_Material:_ One piece 24-gauge soft brass (yellow), 11 × 3-1/4 ins.
(for body). Disc 3-7/8 ins. in diameter (for bottom). Square: 4-3/4
ins. for lid. Two strips, 11 × 3/4 ins., one for rim of lid and one for
rim of body.
_Tools:_ Block used to make round tray (copper), drilling hammer,
mallet, wooden peg, iron stake, silver solder, steel stippling tool.
[Illustration]
_Directions:_ Take the piece of brass 11 × 3-1/4 ins. Bend it till the
edges meet to make a cylinder. Bind it round with a piece of binding
wire. See that the edges come together tight. Wash with borax. Use
silver solder and proceed as before with soldering. Cool in water,
clean off the joint both inside and outside till the surplus silver
is filed off smooth. This leaves a fine joint line which will take on
the colour of brass in time and will scarcely be noticed. Round the
cylinder up by placing it on a round stake or on a round wood block.
Tap gently with your mallet to do this.
_Bottom:_ Take the 3-7/8-in. disc. Draw a circle on it equal to the
bottom of the cylinder. Put the anvil stake into the vise. With the
edge of the circle on the square end of the stake, drive the metal with
the driving hammer, so that the upturned rim is at right angles to the
disc. Test this to see that the rim stands up all round and fits the
outside of the cylinder close. File the top edge of this smooth and
a little rounding. Shape up and solder as you would a copper piece,
keeping in mind the low melting point of brass. The heating of the
bottom for soldering must heat the body of the caddy to a red heat and
there is danger of unsoldering the part done. To prevent this melting,
the soldered joint should be painted both inside and outside with rouge
or ordinary clay wash. Mix a little clay in a saucer to a liquid and
rub it over the joint. If the soldering is carefully done there will be
little filing to do afterward.
_Rim (for the body):_ Take your 11 × 3/4-in. piece. Bend it into a
circle to fit the inside of the body. Cut it off the right length, bind
and solder the two ends together. Clean off, round up on the stake,
and make it just large enough to drive it into the top, pushing it
down until about 3/8 in. extends above the cylinder. This supports the
rim of the lid. If it is driven down tight it will hold of itself in
place. If not, use a little soft solder to make it secure.
_Lid:_ One square piece, 4-3/4 ins. Take the mould used for your round
tray. Punch holes in each corner of the brass plate, and nail it right
over the depression as you did when you made the round tray. With
your round peg drive the metal into the depression. When the metal is
perfectly smooth and fits the impression take it out. Place the body
of the caddy over the top of this lid piece and mark around it. Make a
second circle 3/8 in. beyond the one just made. Cut out along the outer
circle. Now draw a circle on the inside of the lid equal to the body of
the tea caddy. Place the lid on the anvil stake and turn it up as you
did the bottom piece. This should be made the same size as the bottom,
as it must fit over the same diameter. Make the rim for the lid in the
same way as you did the rim for the body. Round it up. Be careful that
the rim of the lid fits over the rim of the body and that the diameter
of the rim on the lid equals the diameter of the body of the caddy.
Place the rim on the lid and soft solder it.
_To decorate:_ With the steel stippling tool mark any little design
on the surface of the lid or body, or both, pricking up the design.
Finish the work by polishing the same way as copper is polished. You
can prevent its tarnishing by the use of lacquer. This lacquer can be
bought at any paint shop. It is put on with a brush and left to dry.
The lacquer being transparent does not cover up any of the design.