Cutting the Can to Size for Biscuit Cutter.—The biscuit cutter should be about ¾ inch deep at the cutting edge. Set the dividers to this dimension and proceed to scribe a line around the can parallel to the base and ¾ inch above the rolled rim of the bottom. This simple scribing operation is described in [Chapter I, page 22].
The method of cutting into the can and around the scribed line is very simple and is also described in [Chapter I].
Fig. 6.
When you have cut the can down to the required dimension, it should appear as shown in [Fig. 6]. The biscuit cutter may be slightly out of shape after the cutting operation, but this may be easily remedied by placing the biscuit cutter on a small round anvil held in the vise and by tapping it gently with a flat wooden mallet, turning the cutter slowly around on the anvil during the hammering as shown in [Fig. 7]. Be sure to turn the biscuit cutter slowly around and around the anvil as it is hammered with the mallet. It will soon become round if hammered gently.
Next take a small flat file, one with very fine teeth, usually called a smooth milled file, and with this smooth down any roughness left by the metal shears at the edge of the biscuit cutter. The method of using the file is shown in [Fig. 8]. It should be held lightly against the work when filing. (Never try to file a piece of tin with a large or roughly toothed file as the coarse teeth will catch on the tin and tear or bend it out of shape.)
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.