 do. — 4 do. — 1½ do.
A Cross beam 15 do. — 4 do. — 2¼ do.
The screw 1⅜ths inch in diameter.
[Illustration:
THE T-SQUARE.
]
This square is formed like the ordinary drawing-squares, with the
exception that the blade A is made of steel; this is firmly screwed to a
stock of hard wood, which has on each side of the blade a small piece at
C C cut out; the object of this is to allow the knife to cut completely
to the edge of the paper. The advantage, in fact, the necessity for a
steel blade, will be obvious; were it of wood, the pressure of the knife
along its edge would indent, or cut it. This square will be found
adapted for every description of large and small work, but should the
cardboard be of great thickness it is apt to stir, and by so doing cause
irregularity of line. To remedy this an instrument is used, called an
adjusting straight-edge. A is a straight ruler of flat brass, or of
steel, like the blade of the T-square. It is contrived to move to and
from the surface of the board upon the upright screws, B B, while a
dovetail groove is fitted with a piece of brass to run along it, to
allow of the horizontal movement of the ruler. The paper (upon which the
cutting-off line has been previously marked) is placed upon the board,
the straight-edge adjusted to the line; the straight-edge being then
firmly screwed down upon it by means of the two small thumb-screws, 3 3,
it is rendered immoveable during the progress of the work, this will be
better understood from the annexed engraving.
[Illustration:
THE ADJUSTING STRAIGHT-EDGE.
]
No. 1 is a section of the cutting-board, showing the groove in which the
piece of brass runs. 2, The brass, to which is attached the
thumb-screws, by means of a screw through the eye at B. 3 3 3,
Thumb-screws, to screw down the ruler upon the paper. The brass rule
should not be less than an eighth of an inch in thickness, otherwise it
may bend; if steel it will do a little less.
[Illustration:
MODELLING KNIVES.
]
This instrument will be found particularly useful in cutting the
necessary mitres for joining together the edges of the work, or for any
other work of similar description, such as the copings to walls,
mouldings of every description, &c., &c. Having now described these very
important instruments in a way we hope may prove perfectly intelligible,
we proceed to state the requirements in those necessary ones, knives.
The number of these the artist will use, is regulated more by his own
fancy than anything else; but there are three shapes he will find
absolutely necessary. In modelling, as in painting, there are numerous
tricks and contrivances for producing various effects; and as the
painter will often value a bit of old scrubby, worn-down brush, so the
modeller will find various cutting instruments materially assist him,
such as the broken blade of a knife, a steel pen, a bradawl, &c., &c.,
many of these producing effects that more elaborate instruments would
have failed doing. On page 33 will be found an engraving representing
three requisite varieties of knives. No. 1. This knife is long in the
blade, and, as will be found in all the others, is perfectly straight on
the cutting edge; this knife is used to cut straight lines in all
directions through strong work, cutting oblique lines, mitres, splays,
&c. No. 2. One for lighter work used in forming or modelling ornaments,
or, in general, cutting work of a lighter and neater character. No. 3.
This blade is used solely for cutting all descriptions of circular work,
and curves of every description. It may be useful to remark that this is
the only shape of blade that will cut, with clearness and sharpness,
curved lines through thick cardboard. The instrument next illustrated is
called a knife compass, and is extremely valuable for cutting out
circular architraves, &c., &c., doing its work in a way that the hand
and knife could not equal, and with the least possible trouble. See
illustration, page 36. They resemble, in some respects, an ordinary pair
of compasses, but of a little stronger make than the common. A is a
moveable sweep of brass, to regulate the opening of the legs of the
compasses, which, being opened to the requisite width, are firmly held
by tightening the thumb-screw, F. B, the moveable leg to which the
cutting-knife C is attached by means of a shoulder to the blade at G,
and a socket at H, into which it fixes, and is secured by the screw at
D. E and I are two screws working on the rod, K, on each side of the
moveable bar, B.
[Illustration:
THE KNIFE COMPASS.
]
By means of this contrivance the knife is always kept perfectly upright,
and in consequence cuts perpendicularly through the cardboard. There may
be several knives to fit in the socket for light and heavy work, but a
blade of the same shape as that shown in the engraving, will be found
sufficient for nearly every purpose. The instrument might perhaps be
more useful if half as large again as represented. The dotted lines are
given to show the instrument open wider, in order fully to illustrate
the utility of the moveable leg at B. The method of using this
instrument is this: Having a curve to cut, and having found the centre
of the arc, place the point of the leg L within it, then adjusting the
moveable leg to the perpendicular by means of the screws I and E,
stretch the legs to the requisite radius, and by gradually increasing
the pressure on the blade, the curve may be cut with the most perfect
ease and truth.
[Illustration:
H L Horizontal line.
]