PORRINGER.
The making of a porringer serves as a very interesting exercise; and it
is so simple in form that it can be raised after very little experience.
A suitable handle must also be designed, sawed out and soldered to the
body.
After the bowl has been raised into shape according to the design, the
top is cut and filed off level. When the handle has been sawed out and
the edges trued up, it is fitted to the bowl part. Mark on the edge of
the bowl the place where the handle is to be fitted and fit it at that
place. The edge of the bowl where the handle is to be soldered should be
filed or scraped bright before the soldering process is begun.
[Illustration: FIGURE 28.]
Invert bowl and handle and lay them upon a level block of charcoal, as
shown at Figure 28. Four or five wire nails or pieces of iron wire
forced into the charcoal keep the handle and bowl together. The borax is
applied and sufficient solder to make a good joint. Use no more solder
than is necessary, as it will have to be removed by filing and the less
filing that is done about such a joint the better the work will be.
After the exercise has cooled, it may be pickled, washed and dried.
[Illustration: PLATE 39. PORRINGER]
[Illustration: PLATE 40. PORRINGER HANDLES]
While the heat is being applied for soldering, the bowl is at the same
time annealed and becomes so soft that it is easily bent out of shape.
The bowl of course must be hardened again; this is done by placing it on
an anvil that conforms to the outline of the bowl and hammered lightly
over the surface. The handle is also treated in the same way.
Any necessary filing or finishing is now done and the porringer is ready
to be polished.
If we choose, the handle may be riveted on, or it may be made of the
same piece as the bowl by allowing enough metal where the handle is to
be, to be bent back when the bowl is raised into shape.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: PLATE 41.]
TRAYS OR PLATES.
Trays or plates may be made by working the bowl part over an anvil or by
driving it into a sand bag until the required depth is obtained, or a
form may be turned out of a block of wood and the metal driven into it.
After the bowl part has been shaped it may be placed on the pitch block
and the outline trued up with a chasing tool. The edge of the tray or
plate may be decorated either by piercing, embossing, etching, or
enameling.
[Illustration]