SHOP APPLIANCES

PLATE VIThe tools needed for tin can toy making

PLATE VI

The tools needed for tin can toy making

The marking awl may be purchased at any good tool house or hardware store or an ice pick will do very well if sharpened to a good point so that a line may be easily scratched in the surface of the tin with the point. A large stiff needle may be forced in a pen handle to make an excellent marking awl or a common steel knitting needle may be used if thepoint is sufficiently sharp. Metal workers always scratch their dimension lines in the surface of the metal as pencil lines are easily rubbed away by the hands when working with the metal.

The try square should be about six inches long at the blade or measuring side, and should be entirely constructed of metal and the measuring blade should be marked off in inches and fractions thereof. Good try squares may frequently be purchased in the 5 and 10 cent stores and these are quite accurate enough for the purpose. The spring dividers should be about 6 inches in length. These dividers are held open by the strong spring in the top and are opened and closed by a nut acting on the screw thread. Do not purchase the heavy dividers or compass commonly used by carpenters as these are not as capable of the small adjustments as are the spring dividers. The spring dividers may sometimes be found at the 5 and 10 cent stores and may always be found at good hardware stores and tool houses.

All the tools used for laying out and marking off the work are plainly shown (Plate VI).

Laying Out Work.—It should be borne in mind that a little time spent in carefully measuring, laying out and marking off the work will make a great difference in the finished appearance of that work, so that these simple operations should not be slighted.

The steel square should always be used in laying out rectangular work: lines that are supposed to beat right angles or “square.” Work that is not carefully laid out or square will not fit together neatly if it fits at all.

One of the first things that one has to do in the tin can work is to trim up a piece of tin that is taken from the side of a can and flattened out.

Suppose that such a piece of tin has been cut from a can and flattened out, the edges of such a piece of tin are rather jagged and the whole piece should be trimmed off square before trying to use the tin for various purposes.

First place the ruler as near to the upper edge of the tin as possible and so as not to include any of the jagged cuts. Hold the ruler down firmly and draw the point of the marking awl along the edge of the ruler until a straight line is scratched along the edge of the tin. The surplus tin above this line should be cut away with the metal shears by cutting along from right to left so that the narrow and jagged strip of tin is curled up out of the way by the shears as it is cut. When the surplus tin is cut away you should have a straight clean edge at which to begin the marking operations.

Using the Try Square.—Next, the two ends of the piece of tin should be squared off using the try square for squaring up the ends as follows: Place the heavy solid part of the square firmly against the freshly cut straight edge of the tin, near one end in such a manner that the blade of the square with theinch divisions marked on it lays squarely across the tin, and as near as possible to the end of the piece but not including any of the jagged cuts. The position of the square is shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 1.Fig. 2.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

When the square is in position, mark a line across the tin with the scratch awl held closely to the blade. Cut away the extra tin and you have two sides of your piece of tin squared. Proceed in the same manner to trim off the other end. The remaining or long side of the piece may be squared up either by using the ruler or the spring dividers. The strip of tin that you have squared up on three sides will probably be narrower at one end than at the other. Measure the width of the narrow end with the ruler and then measure off this same distance at the opposite end and mark it with the scratch awl. Use the ruler to connect the two measuring points and scratch a line in the tin by drawing the scratch awl along the edge of the ruler. Cut away the surplus tin and your piece of tin should be squared.

The spring dividers may be opened so that the points rest exactly on each corner of the narrowest end of the strips of tin. Then the dividers are moved to the opposite end of the strip and the lower end or point of the dividers moved back and forth slightly until a slight scratch is made in the surface of the tin to indicate the measuring point. The position of the dividers is shown inFig. 2. The ruler is used to connect the two measuring points and a line scratched between them.

Small strips of tin may be marked off entirely by the dividers by setting the dividers to the required dimension, placing the dividers so that one point rests against one edge of the strip to be marked off and then drawing the dividers along in such a manner that the point of the dividers that rests on the tin will scratch a line parallel to the edge. The edge of the tin that the point of the dividers rests against must, of course, be cut straight before beginning the marking operations. The strip thus marked off may be cut away and another one marked off in the same manner until the required number of strips is cut.

Suppose that four strips are to be cut, each strip to measure one by ten inches. Square up a piece of tin to measure four by ten inches. Open the dividers so that the points are exactly one inch apart. Rest one point of the dividers against one edge of the tin as shown inFig. 2and draw it along the entire length of the tin so as to scratch a line parallel tothe edge. Cut off this strip, taking care to make a straight cut and then mark off another strip and cut it off, and so on until all four strips are cut. This method of using the dividers for marking is more accurate and much easier than that of using a ruler to measure off each strip, and certainly more rapid.

Finding Wheel Centers with the Dividers.—When making wheels of tin cans, some easy method must be used to find the center of the wheel in order to punch or bore a hole for the axle so that the axle may be placed as near the center of the wheel as possible, and so that the wheel will run true once it is placed on the axle.

The dividers may be used for this operation which is very simple. The can is first made up into wheel form as described inChapter X, page 108. When the wheel is soldered together lay it flat on the bench. Open the dividers so that one point rests against the rim of the wheel or against the rolled edge of the can forming the rim of the wheel. If the wheel is made of a can that has a cap soldered on each end and this cap forms the end of the can (such as the small cans that are used for evaporated milk), then the one leg of the dividers may be rested in the slight line or depression just inside the rim that is invariably found in this can. Open the dividers so that the other point rests as near the center as you can guess it. When the dividers are set to dimension and are in position on the wheelas shown inFig. 3, then move the point of the dividers that is near the center of the wheel slightly back and forth so that it describes a slight arc and scratches it in the surface of the can and the other point of the divider is held at the point near the rim of the wheel during this operation. Then move the dividers directly across the wheel still set at the same dimension, placing one point against the rim or in the depressed line and describing a slight arc in the tin as before. Set the dividers at right angles to the first two marking points having the dividers still opened to the same dimension as at first and describe another arc. Set the dividers directly across from this point and describe another arc. The wheel should then resembleFig. 4, the four arcs forming sort of a pillow shape as shown. Draw lines diametrically across connecting each corner of the pillow as shown and where these lines cross is the center of the wheel.

Fig. 3.

If one is so fortunate as to possess a tool called a surface gauge, it will be found very handy formarking or scribing lines parallel to the base of cans. This tool consists of a base of metal in which is fixed an upright post also of metal. An adjustable scriber or needle is fixed to this post so that it may be lowered or raised and set in position as desired. The point is adjusted to the required height and placed against the side of the can or surface to be marked, the operation being conducted on a flat level surface. The can is simply turned against the fixed scriber point until it is entirely marked around. The advantage of the surface gauge over the dividers for this operation is that the scriber point is held rigidly at a fixed dimension above the base of the can while the dividers must be held firmly in place by the hand. However, the dividers will do very well for this operation after a little practice.

Fig. 4.

Homemade Substitutes for Expensive Tools.—The tool of first importance in any metal working shop is a good vise. There is no substitute for this tool and a good one that measures three or three and a half inches across the jaws should be purchasedfrom a reliable tool dealer. The next tool of importance is some form of anvil or anvils for flattening or rounding the tin. A small bench anvil may be purchased from the tool dealer. These are much like a blacksmith’s anvil with a flat face and a conical horn and are made of iron and steel. The large mail order houses offer various small anvils of cast iron for farm use and these are excellent for the tin shop.

Excellent substitutes for these anvils are easily made from old flat irons and pieces of gas or water pipe. Short lengths of iron and steel bars may be picked up about any junk pile, and these are very useful to form the tin over.

The Flat Iron Anvil.—An old flat iron, the kind with the handle attached, may be found about almost any household. The handle should be broken off as close to the top of the iron as possible. Use a hammer and cold chisel for this and cut the handle ends deeply all around where they join the iron. When they are deeply nicked, several sharp blows from a large hammer should break the handle away.

File away all roughness until the iron will set level with the smooth or ironing face uppermost. Then you have an excellent flat hard surface for straightening out tin or wire.

Pipe and Bar Anvils.—Short lengths of iron pipe, round and square iron and steel bars of various diameters may be held in the vise jaws and used toform the work over. Large wire nails may also be used for this purpose.

The smaller sizes, such as ¼, ⅜, or ½ inch in diameter, should be solid iron or steel bars 8 or 10 inches in length, as small pipe crushes and bends rather easily in the vise. Larger sizes, such as ¾, ½, 1 or 2 inches in diameter, are better made of pipe as they are lighter and easier to handle and also easier to obtain.

Get all the sizes suggested if possible and as many short pieces of square or flat bars as you find convenient to store away about the shop. They will come in very usefully for bending or forming operations. The method of holding them in the vise is plainly shown onpage 89, Fig. 26.

If you have plenty of bench room and are handy with tools, several of the most used sizes of pipe and bars may be clamped or bolted directly to the bench with wooden or metal holding strips. The larger sizes, such as ¾, 1, 1½, 2 and 3 inches in diameter, will be found very convenient if fastened to the bench in this manner.

The Bench.—The shop bench should be about 31 inches in height. The top of the bench should be about 2½ by 6 feet or larger if possible, and may easily be built by any one familiar with tools. The top should be made of maple about 1½ inches thick. If one cannot afford this bench a common kitchen table makes an excellent substitute. A good strongtable of this sort may be purchased at any house-furnishing store. These tables are furnished with a large drawer in which small tools may be kept.

If much of the tin work is done, it will prove advantageous to have some light wooden shelves or racks built about the walls of the shop to store the various sized cans where they may be easily seen and reached.

Fig. 5.

The Forming Mallet.—The special forming mallet designed by the author will have to be made. It was designed especially for work with the tin cans. It is very simple and easily made of maple by any carpenter. One end is a slightly rounded dome shape and the other is in the form of a blunt wedge. The dimensions and general shape of the mallet areshown inFig. 5. The handle may be made of a piece of ½-inch dowel rod. A substitute for this mallet may be made of a piece of broom handle the end of which is already rounded to about the proper curve. Measure off 4½ inches from the rounded end of the broom handle and saw it off. Bore a ½-inch hole through the center of the piece to fit the piece of dowel rod used for the handle. Whittle down the end to a blunt wedge shape leaving it about ⅜ inch thick at the end. The rounded end may be left as it is.

A piece of ½-inch maple dowel may be picked up in any carpenter shop. This should be 8½ inches long. It should be driven into the hole drilled for it in the mallet, taking care not to split the mallet in so doing. If the broom handle is rather small in diameter it would probably be better to use a piece of ⁷⁄₁₆-or ⅜-inch dowel for the handle. A small nail or brad may be driven through the mallet and handle to secure it in place.

CUTTING THE CAN TO SIZE FOR BISCUIT CUTTER—PUNCHING A HOLE IN TIN—FORMING THE HANDLE—FOLDING—MAKING A SUGAR SCOOP BY THE SAME METHOD

A biscuit cutter is about the simplest thing that may be made from a tin can. It is an excellent thing to begin with as it is so simple and involves three very essential operations in the tin can work: cutting the can to size, forming the handle, and lastly, soldering (seePlate VII,a).

Select a good bright, clean can about 2½ inches in diameter; a baking powder can or a small soup can will do.

Tin cans are usually made up in two ways. One method is to solder on flanged ends, such as condensed or evaporated milk cans, and the other method is to roll the edges of the can together at each end, using no solder. When looked at closely, the two different types of can are easily told apart. A rolled rim can should be used for the biscuit cutter as it is stronger than the can with the soldered ends.

PLATE VIIBiscuit cutters made by the authorSoldering

PLATE VII

Biscuit cutters made by the author

Soldering

Cutting the Can to Size for Biscuit Cutter.—The biscuit cutter should be about ¾ inch deep at thecutting edge. Set the dividers to this dimension and proceed to scribe a line around the can parallel to the base and ¾ inch above the rolled rim of the bottom. This simple scribing operation is described inChapter I, page 22.

The method of cutting into the can and around the scribed line is very simple and is also described inChapter I.

Fig. 6.

When you have cut the can down to the required dimension, it should appear as shown inFig. 6. The biscuit cutter may be slightly out of shape after the cutting operation, but this may be easily remedied by placing the biscuit cutter on a small round anvil held in the vise and by tapping it gently with a flat wooden mallet, turning the cutter slowly around on the anvil during the hammering as shown inFig. 7. Be sure to turn the biscuit cutter slowly around and around the anvil as it is hammered with the mallet. It will soon become round if hammered gently.

Next take a small flat file, one with very fine teeth, usually called a smooth milled file, and with this smooth down any roughness left by the metal shears at the edge of the biscuit cutter. The methodof using the file is shown inFig. 8. It should be held lightly against the work when filing. (Never try to file a piece of tin with a large or roughly toothed file as the coarse teeth will catch on the tin and tear or bend it out of shape.)

Fig. 7.Fig. 8.

Fig. 7.

Fig. 8.

Do not try to file the edge of the cutter to a knife fine edge; simply file away the metal raised by the shears when cutting. If it is cleanly cut and filed to the original thickness of the tin, it will cut biscuit dough very well, as the tin is thin.

Punching a Hole in Tin.—A hole should be punched in the top of the biscuit cutter to admit air, as the biscuit dough is apt to stick in the cutter by the vacuum formed unless an air vent is provided. A small hole about ⅛ inch in diameter will do, but a series of such holes may be punched in if desired.

A punch may be filed up from a wire nail or a regular punch or nail set may be used.

The biscuit cutter is placed over the end of a block of wood held in a vise as shown inFig. 9, in such a manner that the top of the cutter rests directly on the wood. The punch is placed in the center of the cutter, care being taken to see that the wooden block supports the tin directly under the punch, and then the punch is struck lightly with the hammer until it cuts through the tin.

It may be well to try the punch on a scrap of tin to test it. A clean round hole should result. The punch cuts out a tiny disk of tin and drives it into the wood. The end grain of a wooden block should always be used for punching on.

If a nail is used for a punch, the original point should be filed away. Nail points are usually made in the form of a square pyramid and if these points are driven into a piece of tin a jagged hole will result; such a hole may be used for making a grater for the kitchen, but all other holes should be round and smooth.

To file up a nail for a punch proceed as follows: Place the nail vertically in the vise jaws so that the point projects slightly above the jaws. File the point entirely away until you are filing the entire diameter of the nail and squarely across it.

Then reduce the diameter of the nail at the end you have been filing by filing smoothly around it asshown atA,Fig. 10. See that the edgeBis clean and sharp and the nail punch is ready for use. The nail used for a punch should always be somewhat larger in diameter than the punching point, as this will provide for a stronger punch and one not so likely to bend. Regular punches are usually made much thicker in the body than at the point, as may be easily seen by looking at one. If desired, punches may easily be made from nails to cut round, square, or triangular holes.

Fig. 9.Fig. 10.

Fig. 9.

Fig. 10.

It is much better to purchase a regular punch orpunches for punching round holes, as these may be purchased for 10 or 15 cents at almost any hardware or 5-and-10 cent store. Several different sizes will prove useful, ⅟₁₆, ⅛, ³⁄₁₆ inches in diameter being the most used sizes. As these punches are made of hardened steel they hold their edges for a long time, but nails are made of a fairly soft steel and when used as punches have to be frequently filed sharp.

Forming the Handle.—After the hole is punched in the top of the biscuit cutter, a suitable handle is the next thing to be made. This handle may be made from the piece of tin cut away when cutting down the can for the biscuit cutter. Cut away any rough or jagged edges and then place this piece of tin on the bench or a flat anvil surface and flatten it out with light mallet strokes. Heavy strokes with a mallet will dent the tin.

Trim away all rough edges including the rolled edge at the top and square up the piece of tin as described onpage 34, Chapter II. Mark off a strip of tin 1¼ inches in width and 4 inches long. Cut this strip out and be sure that it is square at the ends. Open the dividers and set the divider points ¼ inch apart and scribe a line ¼ inch inside each of the long sides of the strip. The edges of the strip of tin thus marked off must be turned or folded in so that the edges of the handle will be strengthened and will not cut the hand. These edges may be folded over with a mallet or by the use of a foldingmachine. The mallet should be used for this first folding operation; the folding machine and its use will be described further along in the book,page 120, Chapter XI.

To fold the edges over with the mallet, proceed as follows: Secure a block of hard wood, maple preferred, the block to be about 3 inches square and 6 inches in length. See to it that the block is cut cleanly and squarely across so that the edges at the end are sharp and at right angles. A maple block of this sort may usually be picked up at any lumber yard or carpenter shop, or a maple log may be secured from the wood pile and trimmed up square. One end of the block may be used to punch on.

Fig.11a.Fig.11b.

Fig.11a.

Fig.11b.

The block is held in the vise as illustrated inFig. 11and the tin to be folded is held on the block in such a manner that the line marking the fold is over the edge of the block. Use either a light wooden mallet or the special forming mallet, andwith light blows proceed to bend down at the edge and up to the line as illustrated inFig. 11,a. Begin at one end and work along the line to the other end of the strip of tin. Do not try to turn the tin down at a right angle at once or in one place and then proceed to turn it down at another, but rather hammer lightly along the whole length at the marking line, turning the tin down at a slight angle from the line to the edge and then going back and starting to hammer where you began, turning the tin down at a greater angle and so on until you have turned the edge at right angles as shown inFig. 11,b. Always bend tin over very gently and evenly, never forcing it violently into place.

Fig. 12.Fig. 13.Fig. 14.

Fig. 12.

Fig. 13.

Fig. 14.

Reverse the strip of tin on the block so that the part just folded stands vertically at the edge of the block as shown inFig. 12. Hammer the edge of the tin gently over so that it folds back on itself as shown by the dotted line inFig. 12.

Do not hammer the tin down hard at the foldededge so that it becomes thin and sharp though doubled. It should be rounded over so as to give a rounded edge. A rounded fold is much stronger than a sharp thin one. When one edge is completely folded over, fold down the other in the same manner, so that both edges of the handle for the biscuit cutter appear as inFig. 13.

Fig. 15.

When you have successfully turned or folded over the edges to your satisfaction, then proceed to give the whole handle a semi-circular form.

Place a large round wooden mallet or a piece of 1½ or 2-inch pipe in the vise to use as a form over which to round the handle. The folded part should be inside or next the mallet or pipe form shown inFig. 14. Press the tin down to the form with thepalm of the hand so as to round it into shape; it may be completely formed into shape by this method or the rounded end of the special forming mallet may be used to hammer it into shape if the tin should kink during the bending. The mallet blows should be directed toward the center of the strip so as not to thin the edges too much.

Round the handle over until the ends rest inside the rolled rim of the can or biscuit cutter and you are ready to solder the handle in place.

As the soldering is the most important part of the tin work the next two chapters are devoted to it.

The Sugar Scoop.—A useful sugar or flour scoop may be easily made from a small or large can in exactly the same manner as the biscuit cutter, except that the can is cut off slanting instead of square,Fig. 15. The edges of the scoop should not be turned or folded but should be left as cut so as to form a sharp cutting edge that will easily enter sugar or flour. The handle is shaped in exactly the same manner as that of the biscuit cutter.

SOFT SOLDER—SHEET TIN—THE PROCESS OF SOLDERING—HEATING APPARATUS—ELECTRICAL SOLDERING COPPERS—THE COMMON SOLDERING COPPER—FLUXES—TINNING THE COPPER—HEATING

Soft Solder.—When two or more pieces of metal are joined together with a metallic cement, they are said to be soldered.

Sheet tin, of which cans are constructed, is always soldered with soft solder, a mixture of lead and tin, usually 50 per cent. lead and 50 per cent. tin.

This solder is usually supplied in wire or bar form at any hardware or electrical supply house.

Copper, brass, bronze, iron, silver, gold, and practically any metal except aluminum may be soldered with soft solder.

Sheet Tin.—Sheet tin, so-called, really consists of a thin sheet of iron coated on both sides with tin. This coating of tin serves several purposes. It enables the solder to adhere easily; it prevents the iron from rusting; and when the sheet tin is made up into can form, the tin coating protects the contents of the can from chemical action on the iron.

The Process of Soldering.—Soft solder is applied to the metal to be soldered in a molten state and this operation requires considerable heat. When heat is applied to metal it usually oxidizes that metal; that is, dirties it.

Solder will not adhere to oxidized metal. The metal must be protected with a coating called a flux while being soldered. Soldering paste, soldering fluid or “killed acid,” resin, paraffin, heavy oils, and vaseline all serve as fluxes, some better than others. The soldering paste is by far the best, as will be shown later.

Soft solder is applied to the tin, on the point of a hot soldering copper, often wrongly called a “soldering iron.” A soldering copper consists of a pointed bar of copper suitably fixed to an iron shank which is firmly set in a wooden handle. The point of the copper must be well coated with solder or “tinned,” so that when it is heated it will pick up the solder and convey it to the joint to be soldered.

The hot copper, charged with solder, is passed slowly along the joint and as the tin to be soldered receives enough heat from the copper, the solder leaves the copper and adheres to the tin, firmly uniting it.

Heating Apparatus.—Some form of heating apparatus is necessary to heat and maintain the soldering copper at the melting or flowing point of the solder. The copper may be heated in a gas furnaceespecially made for soldering coppers, or over an ordinary gas stove burner or a common blue flame oil stove, or a charcoal fire, a wood fire burned down to embers, or a plumbers’ gasoline torch, but never in a coal fire. Coal contains too much sulphur which oxidizes the copper and renders it useless for soldering purposes.

The Blue Flame Oil Stove.—For heating the coppers in my country shop, I use a blue flame oil stove, one of the less expensive sort, with the asbestos ring wick and the short removable chimneys. The stove has two burners and will heat from four to six coppers at once. The flames may be regulated nicely so as to give just the required amount of heat and this stove consumes very little kerosene, and, therefore, costs little to operate. InFig. 16, it will be noticed that there is a curved hood over each stove hole. These hoods may be easily made from part of a large can or of a piece of tin or sheet iron bent into shape. These hoods conserve the heat and throw it about the coppers. I also place a piece of heavy wire netting over the grating of the stove holes to support the coppers and to permit their being laid to one side, out of the intense heat, when not immediately needed.

The blue flame oil stove forms the most satisfactory arrangement for heating coppers that I have ever used in the country. These stoves are easily taken care of and are understood by almost everyone.The directions should be nailed up alongside the stove and carefully followed, particularly as to cleaning the burners once or twice each season.

Fig. 16.

The Gasoline Torch.—The plumbers’ gasoline torch is often used by experienced metal workers for heating coppers. In inexperienced hands, this torch is rather a dangerous affair. Only one copper may be heated at a time and it is difficult not to overheat the copper in the fierce roaring flame. The cost of the torch and the cost of operating it are both greater than the blue flame kerosene stove. However, in experienced hands, it is safe enough and very useful about the shop. In using such a torch the directions should be most carefully followed; all joints, filler openings, etc., must be airtight when operating or a disastrous fire or explosion may result. The tiny jet opening in the burner must be kept clean.

The Gas Furnace.—In my winter shop in the city where gas is available, I use the gas furnace shown inFig. 16. This is a most satisfactory and widely used heater for soldering coppers, as it gives an intense blue flame that may be easily regulated.

When using a heater of this sort, one must be sure that it is lighted correctly or a smoky yellow flame will result. To produce a blue flame, air must be mixed with the gas; just as it is in a bunsen burner or an ordinary gas stove, for that matter. Gas is admitted to the furnace through a small nozzle at the end of the mixing flue near the rubber hose connection. Air is admitted in the slot under the gas nozzle; a movable slide encircles the mixingflue over the slot to control the amount of air admitted. This slide must be tightly closed over the air vent when the gas is first turned on.

To light the heater, close the air inlet tightly, turn the gas on full and apply a lighted match to the burner. A yellow flame will result. Now open the air vent slowly, by pushing the slide forward a little way. The flame will change from yellow to blue and purple as air is admitted. When the flame is blue, it is giving out the most heat and is in the best condition to heat the copper.

If the flame fires back and lights the gas at the brass nozzle over the air inlet, the gas should be turned off until the flame disappears. The air inlet is then closed, and the gas turned on and lighted, and then the air inlet is slowly opened until the flame turns blue. When the furnace is in use, it should be looked at occasionally to see that the flame has not fired back to the nozzle. Once satisfactorily lighted, the heater may be turned up or down as needed. If the flame is turned down very low the air inlet may have to be closed a bit to prevent the flame from firing back. The copper is placed on the rest provided for it over the flame. After the copper is heated to the flowing point of solder, the flame may be turned down or the copper placed to one side of the flame, so that it does not get too hot.

Charcoal and Wood Fires.—When using a charcoal or a wood fire, the copper should be placed atthe bottom among the embers. Small charcoal furnaces used for heating soldering coppers may be bought from the dealer in plumbers’ supplies. Charcoal should not be burned in a closed room as the fumes are deadly unless allowed plenty of constantly changing air. These furnaces may be connected with a chimney or burned in a room with windows opened, without danger.

A soldering copper may be heated in the glowing embers of a camp fire or in the embers in a fireplace.

Electrical Soldering Coppers.—The electrically heated copper is ideal for soldering as the heating coil is enclosed within the copper itself, the wire running out through the handle and connecting with an ordinary electric light socket. The heat is maintained at a proper degree for melting the solder; hence it is an ideal equipment for those who can afford it and where electric current is available. The doctors of certain hospitals have recommended electrical coppers for the use of patients in making tin can toys.

An electric soldering copper costs about $7.50 at the present time.

The Common Soldering Copper.—A suitable soldering copper or “iron” may be purchased at any good tool dealer’s or hardware store; it should weigh about one pound for work with the tin cans.

Almost everyone has purchased a small soldering outfit at one time or another and tried to solderthe family wash-boiler or some leaky tinware; usually without success. Such outfits are invariably too small for large work or for the tin can toys.

It must be well remembered that the heat flows from the copper into the work, and that the copper has to heat up the work to the melting point of the solder; hence a large copper weighing several pounds is used to solder wash-boilers, tin roofs, etc., and a small copper weighing a few ounces is used for soldering jewelry, etc.

A large copper in expert hands may be used to solder very small work but a small copper may never be used to solder large work together, because the copper not only has to keep the solder melted to the flowing point, but also has to heat the work itself at the joint to the flowing point of the solder before the solder will leave the copper and adhere to the work.

In actual practice, it has been found that a copper weighing one pound is best. After one gets more adept with the copper, it will be found advantageous to have several coppers of different weights. A half pound and also a four ounce copper will be found very convenient for extremely small work. But, do not begin to solder with a copper weighing less than one pound.

Soldering coppers are usually sold in pairs at the large tool dealers, and coppers listed at two pounds really weigh one pound each; when sendingin a written order be sure that you specify that the copper is to weigh one pound singly.

A wooden handle especially made for soldering coppers should be purchased at the same time as the copper; these wooden handles are made large to protect the hand from the heat of the iron shank. The handle is usually furnished with a hole of the proper size drilled in it to permit the pointed end of the shank to be driven in the handle easily with a wooden mallet. If the hole is too small, it should be drilled out so that it is nearly as large as the diameter of the shank. The wooden handle must not be split when driven on with the mallet.

Fluxes.—Before tinning the point of the copper, some flux must be obtained, either a soldering paste or soldering fluid “killed acid.”

An excellent soldering paste called “Nokorode” is by far the best flux obtainable. It is inexpensive, a little goes a long way, and it will not rust or corrode the work as is the case with killed acid and some soldering pastes. It may be easily cleaned from the work after soldering and it makes soldering much easier and simpler for the beginner. Nokorode soldering paste may be obtained at any good electrical supply house or hardware store. If they do not stock it, they will get it for you. There is nothing else just as good on the market, but if for any reason you cannot obtain this particular brand, besure that any soldering paste you buy is plainly labelled that it will not corrode the work.

Soldering fluid or killed acid is made of muriatic acid in which is dissolved all the pure zinc that it will hold in solution. This fluid is much used by tinners and is certainly an excellent soldering flux, but not nearly as good as the soldering paste for our purposes. However, it is very useful in the shop to dip the tinned point of the hot copper into it to remove the oxide or dirt formed after the copper has been in use for some time. The solder will stick to the point much better after the copper has been cleaned in this manner.

Directions for making the killed acid and the use of other soldering fluxes will be found onpage 68.

Tinning the Copper.—Having procured the soldering copper and handle, some flux and soft solder, and having fixed up some sort of heating apparatus, the next step toward soldering is to coat the point of the copper with solder: this is called tinning the copper.

Fix the copper firmly in a vise if one is at hand, as illustrated inFig. 17. Then file each of the four faces of the point of the copper bright and clean with a flat file. It is better to use an old file for this purpose—one with rather coarse teeth. It will be observed that the copper is placed slantwise in the vise so as to bring one face of the squarepyramid parallel with the vise jaws; this position permits filing in a natural horizontal position.

Each face of the point should be rounded slightly toward the point.

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