Sketches given here show two different designs of door knockers. In the
first design the knocker itself is made of round iron and twisted to
form part of the design. It is made of very heavy stock.
[Illustration: Door knocker]
_Stock:_ Escutcheon plate: 1 × 1/4 in. flat iron. Bolt: 3/4 × 1/2 in.
iron. Knocker: 1/4 × 1 × 4 ins. long. _Directions:_ Take the piece of
metal intended for the escutcheon plate and thin the ends out according
to the dimensions of the drawing. Draw out the end of the 3/8 × 1/2 in.
piece until it is 3/8 in. in diameter and 2 ins. long. The thickness of
the door must determine the length of this bolt. Since the door knocker
fastens on to the door, the bolt should go through and fasten on the
inside with a washer and nut. The other end of the bolt is rounded to
the dimensions given and a 1/4-in. hole is drilled through the centre.
_Knocker:_ Taper the 1/4 × 1 × 4 in. piece of iron down as shown in
sketch, retaining the thickness, 1/4 in., throughout the whole length.
The two small pins on the end of the knocker are now made 1/4 in. in
diameter and 1/4 in. long. This whole piece is bent into shape, the
pins touching and the sides filed parallel to fit the bolt. When it is
fastened into the bolt it should fit up snug and close.
_Ball for end of knocker:_ Take a piece of 5/8-in. round iron any
length. Fuller in as shown by the sketch. Rivet this to the centre
of the knocker, the pin on the end of the ball projecting far enough
through to make a rather large rivet head on the other side. The rivet
head acts as a knocker. The bolt is pushed through the escutcheon
plate, then the knocker is ready to be placed on the door. Sometimes
these balls are made long enough to go through the door and fasten in
the same way as the bolt.
_Second door knocker:_ The design and dimensions given here show the
general scheme of this knocker. The escutcheon plate is made with a
piece of 1/8 × 5-1/2 × 7 in. soft steel. The corners of this piece are
clipped off and filed rounding or square.
_Knocker:_ The knocker is made in the same way as the knocker was made
in the first design. You use a piece of very heavy material about 1-3/4
in. in diameter. The ends are drawn down to 1/2 in. in diameter. If
the stock is 1 in. in diameter, the piece may be upset large enough in
the middle for the centre. This lessens the work of drawing out and
is perhaps a much quicker way of making a knocker. The length of the
knocker ring before it is bent is about 15 ins. This is pushed into the
eye bolt. This knocker is placed on the door with wrought iron nails,
one in each corner. The bolts that hold the knocker are riveted flush
to the back of the plate. This finishing work should be done by the
peen end of the hammer while the metal is cold.
_Escutcheon plates:_ Escutcheon plates are used for lock plates and
fancy key ways. Some are plain, while others lend themselves to
elaborate decorations. They are forged out while hot. Two designs are
here given. The simpler one explains itself.
[Illustration]
_Decorated Plate:_
_Stock:_ 1/8 × 1 × 6 in. soft steel.
_Directions:_ Mark off 1-1/2 in. each way from the centre of the
plate and centre-punch. This allows about 1-1/2 in. on each end for
drawing-out purposes. Draw ends out. (See sketch). Split the metal
down to the centre-punch mark as shown in the sketch. These small ends
are now bent out, and the long ends are bent in a circle, thus forming
the design. The key way is made by drilling two 1/4 in. holes 1/2 in.
apart about the middle of the piece. Chisel out a piece between the two
holes according to the design. Drill four holes as shown. These are for
screws or wrought iron nails, used to fasten plates to doors. Many
escutcheon plates are used for wall cabinets, cedar chests, doors, etc.