The anvil is placed in the vise and the metal held in the left hand against the anvil so that the end of the anvil comes directly under the circle which represents the base, as shown at [Figure 23]. With a raising hammer, No. 3 on [Plate 2], begin hammering with light blows at first, following the circle closely the first time around until the base is well started. This operation is continued at each turn striking a little above the previous blows until the top is reached when it will take the shape as shown at [Figure 24]. Sometimes a horn or box-wood mallet is used to start a piece of work. As the hammering hardens the metal it is necessary to anneal it each time after going over the surface. After this is done, we proceed as at first until the required form is obtained as called for by the drawing.
Care must be taken not to stretch the metal any more than can be helped as the more it is stretched the thinner it becomes.
The surface and outline of the bowl left by the raising hammer is quite irregular and needs to be trued up by a process called planishing; for this a No. 2 or 4 hammer, Plate 2, with a polished face and somewhat broader than the raising hammer is used. By going over the surface with this hammer all irregularities are removed leaving a refined curve and a finished surface.
If the bottom gets a little out of shape during the operation of raising, it can be easily brought back again by using a No. 2 stake, Plate 1, and a No. 5 hammer, [Plate 2].
During the raising process the top edge has also become very irregular and must now be trimmed off level. Place the bowl on some level surface (a surface plate will give the best results) and with the point in the surface gauge describe a line about the top making it the desired height, [Figure 25]. A small pair of shears is then used to trim off the top to the line, after which a file is used to finish the edge, leaving it perfectly smooth. A piece of fine emery cloth may be used at the last.
The principle of raising as here described applies to forms of all sorts with few variations. Where a form is to be raised with the top edge turned in as at B, [Plate 34], an anvil similar to the outline must be used. In raising a form like C, [Plate 34], the sides are carried up as shown by the dotted lines and then the form is reversed and the neck part drawn in. A deep form is raised more quickly if, at the start, the metal is placed on a crinkling block and the edge crinkled.
Plate 35.