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A
MANUAL
HAND LATHE:
COMPRISING
CONCISE DIRECTIONS
WORKING METALS OF ALL KINDS, IVORY, BONE AND PRECIOUS
WOODS; DYEING, COLORING, AND TRENCH POLISHING;
INLAYING BY VENEERS, AND VARIOUS METHODS
PRACTICED TO PRODUCE ELABORATE WORK
WITH DISPATCH, AND AT SMALL EXPENSE.
BY EGBERT P. WATSON,
LATE OF "the scientific AMERICAN," AUTHOR OF "THE MODERN PRACTICE OF AMERICAN MACHINISTS AND ENGINEERS."
rLLUSTKATED BT SEVENTT-EIGHT ENeKAStlNGS.
.,:?r^u:-Fc^,;:
PHILADELPHIA: ] ,
HENRY CAREY BAIRD, INDUSTRIALPIJBLISpRr
406 WALNUT STREET.
LONDON:
SAMPSON LOW, SON & MARSTON,
Crown Buildings, 188 Fleet St.
1869.
Etitered according to Act oi Congress, in the year 1869, by
HENRY CAREY BAIRD,
In the Clerk's Oflfice of the District Court of the United Statesj in and for
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania!
TO MY DEAR SON",
EGBERT PERLET WATSON,
I DEDICATE
THIS LITTLE BOOK,
IN THE
HOPE THAT HE MAY BE A GOOD MAN,
AND A GOOD MECHANIC.
PREFACE.
I DID not write this little book with the intention of apologizing to the prospective reader, so soon as I had done so, but with the honest, I hope not egotistical, feeling that I had something to say that was not generally known. We live to learn and to impart what we know to others, and I have taken this method of giving ray experience in a pastime tliat is elevating, artistic in every sense of the word, and a wholesome relief from the cares of business.
In regard to the work itself, I can show samples of every thing of any importance described or given in it. I have not made all of the patterns given in the back part, for that is mere routine, but in gross, and in most details, the book is the result of expe- rience, and will be found reliable as far as
5
6 PREFACE.
it goes. That it does not cover every pos- sible change and use to which the lathe can be put, I am well aware.
Something must be left for the workman to find out himself. Neither have I given any recipes for varnishes, for those cannot be made by inexperienced persons. More- over, they can be had so cheaply and uni- versally, that it is mere folly for any ama- teur to make them.
Saluting all persons who love the art of which this little volume is descriptive, I am their sincere friend,
EGBERT P. WATSON.
New York, April 15, 1869.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. PAGE
The Foot Lathe 13
CHAPTER II. Tools 22
CHAPTER III.
So RAPERS, ETC 30
Chasing and Screw Cutting 33
CHAPTER IV. Chasers, etc 35
CHAPTER V. Chucking 42
CHAPTER VI. Metal Spinning 51
CHAPTER YII. Ornamental Cutting 59
To make a pair op Solitaire Sleeve Buttons.... 59
CHAPTER VIII. Centres 65
CHAPTER IX. Fancy Turning 71
7
8 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X. PAGE
Ornamental Woods 77
Varieties 77
Snake Wood 78
Tulip Wood 79
g-ranadilla ...<,..«.... 80
Tamarind » .......* 80
Cam Wood 81
Box Wood 81
Laurel Eoot 82
White Holly 82
Ebony 82
Olive Wood 83
Sandal Wood • 8B
Rose Wood 84
Curled Maple 84
Birds' Eye Maple 84
Treatment « 85
CHAPTER XL
Wood Turning 87
CHAPTER XIL
Tools for Wood Turninu 90
CHAPTER XIIL
Tool Tempering, etc 92
CHAPTER XIY.
Artistic Wood Turning 96
CHAPTER XY.
Stamp Inlaying 102
CHAPTER XVL
Designs in Mosaic 106
CONTENTS. 9
CHAPTER XVII. PAGE
Finishing the Outside 110
CHAPTER XVIII.
Inlaying Continued 114
Gluing in Veneers 115
Ivory 116
Polishing 118
Dyeing Ivory 118
CHAPTER XIX.
Ornamental Designs for Inlaying 121
CHAPTER XX.
General Summary 125
Lacquers 126
Soldering 127
Varnishing and Polishing 129
Brushes 131
Pearl 131
Miscellaneous Tools 131
Curving Veneers 132
Cutting Miscellaneous Materials 133
Index 135
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER I.
THE FOOT LATHE.
There are two distinct kinds of work done in foot lathes — the useful and the merely ornamental. Both afford enjoyment and profit to those who practise them. The mechanic who earns his living by working ten hours a day in a workshop, does not care to go home and pursue the same calling in the evening ; but he can institute an agreeable change in his life, beautify his dwelling, and cultivate his taste, by the use of the lathe, and thus obtain ornaments that would cost large sums if purchased at the stores; or he may, indeed, make the lathe a source of revenue, and sell the product of his skill and ingenuity at high prices to those who admire, but have not the ability to construct.
To many mechanics, even, the lathe is merely a machine for turning cylinders or disks, or exe- 2 13
14 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
cuting beads, ogees, scrolls, or curves of various radii, so that, after all, the work is pretty much alike, and ceases to be attractive. This is quite a mistaken view. There are no such goods in mar- ket as those made on lathes, and peculiar tools used in connection with them — by lathes with traversing mandrels, with geometric chucks, with dome chucks, and compound slide rests. There are lathes that, while one could chase up a five- eight bolt in them as well as on the simple pulley and treadle machine, are also capable of executing all sorts of beautiful things — vases with bases nearly square, or exactly square, with round tops and hexagonal bodies, with gracefully-curved an- gular sides and bases, fluted vertically; boxes with curious patterns, resembling basket work ; in fact, any combination of straight and curved lines, cut in the sides, it is possible for an inge- nious man to invent. Strictly speaking, these are not lathes, for in order to do the things before mentioned it is necessary to use after attachments in connection with them, so that the combination of them produces the results spoken of. There is, absolutely, an unlimited field for the genius of workmen to exert itself in designing patterns and executing work of an ornamental character.
All ornamental work resolves itself into move- ments of three kinds — angular, circular and
THE FOOT LATHE. 15
straight. From the combination of these with each other, the times where they merge and emerge, where a movement of one kind changes into any other, where an ellipse becomes part of a circle, where circles are generated across the cir- cumferences of other circles, where these patterns are drawn over and upon each other without de- stroying the character of either — we say, by such movements, and many others which it would be confusing to follow, the most beautiful forms are made.
Or, if the taste of the workman runs upon me- chanical instead of artistic things, there are steam engines to be made, steam boilers to be spun up, of small size ; in fact, any piece or machine that can be thought of.
It is almost unnecessary to specify the innu- merable kinds of work that can be done in a hand lathe, but the amateur who delights in metal turn- ing may make trinkets of all kinds for his friends, that shall vie in beauty with the best efforts of the jeweler and goldsmith. This, of course, is de- pendent on the material used, the taste of the workman, and his originality of conception. Pins for ladies' wear can be made of boxwood and ebony, glued together in sections, of all designs, and afterwards turned in beads and mouldings, or otherwise ornamented in a chuck, as will be
16 MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
shown hereafter. Sleeve buttons can be made of ebony and silver, ivory and silver, pearl and gold, or any combination that is desired. Chess and checker men also afford a chance to display skill. And, besides these, special work of any nature is within the capacity of the machine.
There is no family in this country that would not find it economy to have a foot lathe in the house, where the members have mechanical tastes — not necessarily the male members, for ladies use foot lathes, in Europe, with the greatest dexterity. Some of the most beautiful work ever made, was by Miss Holtzapfel, a relative of the celebrated mechanist of the same name. If there are shovels to be mended, the lathe will drill the holes and turn the rivets. If the handle of the saucepan is loose, it will do the same. If scissors or knives want grinding, there is the lathe ; if the castors on the sofa break down, there is the lathe ; if skates need repairs, either of grinding or of any other kind, there is the lathe. In short, it ought to be as much a part of domestic economy as the sew- ing machine, for it takes the odd stitches in the mechanical department that save money.
Let not the inexperienced reader, who hears of a lathe for the first time, be frightened at this ar- ray of terms, or diverted from the use of it by the recital. In its simple form, as shown in Fig. 1,
THE FOOT LATHE. Fig. 1.
17
it is readily understood, and, after a little prac- tice, easily managed by any one, and, after the first few weeks, the amateur will realize the fruits of his application.
2*
18 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
At first, it had not even a continuous rotary motion, but the spindle was driven by a belt worked by a spring pole or its equivalent. The belt was rolled round the spindle, and the pole allowed to spring up ; the spindle then revolved the lofigth of the belt, or rope, for belts were not thought of, and the operation was repeated, the work being done only when the force of the spring pole revolved the spindle and the job the right way.
Foot lathes had, prior to the introduction of the engine lathe, been used on very heavy work. It is but a few years, comparatively speaking — not twenty — since cast-iron shafts, six, eight, and ten inches in diameter, were turned in such lathes. For all that we know to the contrary, many jobs, far exceeding this in size, have been thus exe- cuted.
In some shops, there are still standing heavy oaken shears, made of timber twenty inches deep, and four or six inches wide, faced with boiler iron, and in the racks above there are long- shanked tools, with which the men of old were wont to do the work.
These lathes are never used now, except for drilling holes, or for apprentiiaes to practice on, but they serve to show what machinists had to do in olden times, when there were no vise benches
THE FOOT LATHE. 19
Fig. 2.
to sit on and watch the chips curling off the tool, as men do now.
Hand lathes are not in great favor in large ma- chine shops. They are not used, or should not be, for any purpose except drilling, and then they are no longer hand lathes, but horizontal drilling ma- chines. There is no simple work to be done on a hand lathe that could not be performed to better advantage and more cheaply on a machine con- structed for the purpose.
Some large machine shops keep a hand lathe going continually, cutting off stud bolts, facing and rounding up nuts, and similar work. This does not seem profitable. A machine to do this work would do more, of a better quality, than hand labor could.
The foot lathe — the terms hand and foot lathe are synonymous — is generally used, at the present time, by small machinists, manufacturers of gas fixtures, amateurs, etc. ; men who do not work a
20 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
lathe constantly, but are called off to braze or solder, or, perhaps, to fit some detail with a file. For these uses the foot lathe is one of the cheap- est of tools ; for the same person that does the work furnishes the power also, so that a man working on a foot, or hand lathe, as it is often called, ought to have first-class wages. Moreover, a first- rate foot lathe turner is always a good mechanic, for it takes no small degree of dexterity to per- form the several jobs with ease, and dispatch, and certainty. To always get hold of the right tool, to use the same properly, so that it will last a reasonable time without being ground or tem- pered, to rough-turn hollow places with a square edge, to chase a true thread to the right size every time, without making a drunken one, or a slant- ing one, to make a true thread inside of an oil cup or a box — all these several tasks require good judgment, dexterity, and a steady hand. Of course, where a slide-rest is used, the case is dif- ferent. "We allude, specially, to a cutting tool managed by the hand.
To do all these things, however, it is necessary to have tools, and good ones, or none. It is an old saying, that a bad workman quarrels with his tools, but a good workman has a right to quarrel with bad tools, if he is furnished with them, through chance or design. It is impossible to ex-
THE FOOT LATHE. 21
cute good work with a dull tool, one badly shaped, or unsuited to the purpose, and, therefore, it is important to set out right at the beginning.
There is no tool more efficient in the hands of a good^workman, than the diamond point. Fig. 2, here shown. For roughing off a piece of metal, for squaring up the end, for facing a piece held in the chuck, for running out a curve, or rounding up a globe, it is equally well adapted. It may be truly called the turner's friend.
22 MANUAI^ OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER IL
TOOLS.
Any one who has watched a novice at work on a lathe, must have remarked the difficulty he has in controlling the tool and keeping up the motion ot the treadle at the same time. The two operations are difficult to " get the hang of," to use a homely phrase ; but once conquered, the work can proceed. The natural tendency is to slack up or stop the motion of the treadle while the tool is engaged, and the tool is, therefore, at one time under the work, at another time above it, at another jumping rankly in, until, finally, the piece goes whirling out of the center or the chuck, and the operator flushes all over at his awkwardness.
This, of course, is remedied by practice ; aud as this work is written mainly for the information of beginners and amateurs, we hope that experts and those who know all about hand lathes, will excuse allusion to such simple things as holding the tool properly, and kindred matters.
The lathe must be of such a height as the work- man finds convenient, so that he is not obliged to
TOOLS, 23
stoop much, and, at tlie same time, low enough to allow the weight of the body to be thrown on the tool when hard work is to be done. The speed of the lathe ought to be very high on the smallest cone, and there should be three speeds, at least, for different work. The object is to regulate the velocity of the work in the lathe, and keep the motion of the treadle uniform, as near as may be, at all times. It distresses a workman greatly, when chasing a fine thread on a small diameter, if he has to tread fast to get up the proper speed, as he does when there are only two speeds. On the contrary, for larger jobs, it is dijSicult to keep up a rotary motion if the foot moves slowly, as it must in order not to burn the tool by a high ve- locity on some kinds of work. Foot lathes, in general, are not geared, although some are, and ought to have wider ranges of speed than they do. Where one class of work is done, however, it makes little difference, but for general turning, the speeds should vary.
Another difficulty experienced by beginners is in holding the tool still — rigidly so. They allow it to " bob " back and forth against the work, if it runs untrue, so that it is impossible to make a job. The tool must be held hard down, as if it grew to the rest, and never moved, nor receded, until the cut besun is finished.
24
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
The "rest" should be of soft, wrought iron, since that material holds a tool with more tenaci- ty ; imposing less strain on the arms of the opera- tor. It should be dressed off smooth as often as it gets badly worn, or cut by indentations. Cast iron is not good, and steel is not so good as wrought iron. A special rest should be kept for chasing threads with, since the least obstacle is enough, when running up a fine thread, to divert the chaser and spoil the job, by making a drunken thread. If we now suppose the lathe to be in good order, the centers true and well-turned to a gauge, the rod (if that is the job) between them and properly " dogged," the centers oiled, and the rest at the right height, we shall be all ready to start. The rest should be high enough to bring the point of the tool a little above the center.
To rough ofi" the outside, and make it run true, is the first step, and the tool must, therefore, be Fig. 3.
held as in Fig. 3, or so that the point and part of the edge alone engage with the work. This will
TOOLS. 25
take oflf a thin, spiral cut, without springing the shaft or making it untrue. The whole surface of the shaft must be thus run over, beginning at the right hand and shifting the tool as fast as one part is turned. The tool should not be moved rigidly in a straight line toward the belt, but by holding it hard down on the rest, so that the bottom edge bears as m Fig. 2, and rocking the tool on that angle, so that the point describes a curve, as in Fig. 4.
Fig. 4, the work will be turned evenly and true.
We must remark, in passing, that the person who reads these directions, and then undertakes to turn by them, will find that reading how to do a thing, and doing it, are two different matters.
It looks very nice to see a skater darting over the ice at his ease, but try it once, and, if you never knew before, you will understand what ex- perience means. Trying to teach a person to be a turner, in a book, is analogous. One can only in- dicate the general method, and leave experience to do the rest. 3
26
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
After tlie whole surface has been run over, the same tool may be used on the flat side for reda- cing the work to one diameter throughout the
Fig. 5.
length. The reader must not assume that there is no other tool than a diamond point j he will find many others adverted to, as we proceed.
It is most important that the ends of a rod or shaft should be squared up first, before the body
Fig. 6.
is turned, for the removal of some slight inequal- ity subsequently may cause the whole shaft to run out of truth. The center must be drilled with a
TOOLS,
27
Fig. 7. small drill, and slightly counter-
sunk. When the end is squared up, the center must be run back a little, so that the tool point may project over the drilled, hole, and thus make it all true about the center, as in Fig. 5. This will make the work push over to one side of the center, but that is of no consequence. Let it run as it will ; so long; as it does not come out of the cen- ters there need be no apprehen- sion.
Fig. 6, is another kind of roughing tool, to do heavier work with.
There are two kinds of tools used in foot lathes, called straight and heel tools. Fig. 7 is a heel tool. It is so called from the heel which is forged on the lower end. One form of the straight tool has already been shown. The heel tool is used on heavy work, and the object of it is apparent, namely, to hold on the rest, and so impose but little labor on the workman to retain it in place, or prevent it from
28
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
receding. It is generally forged from half incli or five eighth steel. The steel is held in a handle twenty inches long, grooved on top to fit the steel, and furnished with a handle at right angles. This handle has a square eye in the top that the tool passes through. A nut at the end of it screws up the eye and binds the tool fast in the groove, so that it cannot slip.
It is given complete in Fig. 7. The lower han-
Fig. 8.
die enables the workman to have great power over the edge, and to direct it from or to the
TOOLS. 29
work without clanger of catching. The tool is •used by resting the end on the shoulder, as in Fig. 8, and turning the lowest handle. Since the heel holds the tool from slipping, there is no occasion to bear against it. In fact, there is no occasion, at any time, to force the tool from the workman, but it must be turned sideways, back and forth. A piece, properly centered, may be cut in any way without destroying its truth.
3*
30
MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER III.
SCEAPERS, ETC.
To suit different kinds of work, as previously stated, various tools are needed, but the reader must not expect to see them all illustrated in this book. The workman will learn what tools he needs, and make them for himself, which will be of more advantage to him than engravings could be. The tools here shown, will be found very useful in different places. Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is the end of a thin-edged, flat scraper, and is chiefly to be used on brass work. It may be of any length and size, but for small lathes, and light work, it is cheaper and handier to make it of thin sheet steel, one eighth or one tenth of an inch thick, and to form the reverse end into a round nose, or half-circle scraper.
It often happens that fillets or hollows occur, as in finishing ornamental brass work, in connection with flat surfaces. By having such a tool as this, the necessity of laying one tool down and picking
i|||i
SCRAPERS, ETC.
31
up another, is- obviated, for the two are combined in one. For iron work, it is customary to use a heavier and thicker tool for finishing. As in Fig. Fig. 10. 10, the front edge is
slightly raised or con- cave, to make it sharp and hold a cut well. All turning tools for finish- ing iron are made thick- er than those for brass, and should have lips, or curved cutting edges. Such tools cannot be used for brass, as they are too sharp ; the edges jump into the metal and spoil the work.
A tool for scraping brass work of some kinds is made as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 13.
There is no occasion to make the ends at dif- ferent angles, except the convenience, before stated, of having four cutting edges on one piece, for any angle can be easily given by the position
32 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
of the hand or the direction of the rest. These tools, here alluded to, are only to be used when the job has been all turned true and the scale removed ; thej scrape, merely, they do not cut.
Such tools sometimes save a few steps at a critical period; that is, when the tool is well set and in place, so that the work is done better and more expe- ditiously. Apart from this consideration, there is the chance of cutting or injuring the hands, by the proximity of sharp edges. Under the control of an expert, however, there is little danger from this cause, as inspection will show. Skilful men that have worked a lifetime at their trade, have few marks or scars on their hands, as a general thing.
When these scrapers are used on cast iron, or indeed, on brass of a peculiar composition, they sometimes " chatter," as it is called, and leave the work full of deep, unsightly marks, like those on the edge of coins. The cause of chattering is the rapid vibration of the tool, so that it springs away from, and against the work, with great rapidity, leaving traces of its edge on the work. Chatter- ing may be prevented, by putting a piece of sole leather on the rest, between it and the tool.
The tools with long handles are chiefly intended for heavy work, or that which requires both hands to the cut, but there are smaller tools than
SCRAPERS, ETC.
33
these, used bj amateurs, wherein the common tile handle, or one like it, only a little longer, is employed instead.
CHASIJSTG AND SCREW CUTTING. In an engine, or power lathe, all screws are cut by trains of gears, as mechanics well know, but in the hand lathe, which was the first machine, screws, both male and female, must be made by chasers or hubs, both inside and outside. The chaser itself must be made first, however, and that is done by a simple tool called " a hub." Fig. 13.
The chaser is first forged in blank, for an out- Fig. 14. Fiff. 15.
side chaser, as in Fig. 14, and as in Fig. 15 for an
34
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE,
inside tool. It is then filed up, and held against a hub, shown in Fig., 13, running in the lathe. This rapidly cuts away the chaser blank, and forms the teeth in it perfectly. The lines across it are spiral grooves, cut completely round from one side to the other, so that the hub cuts the blank like any other tool. Fig. 16 represents the chaser.
Fiff. 16.
CHASERS, ETC. .35
CHAPTEE IV.
CHASERS, ETC,
It is not always an easy task to chase a true thread on a piece of work, and even " the boldest holds his breath for a time," if he has a nice piece of work all done but the thread, and that in a critical part. It is so easy to make a drunken thread, or one in which the spirals are not true, but diverge or waver in their path around the shaft, that many are made. That they are more common than true threads, is well known to me- chanics. To start a thread true is quite easy with an inside chaser ; for, strange as it may seem, it is seldom that a drunken thread is made on inside work ; only have the bore itself true, and the chaser will run in properly. The case is different when a bolt or shaft is to be cut. With fine threads, the slightest obstruction on the rest will cause the chaser to catch and stop slightly. No matter how slight the stoppage, it is certain to damage the thread. The injury is more percepti- ble on fine threads than on coarse, for, in the former, if the threads do not fit (as they will not
36 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
if they are drunken, one crossing the other, when both parts are put together), the drunken thread will not come fair with the other. In coarse threads, however, it will not be so apparent, for, by making the drunken thread smaller, it wdll have play and accommodate itself to its place. This is not workmanship, it is " make-shift."
To chase a true thread the rest must be smooth and free from burrs or depressions. Nice work- men keep a special rest, with a hard, polished steel edge, expressly for this purpose.
If the chasers themselves are smoothly finished at the bottom, on an emery wheel, they are all the better. With these precautions^ and others noted below, success is certain. When a thread is to be started, take a fine diamond-pointed tool, and hold it on the end of the shaft to be chased. Set the lathe going, and give the tool a quick twist with the wrist, so that a spiral will be traced on the work, like Fig. 17^
Fig. 17.
Some part of this will correspond with the pitch of the thread to be cut, and there is less liability of making it drunken. By a little prac-
CHASERS, ETC.
37
tice, one is able to hit the pitch of the chaser ex- actly in making a start.
" There is no trouble, after you once know how." We have chased quantities of small screws, with forty-eight threads to the inch, and not a sixteenth of one inch in diameter. If the chaser once hesitates on such screws, they are spoiled. For heavy threads^seven and eight to the inch, which is about as hard work as any one wants to do, — it is the custom of some turners to use a tool with only two teeth, and some nse only a sharp-edged cutter, like Fig. 18, to deepen the
Fiff. 18.
thread, the chaser being used afterward, to recti- fy the job. There is danger with this tool, unless it is used by an expert, of digging out the thread, 'SO that the last end of it will be worse than the ifirst.
Another tool, used in chasing heavy threads, is
•a doctor. This consists in having a fac-simile of
the thread to be cut on the back of the chaser,
and in applying a short set screw behind, so that,
4
38
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
as the iron is cut awaj, the chaser may be fol- lowed up behind. Fig. 19 is the doctor, but the follower opposite the chaser is too narrow, and should be made nearly half a circle to avoid slip- ping ; with this exception it is all right.
These tools, and the screws made by them, are all inferior to those made by lathes with tra- versing mandrels ; that is, a mandrel which slides in and out of the head stock, as in a Holtzapflel lathe.
This lathe has a series of hubs, unlike the one shown previously, slipped over the back end of the
Fiff. 19.
lathe spindle (furthest from the workman) and a fixed nut on the head-stock, which, being put in
CHASERS, ETC. 39
communication with the hub on the mandrel, drives the same in and out, according to the direc- tion the cone-pulleys are turned. Of course, with such an attachment as this, there is no danger of making drunken threads, for the hubs which start the threads, are cut with a train of gears in an engine lathe, so that it is impossible for tliem to be incorrect. Moreover, a square thread, or a V-shaped thread, can be made with them, which is not the case witli common chasers.
In lathes that have traversing mandrels to cut screws, the tool itself remains stationary, but as this is obviously a disadvantage in many kinds of work, it is far better to have the tool advance and the mandrel revolve as usual. By this plan much time is saved, a greater range of work is possible with the same gear, and a piece that is chucked, or one that is between the centers, can be cut with equal facilit}''.
Any common lathe can be rigged to do this by putting a shell on the back end of the mandrel, between the pulley and the set screw, and slipping the hub over the shell, with a feather, to keep it from turning. To take a thread from this hub, a round bar must be set parallel with, the shears, in easy- working guides. The bar must have an arm at one end, to reacli over to the hub, said arm to be fitted witli a piece of hard wood, to match
40 MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
tbe thread on the hub. The other end of the bar has the cuttiug tool in it ; of coarse, at right an- gles, so as to run in to the work, and bear on the tool rest. The tool is held in an arm on the bar by a set screw, so that it can be lengthened or shortened.
By this arrangement, a true thread can be rapidly generated on any rod, hollow cylinder, or other kind of work — the pitch depending on the pitch of the hub.
It is necessary to have as many different hubs, varying in pitch, as there are different kinds of work to be done, and, although the thread on the hub is only an inch or half an inch long, perhaps, a screw of any length may be cut on a rod, by simply shifting the cutter on the rest. This same bar is also useful for turning, as with a slide rest, for, by sliding it along gradually, it acts, in a measure, like a fixed tool in a slide rest.
Fig. 30. From these hints the
amateur who takes a lathe in hand for the first time or is, at best, a neophyte, may learn much to his advantage. Persons of a mechanical turn only need a hint, when the mind springs to the conclusion with surprising rapidity.
CHASERS, ETC. 41
The little tool, shown in Fig. 20, is verj handy in many instances, particularly for running under the necks of screws when the thread is cut up to the head. By so making them, the head comes fair down upon its bed, and holds much better.
4*
42 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER V.
CHUCKING.
Chucking work in the lathe is one of the most interesting branches, for here there are no centers in the way, to plague the workman, and the tool has a fair sweep at all parts. Every one who uses a lathe, should get a scroll chuck, Fig. 21, of Cush- Fiff. 21.
man's make, (A. Cushman, Hartford, Connecticut,) that is, a chuck where the jaws move up together toward the center, so that any round piece will be held perfectly true. This is a great convenience,
CHUCKING.
43
for whether we have a ring to bore out, or a wheel to turn off, it is equally handy, and is far better than the independent jaw chuck, which has to be set up by mea- Fig
surement, and repeat- ed trials before it is right. To those who cannot afford to pur- chase a scroll chuck, a wooden one can be made to answer eve- ry purpose. Wooden chucks should be made of some hard, fine-grained wood, such as maple or mahogany, so that they will hold well whatever is driven into them.
Fiff. 23. Fiff. 24.
If we have a small cylinder head to turn, for instance, the back head, which has no hole in it to put a mandrel through, as the front one has,
44
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
the wooden chuck will come in play. To make one, tlje turner takes a square block of the proper
Fig. 25.
thickness, say one inch, and saws the corners off, so that it is eight-sided. It is then ready to screw on the face plate of the lathe. This is quickly done by having small screw holes in the plate for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 1, page 17.
Fig. 26. The block is then all ready
to work on, and the face must ' be turned off true, and a recess
cut out in it to receive the head.
This is the head, Fig. 26.
On the back side, there is a
projection to fit the cylinder of the engine. This must be turned first, and the flange faced off true: after that the head must be pryed out, (by making a little recess in the chuck,
CHUCKING.
45
alongside of it,) reversed, and put in the chuck again, the finished side in, so as to polish it on the out- side. Fig. 27. It must be driven up tight against
Fiff. 27.
the face of the chuck, otherwise the flange will be thicker on one side than the other. In finishing, it will be found better to commence near the cen- ter, and work out toward the largest diameter, for it is necessary to get under the scale, or sand, left on in casting, first, before the work can be turned true, and this is easiest done by beginning at the middle, where the speed is low. The scale is fused sand melted on the metal in the act of cast- ing. The best tool to do this with is the diamond- point, for it can be employed universally on straight or hollow surfaces, is easily ground, and always works well. After it, comes the scraper, previously shown. It these chatter, a piece of leather must be put between them and the rest. It is also well to put a stout iron rod, or piece of
46 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
hard wood, between the back center of the lathe and the face of the plate ; this keeps everything steady, as shown below, so that a beautiful luster will be given by the tool alone.
After the plate or head is firmly scraped, it must be polished with flour emery and oil. The emery first used must be No. 1, which is about like Indian meal ; if the work is brass, however, this will not be needed. This must be plentifully supplied with oil, so that it is like cream, and the workman, taking a soft pine stick, with the end pounded into a brush, so that it will hold emery, holds it hard up against the face of the head. If it has been properly scraped, a few revolutions will produce a fine-grained finish, but if it is badly done, the corners will be full of scratches and chatters. It takes time and experience to make a good finisher, and patience also, for men who are good turners, and can make excellent fits, are sometimes botches at polishing.
After emery of the finest possible description has been used, a little rouge powder should be put on a piece of buckskin and applied to the work. This will make a polish equal to gold on brass, and like silver on iron. Instead of these methods many persons burnish their work. The burnisher is sometimes made of steel, of blood- stone, and of agate. Steel is the material general-
CHUCKIXG. 47
]y employed. It is polished as bright as can be on a buff wheel, and must be preserved so, other- wise it is useless to attempt doing anything with it. Pumice stone is very good for polishing with, or rather for finishing the surface before polishing. Other substances will be mentioned hereafter. Steel and iron are best polished with a sharp tool and water. To turn steel with a handsome sur- face, the tool must be sharpened on an oil stone, and the speed high, then spit on the work and take light cuts, and you will have a nice job. To make a very brilliant polish on steel, it is neces- sary to use emery and oil, plenty of oil and not much emery, but this makes such a nasty mess on the lathe, that few good turners will do it. A file should not be used in the lathe if possible ; filing a job makes it uneven, and spoils the looks of it. It is difficult to avoid scratches, and the expert can generally tell the difference between work that has been turned true, and that which has been filed, and, in nearly all cases, it is quicker to turn the work to fit or to finish at once.
In polishing round work, such as rods or shafts, it is much cleaner, and more expeditious, to make a pair of clamps like Fig. 28, and put the emery and oil on leather pads between them. The clamps consist of two straight pieces of soft or hard wood, lined with leather, though some use sheet lead.
48 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
The leather catches the polishing material and holds it, and, at the same time, keeps it continually applied to the shaft. The clamps are slipped over the same, and the ends held in the hand. This utensil also gives a fine finish to the. work, making it smooth and even. It must be carried regularly alono- from end to end, sometimes fast and some- times slow, so as to cross the lines, or avoid mak- ing a twist in the polish like a screw thread, which would otherwise be given. A very beau- tiful and brilliant luster can be given to a shaft of
Fig. 28.
iron or steel, after it is nicely finished, by hold- ing a sheet of fine sand paper ^ covered with chalk, on it. The glaze that this gives, makes the work glisten like silver, but it also takes off all the grease, so that the shaft is very sensitive to moisture, and is quickly rusted.
This discussion about polishing has led us away from the consideration of chucking, which we shall enlarge a little more upon.
CHUCKING. 49
The chuck is a very necessary and even indis- pensable auxiliary when chasing. Threads can- not be caught in the jaws of a scroll chuck, be- cause, if set tight enough to hold the work, the threads are jammed so that they will not run in the part they were fitted to. If a piece, having a thread cut on it, like Fig. 29, is to be turned out- side, it is very easy to chase the j^jo. 29, cap first and then the cup it fits, so that the cap can be screwed into it and turned off where it belongs ; it will then be true, and is easy to mill on the edge.
It must always be borne in mind that the chaser must be sharp. If it is not, drunken threads will be the rule, not the excep- tion.
The chuck shown in Fig. 30, will be found very useful for holding metallic disks, small box covers, or anything that requires merely a slight clasp; it is also useful for holding round plugs, pencils of wood, or penholders, to drill in the ends. It can be made eccentric with the mandrel of the lathe, if desired, so as to turn a piece on one side, or drill in a similar manner in the end of a plug. It is merely a piece of box- wood bored out, bored with holes, which are sawed down into slots, so as to form a series of 5
oO
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE,
jaws, wliicli are sprung in by sliding the ring Fig. SO,
down on them. They are so easily mad^ that Sk great many can be provided.
METAL SPINNING. 5L
CHAPTER VL
METAL SPINNING.
Spinning sheet metal into various forms is another kind of work which can be done in the foot lathe, and it is here that the amateur can show his taste and dexterity.
The process consists in forming a blank, like this engraving, into an ornamen- Fig. 31.
tal base for a lamp, or an oil cup ; in fact, any thing whatsoever. All that is requisite is to have a fac simile, in wood, of the shape you wish to make. This is bolt- ed or otherwise made fast to the face plate, and the blank is then set up against it^ and held as the cylinder head, shown in Fig. 26, is , that is, with a rod leading from the back cen- ter of the lathe to the work.
A tool like Fig. 32 is then used to press the metal into all the recesses or curves of the pat- tern. The speed must be high, and the metal quite soft and moistened with a little soap-suds or oil, so that it will not be scratched by the tool.
52
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
To spin metal requires some dexterity, but it is easilj'' acquired after a little practice. The rest must be furnished with holes, like Fig. 33, and a Fig. 32. Fig. 33.
pin, so that the tool can be brought up against it like a lever.
Still -another kind of metal spinning can be done in the lathe. This relates to making circu- lar shapes, or cylindrical, more properly — such as napkin rings, the tops of steam pipes, or similar Fig. 34.
things. To do this, a mandrel is requisite. The mandrel must be of steel, and turned to the de- sired pattern — like Fig. 34, for instance,
A ferrule is then made and soldered tos^ether
METAL SPINNING. 53
with lapped edges, so that there will be no seam. The mandrel must be as much smaller than the size of the finished work as will allow it to come off freely, for it will be apparent that if the work was spun up on the mandrel, it could never be taken off'.. The ferrule, when put on them, will stand eccentric to the mandrel, as Fig. 35.
in this figure — that is, when the tool bears on it. In other re- spects the process is just the same as spinning on the face plate. Tripoli, chalk, whiting, rotten -stone, and similar sub- stances are used to give the fine polish on such work.
We know of no prettier or more expeditions process of making a small steam boiler for a toy engine, than by spinning it upon the lathe. The boiler will be very strong, have large fire surface, and be without joints, having only one at the bot- tom, where it is easily kept tight. Fig. 36 is the boiler.
The metal must be thin (twenty gauge), the sheet brass sold in the shops will answer, as it is already annealed, and the corrugations must not be too deep on the sides, or the work will not come off" the mould. The center of the fire-box, A, must be left fiat, so that the flue will have a 5*
54
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
bearing on it. For a small engine, 1-inch bore, and 2-iuch stroke, a boiler of the dimensions given here is ample. The flue must be brazed or soldered at A, and the bottom must be riveted at B, for every two inches ; this is not necessary, however. There are only three pieces in this boiler — the shell, the fire-box, and the flue, and the water must not be carried more than three- fourths of an inch over the crown of the furnace. We shall now again revert to cutting tools.
Fig. se.
Probably many of our readers, who nse hand lathes not furnished with slide rests, have wished for that indispensable appendage where boring is to be done. For ordinary turning, we do not ap- preciate a slide rest on a hand lathe so much as
METAL SPINNING.
55
many do that we know, but for boring out valves, cocks, or, in fact, anything, a scroll chuck and a good slide rest are invaluable.
Some persons are always " meaning " to do a thing, yet never do it. Sometimes, for the want of facilities, at others for the lack of an idea. If the latter be of any value, we can furnish one or two on this subject that may be useful.
One way to, bore out holes parallel, without a slide rest, is to do it with the spindle of the back head. With a tool of peculiar construction, holes varying in size, can be bored beautifully in this way. We present a view of such a tool in Fig. Fiar. 37.
37. It is merely a cross, formed on the end of a center fitting the back spindle, the same as the lathe center does. The arms of the cross are made stout and thick, so as to admit of a sqnare hole being cut in them. The hole is made bv
56
MAXUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
drilling in and driving in a square drift afterwards to take off the corners. The shanks of the tools are well fitted to these holes in the arms, so that a slight pressure of the screws in the sides of the arm will hold them steady. When used, the tool is put in the back spindle, and the cutters set to the size required, or less, if there is much to take out, and run through the work in an obvious man- ner. Any range of size can be had up to the di- ameter of the cross. It is not well to run the cutters out too far, however, as they will jump and chatter, or spring, and make bad work. The tool
Fig. 38.
is so easily made that one can afford to have three or foar, for different jobs.
Another plan, but not so good, is to make a common center and disk, like Fig, 38,
METAL SPINNING.
57
Here the cutters liave a slot in them, through which a bolt passes and screws into the disk ; a small piece of wood put at the bottom of the tool, between it and the cutter, prevents it from slack- ing off so as to diminish the cut. These tools will be found useful, and will do good work if proper- ly handled. This latter tool is better for wood, but will answer for any metal by varying the cuttter.
To make a slide rest, in the common way, is a costly and tedious job. For all purposes of boring, a good one may be made as shown in the following engraving, Fig. 39.
Fig. 39,
This is simply a casting fitted with a screw and spindle, as shown. The spindle has a tool let in the front end and held there by a set screw, and there is a wheel at the back end to run the spin- dle in and out. The casting has a leg to it which
58 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
enables it to fit the common post the rest for the hand tool fits. There is also a key to prevent the spindle from turning round. By this arrange- ment it is easy to bore, not only parallel holes of any size, but tapering ones, which is often a great convenience. By a simple change of tool, it can also face off' any casting, and can easily be made to cut a thread, of a given pitch, by any in- genious workman. Not only this, but it can also be made without planing ; or other work most amateurs have no facilities for. It is within the range of ordinary lathe work, and will be found indispensable. The T-head may be of cast iron, but the spindle should be steel, with a brass nut let in the back end for the screw to work in.
ORNAMENTAL CUTTING. 59
CHAPTEE VII.
ORNAMENTAL CUTTING.
I SHALL now give some examples of turning dif- ferent things which are useful and interesting to work. These are only hints, and I make no claim to discovery, or to anything specially novel or ingenious. It would be very foolish to do that, for what seems remarkably " cute " to the de- signer of any particular thing, is often shown to be slow and unmechanical, compared to other ways by other men. I hope, therefore, that the expert will bear in mind the fact that, while he may know better ways to do the same thing, be- ginners are glad to receive instruction first, and improve upon it, so much as they are able, after.
To MAKE A PAIR OF SOLITAIRE SLEEVE BUTTONS. —Solitaire buttons are those which have so lately come in fashion ; that is, a single stud with two eyes on the back for the button-holes of the wristband. It is easier to make one stud on the back of the button, and easier to fasten it to the shirt, as that is the kind I shall describe.
Go to any dealer in box-wood, and procure
60 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
waste stuff, which he will sell at a small price. Take a piece an inch square, put it in the chuck, and turn it round on one end as far as you can, then reverse it, and turn the other end ; this will make a round plug. Take a ten-cent piece, and
rig. 40. Fig. 41.
chuck it, either in a wooden or scroll chuck. Cut out the center, so that you have a silver ring. It will be necessary to have two rings, one for each button. Put the box-wood in the lathe and turn the end as in Fig. 41. On the shoulder you are to shrink the silver ring just made, Fig. 40. To Fig. 43. fasten the ring properly, you have only to leave the center part of the box-wood a little larger than the silver ring — say the thickness of a sheet of paper — heat the ring slightly on a stove or over a spirit lamp, and clap it on to its place. When it is cool, if proper- ly done, no power can remove it without destroy- ing the button. When the ring is in place, it
ORNAMENTAL CUTTING.
61
only remains to turn it off as ornamentally as the workman desires. The edge may be milled, and
Fig. 43.
the face chased or left smooth. The center of the button, which is of wood, may be drilled in, and
62
MANUAL OF TPIE HAND LATHE.
a square ebony plag put in, which will give it a unique appearance, as shown in Fig. 42. In like manner ivory buttons may be turned and breast- pins spun up, either in gold or silver. Brass breastpins may be ornately turned, and afterwards electro-plated for a trifle. They will thus be cheaply made, and the ingenious turner can ploase his lady friends by presenting them with speci- mens of his dexterity and taste.
At the commencement of this book, I alluded to lathes with traversing mandrels, and to varieties of work done by tools not generally employed — that is, those which are not used by the hand, but in connection with the lathe, and driven by belt- ing from a counter shaft over head. I give an illustration of such a tool, in one form, in Fig. 43, It may be screwed in the tool post of the slide Fig. 44. ■ rest, or otherwise at-
tached to the lathe, and the belt from the counter shaft carried over the small pulley. The driving pulley over head should be very large, so as to give a great velocity to the cutter, at least fifteen hundred revolutions per minute. The use of this tool is to make ornamental designs — circular carving, it
ORNAMENTAL CUTTING. 63
might be called — on all kinds of turned work, as, for instance, in Fig. 44, where a small box for pins or needles is shown. This box is made bj putting a piece of hard, fine-grained wood in the chuck, boring the hole and cutting the thread. It is then removed, driven on a round mandrel held in the chuck, turned off round outside, and then prepared for the pattern as follows : — The design settled upon, the index plate must be brought into use, and the points inserted in such holes as will bring the pattern out right, or all the spaces equal — just as the teeth of gears are cut. The tool shown in Fig. 43, may be any desired shape. In the example of work. Fig. 44, it is m-ade half round, and the pattern is called " bamboo," from a resemblance to wickerwork. The pattern is made to break joint, as mechanics say, that is, it alternates, so that the commencement of one part meets in the middle of the other. After one course is made all the way round, the tool is shifted on to another course, and the index changed as above mentioned, until the whole has been gone over. This produces a beautiful effect. It is easy to see that a change of pattern is pro- duced at will, by altering the kind of tool and the index. As, for instance, in Fig. 45, where the pattern is entirely straight. When the de- sign is to be cut on such work, it is extremely convenient to have a pair of centers to set on the
6-i MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
lathe, across the bed ; then the fljing tool is not needed, nor the index on the lathe pulleys either, that on the centers being used instead. When this box is held between the centers so as not to mar it, the handle may be turned and the work run along under the cutter, with great facility- The grooves shown in the box are first drilled at each end with a common drill, just to the corner of the drill, so that a neat and handsome finish is given ; a Y-shaped cutter is then put in a mandrel
Fig. 45.
between the centers of the lathe, and the pulleys set going, so that when the work is run under the tool, the slot or groove will be formed. The circlet, at the top of the box, is made by a crescent drill ground very thin and made sharp — a drill like a fish's tail, only formed on a half circle.
Of course, these methods of doing this kind of work can, as I have said before, be varied infinitely, and are only cited as applicable to a common foot lathe.
CENTERS. 65
CHAPTER YIII.
CENTERS.
An indispensable article on a foot lathe, where any fancy work is to be done, is the centers — of which I have before spoken — shown in Fig. 46. These consist of a common set of heads, with spindles fitted to them. One spindle has an index plate and spring, and the other has a common center. These heads set on a slide that is moved back and forth over a rest, screwed to the lathe bed as usual. It is easy to see that, with this, we can do some very fine cabinet work. Suppose we have a round vase turned up handsomely, and wish to flute the base or make it a series of curves all round ; to do this, we have only to put it in the centers, set the index so as to come out even, as before explained, and go ahead.
The kind of cutter to be used is a sort of gouge, set in a cast-iron head, something as a plane iron is set in its stock. That is, fitted tight to a groove and held by a set screw. Two of these cutters should be used, at equal distances apart, and the cutter head should be keyed on a short shaft, set 6*
6Q
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
between the main centers of the lathe. The Fig. 46.
whole should be accurately balanced, or else the work will be full of chatters or ridges. Since centrifugal force increases as the square of the
CENTERS.
67
velocity, any thing that runs a little out of truth, will be very much exaggerated as the speed in- creases. By using cutters of different shapes, beautiful effects can be produced ; as, for instance, suppose we take a common round-nose cutter, set the index so as to divide the circle of the job we are to work on in twenty-four parts, and execute
Fig. 47.
that part of the design, then take a tool forming an ogee, and work out the spaces intervening, we shall find that the article, when completed, will have a beautiful appearance, and that, instead of being round, the bottom will be octagonal, which will present a pleasing contrast to the rest.
The centers can be set at any angle with the cutter shaft and a pineapple pattern can be made
68 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
on straight surfaces, by executing one part at one angle, then reversing the rest that carries the centers, and finish the remainder, one part of the pattern crossing the other,
I present here views of a novel ornament which exhibits great mechanical ingenuity and manual dexterity, but is otherwise of no value. It con- sists, in one form, of a globe with a series of rings or globes inside, and a six-armed spur projecting through holes — all cut out of one solid piece. Fig. 47
Fig. 48.
Fig. 48 shows how the points are turned. After the internal rings are cut out with a quadrant tool like Fig. 49, and the spur also severed, by cutting in the ends o^ the holes (not boring them out
CENTERS.
69
solid), tb. globe is put in a shell chuck, with
three set screws in it, as shown. The set screws
go through the holes in the globe, and the cross
Fiff. 49
pieces, in between the spurs, serve to steady the job. Any number of points may be turned in the globe. Fig. 50 shows a polygon with many
Fiff. 50.
spurs turned inside. At first sight it would ap- pear that the tool, severing the rings, would cut off the points also, but it will be seen that this is not the case, for the holes being bored so as to
70 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
leave a core standing (which afterward serves to make the points of the spur), the severing tool falls into the holes and goes no further, and each division serves as a guide for the tool in the next hole, so that the globe is made the same size, without jags. The quadrant tool, shown before, must be followed round the shell in the act of cutting it out, so that it will make the same round, and the globe must be shifted in the chuck, to reach all the holes. It is no easy task to make this little affair, for all it looks so simple.
FANCY TURNING.
71
CHAPTER IX.
FANCY TUENING.
Fig. 51 is another, a little more ornate and of a
different pattern. The process is essentially the
same, except that there are no spurs and a solid
disk is left inside. This disk is turned out of a
Fig. 51.
ball, left inside the exterior shell. One side of it is squared up before the ball is cut free from the globe, and the job is then reversed and the other side squared. The ball is then cut free, and the
72
MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
loose disk is held fast between a flat-ended driver in the live spindle, and a loose, flat-ended button on the back center. The diameter is then decided through the hole which is toward the reader. A little tool, which is very convenient for mak-
Fig. 52.
ing small screws, is here shown in Fig 52, rather out of place, but it was overlooked before. In construction it explains itself. Holes of different sizes are made in a steel rod, and the end filed into shape, as seen. It has been found difficult by some to make these cutters work, but that was because they were not properly made. The trouble lies in drilling the hole. When the drill starts at first, the hole is larger on the outside, so that the screw blank, when cut, gets tighter as it goes in, and twists it off.
The remedy is, to drill the hole in some dis- tance and then turn off the outside end, so that it gets where the bore is the same size. This refers
FANCY TURNING. 73
only to small bolts, a sixteenth of an inch in dia- meter ; where they are large, the trouble men- tioned is not experienced.
It is convenient to have two sizes in the tool so that the heaviest part of the work can be done by one cutter, the tool reversed by turning it over in the fork of the jaws, and finishing the blank with the last cutter. A watchmaker's fine saw is to be used to sever the screw from the rod. The tool itself is to fit in the spindle of the tail stock, and the screw wire is held by a drill chuck.
In the matter of ornamental work, there are other details and plans in vogue among expe- rienced turners, which can only be alluded to, not discussed at length, for the reason that the styles are so numerous that an elaborate work might be made of them alone, with great profit. The scroll chuck or geometrical chuck, as it is sometimes called, is a complicated piece of mechanism, too costly for general use, and too limited in its ap- plication, to mechanics in general, to be of much utility. It does such work as may be seen on bank bills. The chuck plate, on which the work is fixed, is connected, by a train of gearing on its back, with a fixed gear about the spindle on the head stock, so that when the relation, these gears bear to one another is altered, the motion of the work on the chuck is accelerated or retarded, or 7
74
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
is made to assume certain positions. An elliptic chuck is quite another thing, the work done by it is shown in Fig. 53, which consists, chiefly, of ornamental designs disposed in a certain order. In fact, the changes that can be made are infinite. Fig. 53. Mandrels — arbors, as
many call them — are very useful tools. Mandrels are made of wood and steel — usually steel, and never of wood, unless for some special reason. As, for instance, when a large brass ring has to be turned. For this use a wooden mandrel is cheaper and more quickly made than a steel one. Besides, it is quite as good. Wooden mandrels should have iron cen- ter plates let in them, so that they will run true ; if the center was made in the wood itself, it would be liable to run out. Take a piece of sheet iron, one eighth of an inch thick and one inch square, hammer the corners thin, then turn them over at right angles with the plate. This gives four sharp comers, so that, when driven in the end of a block, it will not slip ; three small screws will hold the plate to the mandrel so that it cannot get loose. The center must then be countersunk, as
FANCY TURNING. 75
any other is. Such a mandrel, made of hard wood, hickory for instance, will last a long time.
Fibrous wood such as white oak, makes a good mandrel, for the reason that work, driven on it, compresses the fibers instead of scraping them, so that the size of the mandrel is unchanged,
Steel mandrels should be turned two in one, or largest in the middle, for small work, each end being a different size. Each end should be tho- roughly centered with a drill, and countersunk, and a flat place filed so that the dog will hold ; iiot a scratch with a tool should ever be made in one, though few persons will take the pains to avoid doing this.
It is unnecessary to tell the mechanic he must have a rack for his tools, but we may tell the be- ginner so, and he will find it a great convenience.
Now-a-days, the twist drills, made and sold in all the tool stores, are so uniformly superior to any thing that can be made by hand, or by indi- viduals, and are, moreover, so cheap, that it is foolish to make drills. Those who have never used them, should not fail to order sets. They run all sizes, from a needle to an inch.
There are not a few turners who spoil work simply from heedlessness. Not because they do not know any better, but because they are averse to taking a little extra pains. If a mandrel runs
76 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
out of truth a very little, sooner than alter it, or make a new one, they will try to " make it do.' The result is easily seen when work is to be put together. Moreover, many persons use little cau- tion in setting their work in the lathe. Instead of always putting it in the same place, driving it from the same side of the face plate, it is entered at hap-hazard. It is not good to get into the habit of doing work in this way, for it soon leads to recklessness.
Some are too lazy to go and grind their tools, when they know it should be done, and continue to use them to the ultimate damage of the work. It is easy for the practiced eye to see these appa- rently small things, for they constitute a great part of the difference between a good workman and a bad one.
ORNAMENTAL WOODS. 77
CHAPTER X.
ORNAMENTAL WOODS.
In the matter of wood working, the amateur has a field as wide and attractive as the most en- thusiastic could wish. Of course, under this head only those that are ornamental are considered, leaving the plainer and rougher materials for do- mestic purposes.
VARIETIES.
Most amateurs ransack the stores of dealers in foreign woods, for rich and rare varieties, leaving our own native woods for others, of deeper hue and harder grain. Yet it would be difficult to find more beautifully veined wood than chestnut, butternut, some varieties of ash, the root of the black walnut, California rosewood, and oak ; all of which are indigenous.
In foreign woods there are innumerable varie- ties, but as comparatively few of them are to be had, there can be nothing gained to the amateur by mere enumeration. I have said comparatively few are to be had in shops, and that is true for
78 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
this reason ; the woods the amateur can readily obtain, are the woods of commerce ; that is, those used in the arts and trades. No one imports woods at a venture, or on chance of sale. Dealers know their customers, and when, by chance, they find a captain of some foreign trader, who has a fancy lot which he has brought over, they send word to their best buyers, who come and view the lot, and take that which suits them, and the rest, worm-eaten and " wind-shaken," it may be, is either burnt up, or thrown on one side for some button maker, who may find in the short odds and ends a profitable bargain. I shall, therefore, mention but a few of the leading varieties of choice woods, and these the most marked and contrasted. Very many differ only in the name, and, as far as mere exterior goes, are hardly dis- tinguishable from each other, while others are positively ugly.
SNAKE WOOD.
Prominent on the list of foreign woods is snake wood, or, as it is sometimes called, leopard wood. The markings and mottlings in this wood are certainly superb in fine specimens. I have now before me a small vase, made of this material, which exhibits the most beautiful cloudings and veinings. The pattern, so to speak, is in alternate
ORNAMENTAL WOODS. 79
black and red blotches, like those on the back of a snake. AVhen varnished and French polished, these are brought out in strong relief, and the effect is very fine. There is one drawback to its use, however, and that is its brittleness. Not- withstanding the lathe be run at a high speed, it will frequently sliver and crack in the most un- looked-for and vexatious manner, and it is unsafe to undertake any very delicate or fine work that requires time and minute separation on the sur- face in this material ; for general work, however, which has mouldings and convolutions on it, it is easily manipulated, and is susceptible of a brilliant polish. Further : it has the advantage of being "fast colors," which is more than can be said of many other foreign woods. Whatever color may be developed in turning, will be retained to the end of time. This is not true of either tulip or granadilla wood. Both of these are brilliant in the extreme, when freshly cut, but by exposure to the air, fade away into the most sombre colors.
TULir WOOD.
This is a moderately hard wood, of a peculiar sal- mon-pink, veined with reddish brown and gray. The veinings are chiefly parallel with the grain, not straight, of course, but wavy and mottled. As previously remarked, it is beautiful when first
so MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
cut, but gradually fades into a dingy, reddish brown. It is a handsome wood for contrasting with ebony, or any dark variety, and is chiefly used for inlaying costly furniture, such as musical iustvuiuents, work boxes, etc., etc. It is undeni- ably handsome, however, and by no means to be disparaged.
GRANADILLA. This is ooiumonly called cocoa wood. It is hard, finely-veined, and capable of a handsome polish. It is largely used in the manufacture of tabic and pocket cutlery, for the handles. It conies in logs, from two to eight inches in dia- meter, and is one of the most easily worked woods. Quantities of it are employed for the 'handles of seals or letter stamps, in which instru- ments its brownish yellow color and markings must be familiar to many. It fades, however, so that in time it becomes almost uniform in its tone.
TAMARIND.
This wood is very unfrequently met with. I obtained, by chance, a large log of a wood- worker, and was highly pleased with it. It can scarcely be called variegated, except so finely as to be un- uotieeable, but for a rich brown color and tint it is unapproachable. It is chocolate brown in hue,
ORNAMENTAL WOODS. 81
and so hard and close in fibre, as to rive like the husk of a cocoanut, while under a burnisher alone it polishes like ivorj. It is seldom one meets with a wood so wholly satisfactory, in its general nature, for all kinds of work where a hard grain and fine surface is desirable.
CAM WOOD.
This is a dye wood ; that is, the shavings boiled in water, or treated with alcohol, yield a handsome dye, which is largely used in the arts. It is moderately hard, in about the same degree as mahogany, and is plain in surface ; it is hand- some for inlaying and veneering in contrast with ebony, but changes to a brown with age.
BOX WOOD. This is so well known to be a fine-grained, buff yellow color, and easily worked wood, as to need little further explanation of its characteristics. It is becoming scarcer and dearer every year, but is of little general value to the amateur from its monotonous sameness ; one piece being like all the others ; whereas, with snake wood, or granadilla, perpetual surprises await one. Eefuse box wood, in odd-shaped pieces, can be bought very cheap from those who make it a business to fit up blocks for engravers, and also from wood-type makers.
82 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
LAUREL ROOT.
This is a peculiar wood, and, in my opinion, more peculiar than pretty. It has a singular feeling under the tool, cutting much like cheese or gum ; like any thing else, in fact, but wood. In veining, it closely resembles brier wood and bird's eye maple ; pipes have been made of it. It is quite sound, but cannot be said to be handsome. It is the root of the common swamp laurel, I am told, and requires long seasoning and drying to be manipulated.
WHITE HOLLY. This is a pure white wood, very easily bent, turned, and cut, straight of grain, and very useful for inlaying. Quantities of needle cases, fans, and such wares, are made of it. It is a native of this country, though the best is said to come from England. This seems quite unnecessary, for I have picked out of my wood-pile quantities of white holly, as handsome in color and in grain, as one could wish to see.
EBONY.
Every one has his prejudice, and I have no doubt but that many will consider me lacking in taste if I condemn this wood. It has one sole re- deeming feature — blackness — which renders it in-
ORNAMENTAL WOODS. 83
dispensable in many cases. Yet I have seen rock maple dyed black, that put ebony to shame for richness of color and fineness of grain. No ebony that I ever saw was black, naturally. It was brown, and became black by oiling and varnish- ing. There is a variety, called " bastard ebony," which is full of whitish brown stripes, and is soft like pine, but the true ebony is not to me a pre- cious wood, although it is expensive, and, in some cases, undeniably handsome. In spite of all se- lection, aided by good judges, I have frequently found my " black ebony " any thing but black ; it is full of season streaks and cracks, and splits in the most perverse and unexpected manner.
OLIVE WOOD,
This is the wood of the olive tree, and is chiefly valuable for its odor ; that is, to those who like that odor. In color it is like white wood, and is without any marked feature, except that of scent.
SANDAL WOOD.
This is a fragrant wood, light buff-colored, and very soft, and straight in grain. In general it is like pine wood, splitting straight, working easily, and valuable solely for its odor.
8-i MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE. EOSE WOOD.
This is an exceedingly beautiful wood, and is so well known, in its general nature, as to need no recommendation. In marking, it is so delicate as to admit of the finest work, and jet retain the beauty of the pattern.
CURLED MAPLE.
This is one of the most beautiful of our native woods ; in point of color, and power of retaining it, in marking and in variety, it is, to me, one of the most beautiful of all woods. The vein has a sinuous sweep and curve to it, which is heightened by varnishing and polishing, to a marked degree. All of the handsome woods, however, have a pecu- liar intractability, so to speak, which renders them slow and tedious to work. In fact, it is just this stubbornness of grain which renders them beauti- ful, for, by running in all directions, interlacing the fibres, so that the end of the grain is alter- nately presented side by side with the parallel grain, the light is caught and retained on dead surfaces that absorb it, making those beautiful con- trasts which the most uncultivated admire.
bird's eye MAPLE.
This is also a handsome wood, full of round spots interspersed with circular markings, the
ORNAMENTAL WOODS. 85
whole forming a handsome contrast when well handled. Pear and apple tree woods are also handsome, but none of the native woods exhibit BO great variety in tint and markings, as those which grow in tropical countries. There is no occasion to continue a mere list of woods which can be found in any shop, and this branch of .the subject will be dropped.
TREATMENT.
The first thing that occurs to the workman when he possesses or sees a handsome piece of wood, is: What shall I make with it? Many kinds of wood show well in large works, but in smaller wares, such as sleeve buttons, and napkin rings, they look like common wood ; it is, there- fore, labor lost to spend time in working out a nice job to show the veining and marking of the wood, because such veining is not brought out fully. The first care is to select sound wood. It is one of the most vexatious things in the world to have a nice job nearly done, and find a large worm hole extending right through the center of it, interfering with the tool and destroying the beauty of the piece. In such a case, the only re- sort is to plug it up, but no matter how skillfully this is done, the plug is certain to show, and always mars the appearance. Some kinds of
86 MANUAL 0^ THE HAND LATHE.
foreign woods are almost always worm eaten. Snake wood, for instance, is very liable to that fault, and too mucli care cannot be taken in ex- amining it. Ebony is not so liable to it, and native woods are peculiarly free from it.
WOOD TURNING. 87
CHAPTER XL
WOOD TURNING.
In turning wood, tlie speed cannot be too high, or the tool too sharp. The faster the speed, the more perfect the surface produced by the tool. In centering, also, it is necessary to use care in get- ting a sound place to begin on ; otherwise, when in the middle of a job, the centers change and the work is spoiled. This, of course, relates to work that is turned on centers, such as chess-men, pen- holders, rulers with ornamental ends, " what-not " legs ; in fact, anything of that class. The driving center or one that goes in the head of the lathe, commonly called the live center — in opposition to the one in the back end of the lathe head, which does not move, and is called the dead center — should be properly made, or Fig. 54.
much confusion will be the re- |
suit. Very many use the com- ^
mon bit, like Fig. 54, which is ■
a very poor device for the purpose. There being no guard at the corners of the bit, they are liable to slip when strain is brought on the work
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
Fig. 55.
bj the tool ; it is, therefore, necessary to make the driving bit, or center, like Fig. 55, which re- presents a section through the front edge and the flat pieces at the top, to prevent the work from slipping.
In turning very small work, say penholders for example, I have found centers useless to drive from, and after trying dogs, com- monly used for metal turning, and many other devices, have found no more efficient or expeditious plan than to round the end of the wood slightly with a pocket-knife, as in Fig. 56 ; insert the rounded end in a chuck, and place the other in the back center. In this way, I am able to command the whole range of the work, Fig. 56. from end to end,
without interference, and to have the small tip where it is necessary to have it to keep steady ; that is, near the center.
I saw all my pieces for turning, into square strips. I never split them ; splitting shivers and cracks hard and precious wood, and makes un- sound that which was previously sound.
WOOD TURNING. 89
Besides, it is more economical and more ex- peditious. If you cannot saw them yourself, handily, take them to the nearest wood-worker who has a circular saw, and he will do it for a trifle.
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CHAPTER XII.
TOOLS FOR WOOD TURNING.
It does not seem necessary to go into the dis- cussion of tools, or shapes of tools, for wood turning, for the grand and great reliance for roughing is the gouge, and a skillful workman will do as many things with it as the Eussian carpenter is said to do with his axe, which is al- most his only tool. For smoothing, there is the flat chisel, and for special work, every one will find tools, or, rather, make those he finds best suited to his needs.
I would, however, here saj'- with great earnest- ness, that it makes all the difference in the world what kind of steel you get in your tools, whether they are worth any thing or not. I never found any turning tools in stores, that I considered worth any thing. They are generally made for working soft woods, such as pine, but the amateur needs tools of a different class and temper. Hard woods are full of dust on the outside, and seem more or less impregnated with silica, the principle which forms the coating on the stalks of rye and
TOOLS FOE WOOD TURNING. 91
cereal grains generally, which destroys the cutting edge in a short time, and also draws the temper. I have therefore found it convenient to make my own tools out of the best steel I could buy, and temper them myself. The difference is very marked, for where I formerly went to the grind- stone every few minutes, I now use a tool a long while, thus saving many steps and minutes.
I therefore repeat — choose your steel from such as you find the best, and harden it yourself. If you don't know how, a few trials will enable you to do it " everytime," as the saying is. I have found Sanderson's, Jessops, and Stubbs, all good steel ; also Park Brothers American steel first-rate for general work. No doubt there are some who will take up this book, and for the first time read of the matters contained therein, to whom harden- ing and tempering are " all Greek ;" to such I will explain the process.
Yery often amateurs buy tools which are good if they were only properly hardened, and to them also, it may be of service — if they do not already know it — to be able to do this simple thing.
92 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER XIII.
TOOL TEMPERING, ETC.
The great object is to harden at as low a heat as possible, so as not to injure tlie steel. The tool must not be treated as a blacksmith does iron, nothing like so hot, but so as to be of a dull cherry color. Steel that will not harden at this heat is poor stock. When so heated, plunge it into cold water. This will make the tool hard and brittle, like glass, so that it is not fit to cut with; you must then rub it bright on a piece of emery paper or a grindstone, and hold it in the fire for a second or so at a time, until the temper is drawn to the right degree of toughness and tenaci- ty. This will be, for turning-tools for hard wood, of a dull blue-brown, say violet, color. Straw brown is hard enough to cut steel, and you do not want such a temper for wood in general, but for some purposes, it is desirable to have a very hard tool. When the edge crumbles, it is too hard, and must be lowered in temper ; when it rounds over, or dulls quickly, it is too soft, and needs to be
TOOL TEMPERING, ETC.
93
hardened. This much in the way of tools of which more will be said hereafter.
Many things are not held in the centers at all, but are grasped by chucks, of different patterns or shapes. This, to me, is the most satisfactory way of turning, inasmuch as it allows perfect liberty and sweep in all directions, and does not restrict the fancy or imagination of the work- man.
It is not necessary to mention what kinds of work can be done, for that will occur to every one, but I will merely give here an illustration of the fa-
Fig. 57.
Fig. 58,
cility which the chuck affords for all kinds of work. Fig. 57 is a box cover, and being held at first by the corners, permits the inside to be turned out to fit the bottom. Afterwards, what- ever finish or pattern is desired, can be given to the top. There is in every lathe, a center screw, like Fig. 58, which is useful for holding work
94: MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
that has, or is to have, a hole in it, but for fine work it is not suitable, for the obvious reason that the screw spoils it. Fig. 57 is the scroll chuck, and is a favorite instrument of mine. I could dispense with many things— the face-plate of the lathe for one — better than I could with this. If I want to make a sleeve-button, there is mj friend, the scroll chuck, ready to hold the piece true to the center, without any adjustment what- ever and hold it firmly, too. If I wish to bore out a ring, the chuck will grasp true, and hold it with- out spring : in fact, not to dilate unnecessarily, I call it the one thing no turner can afford to be without. There are many in the market, but the best one for general work of this class, I have found to be that made by A. F. Cushman, of Hartford, Connecticut. He makes a very small chuck, also, for holding drills, that is exceedingly convenient for them, and for holding screw wire, or any work of that class. The " Beach Chuck," made by the Morse Twist Drill Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts, is also a good chuck, but as I am not now discussing the merits of chucks, I will return to the subject in hand — treatment of woods.
I do not design, in this little work, telling any one how to hold a tool, for it is to be presumed that at least that part of the craft has been ac-
TOOL TEMPEKING, ETC, 95
quired. Even if I did essay to tell them, I could no more impart such knowledge than one could skate by seeing another person do it. Observa- tion and practice are the only teachers.
96 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER Xiy.
ARTISTIC WOOD TURNING.
Some of the most beautiful work, really artis- tic in every sense of tlie word, is made by laying up woods of different colors, hut of the same general character as regards hardness. If this latter pre- caution, which I have italicised, be neglected, the result will be wholly unsatisfactory, for where two or more woods of different densities are laid up together, side by side, the tool will act upon the hardest very well, but will glide or spring over the inferior material, and thus leave an un- even surface. White holly and ebony work well enough together, but I do not consider ebony a hard wood. Of course there are many who will dispute this assertion, but it is easy enough to pick out specimens of any wood that are hard, but what I mean to say is, that, in general, it is not a truly hard wood, like rosewood or even cocoanut. White holly is almost as soft as pine, and con- trasts finely with the only natural black wood that we have. There is one other black wood, of which I have seen specimens, that is perfection
ARTISTIC WOOD TURNING. 97
itself, so far as color, grain, and strength are con- cerned. Indeed, it can scarcely be said to have a grain, so firm and solid is it in texture. It turns like horn, or ivory, and is of the " darkest, deep- est, deadliest," black. Unfortunately, I cannot give the name of it, for the reason that the gentle- man who gave it to me, did not know himself what it was, and he obtained it from the captain of a vessel trading to Africa.*
Mere white and black wood, side by side, do not look well unless some kind of pattern or de- sign is observed, and if the pattern is obtained only at great expense of time and labor, it is also unsatisfactory. I shall show, further along, how different designs can be produced rapidly and ac- curately, with but comparatively little labor.
By inlaying, too, many most beautiful designs can be produced, with but little labor compared to that which is generally bestowed upon such work. This kind of ornamentation is beautiful upon work tables, work boxes, cigar stands, paper knives, fan handles, fancy boxes, inkstands, card cases, vases, picture frames, penholders, sleeve buttons, ear-rings, chess and checker men, napkin rings, fancy drawer knobs, jewel caskets, watch holders, glove boxes, in fact, the whole array of
*I have since learned that it is called African "Black Thorn." 9
98 MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
fine cabinet wori:, looks better when neatly and tastefully inlaid with woods that match and har- monize with the subject, and with each other. I think that some of the methods I practice are new to most persons, and I am sure they will be found accurate and expeditious ; which last is a point of no small importance ; for when a person works a long time over an elaborate thing, he gets terri- bly tired of it after while, if it is slow and plod- ding. In fact, where there is much that is uniform in character, as in making a check pattern, in black and white colors in squares, not over the tenth of one inch wide — it is impossible to make any thing like regularity, or fine fitting, and close joints, by handling each piece separately,
I therefore have a variety of what I call " stock " on hand, ready laid up, in all colors and dimensions, so that I can choose from it exactly as I would pick out a tool. This stock consists of wood laid up in the patterns shown in Figs. 59-67, and of sizes varying according to my de- signs, but generally very near the sizes here shown.
These are laid up in long strips, say twelve inches long, or as may be conveniently handled. They are all sawed out with a fine circular saw, by some one who understands cutting hard wood for this purpose. The stuff must be shoved
AETISTIC WOOD TURNING.
99
through the saw with a very regular, gradual feed, so as to cut a smooth surface, and if the saw is not right for cutting smooth on the side, it must be made so ; for it will not do to plane the strips after they are sawed, as there never would be any uniformity between them, and the joints
Fig. 59. Fig. 60. Fig. 61.
Fia;. 63.
Fig. 63.
Fig. 64. Fig. 65. Fig. 66.
Fig. 67.
would be very imperfect. In gluing them up, there is nothing particular to be observed, except that the glue must be very hot, laid on well with a stiff brush, and the stuff clamped between two thick boards, which have been planed perfectly true on the faces ; so that the union will be perfect between the strips. In this way the job will be.
100
MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
well done, and the sections will show uniformly. As it is the sections that are mainly used, this is a matter of great importance ; for when it is neces- sary to have an ornamental border to a work-box, for example, it is only requisite to saw off as many sections, from the end of any of the blocks, as may be desired ; as in Fig. 68. It is then a
Fig. 68.
Fig. 69.
simple and easy thing to lay them in, one after another, in the place that has been left for them.
I do not saw off each square strip by itself be- fore I glue the stock, but I lay up several flat pieces, as in Fig. 69, which represents one end section of the strips, longer than it is high, the saw removes some in cutting, so that when I saw down through the top vertically, as shown by the straight line A, T ob- tain square strips in long pieces, but all glued to- gether so they are easy to handle, these I after- ward glue together again, so that white and black
AETISTIC WOOD TURNING. 101
alternate, as in tlie cliecker-board, and I then have the pattern precisely uniform in all the length of the stock. I claim originality for this plan, and also expedition in execution ; more than either I get entire uniformity. Of course it is easy to make any other pattern in the same way, and it is surprising to see how many rectangular and acute- angled patterns can be made with these sections. It is sometimes possible to get veneers of the right thickness, but any veneer cutter will saw the wood as desired.
Since the paragraph above was written, I have seen some " Tunbridge Ware" work made in England, which is, I am sure, done in the same way. Therefore, I am not the originator of the idea, but I can certify that it is a good and a quick way of making very elaborate patterns.
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♦i
CHAPTER XY.
STAMP INLAYING.
Of course there are times and places where the sameness and rigidity of angular patterns are te- dious, and the eye and hand, fatigued by it, desire a change into something more graceful and harmonious in effect. The smaller the pattern, the more tedious, irksome, and expensive the goods. To avoid delay is one object of the work- man, but to obtain perfection is the chief. In order to do this, we must have some plan or some tool to multiply the same shape with great ra- pidity and regularity.
In fine workmanship, or rather in small pieces, it would be impossible to cut out any great num- ber with the certainty of their being at all similar ; some would be large, some small, and all different. Let us imagine that it is desired to inlay a laurel wreath, or a garland of stars in an elliptic pattern about the edge of a box cover, as in Fig. 70. It will be seen that to cut each one in with a chisel would be an endless task. I therefore propose to do it much quicker than it can be done by
STAMP INLAYING.
103
other plan, and that is by a stamp. I make a Fig. 70.
steel stamp, or punch, of the exact size of the pattern I wish to let in the box, and am careful to have it bevel inwards, from the edges toward the top, as in Fig. 71, not only to avoid breaking down the edges, but to make a clean, sharp im- pression in the wood. It is ne- cessary to cut in pretty deep, for, with all your care, you cannot avoid breaking the edge to some extent, and it can only be practised on
Fig. 71.
104 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
any solid, sound wood, not veneered. Except for large patterns, I do not put veneers in these inci- sions, or stamp markings, as I coald not cut them out so small, as the pattern shows in the engrav- ing, but I either make a cement of white lead, and push that into the holes, or, using the same stamp I cut in the pattern in the wood with, I cut pieces out of thin sheet German silver, and push them in with great ease. If I use silver, I am careful to cut in below the surface of the cover on the box, so that I can put the cover in the lathe again, and reflnish the top so as to be flush with the silver. In this way I get a true, uniform, and even pattern, which looks as if it had grown in its place ; for grace and elegance of appearance, it cannot be surpassed. Where it is absolutely necessary to use a chisel and cutting tool to inlay with, I still make stamps, even so large as half an inch superficial area, for they are soon cut out, and serve to mark the outlines for the chisel, so that it is easier to cut the pattern by their aid.
In straight lines, or even in letting in circles, parts of circles, ellipses, in fact, any curved or angular work with veneers, I invariably cut the pattern out before laying it on the box, and then fit the other colored pieces in the spaces left. Very many veneers cannot be handled at all when dry, without breaking all to pieces and spoiling
STAMP INLAYING. 105
the pattern. It will be necessary to soak ebony, for instance, for some time before you want to use it. With this precaution, you can cut it in any shape without danger. It is the same with maple veneer. When I have cut out an intricate pat- tern in ebony, and wish to inlay the same with holly, I obtain an exact duplicate of the shape the holly should have, by placing it, wet, over the ebony, holding it firmly, so that it cannot slip, and then rapping the holly with the end of a tool handle. In this way a fac simile of the pattern is transferred in wet lines to the holly, and you have only to follow them over with a lead pencil to get a perfect shape. Then take a sharp square-ended knife, and laying the veneer on a hard surface, cut slowly and carefully all round the marks, and after a few incisions, you will have the satisfaction of seeing it come out perfect.
106 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER XVI.
DESIGNS IN MOSAIC.
These methods greatly expedite the labor of inlaying, for mere labor mucli of it is ; that is, when repetition of the pattern is frequent, as it is in small designs.
The great trouble and vice of amateur me- chanics is haste; they are too anxious to see the result of a design to give it proper attention in detail, and, as a consequence, it lacks that nicety and uniform elegance that characterize the shop- made goods. For where men work by the day, they are not too energetic as a rule.
DESIGNS IN MOSAIC.
By this I mean the employment of small bits of different colored woods to produce a certain effect. I have seen many that were made to represent foliage of trees, the wood being stained green, of course, but these works of art seem to me labor thrown away, and, except as mere curiosities, are in no wise attractive ; for no workman can do
DESIGNS IN MOSAIC. 107
more than imitate nature in this line, and it is a poor imitation.
A legitimate branch of this line of work is that wherein small bits, say of the size of Fig, 72, can be conveniently used. When laid in nicely, and the colors arranged to harmonize, they certainly look well, resembling the straw j,. ^^
flower work, or inlaid straw ^ — ?>
work of Japan. The wood may be dyed innj color desired, but it is much nicer to use those colored by nature, which do not fade. I give here a list of naturally colored woods, use- ful for this kind of work.
Black — Ebony,
Red— Cam Wood, Tulip Wood.
Yellow — Boxwood,
White— Holly.
Brown — Walnut, Cocoa,
Red Brown — Spanish Cedar (cigar box).
These woods all inlay well except the Spanish Cedar and Walnut, which are apt to chip and sliver off on the edges, when cut thin. Cam wood is a pretty red wood, very close in grain, but not to be had in veneers, as it is used chiefly for making dyes. Most of this kind of work looks better when ranged in angles about a center, though I recently saw a work-box in Boston, which had an accurate representation of a worsted
108 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
pattern worked on a canvas, but as the workman had unfortunately selected a very ugly pattern, and the woods had faded, his labor was wholly thrown away.
After having arranged or laid one course in mosaic work, it is comparatively easy to follow the whole around, but it is absolutely essential that the pieces to be let in should be fac similes of each other, for unless this is the case, the pattern will come out wrong when the ends are joined, or where it meets. Great care must be observed in this, and as it would be almost impossible to cut slips of veneer so small, and be accurate, I prefer to take a slip of wood, and saw off of the end, having, of course, previously planed and calli- pered the stick perfectly true. Here let me say, that the saw I use for this purpose, is the watch- makers' dividing saw, the same as jewellers use. Some of the saws are scarcely larger than a horse hair, while others are three-tenths of an inch deep and very narrow. With this instrument I can work very delicately as regards thinness and smoothness of surface. It is also admirable for scroll sawing, of which more hereafter.
Of course, all these are small jobs, and small, fine work; when it comes to more elaborate pat- terns, such as a regenerally found on tables, work- boxes, musical boxes, and similar things, it re-
DESIGNS IN MOSAIC. 109
quires more time, but as tlie pattern is large, it re- quires no particular patience beyond that which a very fine piece of work does. But where the pieces are small, as in mosaic, it takes a great deal of patience to pick up one after another, and no small degree of artistic talent to bring them all in in the right place.
10
110 MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER XYII.
FINISHING THE OUTSIDE.
When the pattern has all been laid, the next thing that remains is to finish the exterior, and polish it or oil it as may be desired. To do this it is, of course, necessary to use great care. The veneers, if they have been used, are very thin, about the twenty-fifth part of an inch, and there is not much to come off. It must therefore be scraped very carefully with a sharp scraper, either in the lathe, or, if the work be a flat sur- face, by a scraper held in the hand, and made of sheet steel of the best quality. In using the scraper, care must be taken to humor the grain of the wood, so that it will not be roughened up by being rubbed the wrong way. When it has been scraped sufficiently smooth, it must be tho- roughly rubbed with sand paper, until it has an even, uniform surface all over. If it is to be var- nished and polished, French polish as it is termed, such as is seen on pianos, it will require a long time and much experience to make it a success. The reason is this : the polish is really given to the
FINISHING THE OUTSIDE.. Ill
gum of which the varnish is composed, and not to the wood itself. The gum sinks into the pores of the wood and fills them up, and hardens as it is applied, but the fluids in which the gums are dis- solved, either turpentine or oil, evaporate compar- atively slowly, so that before each coat is applied, the previous one must be dry and hard, or else the next one will be streaky, and the surface will be ridgy.
The length of time depends greatly on the weather ; from three to six months being re- quired to properly dry and harden a piano-case so that it will wear — six months is, however, ex- treme, and is only the case in very warm weather. It will easily be seen why so many amateurs fail in producing that vitreous glaze, or polish, which is so universally admired. Not one in fifty has patience enough to wait until the first coat dries, before the second is applied, and they keep trying the varnish, to see if it won't work, in a day or two after it has been put on. It sometimes takes ten days before the third coat is ready to apply the next. It is a common fault to apply too much varnish on the first coat. It is necessary to rub it into the grain of the wood, so that it is tho- roughly charged with it, and sinks into the pores. By rubbing it is merely meant to take a little on the brush and cover the surface gradually, without
112 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
trying to make it look well or ill. The ground work has to be put on first, before any thing can be done toward ornamenting. After one coat has been put on, it must be rubbed down with sand pa- per to remove any varnish that may not have sunk into the work, and when all is fair and smooth and dry, a second coat may be applied and treated in the same way. The third coat may be applied rather more freely, and must be left to get tho- rougly hard before treating it. It must then be rubbed freely with pumice stone flour, and water. This will leave it bright and hard if the varnish has been skillfully put on, and a coat of flowing varnish may now be put on for the last. Flowing varnish is so-called because it is lighter in body than most varnishes, and is intended as the last of all, to produce that elegant glossy surface which characterizes all fine work.
Many persons use shellac varnish, which is simply gum lac (the proper name is " lac "), which is a gum found in the Indies ; the trade give it the names of shell-lac and seed-lac, and one other which I have forgotten : shell-lac is the kind used for varnish. The gum is simply dis- solved in alcohol of high proof; the solution being aided by exposure to a warm place and agitation from time to time. As this varnish dries immediately, or within an hour, owing to
FINISHING THE OUTSIDE. 113
tlie rapid evaporation of the alcohol ; it is very convenient for amateurs who are of an energetic turn of mind, and wish to see their productions turned and finished in a breath, as one may say. It takes a fair polish, but is by no means so dura- ble or beautiful as copal or hard varnishes. On some woods, as, for instance, cherry, pine, or cedar, it is very appropriate, and looks well.
It is quite easy to write these instructions and observations down, but there is a dexterity, ac- quired only by practice, which cannot be told to any one, and the operator must, if possible, inform himself by visiting the nearest cabinet or piano factory, and see with his eyes for himself.
I should have said previously that ivory black introduced into shell-lac varnish, gives a very good black lacquer, closely imitating japan, while other colors, such as blue, carmine, green, or yel- low, have the effect of enamel when handsomely rubbed down and polished with several coats. I have seen some most beautiful knobs for drawers, fancy handles, etc., made in this way, that looked like porcelain.
Oiled wood looks well in furniture, and there may be some who desire to use it on fancy work. It is simply linseed oil applied in successive coats ; but it requires time to dry, and alwaj^s has a dis- agreeable odor about it. 10*
114 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
CHAPTER XVIII.
INLAYING CONTINUED.
A VERY convenient tool for inlaying veneers edgewise, so as to produce alter- nate dark and wliite lines is made by tak- ing a piece of steel, one fourth of an inch by one sixteenth thick, and making a chisel, like Fig. 73. The bottom is rounded to prevent it from digging in. To use this tool, or to inlay fine white and black lines, or white lines alone, all over the surface of any piece of wood in any pattern desired, it is only needful to mark out the pattern first, incise it all around with a sharp keen edge, such as a knife blade broken off to form a square end, and then follow the lines with this tool, when the wood will come away, leav- ing a clean channel, in which the veneer may be inserted with expedition and neatness. In crossing the corners, it is necessary to use caution, so that they be not broken away, for no inlaying looks well if chipped, or ragged at the edges.
INLAYING CONTINUED. 115
This is especially convenient for drawing lines across mahogany boxes that have been put toge- ther before inlaying was thought of for them. The veneers should all be glued together, side and side first, that is, if two colors are used, then they will fit on the ends properly, and may be handled with more expedition.
GLUING IN VENEEES.
In a previous part of this little work I have ad- vised the use of waterproof cements for fine in- laying, so that dampness will not aSect them, but as this is not always convenient, it is well to make the glue so that it can be used and the work finished oJBf in a short time. This is easily done by making the glue as thick as it will run, or so that it is like a jelly. If applied in this condition, it will set hard in thirty minutes, and the work may be cut down without fear or danger of its moving. I have done this frequently, in order to see what kind of work I was making. Always put a clamp on your work wherever you can, for although the glue will adhere of itself to the wood, it adheres much more strongly if pressed down by a clamp. Also, never put a veneer on a piece of work that is uneven, for although it may set square under the pressure of the clamp, when you come to scrape it, it will give way and yield
116 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
to the inequalities, and when varnished and polished, will be full of depressions.
Don't be afraid to rub down with sand paper, under the impression that you are spoiling the work, but let the varnish get thoroughly dried, and be hard before you attempt it. Be sure, also, to remove every particle of varnish if you touch it at all, otherwise that which remains will take a coat while the bare wood will not take so much, and you will have a surface full of scars and ridges. It is not necessary to touch the wood in Tabbing down, but go down to the wood, so that a waxy appearance is presented, and you will have a handsome finish that will add greatly to the beauty of the work. White holly is easily soiled when used in connection with ebony, by the dust from it, and it will be necessary to rub it, or scrape it delicately, before varnishing, without touching the ebony.
IVOEY. This substance is certainly a most attractive one to the turner. Pure in color, hard, solid and strong beyond belief in texture or grain, it has the fewest disadvantages of any substance we use. It is easily dyed to any shade, and will hold it a long while. Either for jewelry, or rather for personal adornment, or articles of utility, it is
INLAYING CONTINUED. 117
well adapted, and but for the cost of it would be in general use. It is getting dearer and scarcer each year. The best comes from Ceylon, and that in least repute from African elephants ; the former is said to be much stronger and more solid.
Of its general manipulation there is not much to be said, except that the workman will find it trying to the edge of his tools. In all respects it can be cut and turned like hard woods.
Fig. 74.
It is easily softened by immersion for a time in weak acid, so that its friability, toughness, or tendency to resist the carving tool, is destroyed, and this without injuring the goods, unless the acid is too strong.
As it is so expensive in general, it is well for the amateur to know that he can purchase it in all shapes, either in squares like Fig. 74, or in flat, cord-like slips, from dealers in it. I will mention one person, F. Grote, 78 Fulton street, New York, who generally has a good assortment of this kind.
It is extremely convenient to find pieces of the exact size and shape one needs, and it is also
118 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
economical, botli in time and material, for all ivory must be sawed, and that is slow work where there are no facilities. After the article, what- ever it may be, is turned, it may be either dyed, or polished in its natural color.
POLISHING. This is performed in the easiest way. A wet rag will polish ivory, but in order to put on a brilliant gloss, take starch, or Spanish white, satu- rate a wet rag with it, and hold it on the work ; when dried off and rubbed with a woolen cloth or a piece of chamois leather, it will have a brilliant and durable gloss.
DYEING IVOEY.
I tried a great many plans and recipes for dye- ing ivory before I hit upon any that were in all respects satisfactory. Most of them were nasty, involved the purchase of drugs and dyes that were sure to be adulterated, and the results were vexatious, but one day, in dyeing some silk with family dye color, prepared by Howe and Stevens, of Boston, Massachusetts, the idea occurred to me to try it on ivory. It succeeded to admiration, and I had found what I had so long sought, namely, a clean, cheap, simple and sure method of coloring ivory to any shade needed, in a short
INLAYING CONTINUED. 119
time. The color can always be had, ready for use, in any town, as much so as a bottle of ink, while the various shades and gradations of tint are ready made to hand ; there is no need of stale urine, or any other mess, — simple immersion in the hot liquid from ten to twenty- four hours will give a permanent and brilliant hue to any article. I have never seen such brilliant colors as these dyes give. The solferino and the black are par- ticularly handsome, and are insoluble in water ; that is, the goods may be washed without injury. The solferino will not bear hard rubbing in water, but the black and other colors will, without in- jury. The depth to which the color penetrates de- pends upon the length of time the goods are im- mersed, but twenty-four hours, and even six hours in some cases, will answer all purposes. For chess- men, the solferino is a splendid color, while all the other tints can be had for other kinds of fancy work.
Ivory is particularly suitable for mosaic inlay- ing, as it never chips, and can be cut into the small- est and thinnest pieces without danger of fracture. It will hold on wood with glue, though there are other cements, stronger, for the purpose.
It can also be dyed before inlaying, and after- wards rubbed down to a uniform surface, but the work must be done well, as the dyes do not always
120 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
penetrate equally, and if the work is delicate and ' the design small, it is apt to change the colors to rub them down. Napkin rings, breast pins, masonic mallets and emblems generally, miniature gothic chairs with carved backs for ornamental purposes, chess and checker men, small boxes for lip and eye salves, needle cases, thimble cases, ring and jewel boxes, penholders, silk-winders card cases, all afford a fine opportunity for the skill and taste of the amateur.
ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS FOR INLAYING. 121
CHAPTER XIX.
ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS FOR INLAYING.
Although a handsomely veined piece of wood is as beautiful a thing as any one would wish to see, there are occasionally pieces of work that look well inlaid, and for this it is desirable that we should have as pretty patterns and judiciously chosen woods and contrasts as we can get.
I give here what I think is a pretty design for the cover of a round box. It is easily made, and I venture to suggest that the following colors will will be found agreeable ; No. 1, tulip with out- side edge of white holly, tulip to be cut across the grain. No. 2, ebony cut out of a solid veneer, that is not pieced. It will save a great deal of time and labor to glue this veneer on to mahoga- ny a quarter of an inch thick, and then saw the pattern out with a fine turn-saw. To get the veneer off whole, soak it in warm water for a few minutes. No. 3, boxwood. No. 4, ebony. No. 5, tulip, or, if you can get it, turtle wood. It is sometimes to be had of Henry A. Kerr, Center street, New York, dealer in woods. The 11
122 MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE,
central flower can be omitted or executed. It is a good deal of work, but v/ill make a beautiful piece when well done. Turtle wood is very re- markable, being yellow inclining to salmon, mottled with brownish black streaks, sometimes black with superb crimson markings, like a sum- mer sunset after a thunder storm.
Fig. 76 is another similar pattern. Of course the workman will make such disposition of the colors as he pleases. When these are varnished and French polished, they certainly look splendidly, and are specimens of work that any one may be proud of; of course supposing them to be well litted as to joints, and without the glairy, sticky appearance that characterizes varnish half rubbed down, and that worked before it has hardened. Hardening and drying are two different things, Yarnish dries before it hardens, and requires time, the more the better, to season, so it can be polished. This is a very easy pattern to fit, and any one of experience can make it complete in four or six hours.
Fig, 77 is still another pattern, but what is shown dark, as at A, in the outer circles should be light to represent tulip wood. Tulip contrasts splendidly with ebony. The center or body of the cover should be rosewood. This must be put on first, all over the whole surface, and a white
OENAMENTAL DESIGNS FOR INLAYING. 123
holly ring put on tlie outside edge. The exterior and interior circles, which form the pattern, are then cut out hy a tool like a carpenter's bit used in the lathe, as in this diagram. The letter a is round, and will, of course, make a slight center hole in the box cover, but as it is covered up that IS a matter of no moment. The inner circles B should also be tulip, or some wood that contrasts with ebony ; mahogany is very handsome. This pattern is not pretty, but it is striking and unique, which is sometimes the same thing. Of course, the distances of the circles must be determined beforehand with a pair of compasses.
In scroll sawing much can be done that is pleasing to the eye in small works, but for large designs and intricate ones, the amateur will find an upright or jig saw necessary, unless he be more than usually patient.
For the joints of boxes before veneering I al- ways prefer screws rather than dovetailing, which takes a long time, and is no better when done ; screws are sure, never start, and save time, which is a great consideration with amateurs, whose tasks are often, indeed, in nearly all cases, carried on after some other labor is over, in the interim between arduous toil.
White woods, such as holly, need white glue, else the joints will show. Beware of dust in your
124 MANUAL OP THE HAND LATHE.
varnish brush, and take care that yo"u soak it for half a day before using it, else the hairs will come out on your work and ruin it. Flat, camel's hair brushes are to be used, and can be had in every paint store. Use only the whitest copal varnish for your white holly, else you will find it yellow holly after the varnish has been put on. Most varnishes need thinning slightly with turpentine before use, especially if they have been kept some time.
Keep your lathe centers so that they run true on the points at all times, and have a mark on them so that they always enter from the same side of the lathe mandrel.
When you put clamps on to hold your veneers, as you always should, be careful, if your wood is soft, that you do not set the clamps so tight as to sink the veneer into the lower wood, for the result will be an uneven surface, that nothing can remedy.
Be careful to have clean glue and clean surfaces if you wish to make sound work. Dust or grit ruins glue so that it will not hold.
GENERAL SUMMARY. 125
CHAPTER XX.
GENERAL SUMMARY.
In polishing metals, whether brass, iron, steel, or of whatever nature, it is essential that the tool marks and scratches of files, or other agents, should be entirely removed before the final gloss is given, otherwise the work will have a cheap look that detracts very much from its appearance.
If emery of the finest character (flour) is used, with oil, the result will be very beautiful, but tins makes a mess about the lathe it is desirable to avoid. Polish with oil is softer in appearance than dry polishing, and is much more durable, being not so liable to rust and tarnish. Dry polishing is performed with sand paper of various grades, running from | to 0. This gives a very bright, dazzling finish, that is easily rusted. Brass must be treated with rotten stone and oil to be nicely polished, and after this the burnisher should be used. Lacquers are employed for the purpose of preserving the polish unimpaired, and are made as follows :
126 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE
LACQUERS.
2 gals. AlcoHol, proof, specific gravity not less than 95 per. cent. 1 lb. Seed-lac. 1 oz. Gum Oopal. 1 oz. English. Saffron.
1 oz. Annotto.
Another. 40 ozs. Proof Alcohol. 8 grs. Spanish Annotto.
2 drs. Turmeric. J oz. Shellac.
12 grs. Red Sanders.
When dissolved add 30 drops Spirit of Tur- pentine.
Directions for Making. — Mix the ingredients, and let the vessel containing them stand in the sun, or in a place slightly warmed, for three or four days, shaking it frequently till the gum is dissolved, after which let it settle from 24 to 48 hours, when the clear liquor may be poured off for use. Pulverized glass is sometimes used in making lacquers, to carry down the impurities.
The best burnisher is a piece of bloodstone ground to shape and set in a handle ; they can be bought for about a dollar and a half at any watch-
GENEKAL SUMMARY. 127
makers' tool store, Eouge powder is also an ex- cellent thing for polishing brass and German silver. German silver, in wire, also in sheet, can be had at the same place.
For silver plating fluid the workman will find that manufactured by Howe & Stevens, Boston, Massachusetts, to be the best of its class, as it leaves a thin coating of pure silver on the metal, which can be renewed from time to time, as it wears, by a fresh application.
Any articles that require to be gilt can be best done by electro platers, who will deposit as much gold on the surface as one desires, even to the thirty-second part of an inch. It is better, how- ever, to buy a small battery, which can be had for four or five dollars, and do this for yourself. Yery many other things can be electro-plated, and 'fac- similes of medals produced at a small cost, which will be both instructive and ornamental.
SOLDERING.
There are many ways of soldering, but the amateur will find the spirit lamp and the solder- ing iron the most convenient and expeditious.
In soldering tinned surfaces, no particular care is needed, as the solder will adhere easily, but in brass, or other metals, it does not do so without the aid of a rosin flux or acid solution. These
128 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATKE.
simply act to make the surfaces chemically clean, so that the solder will hold. In fact, cleanliness is absolutely indispensable to success, for the solder will crawl off of any thing that is dirty or greasy, even though it may not appear to be so. Lead and tin are used for solder, and can be bought of any tinner yery cheaply. The end of the soldering iron (which is not iron, but copper, by the way) should be tinned, otherwise the sol- der will not hold on it, neither will it follow when the iron is drawn along a seam.
The iron is readily tinned' in this way. File it to the shape you want it, and put it in the fire, heating it pretty hot, but nothing like redness. You are then to wipe it clean quickly on a rag wet with soldering fluid, which can be had in drug stores, and is made of muriatic acid and sheet zinc dissolved in the same ; the zinc must be clean, and in small strips, and shaken gradually until dissolved. The solution must then be well diluted with water. It is used by wetting the rag aforesaid with it and rubbing the iron in it ; if block tin in strips be now rubbed on the end of the iron, it will adhere, and the iron will be ready for use. The iron must not be heated so as to melt off the tin and expose the copper under- neath ; for the iron is then useless until tinned again. .
GENERAL SUMMARY. 129
The soldering fluid is always to be used when brass, or any surfaces not coated with, tin, are to be united,
By the spirit lamp you can join metallic sur- faces very easily and quickly as follows : take your plate, or whatever it is you wish to join to- gether, and scour it bright with fine sand-paper or pumice stone and water, on the faces to be united. Apply the soldering fluid, hold it over the spirit lamp blaze, and as soon as it is well heated, rub it over with a stick of tin ; when it is well tinned, lay it on a hot flat iron or the stove for a minute, until you have tinned the other piece, then clap both together, and they will set instantly.
The blowpipe is very convenient for soldering small pieces together that cannot be touched with the iron, but as it requires some skill to use it, the amateur is not likely to be very successful with it. The articles to be soldered in this way, should be placed on a piece of charcoal, so that the heat will be equally distributed and kept up during the process.
VARNISHING AND POLISHING.
On no account is a second coat of varnish to be applied before the first one is dry. If this is done the result will be a sticky, ridgy, dirty looking
130 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE,
job. Before the work is varnislied even, it must be thorougblj sandpapered to remove inequalities, and the last sandpapering should be with the finest grade. Then apply the varnish, taking care not to put too much on for the first coat. When that is dry and hard, sandpaper with fine paper again and varnish again. Three to four coats are enough for ordinary work. When the last coat is dry and hard, get some floated pumice stone flour, that is, pumice stone flour that has been washed, mix it with water to about the thickness of cream ; apply it to a woolen rag, and rub it gently over the work; not too hard, for that would cut the varnish off down to the wood. After a while you will see that the surface of the varnish begins to have a hard, smooth body, like carriage work. When this occurs, you can wash the pumice stone all off, and take a little Tripoli or rotten stone and oil, and rub gently all over the job ; you will then have a surpassingly beau- tiful and brilliant surface, that will show the grain and vein of the wood to perfection. If you desire the gloss that varnish gives, you must apply a thin coat of wearing varnish after this, In varnishing, you must buy " rubbing varnish " if you intend to polish and oil varnish, not spirit, which is apt to crack and rub up under the treat- ment.
GENERAL SUMMARY. 181
BRUSHES,
In varnishing, you, of course, desire to Lave t» true and even surface, without a ridge to show where the brush left it. Camel's hair flat brushes are used for this purpose, but they will not an- swer in spirit varnishes, as the hairs drop out or are loosened from the action of the spirit on the shellac or glue, which holds them in. Bristle brushes are the best for general use. They must be soaked for an hour or more in cold water, to fasten the bristles before using.
PEARL.
This substance is easily sawed into shape, and is easily turned with a common steel tool. It is polished readil}'- with pumice stone and water and "putty powder," this last to be had of chemists or lapidaries. It is better to preserve the colored surface as nature left it, for the beautiful rays and tints presented by it are owing to a peculiar disposition of thin scales on the surface, which re- tain the light; if these be destroyed, the beauty of the material is lost. It is to be had of marine store keepers generally, or the amateur can get it more readily of the nearest button manufacturer.
MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS, If you buy any tools, always buy the best that money can get. P. S. Stubs' files, wire, limmers,
132 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
and screw plates, are standard tools, and the ama- teur cannot go astray in choosing them. A vise is indispensable, and it should be large enough to hold the work without springing.
CURVING MAPLE VENEEES.
If you wish to curve a veneer so that it will fit a half or a whole circle, it is easily done by dip- ping it in hot water, when it will instantly curl up into any shape you want. I do this with bird's eye maple. This wood is easily stained any hue, and is rather handsomer in chocolate brown than in its natural color. It is then the nearest to French oak of any wood that we have, and that is unquestionably superb. Such markings and mot- tlings as it has, surpass anything ever seen; it is a deep, rich, chocolate brown color, full of snarls, curves, and knots, not over five eights of an inch in their largest diameters, and so beautiful that it seems as if some hand must have arranged them.
The French oak is susceptible of a splendid polish, but I am unable to say how it works, for I never worked any, nor do I know where to get it. Curled maple will also take a handsome dye. Get Howe & Stevens's Dye Colors in powder — ■ they can be had in any apothecary's store, of any shade — put it in an earthen dish and boil it, then dip or sponge the veneer with it. The
GENERAL SUMMARY. 133
color will strike through and through, and you may sand-paper it as much as you please without removing it. It is a very beautiful job to take a plain ogee moulding and curl a bird's eye maple veneer on the round part, and an ebony veneer on the fiUet or hollow, and then varnish and polish it. It makes one of the most beautiful picture frames that ever was seen ; having all the effect of mouldings made from the solid wood.
CUTTING MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS.
By these I mean horn jet, malachite, alabaster, cannel coal, glass, and similar substances. For all of these, except malachite, steel will answer, but that steel will not touch. It is not a nice material to work, being apt to check and crack in the most unlooked-for manner. To those who have never seen it, I will say that it is a stone, or species of marble, obtained in Eussia, and is green in color, marked with wdiite and greenish gray stripes. The green is specially brilliant, and the effect is very fine. Although it is so hard that steel will not cut it, it is easily scratched in use, and is a soft stone, and can be readily cut on a common vulcanite emery wheel, and polished on a razor strop covered with rouge powder. It is fre- quently used for jewelry. Glass is easily filed in
a lathe with a common file, but I do not know 12
134 MANUAL OF THE HAND LATHE.
what any one should wish, to work glass for, as it is exceedingly dangerous from the splinters which fly from it, is quite friable and easily broken, and is, moreover, so common that no value attaches to it. Very pretty vases can be made out of ala- baster by turning them in the lathe.
»
."'i •/
'm ,^
I I^ D E X .
PAGE
Acid in soldering 127
African black-thorn 97
Alabaster, Cutting 133
Apple-Wood 85
Arbors 74
Artistic Wood-Turning 96
Bamboo Pattern 63
Bank-Bills, Work on 73
Bastard Ebony 83
Beach Chuck.! 94
Bird's-eye Maple 84
Bit for Turning 88
Black Thorn 97
Boiler for Toy Engine 53
Boring 55
Boxes, Joints of 123
Box for Pins 62
Boxwood 81
Brushes for Varnishes 131
Burnisher 126
Buttons, Solitaire Sleeve 59
Cam Wood 81
Centers 65
Chasers 33,35
Chasing 33
Chucking 42, 49
Chucks, Geometrical 73
Chucks, Wooden 43
Clamps for Polishing 48
Cocoa Wood 80
Colored Woods 107
Coloring Maple 132
Curled Maple 84
Curving Veneers 132
Cushman's Scroll Chuck 42
Cutting Alabaster 133
Cutting Horn 133
Cutting Jet 133
Cutting Malachite 133
PAGE
Cutting Miscellaneous Materials... 133
Cnttiiig, Ornamental 59
Cutting Screws 33
Designs for Inlaying 121
Designs in Mosaic 106
Diamond Point 21
Doctor 37
Drills, Twist 75
Dyeing Ivory 118
Ebony 82
Elliptic Chuck 74
Fancy Turning 71
Finishing Outside 110
Foot Lathe 13
Foreign Woods 77
General Summary 125
Geometrical Chuck 73
Gilding 127
Glass Filing 133
Globe, and Spur within 68
Glueing in Veneers 115
Good Tools necessary 20
Granadilla 80
Hand Lathes 19
Heel Tools 27
Height of Lathe 22
Holding the Tool 23
Hole Boring 55
Holly, White 82
Holtzapfel Lathe 38
Holtzapfel, Work by 16
Horn, Cutting 133
Hubs 40
Indigenous Woods.. 77
Inlaying 97, IH
Inlaying, Designs for 121
135
136
INDEX.
Inlaying Stamps 102
Iron for Soldering 128
Ivory 116
Jet Cutting 133
Joints of Boxes 123
Lacquers , 126
Lac Varnish 112
Lathe, Foot 13
Lathe, Height of. 22
Lathe, Holtzapfel 38
Lathe, Speedof 23
Lathe, Uses of. 16
Lathes, Hand 19
Lanrel Root 82
Leopard Wood 78
Malachite, Cutting 133
Mandrels 38, 74
Maple, Bird's-eye 84
Maple, Coloring 132
Maple, Curled 84
Metal Spinning 51
Metals, Polishing 125
Miscellaneous Tools 131
Mosaic Designs 106
Natural Colored Woods 107
Novel Ornameut 68
Oiled Wood 113
Olive Wood 83
Ornamental Cutting 59
Ornamental Desig'is for Inlaying.. 121
Ornamental Woods 77
Ornamental Work 14
Outside Finishing 110
Parallel Holes, to hore 55
Patterns 99
Pearl 1.31
Pear Wood 85
Polishing 46, 129
Polishing Metals 125
Polishing Ivory 118
Polygon and Spurs 69
Rack for Tools 75
Rest, Slide 57
Best, The 24
Rosewood 84
Rosin Flux 127
Rouge Powder 127
Roughing off 24
Sandal Wood 83
Sawing, Scroll 123
PARE
Scrapers 30
Screw Cutting: 33
Screws, Tool fur Small 72
Scroll Chuck 73
Scroll Chuck, Cushman's 42
Scroll Sawing 123
Shellac Varnish ^ 112
Silver-plating Fluid 127
Sleeve Buttons, Solitaire .59
Slide Rest 54, 57
Snake Wood 78
Soldering 127
Soldering Iron 128
Solitaire Sleeve Buttons 59
Speed of Lathe '23
Spinning Metals. 51
Stamp Inlaying 102
Steel Mandrels 75
Straight Tools 27
Tamarind 80
Tempering Tools 92
Tinning Soldering Iron 128
Tool for Boring Holes 55
Tool for Inlaying 114
Tool for SmailScrews 72
Tool Tempering 92
Tools 22
Tools, Holding 23
Tools, Miscellaneous 131
Tools for Wood Turning 90
Traversing Mandrel 38
Treatment of Woods 85
Tulip Wood 79
Tunbridge Ware Work 101
Tuning, Fancy 71
Turning, Wood 87
Turning, Artistic Wood 96
Turtle Wood 122
Twist Drills 75
Uses of the Lathe 16
Varieties of Woods 77
Varnishing HI, 129
Veneers 104
Veneers, Curving 132
Veneers, Gluing in 115
White Glue 123
White Holly 82
Wooden Chucks 43
Wooden Mandrels 74
Woods for Inlaying 107
Woods, Ornamental 77
Wood Turning 88
Wood Turning, Artistic 96
Work, Ornamental 14
CATALOGUE
CfP
PEACTICAL Km SCIEIiTIFIC BOOKS,
PUBLISHEO BY
HENRY CAREY BAtRD,
INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHER,
PHILADELPHIA.
[^^ Any of the Books comprised in this Catalogue will be sent by mail free of postage, at the publication price.
1^^ This Catalogue will be sent, free of postage, to any one who wil furnish the publisher with his address.
A RMENGAITD, AMOUEOTJX, AND JOHNSOH.— THE PEACTICAL •^ DRAUGHTSMAN'S BOOK OF INDUSTSIAL DESIGN, AND MACHINIST'S AND ENGINEES'S DEAWING COMPANION: Forming a complete course of Mechanical Engineering and Architectural Drawing. From the French of M. Armengaud the elder, Prof, of Design in the Conservatoire of Arts and Industry, Paris, and MM. Armengaud the younger and Amou- roux, Civil Engineers. Kewritten and arranged, -with addi- tional matter and plates, selections from and examples of the most useful and generally employed mechanism of the day. By William Johnson, Assoc. Inst. C. E., Editor of "The Practical Mechanic's Journal." Illustrated by 50 folio steel plates and 50 wood-cuts. A new edition, 4to. . $10 00
A ESOWSMITH.— PAPES-HANGER'S COMPANION :
A Treatise in which the Practical Operations of the Trade are Systematically laid down: with Copious Directions Prepara- tory to Papering ; Preventives against the Effect of Damp on Walls; the Various Cements and Pastes adapted to the Seve- ral Purposes of the Trade ; Observations and Directions for the Panelling and Ornamenting of Rooms, &c. By James Aekowsmith, Author of "Analysis of Drapery," &c. 12mo., cloth •, . . . $1 25
IIENEY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
■pAIRD.— THE AMERICAN COTTON SPINNER, AND MANA- ^ GER'S AND CARDER'S GUIDE :
A Practical Treatise on Cottou Spinning ; giving the Dimen- sions and Speed of Macliinfery, Draught and Twist Calcula- tions, etc. ; Tvith notices of recent Improvements : together •with Rules and Examples for making changes in the sizes and numbers of Roving and Yarn. Compiled from the papers of the late Robert H. Baied. 12mo. . . . $1 50
•DAKER.— LONG-SPAN RAILWAY BRIDGES:
Comprising Investigations of the Comparative Theoretical and Practical Advantages of the various Adopted or Proposed Type Systems of Construction; Tvith numerous Formulae and Ta- bles. By B. Baker. 12mo. . . . . . $2 00
■pAKEWELL.— A MANUAL OF EIECTRICITY— PRACTICAL AND ^ THEORETICAL :
By F. C. BAKEWELii, Inventor of the Copying Telegraph, Se- cond Edition. Revised and enlarged. Illustrated by nume- rous engravings. 12mo. Cloth . . . . $2 00
•DEANS— A TREATISE ON RAILROAD CURVES AND THE LO- •^ CATION OF RAILROADS :
By E. W. Beans, C. E. 12mo. (In press.)
TDLENKARN.— PRACTICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF WORKS EXE- ■^ CUTED IN ARCHITECTURE, CIVIL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, AND IN ROAD MAKING AND SEWER- ING:
To which are added a series of practically useful Agreements and Reports. By John Blenkarn. Illustrated by fifteen large folding plates, 8vo. . . . . . $9 00
•pLINN.— A PRACTICAL WORKSHOP COMPANION FOR TIN, ^ SHEET-IRON, AND COPPER-PLATE WORKERS :
Containing Rules for Describing various kinds of Patterns used by Tin, Sheet-iron, and Copper- plate Workers ; Practical Geometry ; Mensuration of Surfaces and Solids ; Tables of the Weight of Metals, Lead Pipe, etc. ; Tables of Areas and Cir- cumferences of Circles ; Japans, Varnishes, Lackers, Cements, Compositions, etc. etc. By Lbrot J. Blinn, Master Me- chanic. With over One Hundred Illustrations. 12mo. $2 50
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 3
TD DOTH.— MARBLE WORKER'S MANUAL :
Containing Practical Information respecting Marbles in gene- ral, their Cutting, AVorking, and relishing ; Veneering of Marble ; Mosaics; Composition and Use of Artificial Marble, Stuccos, Cements, Receipts, Secrets, etc. etc. Translated from the French by M, L. Booth. With an Appendix con- cerning American Marbles. 12mo., cloth • . $1 50
■DOOTH AND MORFIT.— THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMISTRY, ^ PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL :
Embracing its application to the Arts, Metallurgy, Mineralogy, Geology, Medicine, and Pharmacy. By James C. Booth, Melter and Refiner in the United States Mint, Professor of Applied Chemistry in the Franklin Institute, etc., assisted by Campbell Morfit, author of "Chemical Manipulations," etc. Seventh edition. Complete in one volume, royal 8vo., 978 pages, -with numerous wood-cuts and other illustrations. $5 00
pOWDITCH.— ANALYSIS, TECHNICAL VALUATION, PURIFI-
^ CATION, AND USE OF COAL GAS :
By Rev. W. R. Bowditch. Illustrated with wood engrav- ings. 8vo. . . . . . . , , $G,50
"DOX.— PRACTICAL HYDRAULICS :
A Series of Piules and Tables for the use of Engineers, etc. By TnoMAS Box. 12mo. $2 00
■nUCKMASTER.— THE ELEMENTS OF MECHANICAL PHYSICS : By J. C. BucKMASTER, late Student in the Government School of Mines ; Certified Teacher of Science by the Department of Science and Art ; Examiner in Chemistry and Physics in the Royal College of Preceptors ; and late Lecturer in Chemistry and Physics of the Royal Polytechnic Institute. Illustrated with numerous engravings. In one vol. 12mo. . $2 00
pULLOCK.— THE AMERICAN COTTAGE BUILDER :
A Series of Designs, Plans, and Specifications, from $200 to to $20,000 for Homes for the People ; together with Warm- ing, Ventilation, Drainage, Painting, and Landscape Garden- ing. By John Bullock, Architect, Civil Engineer, Mechani- cian, and Editor of "The Rudiments of Architecture and Building," etc. Illustrated by 75 engravings. In one vol. 8vo $3 50
HENRY CAKEY BATRB'S CATALOaTTl!.
B
■ffLLOCX. — THE aUDIMElTTS 0? AKCHITECTUSE AND BUIL3IKG:
For the use of Architects, Builders, Draughtsmen, Machin- ists, Engineers, and Mechanics. Edited by John Bullock, author of "The American Cottage Builder." Illustrated by 250 engravings. In one volume 8vo. . . . $3 60
■pUaGH.— PHACTICAL ILLUSTEATIONS OF LAND AND MA-
^ KINS ENGINES :
Showing in detail the Modern Improvements of High and Low Pressure, Surface Condensation, and Super-heating, together ■with Land and Marine Boilers. By N. P. Burgh, Engineer. Illustrated by twenty plates, double elephant folio, -with text.
$21 00
•pUIlGH,— PEACTICAL RULES FOR THE PROPORTIONS OF
^ MODERN ENGINES AND BOILERS FOR LAND AND MA- EINS PURPOSES. By N. P. BuKGii, Engineer. 12mo. . . . $2 00
■pURGH.— THE SLIDE-VALVE PRACTICALLY CONSIDERED : By N. P. BuBGiT, author of ■" A Treatise on Sugar Machineiy," "Practical Illustrations of Land and Marine Engines," "A Pocket-Book of Practical Rules for Designing Land and Ma- rine Engines, Boilers," etc. etc. etc. Completely illustrated. 12mo $2 00
■pYRIT.— THE COMPLETE PRACTICAL BREWER :
Or, Plain, Accurate, and Thorough Instructions in the Art of Brewing Beer, Ale, Porter, including the Process of making Bavarian Beer, all the Small Beers, such as Root-beer, Ginger- pop, Sarsaparilla-beer, Mead, Spruce beer, etc. etc. Adapted to the use of Public Brewers and Private Families. By M. La Fayettb Byrn, M. D. With illustrations. 12mo. $1 25
■p YEN.— THE COMPLETE PRACTICAL DISTILLER :
Comprising the most perfect and exact Theoretical and Prac- tical Description of the Art of Distillation and Rectification ; including all of the most recent improvements in distilling apparatus; instructions for preparing spirits from the nume- rous vegetables, fruits, etc. ; directions for the distillation and preparation of all kinds of brandies and other spirits, spiritu- ous and other compounds, etc. etc. ; all of which is so simpli- fied that it is adapted not only to the use of extensive distil- lers, but for every farmer, or others who may wish to engage in the art of distilling By M. La Fayette Bykn, M. D. With numerous engravings. In one volume, 12mo. $1 50
HENRY CAllEY BATRD'S CATALOGUE.
■pYRNE.— POCKET BOOK FOB, RAILROAD AND CIVIL ENGl- ■^ NEERS :
Containing New, Exaot, and Concise Methods for Laying out Railroad Curves, Switches, Frog Angles and Crossings; the Staking out of work; Levelling; the Calculation of Cut- tings ; Embankments ; Earth-work, etc. By Oliver Btrne. Illustrated, I8ino., full bound . . . . . $1 50
TDYRNE.— THE HANDBOOK FOR THE ARTISAN, MECHANIC,
•" AND ENGINEER :
By Oliver Byrne. Illustrated by 11 large plates and 185 Wood Engravings. 8vo. , . . . . . $5 GO
■DYRNE.— THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL ME- ■^ CHANICS :
For Engineering Students, based on the Principle of Work. By Oliver Byrne. Illustrated by Numerous Wood Engrav- ings, 12mo. . . . . . . . . $3 63
■pYRNE.— THE PRACTICAL METAL-WORKER'S ASSISTANT : Comprising Metallurgic Chemistry ; the Arts of Working all Metals and Alloys ; Forging of Iron and Steel ; Hardening and Tempering ; Melting and Mixing ; Casting and Founding ; Works in Sheet Metal ; the Processes Dependent on the Ductility of the Metals ; Soldering ; and the most Improved Processes and Tools employed by Metal-Workers. With the Application of the Art of Electro-Metallurgy to Manufactu- ring Processes ; collected from Original Sources, and from the AVorks of Holtzapflfel, Bergeron, Leupold, Plumier, Napier, and others. By Oliver Byrne. A New, Revised, and improved Edition, with Additions by John Scoffern, M. B , William Clay, Wm. Fairbairn, F. R. S., and James Napier. With Five Hun- dred and Ninety-two Engravings ; Illustrating every Branch of the Subject. In one volume, Bvo. 652 pages . $7 00
■pYRNE.— THE PRACTICAL MODEL CALCULATOR:
For the Engineer, Mechanic, Manufacturer of Engine Work, Naval Architect, Miner, and Millwright. By Oliver Byrne. 1 volume, 8vo., nearly 600 pages . . . . $4 50
n.\BINET MAKER'S ALBUM OF FURNITURE:
Comprising a Collection of Designs for the Newest and Most Elegant Styles of Furniture. Illustrated by Forty eight Largo and Beautifully Engraved Plates. In one volume, oblong
$5 00
IIEXKY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
HALVEET.— LECTUEES 0¥ COAL-TAS C0L0S3, A2TD Oil EE- • ^ CENT IMPSOVEIdENTS AND PEOGEESS III DYSINCr AND CALICO PEIKTING:
Embodying Copious Notes taken at the last London Interna- tional Exhibition, and Illustrated with Numerous Patterns of Aniline and other Colors. By F. Gkace Calvert, F. R. S., F. C. S., Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution, Man- chester, Corresponding Member of the Pioyal Academies of Turin and Rouen; of the Pharmaceutical Society of Paris; Soci^te Industrielle de Mulhouse, etc. In one volume, 8vo., cloth .... . . . . . $1 50
nAMPIH.— A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON MECHANICAL EN- ^ GINEEP.ING: '
Comprising Metallurgy, Moulding, Casting, Forging, Tools, Workshop Machinery, Mechanical Manipulation, Manufacture of Steam-engines, etc. etc. "With an Appendix on the Ana- lysis of Iron and Iron Oi-es. By Francis Campin, C. E. To "which are added. Observations on the Construction of Steam Boilers, and Remarks upon Furnaces used for Smoke Preven- tion ; -with a Chapter on Explosions. By R. Armstrong, C. E., and John Bourne. Rules for Calculating the Change Wheels for Screws on a Turning Lathe, and for a Wheel-cutting Machine. By J. La Nicca. Management of Steel, including Forging, Hardening, Tempering, Annealing, Shrinking, and Expansion. And the Case-hardening of Iron. By G. Ede. 8vo. Illustrated with 29 plates and 100 wood engravings.
^6 00
nAI€?IN.-~TIIS PRACTICE OF HAND-TURNING IN WOOD,
^ lYORY, SHELL, ETC. :
With Instructions for Turning such works in Metal as may be required in the Practice of Turning AVood, Ivory, etc. Also, an Appendix on Ornamental Turning. By Francis Campin ; with Numerous Illustrations, 12mo., cloth . . $3 00
ni\PEON DE DOLE— DUSSATJCE.— BLUES AND CARMINES OF
^ INDIGO.
A Practical Treatise on the Fabrication of every Commercial Product derived from Indigo. By Felicien Capron de Dole. Translated, with important additions, by Professor H. Dus- sauce. 12mo. . . . . . . . $2 <J0
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
nAREY.— THE WORKS OF HENRY C. CAREY :
CONTRACTION OR EXPANSION? REPUDIATION OR RE- SUMPTION? Letters to Hon. Hugh McCulloch. 8vo. 38
FINANCIAL CRISES, their Causes and Effects. 8vo. paper
25
HARMONY OF INTERESTS; Agricultural, Manufacturing,
and Commercial. 8vo., paper . . . . . $1 00
Do. do. cloth . . . $1 50
LETTERS TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Paper $1 00
MANUAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE. Condensed from Carey's "Principles of Social Science." By Kate McKean. 1 vol. 12mo ^2 25
MISCELLANEOUS WORKS: comprising "Harmony of Inter- ests," "Money," "Letters to the President," "French and American Tariffs," "Financial Crises," "The Way to Outdo England Trithout Fighting Her," "Resources of the Union," "The Public Debt," "Contraction or Expansion," "Review of the Decade 1857 — 'G7," "Reconstruction," etc. etc. 1 vol. 8vo., cloth $4 50
MONEY: A LECTURE before the N. Y. Geographical and Sta- tistical Society. 8vo., paper ..... 25
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 8vo. . . . $2 50
PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL SCIENCE. 3 volumes 8vo., cloth
$10 00
REVIEW OF THE DECADE 1857— '67. 8vo., paper 38
RECONSTRUCTION: INDUSTRIAL, FINANCIAL, AND PO- LITICAL. Letters to the Hon. Henry Wilson, U. S. S. 8vo. paper ....'.. . . 38
THE PUBLIC DEBT, LOCAL AND NATIONAL. How to provide for its discharge while lessening the burden of Taxa- tion. Letter to David A. Wells, Esq., U. S. Revenue Commis- sion. 8vo., paper ....... 25
THE RESOURCES OF THE UNION. A Lecture read, Dec. 1865, before the American Geographical and Statistical So- ciety, N. Y., and before the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Social Science, Boston . . . 25
THE SLAVE TRADE, DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN; Why it Exists, and How it may be Extinguished. 12mo., cloth $150
8 HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
THE WAY TO OUTDO ENGLAND WITHOUT FIGHTING HER. Letters to the Hon. Schuyler Colfax. 8vo., paper 75
riAMUS.— A TEEATISS ON THE TEETH OF WHEELS:
Demonstrating the best forms which can be given to them for the purposes of Machinery, such as Mill-work .and Clo'-.k-work. Trans- Lited from the French of M. Camus. By Jchn I. Hawkins. Illustrated by 40 plates. 8vo. $3 00
niQUGH.— THE CONTEACTOE'S MANUAL AND BUILDER'S ^ PRICE-BOOK :
Designed to elucidate the method of ascertaining, correctly, the value and Quantity of every description of Work and Ma- terials used in the Art of Building, from their Prime Cost in any part of the United States, collected from extensive expe- rience and observation in Building and Designing; to which are added a large variety of Tables, Memoranda, etc., indis- pensable to all engaged or concerned in erecting buildings of any kind. By A. B. Clough, Architect, 24mo., cloth 75
nOLBURN.— THE GAS-WORKS OF LONDON:
Comprising a sketch of the Gas-works of the city, Process of Manufacture, Quantity Produced, Cost, Profit, etc. By Zerah CoLBURN. 8vo., cloth 75
nOLBURN.— THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE:
Including a Description of its Structure, Rules for Estimat- ing its Capabilities, and Practical Observations on its Construc- tion and Management. By Zerah Colburn. Illustrated. A new edition. 12mo. $1 25
nOLBURN AND MAW.— THE WATER-V/ORKS OF LONDON : Together with a Series of Articles on various otiier Water- works. By Zerah Colbwrn and W. Maw. Reprinted from "Engineering." In one volume, 8vo. . . $1 00
■HAGUERREOTYPIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER'S COMPANION:
^ 12mo., cloth $1 25
TJUPLAIS,— A COMPLETE TREATISE ON" THE DISTILLATION ^ AND PREPARATION OF ALCOHOLIC AND OTHER LIQ-
UORS:
From the French of M. Duplais. Translated and Edited by M.
McKennie, M. D, Illustrated, 8vo. {I/t. jiress-)
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
■HESSOYE— STEEL, ITS MANUFACTURE, PSOPEETISS, AKD
■*-' USE.
By J. B'. J. Dessote, Manufacturer of Steel; •with an Intro- duction and Notes by Ed. Graten, Engineer of Mines. Translated from the French. In one volume, 12mo. (In press.)
■niKCKS.— PEKPETUAL MOTION :
Or Search for Self-Motive Power during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Illustrated from various authentic sources in Papers, Essays, Letters, Paragraphs, and numerous Patent Specifications, with an Introductory Essay by Henry Dircks, C. E. Illustrated by numerous engravings of machines. 12mo., cloth ^3 50
■niXON.— THE PSACTICAL MILLWRIGHT'S AND ENGINEER'S ■^ GUIDE :
Or Tables for Finding the Diameter and Power of Cogwheels ; Diameter, Weight, and Power of Shafts ; Diameter and Strength of Bolts, etc. etc. By Thobias Dixon. 12mo., cloth. $1 50
■nUNC AN.— PRACTICAL SURVEYOR'S GUIDE:
Containing the necessary information to make any person, of common capacity, a finished land surveyor without the aid of a teacher. By Andrew Duncan. Illustrated. 12mo., cloth.
$1 25 •nUSSAUCE.— A NEW AND COMPLETE TREATISE ON THE ■^ ARTS OF TANNING, CURRYING, AND LEATHER DRESS- ING:
Comprising all the Discoveries and Improvements made in France, Great Britain, and the United States. Edited from Notes and Documents of Messrs. Sallerou, Grouvelle, Duval, Dessables, Labarraque, Payen, Ren6, De Fontenelle, Mala- peyre, etc. etc. By Prof. H. Dussauce, Chemist. Illustrated by 212 wood engravings. 8vo $10 00
TJUSSAUCE.— A GENERAL TREATISE ON THE MANUFACTURE •'-' OF EVERY DESCRIPTION OF SOAP :
Comprising the Chemistry of the Art, with Remarks on Alka- lies, Saponifiable Fatty Bodies, the apparatus necessary in a Soap Factory, Practical Instructions on the manufacture of the various kinds of Soap, the assay of Soaps, etc. etc. Edited from notes of Larme, Fontenelle, Malapeyre, Dufour, and others, with large and important additions by Professor H.
Dussauce, Chemist. Illustrated. In one volume, Svo.
$10 Oli
10 HE^^RY CARET BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
"nUSSAUCE.— A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOE THE PERFUMER :
Being a New Treatise on Perfumery the most favorable to the Beauty without being injurious to the Health, comprising a Description of the substances used in Perfumery, the Form- ula of more than one thousand Preparations, such as Cosme- tics, Perfumed Oils, Tooth Powders, Waters, Extracts, Tinc- tures, Infusions, Vinaigres, Essential Oils, Pastels, Creams, Soaps, and many new Hygienic Products not hitherto described. Edited from Notes and Documents of Messrs. Debay, Lunel, etc. Withadditions by Professor H. DussArcE, Chemist. 12mo. press, shortly to be issued.) $3 00
•nUSSAUCE.— PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE FABRICATION •^ OF MATCHES, GUN COTTON, AND FULMINATING POW- DERS.
By Professor H. Dussauce. 12mo. . . . $3 00
•nUSSAUCE.— A GENERAL TREATISE ON THE MANUFACTURE ■^ OF VINEGAR, THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL.
•Comprising the various methods, by the slow and the quick pro- cesses, with Alcohol, Wine, Grain, Cider, and Molasses, as well as the Fabrication of Wood Vinegar, etc. By Prof. H. Dossauce. i2mo. (In press.)
D
E GRAFF. -THE GEOMETRICAL STAIR-BUILDERS' GUIDE : Being a Plain Practical System of Hand-Railing, embracing all its necessary Details, and Geometrically Illustrated by 22 Steel Engravings : together with the use of the most approved princi- ples of Practical Geometry. By Simon De Graff, Architect. 4to. $5 00
■HYER Ai^D COLOS-MAXER'S COMPANION :
Containing upwards of two hundred Receipts for making Co- lors, on the most approved principles, for all the various styles and fabrics now in existence ; with the Scouring Process, and plain Directions for Preparing, Washing-oflF, and Finishing the Goods. In one vol. 12mo $1 25
pASTON.— A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON STREET OR HORSE-
•'-' POWER RAILWAYS :
Their Location, Construction, and Management ; with General Plans and Rules for their Organization and Operation ; toge- ther with Examinations as to their Comparative Advantages over the Omnibus System, and Inquiries as to their Value for Investment ; including Copies of Municipal Ordinances relat- ing thereto. By Alexander Easton, C. E. Illustrated by 23 plates, 8vo., cloth . . . . . , . $2 00
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 11
pOESYTH.— BOOK OF DSSIGNS FOR HEAD-STONES, MURAL, *■ AND OTHER MONUMENTS :
Containing 78 Elaborate and Exquisite Designs. By Foksyth.
4to. (Inpress)
pAIRBAIRN.— THE PRINCIPLES OF MECHANISM AND MA-
^ CHINERY OF TRANSMISSION :
Comprising the Principles of Mechanism, Wheels, and Pulleys, Strength and Proportions of Shafts, Couplings of Shafts, and Engaging and Disengaging Gear. By William Fairbaikn, Esq., C. E., LL. D., F. R. S., F. G. S., Corresponding Member of the National Institute of France, and of the Royal Academy of Turin ; Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, etc. etc. Beau- tifully illustrated by over 150 wood-cuts. In one Tolume*12mo.
$2 50
pAIRBAIRN.— PRIME-MOVERS :
Comprising the Accumulation of Water-power; the Construc- tion of Water-wheels and Turbines ; the Properties of Steam ; the Varieties of Steam-engines and Boilers and Wind-mills. By William Faireairn, C. E , LL. U., F. R. S., F. G. S. Au- thor of "Principles of Mechanism and the Machinery of Trans- mission." With Numerous Illustratiofas. In one volume. (In press.)
pLAMM.— A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ^ ECONOMICAL HEATING APPLICATIONS FOR SOLID AND GASEOUS FUELS :
With the Application of Concentrated Heat, and on Waste Heat, for the Use of Engineers, Architects, Stove and Furnace Makers, Manufacturers of Fire Brick, Zinc, Porcelain, Glass, Earthenware, Steel, Chemical Products,' Sugar Refiners, Me- tallurgists, and all others employing Heat. By M. Pierre Flamm, Manufacturer. Illustrated. Translated from the French. One volume, 12mo. (In press.)
niLBART.— A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON BANKING:
By James William Gilbart. To which is added: The Na- tional Bank Act as now (1868) in force. 8vo. $4 50
12 HENET CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
n OTHIC ALBUM FOE CABINET MAKERS :
Comprising a Collection of Designs for Gothic Furniture. Il- lustrated by twenty-three large and beautifully engraved plates. Oblong $3 00
G
G
EANT.— BEET-ROOT SUGAR AND CULTIVATION OF THE BEET: By E. B. Grant. 12mo §1 25
mEGORY.— MATHEMATICS FOR PRACTICAL MEN :
Adapted to the Pursuits of Surveyors, Architects, Mechanics, and Civil Engineers. By Olinthus Gregory. 8vo., plates, cloth ^3 00
RISWOLD.— RAILROAD ENGINEER'S POCKET COMPANION.
Comprising Rules for Calculating Deflection Distances and Angles, Tangential Distances and Angles, and all Necessary Tables for Engineers ; also the art of Levelling from Prelimi- nary Survey to the Construction of Railroads, intended Ex- pressly for the Young Engineer, together with Numerous Valu- able Rules and Examples. By W. Griswold. 12mo., tucks.
$1 50
pUETTIER.— METALLIC ALLOYS:
Being a Practical Guide to their Chemical and Physical Pro- perties, their Preparation, Composition, and Uses. Translated from the French of A. Guettiee, Engineer and Director of Founderies, author of " La Fouderie en France," etc. etc. By A. A. Fesquet, Chemist and Engineer. In one volume, 12mo. (In press, shortly to be published.)
TTATS AND FELTING:
A Practical Treatise on their Manufacture. By a Practical Hatter. Illustrated by Drawings of Machinery, &c., 8vo.
•jTAY.— THE INTERIOR DECORATOR :
The Laws of Harmonious Coloring adapted to Interior Decora- tions : with a Practical Treatise on House-Painting. By D. R. Hay, House-Painter and Decorator. Illustrated by a Dia- gram of the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors. 12mo.
$2 25
TTUGHES.— AMERICAN MILLER AND MILLWRIGHT'S AS-
^ SISTANT :
By Wm. Carter Hughes. A new edition. In one volume, 12mo. .... . . . . I$i &U
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 13
ITUNT.— THE PRACTICE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
By Robert Hunt, Vice-President of the Photographic Society, London, with numerous illustrations. 12mo., cloth . 75
TTTTRST.— A HAND-BOOK FOR ARCHITECTURAL SURVEYORS :
Comprising Formulas useful in Designing Builder's work, Table of Weights, of the materials used in Building, Memoranda connected with Builders' work. Mensuration, the Practice of Builders' Measurement, Contracts of Labor, Valuation of Pro- perty, Summary of the Practice in Dilapidation, etc. etc. By J. F. Hurst, C. E. 2d edition, pocket-book form, full bound
$2 50 TERVIS.— RAILWAY PROPERTY :
A Treatise on the Construction and Management of Railways ; designed to afford useful knowledge, in the popular style, to the holders of this class of property ; as well as Railway Mana- gers, Officers, and Agents. By John B. Jervis, late Chief Engineer of the Hudson River Railroad, Croton Aqueduct, &c. One vol. 12mo., cloth $2 00
JOHNSON.— A REPORT TO THE NAVY DEPARTMENT OF THE
" UNITED STATES ON AMERICAN COALS :
Applicable to Steam Navigation and to other purposes. By Walter R. Johnson. With numerous illustrations. 607 pp. 8 vo., half morocco f 6 00
TOHNSOK.— THE COAL TRADE OF BRITISH AMERICA :
With Researches on the Characters and Practical Values of American and Foreign Coals. By Walter R. Johnson, Civil and Mining Engineer and Chemist. 8vo. . . . $2 00
JOHNSTON.— INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOILS, " LIMESTONES, AND MANURES.
By J. W. F. Johnston. 12mo 38
TT-EENE.—A HAND-BOOK OF PRACTICAL GAUGING,
For the Use of Beginners, to which is added A Chapter on Dis- tillation, describing the process in operation at the Custom House for ascertaining the strength of wines. By James B. Keene, of H. M. Customs. 8vo. . . . ■ . $1 25
jT-ENTISH,- A TREATISE ON A BOX OF INSTRUMENTS,
And the Slide Rule ; with the Theory of Trigonometry and Lo- garithms, including Practical Geometry, Surveying, Measur- ing of Timber, Cask and Malt Gauging, Heights, and Distances. By Thomas Kentish. In one volume. 12mo. . $1 25
14 HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
irOBELL.—EKl^I,— MINERALOGY SIMPLIFIED :
A short method of Determining and Classifying Minerals, by means of simple Chemical Experiments in the Wet Way. Translated from the last German Edition of F. Von Kobell, with an Introduction to Blowpipe Analysis and other addi- tions. By Henei Ernt, M. D., Chief Chemist, Department of Agriculture, author of " Coal Oil and Petroleum." In one volume, 12mo. $2 50
T AFFIITETIIl — A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HYDRAULICS FOR •^ TOWN AND COUNTRY;
Or a Complete Treatise on the Building of Conduits for Water for Cities, Towns, Farms, Country Residences, Workshops, etc. Comprising the means necessary for obtaining at all times abundant supplies of Drinkable Water. Translated from the French of M. Jules Laffineur, C. E. Illustrated. (In press.)
T AFFINEUR.— A TREATISE ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF WA- ■'-' TER- WHEELS :
Containing the various Systems in use with Practical Informa- tion on the Dimensions necessary for Shafts, Journals, Arms, etc., of Water-wheels, etc. etc. Translated from the French of M. Jules Laffineuk, C. E. Illustrated by numerous plates. (In press.)
T ANDRIN.— A TREATISE ON STEEL:
Comprising the Theory, Metallurgy, Practical Working, Pro- perties, and Use. Translated from the French of H. C. Lan- DRiN, Jr., C. E. By A. A. Fesquet, Chemist and Engineer. Illustrated. 12mo. $3 OO
T ARKIN.— THE PRACTICAL BRASS AND IRON FOUNDER'S ■^ GUIDE :
A Concise Treatise on Brass Founding, Moulding, the Metala and their Alloys, etc. ; to which are added Recent Improve- ments in the Manufacture of Iron, Steel by the Bessemer Pro- cess, etc. etc. By James Laekin, late Conductor of the Brass Foundry Department in Reany, Neafie & Co.'s Penn Works, Philadelphia. Fifth edition, revised, with Extensive addi- tions. In one volume, 12mo. ..... . . $2 25
HENRY CAREY BATRD'S CATALOGUE. 15
T EAVITT.— FACTS ABOUT PEAT AS AN AETICLE OF FUELi
V/ith Remarks upon its Origin and Composition, the Localities m -which it is found, the Methods of Preparation and Manu- facture, and the various Uses to which it is applicable ; toge- ther with many other matters of Practical and Scientific Inte- rest. To which is added a chapter on the Utilization of Coal Dust with Peat for the Production of an Excellent Fuel at Moderate Cost, especially adapted for Steam Service. By H. T. Leavitt. Third edition. 12mo. . . . $1 75
TEaOUX— A PRACTICAL TEEATI3E QUI THE MANUFAC-
^ TURK OF WJjJSIEDd AisD CA.iiDED YAEFS :
Translated from the French of Charles Leuoux, Mechanical Engineer, and Superintendent of a Spinning Mill. By Dr, H. Paine, and A. A. Fesqdet. Illustrated by 12 hirge plates . In one volume 8vo. . . . . . . . . $5 00
TESLIE (MISS).— COMPLETE COOKERY:
Directions for Cookery in its Various Branches. By Miss Leslie. 58th thousand. Thoroughly revised, with the addi- tion of New Receipts. In 1 vol. 12mo., cloth . , $1 25
T ESLIE (MISS). LADIES' HOUSE BOOK :
a Manual of Domestic Economy. 20th revised edition. 12mo., cloth $1 25
TESLIE (MISS).— TWO HUNDRED RECEIPTS IN FRENCH •^ COOKERY.
12mo 50
T lEBER.— ASSAYER'S GUIDE :
Or, Practical. Directions to Assayers, Mir.ers, and Smelters, for the Tests and Assays, by Heat and by Wet Processes, for the Ores of all the principal Metals, of Gold and Silver Coins and Alloys, and of Coal, etc. By Oscar M. Lieber. 12mo., cloth
$1 25
T OVE.— THE ART OF DYEING, CLEANING, SCOURING, AND
•^ FINISHING :
On the most approved English and French methods; being Practical Instructions in Dyeing Silks, Woollens, and Cottons, Feathers, Chips, Straw, etc.; Scouring and Cleaning Bed and Window Curtains, Carpets, Rugs, etc.; French and Eng-lish Cleaning, etc. By Thomas Love. Second American EJition, to which are added General Instructions for the Use of Aniline Colors. 8vo 5 »0
16 HENRY CAHEY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
•lyrnN and brdw.^.— questions on subjects connected
iV-l- with the marine STEAM-ENGINE :
And Examinatioa Papers ; with Hints for their Solution. By Thomas J. Main, Professor of Mathematics, Iloyal Naval Col- lege, and TuoMAS Brown, Chief Engineer, R. N. 12mo., cloth
$1 50
-jyTAIN ANDBEOWN— THE INDICATOR AND DYNAMOMETER; With their Practical Applications to the Steam-Engine. By Thomas J. Main, M. A. F. R., Ass't Prof. Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, and Thomas Bkown, Assoc. Inst. C. E., Chief En- gineer, R. N., attached to the R. N. College. Illustrated. From the Fourth London Edition. 8vo. . . . $1 50
TUTAIN AND BROWN— THE MARINE STEAM-ENGINE. ■"■^ By Thomas J. Main, F. R. Ass't S. Mathematical Professor at Pioyal Naval College, and Thomas Brown, Assoc. lust. C. E. Chief Engineer, R. N. Attached to the Royal Naval College. /#athors of " Questions connected with the Marine Steam-En- gine," and the "Indicator and Dynamometer." With nume- rous Illustrations. In one volume, 8vo. . . . $5 00 MORTIMER.— THE PYROTECHNIST'S COMPANION: Or, a Familictr System of Recreative Fireworks. By G. W. MoRTiMEK. Illustrated ]2mo. . . . • . $1 25
Contents. — Introduction. Of Gunpowder, Materials, Appara- tus, Division of Fireworks, Single Fireworks, Rockets, Tables of Various Compositions, Compound Fireworks.
MARTIN — SCEEW-CUTTING TABLES, FOR THE USE OF ME- CHANICAL ENGINEERS :
Showing the Proper Arrangement of Wheels for Cutting the Threads of Screws of any required Pitch ; with a Table for Making the Universal Gas-Pipe Thread and Taps. By W. A. Martin, Engineer. 8vo. 50
MILES.— A PLAIN TREATISE ON HORSE-SHOEING. With illustrations. By William Miles, author of "The Horse's Foot," $1 00
M3LESW0RTH. POCKET-BOOK OF USEFUL FORMULA AND MEMORANDA FOR CIVIL AND MECHANICAL ENGI- NEERS.
By Guilford L. Molesworth, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Chief Resident Engineer of the Ceylon Rail- way. Second American, from the Tenth London Edition. In one volume, full bound in pocket-book form . . $2 00
HENRY CAr.EY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 17
M
Don's.— THE INVENTOR'S GUIDE:
Patent Office and Patent Laws ; or, a Guide to Inventors, and a Book of Reference for Judges, Lawyers, Magistrates, and others. By J. G. Moore. 12mo., cloth . . $1 25
lyjAPIER.— A SYSTEM OF CHEMISTRY APPLIED TO DYEING:
^ By James Napier, F. C S. A New and Thoroughly Revised Edition, completely brought up to the present state of the Science, including the Chemistry of Coal Tar Colors. By A. A. Fesquet, Chemist and Engineer. With an Appendi.x; on Dyeing and Calico Printing, as shown at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1867, from the Reports of the International Jury, etc Illus- trated. In one volume 8vo., 400 pages . . . . $5 06
TO-APIER.— A MANUAL OF DYEING RECEIPTS FOR GENERAL
^^ USE.
By J.\MES Napier, F. C S. Wlih Numerous Tatterns of Diied Cloth and Silk. Second edition, revised and enlarged. 12 mo.
$) 75
|n"APIER.— MANUAL OF ELECTRO-METALLURGY:
Including the Application of the Art to Manufacturing Pro- cesses. By James Napiek. Fourth American, from the Fourth London edition, revised and enlarged. Illustrated by engravings. In one volume, 8vo. . . . . $2 00
■VTEWBERY. — GLEANINGS FROM ORNAMENTAL ART OF
•^^ EVERY STYLE;
Drawu from Examples in the British, South Kensington, In- dian, Crystal Palace, and other Museums, the Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862, and the best English and Foreign works. In a series of one hundred exquisitely drawn Plates, containing many hundred examples. By Robert Newbert. 4to. $15 00
"VriCHOLSON.— .\ MANUAL OF THE ART OF BOOK-BINDING :
Containing full instructions in the different Branches of For- warding, Gilding, and Finishing. Also, the Art of Marbling Book-edges and Paper. By James B. Nicholson. Illus- trated. 12mo., cloth $2 25
■jyJORRIS.— A HAND-BOOKFOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND ■^^ MACHINISTS :
Comprising the Proportions and Calculations for Constructing Locomotives ; Manner of Setting Valves ; Tables of Squares, Cubes, Areas, etc. etc. By Septimus Norris, Civil and Me- chanical Engineer. New edition. Illustrated, 12mo., cloth
$1 00
IR HENRY CAKEY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
W
0
YSTEOM. — ON TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND THE CONSTKUCTION OF SHIPS AND SCSEW PHOPELLERS :
For Naval and Marine Engineers. By John W. Nystrom, lato Acting Chief Engineer U. S. N. Second edition, revised with additional matter. Illustrated by seven engravings. 12mo.
$2 50 NEILL.— A DICTIONARY OF DYEING AND CALICO PRINT- ING;
Containing a brief account of all the Substances and Processes in use in the Art of Dyeing and Printing Textile Fabrics : with Prac- tical Receipts and Scientific Information. By Charles O'Neill, Analytical Chemist ; Fellow of the Chemical Society of London ; Member of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester ; Author of "Chemistry of Calico Printing and Dyeing." To which is added An Essay on CoalTar Colors and their Application to Dyeing and Calico Printing. By A. A. Fesquet, Chemist and Engineer. With an Appendix on Dyeing and Calico Printing, an shown at the Exposition of 1867, from the Reports of the Inter- nationalJury, etc. In one volume 8vo., 491 pages. . $6 00
QVSRMAN— OSBOEN.— TEE MANUFACTURE OF IRON IN ALL
^ ITS BRANCHES :
Including a Practical Description of the various Fuels and their Values, the Nature, Determination and Preparation of the Ore, the Erection and Management of Blast and other Fur- naces, the characteristic results of Worliing by Charcoal, Coke, or Anthracite, the Conversion of the Crude into the va- rious kinds of Wrought Iron, and the Methods adapted to this end. Also, a Description of Forge Hammers, Rolling Mills, Blast Engines, &c. &c. To which is added an Essay on the Manufacture of Steel. By Frederick Overman, Mining En- gineer. The whole thoroughly revised and enlarged, adapted to the latest Improvements and Discoveries, and the particular type of American Methods of Manufacture. With various new engravings illustrating the whole subject. By H. S. Os- BORN, LL. D. Professor of Mining and Metallurgy in Lafay- ette College. In one volume, 8vo. $10 00
piINTER, GILDER, AND VARNISHER'S COMPANION :
Containing Rules and Regulations in everything relating to the Arts of Painting, Gilding, Varnishing, and Glass Staining, with numerous useful and valuable Receipts; Tests for the Detection of Adulterations in Oils and Colors, and a statement of the Diseases and Accidents to which Painters, Gilders, and
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 19
Varnishers are particularly liable, with the simplest methods of Prevention and Remedy. With Directions for Graining. Marbling, Sign Writing, and Gilding on Glass. To which are added Complete Instructions for Coach Painting and Var- nishing. 12mo., cloth . . ... $1 50
pALLETT.— THE MILLER'S, MILLWRIGHT'S, AND ENGI- ■^ NEER'S GUIDE.
By Henry Pallett. Illustrated. In one vol. 12mo. $8 00 pSRKINS.— GAS AND VENTILATION.
Practical Treatise on Gas and Ventilation. With Special Re- lation to Illuminating, Heating, and Cooking by Gas. Includ- ing Scientific Helps to Engineer-students and others. With illustrated Diagrams. By E. E. Perkins. 12mo., cloth $1 25
pERKINS AND STOWE.— A NEW GUIDE TO THE SEEET- •^ IRON AND BOILER PLATE ROLLER :
Containing a Series of Tables showing the Weight of Slabs and Piles to Produce Boiler Plates, and of the Weight of Piles and the Sizes of Bars to produce Sheet-iron; the Thickness of the Bar Gauge in Decimals ; the Weight per foot, and the Thick- ness on the Bar or Wire Gauge of the fractional parts of an inch; the Weight per sheet, and the Thickness on the Wii-e Gauge of Sheet- iron of various dimensions to weigh 112 lbs. per bundle ; and the conversion of Short Weight into Long Weight, and Long Weight into Short. Estimated and collected by G. H. Perkins and J. G. Stowe . . , . $2 50
p:iILLIPS AND DARLINGTON— RECORDS OF MINING AND
^ METALLURGY :
Or Facts and Memoranda for the use of the Mine Agent and Smelter. By J. Arthor Phillips, Mining Engineer, Graduate of the Imperial School of Mines, France, etc., and John Dar- lington. Illustrated by numerous engravings. In one vol- ume, 12mo $2 00
pSADAL, MALEPEYRE, AND DUSSAUCE. — A COMPLETE
^ TREATISE ON PERFUMERY :
Containing notices of the Raw Material used in the Art, and the Best Formulte. According to the most approved Methods fol- lowed in France, England, and the United States. By M. P, Pradal, Perfumer Chemist, and M. F. Malepeyrb. Trans- lated from the French, with extensive additions, by Professor IT. DussAUCE. 8vo . $10 00
20 HENRY CAE.EY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
pHOTEAUX— PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR THE MANUFACTURE ^ OF PAPER AND BOARDS.
By A. Proteaux, Civil Engineei", and Graduate of the School of Arts and A[anufactures, Director of Thiers's Paper Mill, 'Puy-de-D6me. With additions, by L. S. Le Normand. Translated from the French, with Notes, by Horatio Paine, A. B., M. D. To which is added a Chapter on the Manufac- ture of Paper from Wood in the United States, by Henry T. Brown, of the "American Artisan." Illustrated by six plates, containing Drawings of Raw Materials, Machinery, Plans of Paper-Mills, etc. etc. 8vo $5 00
•DEGNAULT.— ELEMENTS OF CHEMISTRY.
By M. V. Regnault. Translated from the French by T. Forrest Betton, jM.D., and edited, with notes, by James C. Booth, Melter and Refiner U. S. Mint, and Wm. L. Faber, Metallurgist and Mining Engineer. Illustrated by nearly 700 wood engravings. Comprising nearly 1500 pages. In two volumes, 8vo., cloth $10 00
TJEID.— A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE MANUFACTURE O?
•^ PORTLAND CEMENT;
By IIenrv Reid, C. E. To which is added a Translation of M. A Lipiwitz's Work, describing a new method adopted in Germany of Manufacturing that Cement. By W. F. Reid. Illustrated by plates and wood engravings. 8vo $7 00
OHUNK— A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON RAILWAY CURVES '^ -AND LOCATION, FOR YOUNG ENGINEERS.
By Wm. F. Shunk, Civil Engineer. 12mo. . . $1 50
OMEATON— BUILDER'S POCKET COMPANION:
Containing the Elements of Building, Surveying, and Archi- tecture; with Practical Rules and Instructions connected with the subject. By A. C. Sjieaton, Civil Engineer, etc. In one volume, 12mo $1 50
OMITH— THE DYER'S INSTRUCTOR:
Comprising Practical Instructions in the Art of Dyeing Silk, Cotton, Wool, and Worsted, and Woollen Goods: containing nearly 800 Receipts. To which is added a Treatise on the Art of Padding ; and the Printing of Silk Warps, Skeids, and Handkerchiefs, and the various Mordants and Colors for the different styles of such work. By David Smith, Pattern Dyer. 12mo., cloth. $3 00
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 21
OMITH.— PARKS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS :
Or Practical Notes on Country Residences, Villas, Public Parks, and Gardens. By Charles H. J. Smith, Landscape Gardener and Garden Architect, etc. etc. 12mo. . $2 25
OTOKES.— CABINET-MAKER'S AND UPHOLSTERER'S COMPA- *^ NION :
Comprising the Rudiments and Principles of Cabinet-making and Upholstery, with Familiar Instructions, Illustrated by Ex- amples for attaining a Proficiency in the Art of Drawing, as applicable to Cabinet-work ; The Processes of Veneering, In- laying, and Buhl-work ; the Art of Dyeing and Staining Wood, Bone, Tortoise Shell, etc. Directions for Lackering, Japan- ning, and Varnishing ; to make French Polish ; to prepare the Best Glues, Cements, and Compositions, and a number of Re- ceipts particularly for workmen generally. By J. Stokes. In one vol. 12mo. With illustrations . . . . $1 25
STRENGTH AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF METALS.
Reports of Experiments on the Strength and other Proper- ties of Metals for Cannon. With a Description of the Machines for Testing Metals, and of the Classification of Cannon in ser- vice. By Officers of the Ordnance Department U. S. Army By authority of the Secretary of War. Illustrated by 25 large steel plates. In 1 vol. quarto $10 00
rjiABLES SHOWING THE WEIGHT OF ROUND, SQUARE, AND •*• FLAT BAR IRON, STEEL, ETC.,
By Measurement. Cloth 63
mAYLOR,— STATISTICS OF COAL :
Including Mineral Bituminous Substances employed in Arts and Manufactures; with their Geographical, Geological, and Commercial Distribution and amount of Production and Con- sumption on the American Continent. With Incidental Sta- tistics of the Iron Manufacture. By R. C. Taylok. Second edition, revised by S. S. Haldeman. Illustrated by five Maps and many wood engravings. 8vo., cloth . . . $6 00
rpEMPLETON.— THE PRACTICAL EXAMINATOR ON STEAM
•^ AND THE STEAM-ENGINE :
With Instructive References relative thereto, for the Use of Engineers, Students, and others. By Wm. Templeton, Engi- neer. 12mo $1 25
22 HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE.
rjiHOMAS.— THE MODERN PRACTICE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
By R. W. Thomas, F. C. S. 8vo., cloth ... 75
rpHOMSON.— FREIGHT CHARGES CALCULATOR.
By Andrew Thomson, Freight Agent . . . $1 25
rpURUBULL.— THE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH :
With an Historical. Account of its Rise, Progress, and Present Condition. Also, Practical Suggestions in regard to Insula- tion and Protection from the effects of Lightning. Together "with an Appendix, containing several important Telegraphic Devices and Laws. By Lawrence Tnrneull, M. D., Lectu- rer on Technical Chemistry at the Franklin Institute. Revised and improved. Illustrated. 8vo. . . . $3 00
npjRNER'S (THE) COMPANION:
Containing Instructions in Concentric, Elliptic, and Eccentric Turning; also various Plates of Chucks, Tools, and Instru- ments ; and Directions for using the Eccentric Cutter, Drill, Vertical Cutter, and Circular Rest; with Patterns and Instruc- tions for working them. A new edition in one vol. 12mo.
$1 50
TTLSICH— DTISSAUCE.— A COMPLETE TREATISE ON THE ART
^ OF DYEING COTTON AND WOOL:
As practised in Paris, Rouen, Mulhausen, and Germany. From the French of M. Louis Ulrich, a Practical Dyer in the principal Manufactories of Paris, Rouen, Mulhausen, etc. etc. ; to which are added the most important Receipts for Dye- ing Wool, as practised in the Manufacture Imperials des Go- belins, Paris. By Professor H. Dtjesauoe. 12mo. $3 50
TTRBIN— BRTJLL. — A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR PUDDLING
^ IRON Al^D STEEL.
By Ed. Urbin, Engineer of Arts and Manufactures. A Prize Essay read before the Association of Engineers, Graduate of the School of Mines, of Liege, Belgium, at the Meeting of ]865 — 6. To which is added a Comparison of the Resisting Properties of Iron and Steel. By A. Brull. Translated from the French by A. A. Fesquet, Chemist and Engineer. In oae volume, Bvo. . $1 00
WATSON.— A MANUAL OF THE HAND-LATHE.
By Egbert P. Watson, Late of the "Scientific American," Author of "Modern Practice of American Machinists and Engineers." In one volume, 12mo. $1 50
HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE. 23
WATSON— THE MODERN PRACTICE OF AMERICAN MA- ''' CHINISTS AND ENGINEERS :
Including the Construction, Application, and Use of Drills, Lathe Tools, Cutters for Boring Cylinders, and Hollow Work Generally, with the most Economical Speed of the same, the Results verified by Actual Practice at the Lathe, the Vice, and on the Floor. Together with Workshop management. Economy of Manufacture, the Steam-Engine, Boilers, Gears, Belting, etc. etc. By Egbert P. Watson, late of the " Scientific American." Illustrated by eighty-six engravings. 12mo. . . $2 50
WATSON.— THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF THE ART OF '''' WEAVING BY HAND AND POWER:
With Calculations and Tables for the iise of those connected with the Trade. By John Watson, Manufacturer and Prac- tical Machine Maker. Illustrated by large drawings of the best Power-Looms. 8vo. $10 00
WE ATHERLY.— TREATISE ON THE ART OF BOILING STJ- '''' GAR, CRYSTALLIZING, LOZENGE-MAKING, COMFITS, GUM GOODS,
And other processes for Confectionery, &c. In which are ex- plained, in an easy and familiar manner, the various Methods of Manufacturing every description of Raw and Refined sugar Goods, as sold by Confectioners and others . . $2 00
LL.— TABLES FOR QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. By Prof. Heinrich Will, of Giessen, Germany. Seventh edi- tion. Translated by Charles F. Himes, Ph. D., Professor of Natural Science, Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. . $1 25
WILLIAMS.— ON HEAT AND STEAM :
Embracing New Views of Vaporization, Condensation, and Expansion. By Charles Wye Williams, A. I. C. E. Illus- trated. 8vo. $3 50
WOHLER.— A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON ANALYTICAL CHEM- '''' ISTRY.
By F. WoHLER. With additions by Grandeau and Troost. Edited by H. B. Nason, Professor of Chemistry, Rensselaer Institute, Troy, N. Y. With numerous Illustrations. {In press. )
WORSSAM.— ON MECHANICAL SAWS :
From the Transactions of the Society of Engineers, 1867. By S. W. WoRSSAM, Jr. Illustrated by 18 large folding plates. 8vo.
$5 00
W-
24 HENRY CAREY BAIRD'S CATALOGUE,
■DOX.— A PRA.CTICAL TREATISE ON HEAT AS APPLIED TO
^ TIIL USEFUL ARTS:
For the use of Engineers, Architects, etc. By Thomas Bo:n; author of "Practical Hydraulics." Illustrated by 14 plates, con- taining 114 figures. 12mo. . . . . . . $4 25
•pYRNE.— THE AMERICAN ENGINEER, DRAUGHTSMAN, AND
■^ MACHINIST'S ASSISTANT:
Designed for Practical Workingmen, Apprentices, and those in- tended for the Engineering Profession. Illustrated witil 200 Engravings on wood, and 14 large Plates of American Machinery and Engine-work. By Oliver Byrne. 4to. Cloth . $6 00
nHAPMAN.— A TREATISE ON ROPE-MAKING,
As praotised in private and public Rope-yards, with a Description of the Manufacture, Rules, Tables of Weights, etc. adapted to the Trade; Shipping, Mining, Railways, Builders, etc By Robert Chapman. 24mo $1 50
OLOAN— AMERICAN HOUSES :
A variety of Original Designs for Rural Buildings. Illustrated by 26 colored Engravings, with Descriptive References By Samuel Sloan, Architect; author of the "Model Architect, "etc. etc. 8vo
$2 60
OMITH,— THE PRACTICAL DYER'S GUIDE:
Comprising Practical Instructions in the Dyeing of Shot Cobourgs, Silk Striped Orleans, Colored Orleans from Black Warps, ditto from White Warps, Colored Cobourgs from White Warps, Merinos, Yarns, Woollen Cloths, etc. Containing nearly 300 Receipts, to most of which a Dyed Pattern is annexed Also, a Treatise on the Art of Padding. By David Smith. In one vol. 8vo. $25 00
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