Chapter II.

PROBLEMS.

ESCUTCHEONS.

Escutcheons may be made of any metal; but copper, brass, and iron are most used. The size and shape of the escutcheon are determined by the size of the lock and the space at our disposal. The outline may be circular, square or rectangular, or it may be modified somewhat, care being taken to keep it in harmony with its surroundings.

First make a careful drawing of the design. Take a piece of metal a little larger than the drawing calls for, and of the desired gauge, from 12 to 20 gauge is all right for such an exercise. The design is then transferred to the metal by the use of carbon paper, or a tracing is made on rice paper from the drawing and pasted on the metal. Then take a metal saw (No. 2 or 3) and saw about the design Figure 8, 8A. To saw the key hole, a hole must be drilled through which the saw can be placed to follow the line. Before drilling use a center punch, making a slight depression as a start for the drill. After the sawing is completed, a file is used to true up the outline and to smooth the edges. The holes for the nails are next drilled. After using a little emery paper about the edges, it is ready to finish.

The metal, as it comes from the rolling mill, is perfectly smooth. If, in this piece of work, it is desired to make the surface a little more interesting, it may be done by taking any hammer with a smooth domed face and going over the surface. This, however, should be done before sawing. As the hammering stretches the metal somewhat, if it is left till after the sawing is done, it means more filing to get the design into shape. For a beginning this exercise has proved very satisfactory, as it gives the pupil an acquaintance with the metal and uses but a small piece of material.

HINGE TAILS.

These plates represent suggestive designs for hinges and may be given among first exercises in sawing; when so used, they should be treated like the escutcheon already described.