The Home Worker.

Progress, Volume VI, Issue 2, 1 December 1910, Page 472

The Home Worker.

By Chas. Clark, Gold Medallist and Special Gold Medallist.

Repousse Work as a Home Handicraft.

Repousse work ; has of late years attracted a good deal of attention, not only by-its own decorative excellence, but as an art .that is within the reach of an amateur with a small amount of mechanical aptitude. One sees at present so much of the so-called repousse work (a name ■misflTmlied to much of what is olaced on

the market), which is merely mechanical machine-made stampings produced by the gross in the same manner as they stamp patty pans. Repousse work proper is all done by hand, and bears the hall-mark of an ! individual mind and intelligent labour, and pure art can be portrayed in this branch of metal work, although so-called artists or picture painters try to belittle this form of art. They have so closely clung to the old groove, that they forget that a lover of true art recognises its presence as much in the lowly common every day article, as in the costliest. The word repousse is a French word, which means a beating up. It is by no means a difficult art, and the few rules to be carried out are so simple that any child can remember and understand them. The main difficulty is to learn the use of the tracer, the combination required being the right holding of the tool in tracing with the right strength and speed of the hammering. When this difficulty is overcome, you get a long straight line, continuous and even in depth; and to all beginners I would advise a complete mastery of the tracing before proceeding with another stage'. So much depends on tracing as to the result of the work when raised and finished that a few hours spent on this rir.g-i-gi.ifvri irpt.il Tio.rfsctsd will repay the beginner a hundredfold. Pitch block, say 10 x 8, which consists of a block of wood the above size, and .1% thick, covered evenly all over with a pitch cement to a depth of %in. You can make a very, good cement yourself, but a special cement can be obtained, which is very

clean and superior to home-made cement. However, here is a recipe for those who want to make their own: ■•'; Pitch, 3i/ 2 1b.; resin, 21b.; tallow, lb.; plaster of paris, 31b. Melt first three items together in anysuitable tin or saucepan, and when properly melted stir in the plaster of paris slowly; after mixing thoroughly pour on your wood block, having previously tacked a piece of tin all round, as a fence to keep the pitch from running down over sides. This done, you set to work to get your tools, which for a beginner should consist of 1 straight and 1 curved tracer 16-15 respectively, 4 or 5 steel raising tools, the most useful being 30. 31-32. 119. 122.

Ring tools and pearl tools, say 55, 58, 60, 45, 47, 48. Background tools, say 72. and 87. Brass raising tools, 5, 6-7, 8, 10. The above makes a useful set for a beginner, which can be increased as better and more varied work requires. 1 hammer (steel) about 2oz. weight. 1 Pear-shaped wood mallet. 1 Wood mallet for straightening copper, etc. J. jlhOvv lamp tor tnosc who nave no gas in the house, and a bunsen burner for those who have gas. The last two are required for evenly heating the cement block all over prior to putting on the copper. So much for the tools, and if you cannot procure them from your local stores you

can always rely on procuring . same through our advertisers, who make a speciality in catering for all the requirements in this particular art craft. Having got together all your tools, you can now proceed a step further. I have omitted to state that a sand-bag is required to place your pitch block on, a bag slightly larger than your block, made of strong material, and filled about 3 parts of sand and securely sewn. This always -: r~ makes a level bed for the block, and also - deadens the sound when hammering. You now take your pitch block and heat it evenly all over, until sufficiently soft to bed your metal on, being careful that all air bubbles and unevenness of the surface have disappeared. Place your piece of copper, of gauge say 24 b.w.g, on the .' melted surface, seeing that it adheres firmly all over, then wait until cold, or nearly so. as experience will teach you. You now draw your design on the copper, and go over it again with a scratch awl, so that the design will remain permanent until you have finished the tracing; if you do not take this precaution you will find you have rubbed the pencil marks off V;with your hand during the process of tracing. You now take tool 16 in your left hand and the steel hammer in your right and proceed to go over the lines you have scratched in; to do this you hold tool 16 between the thumb and first two fingers, allowing the other two to rest on the. copper and helping to steady the tool, which should be inclined a little to the left, so that the tool is slightly ele- ; vated at the point on the right hand side; if held up straight the point referred to will bed into the copper and will not

travel along the line of its own accord, which will happen when the tool is held properly. The tool should be tapped • evenly, and with the same weight of blow, at the rate of speed equal to the ticking of an ordinary alarm clock, always bearing ■■■■■ in mind to work your tool from left to right and turning your work round when required, so that you may always work in ~ that direction. The beginner will find this process rather trying and difficult at first but after it is mastered he will have the foundation for good work which must follow. You will find when the tool is held and hit properly, it will travel along the line of design of its own free will, making a nice clean line of even depth. In any case it should not be forced or propelled forward by the hand.