Chapter VII: Candlestick, Sconce, Rose Jar, and Chalice

There are many forms of candle holders. Perhaps the one we are all most familiar with is the candlestick. Before the days of lamps and electricity the candle was everywhere. Many different designs of candlesticks have come down to us. Some were large, some small, some plain, while others were highly decorated. But however much the designs vary, there are many points that all have in common. There is the base, large or small, and a cylindrical shaft which rises from the centre of the base. This holds the candle. The drip pan is fastened to this shaft close to the top. It catches the wax as the candle melts. Handles are sometimes soldered on, and sometimes the candlestick is made without one. They are attached to the rim or to the shaft.

CANDLESTICK

_Material:_ Disc of copper, No. 20, 5 ins. in diameter. One piece 3 × 2-1/2 ins., No. 20, (for stem). Disc, 2 ins. in diameter (drip pan). One piece, 3/4 × 6 ins. long, No. 16, (for handle).

_Tools:_ Hard wood block, raising hammer, smooth file, dividers, saw, round wood peg, 3/4 × 6 ins.

_Directions:_ Beat the copper disc into a saucer shape, for the base. Take the sheet of copper for the stem, fold it around the wooden peg till the edges come together. Scrape and solder the joint with silver solder.

_Drip pan:_ Take the small disc; with the raising hammer, curve it slightly to make a drip pan. With the dividers, describe a circle 3/4 in. in diameter in the centre of the drip pan. Cut out this centre circle and make it fit tightly on the stem. Push it down about one inch, scrape the stem, and solder the drip pan to it.

_Handle:_ A strip of copper 3/4 × 6 in. long. Cut a tapering slip off each side so that one end will measure 3/4 in. and the other 1/2 in. Shape with the fingers over the round peg (place the peg in the vise to do this) until you have the shape you wish (see design). The wide end of the handle should fit down on the outside of the rounding part of the base, and the other end against the stem under the drip pan. Bore a hole in each end and rivet the handle in place. If a round handle is desired, take a strip of copper 3/4 in. wide and 1-1/2 ins. long, shape round with the fingers. Scrape and solder at the joints, and then solder on the edge of the base. Place and finish up each part as described. This candle design can be greatly varied. It can be made taller, shorter, with various kinds of handles, or with no handle at all.

DESIGNS FOR NIGHT CANDLE HOLDER

This kind of candle holder, or night light, is made to hold a short, thick candle about 2 ins. in diameter, which will burn from 6 to 10 hours. A round base supports the candle, and a shade with a handle on the back is fastened to the base. It can be adjusted so that the candle burns freely all night, while the shade protects the eyes from the light. Nothing is more convenient than one of these holders, for summer homes or for camping.

_Material:_ Brass, No. 24, 3-1/2 × 4 ins. for reflector. 6-1/4 × 7/8 ins. for cylinder. 2-in. disc for base. No. 20, 6 × 1/4 ins. for handle.

_Directions:_ Picture shows a small night candle made of brass. Cut out a 2-in. disc. Bend the 6-1/4 × 7/8-in. strip to fit it. Solder the two ends of the ring and make it perfectly round. Be careful when rounding it up not to stretch it larger than the disc. Push disc into the ring flush with the bottom. Solder the bottom into the ring. Draw the outline of the reflector on the 3-1/2 × 4-in. piece and cut away the corners. Bend it to fit the holder. It should cover about one half of the circle. Solder the reflector on. Soft solder is strong enough for this work. Now bend the handle piece according to the sketch. Rivet or solder it to the back of the reflector. Polish and finish.

NIGHT CANDLE HOLDER

The ordinary tallow or wax candle is used in this night candle holder. You will notice from the sketch that the general style is much like that of the small holder. However, in this design, a small cup or stand to fit the candle is soldered on to the base, a little toward the front.

_Material:_ No. 24 brass--A 4-in. disc. 12 × 1/2 ins., for band to go around the disc. Reflector, 7 × 7 ins. Cup, 7/8 × 2-3/4 ins., and handle piece, 6 × 1/4 in.

The reflectors are sometimes left plain, though the facets made by a flat placed hammer reflect the light when the candles are lighted and soften the light by day. The greater the reflecting power of the surface, the better is the effect. If each part is carefully filed and finished before they are all put together there will be nothing but the polishing needed.

SCONCE (WITH ONE CANDLE)

The sconce is a candle holder made to fasten upon any wall. It is both useful and decorative. Some are made to hold but one candle; they can be made, however, for two, three, or four candles. All sconces should have a reflector, a bowl, shaft, and drip pan. But the designs vary to suit the individual taste and surroundings. The design given here is a very simple one and one that works out well in copper or brass.

_Material:_ One piece of No. 20 copper, 10 × 3-1/4 ins., for the reflector. One piece of No. 20, 2-1/2 × 1 in., for candle socket. One piece of No. 20 copper, 1-1/2-in. disc. One piece of 1/4-in. round copper 4 ins. long.

_Directions:_ Make a drawing like sketch shown here. Place this drawing upon the 10 × 3-1/4-in. sheet of copper and cut the metal to fit the outline. Mark on this sheet of metal the embossed line shown in the sketch. Place the sheet of the copper on the hard wood block and with a chasing tool placed on the line, strike with the planishing hammer on the end of the chasing tool. This, in turn, will drive the metal into the wood. Repeat this till the outline stands out above the face of the reflector about 1/32 in. If this is done carefully the raised part will be a true smooth line. The same tool will widen the line any width desired. Cut into a wood block a form like the impression you see back of the candle. Place the sconce over this impression and with a wooden peg drive the metal into it. The dotted line on the sketch will show how deep this should be. Drive out any buckles that may have formed during the working of the metal. This is done by placing the sconce face down on the bench and striking down on the raised parts until it lies flat.

_Candle holder:_ Bend the stock for the holder around a 3/4-in. mandrel or wood peg till the two ends meet. Clean and solder these ends. Cut a 3/4-in. disc to fit the inside of this and solder in. Place this on the 1-1/2-in. disc and drill a hole through the centre of both.

_Bracket for candle:_ Take the 1/4-in. round stock. Put it in the vise with one end projecting above, about 1/2 in. Drive down on this end, at the same time bend it as shown in the drawing. File the end flat. Cut a piece of No. 20 copper 1/2 in. × 3/8 in. and solder it on the end just filed. This plate is drilled with two 1/8-in. holes, and filed around. Bend the shape as shown in the drawing and on the other end file a shoulder and 1/8-in. pin. This is now placed through the hole of the disc and the candle holder, and both riveted to the bracket. The bracket now is placed on the bottom of the sconce (see drawing), and riveted on. The whole sconce may now be nailed with round head nails to a flat 1/4-in. board to give weight, or there may be riveted to the back, angles made of No. 20 metal, 5/8 in. wide and bent 3/8 in. one way and 1/4 in. the other way. These angle pieces are riveted on the sides and on the two ends.

Rivets add much to the decoration of the work if they are placed at intervals and properly spaced. They make a nice finish. A hole can be drilled at the top of the reflector, to hang it upon the wall.

HOW TO MAKE A VASE, OR ROSE JAR (WITH LID)

_Material:_ One piece of copper, No. 20, 7 × 7 ins. One piece 4 × 4 ins. (for lid). One piece 3/8 in. wide and long enough to go around the opening of the vase or jar.

_Tools:_ Round stake, anvil stake, driving and planishing hammers, dividers, and shears.

_Design:_ Vase, having a base 2-1/2 ins. in diameter, height 3 ins., 3-1/2-in. opening at the top, and lid to fit. The full height of the vase is 4-1/2 ins.

_Directions:_ Take the 7 × 7-in. piece of copper and draw a 7-in. circle. With the dividers set 1-1/4 in., using the same centre, describe a circle. This outlines the 2-1/2-in. circle for the base. Drive up this disc as you did the one for the copper bowl on the wood block, making it as deep as possible. In the same way as you flattened the bottom of the copper bowl, flatten the bottom of this piece of work. Place the bowl over the round head stake. With your hammer drive on the outside. This driving with the hammer on the outside decreases the diameter and increases the length. You will remember that the copper bowl was driven up almost entirely by the use of the raising hammer on the _inside_ and finished by work on the outside with the planishing hammer. This vase or jar calls for the shaping hammer. The vase is placed over the round stake and driven into shape by work on the _outside_ with the shaping hammer. When the rough bowl shape is on the round head stake, drive the sides straight, beginning the strokes at the line of the base circle. Repeat till the sides begin to straighten and take the shape of the design. Take it off the round stake and place it on the anvil stake.

When the sides are symmetrical, mark with lead-pencil a line 3/4 of an inch from the top. Work the copper above this line, over toward the centre, until the opening of the vase is about 3-1/2 ins. in diameter. Smooth the work up with a planishing hammer. If the hammer marks made by driving the bowl into shape are carefully done they leave a very beautiful mottled surface of themselves.

_To make the rim for the lid to rest upon:_ Take the 3/8-in. strip of metal. Bend it into a circle small enough to fit on the opening left at the top of the vase. Be careful to have this just to fit, otherwise much filing will have to be done, and in this position filing is almost impossible. Cut it the right length, scrape both ends, and solder. Make it perfectly level so that it lies flat when placed upon the bench. Test it by placing it upon the top of the vase. File the top flat, bind the rim in place. Wash, then place bits of solder all around it and heat it until the solder runs. Cool off in water, file off all rough edges left by the solder, clean and polish.

_Lid:_ Take the 4 × 4-in. piece. Cut a 4-in. circle. Place the bowl upside down upon this disc, draw with a pencil all around the rim on this copper plate. This marks the diameter of the rim on the plate, also the line where the copper should be bent to form the lid to fit the rim.

With the anvil stake in the vise, place the disc against the sharp end of the stake, with the line on the edge. Drive with the raising hammer against the part projecting above the stake. Turn the disc, keeping the circle line on the sharp edge of the stake. Repeat this till the sides are at right angles to the top. Place the lid upside down on a wooden block, drive on the inside, shaping it like the drawing. Make it fit the rim, trim off the rough edges, file up smooth, and polish.

Do not forget constant annealing, for you know hammering always makes the metal hard.

CHALICE

_Material:_ 3 pieces of copper, 6 × 6 ins., No. 20. One piece of round rod copper, 1 in. long. One piece of copper, 12 × 1/4 ins. (for rim). Solder.

_Tools:_ Hard wood block, round head and anvil stakes, combination stake, shears, dividers, planishing hammer, raising hammer, and shaping hammer, files, emery cloth.

_Parts:_ Bowl, stem, base, lid, ornamental top of the lid.

_Directions:_ Make a working drawing (full size) on drawing paper, plan and elevation.

_Bowl:_ Take the 6 × 6-in. piece of copper. Cut out a 6-in. disc. Drive the bowl up as you did the copper bowl. It should be the same shape as the copper bowl. Do not flatten the bottom. The drawing shows that the bottom should be rounding, to fit the stem.

_Stem and base:_ Take another piece of 6 × 6-in. copper. Cut 6-in. disc. With the dividers make a 1-in. circle in the centre of the disc. This inner circle must be beaten up until it becomes the stem. To do this place the disc on the round top stake, with the marked circle touching the edge of the round top. Strike with the raising hammer just above the circle line, turning the disc each time. When you have made one turn of the disc, repeat this twice, hammering just above the part driven up before. Keep repeating this until you have reached within an inch and a half of the outer edge of the disc.

The drawings numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, show the steps in the working up of the copper disc into the stem.

You now have a bell-shaped piece. Anneal the metal and repeat the hammering, beginning at the same place and working up to the same place as before. Anneal whenever the metal seems springy and keep working until the stem is tapered about 3/4 in. at the small end, gradually widening into the vase. Place the bell-like stem on the table and flatten it so that it lies perfectly smooth, with the stem perpendicular to the base. Find the centre of the bowl, describe a 3/4-in. circle. Scrape both the circle and the small end of the stem. Turn the bowl upside down, place the stem end of the base on the bowl, and solder in the usual way.

_To make the lid:_ Take the 6 × 6-in. piece. Cut a 6-in. disc. Find the centre. Drive the centre down by using the small end of the planishing hammer. This makes a cone-shaped centre, with the sides gradually widening to the edge of the lid. The highest point of the cone is one inch above the level of the lid. Place the lid on the table and tap gently on the outside until it lies flat. Take the small 3/8-in. piece of round rod, file a small shaped ornament (to taste) on one end of the rod and a shoulder on the other end. Drill a hole in the cone-shaped part of the lid, push the rod 1/8 in. through this hole and rivet it on the inside.

_Rim:_ Strip of copper, 12 × 1/4 ins. Bend it into a circle just to fit the outside of the lid. Cut off the proper length and solder. Make it perfectly round and perfectly flat. Place the lid on the chalice bowl so that it overlaps a little all around, evenly. Draw a pencil line all around the edge of the bowl on the under side of the lid. This is where the rim is to go. Before soldering, test, by placing the rim on the face of the lid. Any openings seen must be closed by pressing the rim down to the lid. Bind tightly with binding wire, scrape, and solder. File and finish.