The smaller sizes, such as ¼, ⅜, or ½ inch in diameter, should be solid iron or steel bars 8 or 10 inches in length, as small pipe crushes and bends rather easily in the vise. Larger sizes, such as ¾, ½, 1 or 2 inches in diameter, are better made of pipe as they are lighter and easier to handle and also easier to obtain.
Get all the sizes suggested if possible and as many short pieces of square or flat bars as you find convenient to store away about the shop. They will come in very usefully for bending or forming operations. The method of holding them in the vise is plainly shown on [page 89, Fig. 26].
If you have plenty of bench room and are handy with tools, several of the most used sizes of pipe and bars may be clamped or bolted directly to the bench with wooden or metal holding strips. The larger sizes, such as ¾, 1, 1½, 2 and 3 inches in diameter, will be found very convenient if fastened to the bench in this manner.
The Bench.—The shop bench should be about 31 inches in height. The top of the bench should be about 2½ by 6 feet or larger if possible, and may easily be built by any one familiar with tools. The top should be made of maple about 1½ inches thick. If one cannot afford this bench a common kitchen table makes an excellent substitute. A good strong table of this sort may be purchased at any house-furnishing store. These tables are furnished with a large drawer in which small tools may be kept.
If much of the tin work is done, it will prove advantageous to have some light wooden shelves or racks built about the walls of the shop to store the various sized cans where they may be easily seen and reached.
Fig. 5.
The Forming Mallet.—The special forming mallet designed by the author will have to be made. It was designed especially for work with the tin cans. It is very simple and easily made of maple by any carpenter. One end is a slightly rounded dome shape and the other is in the form of a blunt wedge. The dimensions and general shape of the mallet are shown in [Fig. 5]. The handle may be made of a piece of ½-inch dowel rod. A substitute for this mallet may be made of a piece of broom handle the end of which is already rounded to about the proper curve. Measure off 4½ inches from the rounded end of the broom handle and saw it off. Bore a ½-inch hole through the center of the piece to fit the piece of dowel rod used for the handle. Whittle down the end to a blunt wedge shape leaving it about ⅜ inch thick at the end. The rounded end may be left as it is.
A piece of ½-inch maple dowel may be picked up in any carpenter shop. This should be 8½ inches long. It should be driven into the hole drilled for it in the mallet, taking care not to split the mallet in so doing. If the broom handle is rather small in diameter it would probably be better to use a piece of ⁷⁄₁₆-or ⅜-inch dowel for the handle. A small nail or brad may be driven through the mallet and handle to secure it in place.