you are not using them.

"Here are my sketches of the tools one needs to make almost anything out of copper, brass, or silver. The blacksmith made the drawings for me and taught me how to make some of the tools myself. He says every boy should learn to make his own tools and I shan't be satisfied until I can make them all. Then I can make them as I need them and only those that fit the work best. But I had to buy most of them to start with. Here they are."

II

TOOLS

These are my shears. They are sometimes called jewellers' snips. I use them for cutting copper, wire, and my designs. You can buy them at any hardware store. But be sure to get a good pair, as they are needed for so many things.

I do all my measuring with a steel square. You see it takes the place of a two-foot rule. It's useful for squaring up, too. See, it has the ¹⁄₁₆, ¹⁄₄, ¹⁄₂, ³⁄₄, and 1-in. spaces.

My dividers are my compasses. I draw circles, mark pieces, and find centres with them. The pliers are used to twist the binding wire and to hold the metal when it is to be heated, or soldered, etc.

You can get a wooden block like this anywhere. Hard wood is best. This block is 6 × 4 × 4 ins. You see, I cut out a hollow bowl-shaped place in the top. When I want to work a flat piece of copper into a rough bowl shape, I hammer it into the depression. The opposite end of the block, which is flat, is useful in many ways, too.

Bench vise

I couldn't get along without my bench vise. Here it is; made of metal. It can be fastened to a table as well as to a bench. It holds any tool used for shaping and also the metal when I wish to file it.

This piece of ³⁄₈-in. hexagonal steel, 5 in. long, tapered at one end down to ¹⁄₁₆-in., is a punch for making or pressing holes in copper or silver. The size of the hole depends upon the length you drive the punch into the metal.

The centre-punch is made like this one, but the end is ground to a point.

Raising hammer

Here are my hammers. I have three and a wooden mallet. The raising hammer is used for many things which you will learn as you get on. You see one end is somewhat rounded. You can pound away on the copper with this hammer and have no fear of driving holes into the metal. It's the first hammer I use to shape up the metal bowl with.

Shaping hammer

The shaping or driving hammer is flat at one end and rounded at the other. Its bent head is shaped so that you can use it in places where a straight headed hammer won't go. It's the only hammer to use when you work on the outside of boxes or bowls to shape them up.

Sometimes lumps are left on the surface of the copper after the raising hammer has been used. These are smoothed away with the planishing hammer. Its broad end flattens these rough places and makes the surface perfectly level before going on with the work.

Planishing hammer

Wooden mallet

A wooden mallet is often used in place of the heavier hammer. If a light stroke is needed it can be used without danger of marring the metal, as wood is so much softer than the metal itself.

You'll need some files to reduce the metal to certain sizes. I have four: a bastard, 12-in.; a mill cut, 8-in.; a half round mill cut, and one round ¹⁄₂-in. mill cut. Then I have one half dozen jewellers' files of different sizes. Supply houses will always tell you the best kind to buy.

Cold chisel

The cold chisel is used in many places for cutting off material, especially for metals that are too heavy for the shears.

Gouge

Drill press

A carpenter's gouge chisel will be found useful for cutting impressions in wooden blocks.

The drill press is used to bore holes into the copper or silver when you wish to rivet or saw. You will need a half dozen drills for your work. The ¹⁄₁₆-in. drills are the size I like best.

With a jewellers' saw frame like this you can cut any design out of copper or silver. The fine saws are very cheap and one will last you a long time if you take care of it.

Jewellers' saw frame

Round stake

Round stake anvil

Here are the tools I use to finish shaping my bowls on. This round top stake is put into my bench vise, where it is held tight. Then I put my bowl on it after I have shaped it as much as I can on the hard wood block. I can then go on shaping it as I choose, but if the bowl is very deep you must use the anvil stake instead of the round top stake.