[Illustration]
This old Dutch candlestick is made of 3/16-in. round wire in spiral
form. The spiral stem is made so that, as the candle burns down, an
inner socket is moved around the spiral. This travels up and down and
keeps the point of the candle above the holder.
[Illustration: Copyright, 1911, by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.
Finishing of an Ornamental Window Grill, and Levelling Up of an Old
Dutch Candlestick.]
_Stock:_ Base, 5-in. disc of sheet steel or iron. Legs, 1/8 × 1 × 5
ins. (makes the 3). Spiral, 3/16-in. round wire, 40 ins.
_Directions (base or pan):_ Divide the disc into sixteen equal parts.
Flute these parts by cutting out a little hollow in a hard wood block
and driving the flutes in by the use of a round cross peen hammer.
Fluting reduces the diameter of the disc and forms it into a pan shape.
_Legs:_ The three legs are in one piece. The 1/8 × 1 × 5 in. piece
is split down half way; 1 in. from where the split ends the piece is
fullered down. (See sketch.) Draw out this end 3/8 in. wide. Draw out
the split ends to this width, and all pieces to 1/8 in. thickness. This
forms a tripod, the three legs at an equal distance apart. The ends of
the feet are made very thin by flattening down. Turn these up as shown
by the sketch and shape the three feet.
_Spiral stem:_ This candle stem is 3/4 in. in diameter. If you wind up
a piece of 3/16-in. wire on a 3/4-in. iron rod while the metal is cold
you will have a spiral stem like the one shown here. To do this make
a mandrel out of a 3/4-in. bar not less than 20 ins. in length. Drill
a 1/4-in. hole in the end. Into this hole drive a 1/4-in. iron plug.
Place this mandrel in the vise. Bend a small loop on the end of this
wire to fit the 1/4-in. pin. Bend the wire and begin to wind around
the bar. Make as many turns as are shown in the drawing. Take the wire
off. The small loop end will stick out below the spiral and prevent
it standing on a base level. This end must be driven back. To do this
place it upon the other end of the rod, strike it with the hammer, and
flatten it out so that the base will stand flat. Insert a sharp-pointed
chisel between the coils; open them out so that the distance between
them will be 1/4 in. Do this while the metal is cold. The handle may be
made any design. It can be bent over, extended at right angles to the
top, etc. Rivet the legs to the base with a 1/4-in. bolt. With a nut on
the end rivet tightly to prevent the nut loosening up.
_Socket to fit the spiral stem, for raising and lowering the candle:_
_Stock:_ One piece of 1/8 × 1 × 3 in. One piece of 1 × 2-1/2 in. flat
iron or soft steel, No. 20.
_Directions:_ The No. 20 piece is bent around a 3/4-in. mandrel to give
it a cylindrical shape. The two edges just come together. The handle
of this socket is made by fullering down 1/8 × 1 × 3 ins., 1 in. back
from the end, and drawing this out 3/16 in. round, 2 ins. long. The
end is turned over as shown in the sketch; the other end is filed
round to fit the inside of the socket cylinder. The two pieces are now
brazed together. File the parts that come into contact with each other
perfectly clean, and cover with borax. Heat it red hot and touch the
parts to be brazed with the end of a piece of brass wire. At a certain
temperature the brass wire will melt and fill up the spaces between the
bottom and the cylinder. (See Brazing.) This makes a tight joint: it is
like soldering wrought iron together. This method of joining is used
where welding would be impossible, as it would be in this case. File
the base off smooth. The candle can now be slipped between the coils
of wire. It should travel in its socket up and down the spiral. (See
drawing.)