Making a Pail.—Select a large, clean, round can for the pail. A one-gallon fruit or vegetable can makes up into a very useful pail. Use a can opener to cut away the remaining tin of the lid but take care not to mar the rim of the can. Rolled rim cans make the best pails.
When the lid is cut away a jagged edge usually remains near the rim and this must be trimmed away and the remaining tin hammered down close to the rim. If more than ¼ inch of the tin of the can lid remains next to the rim of the can it should be trimmed away with the metal shears until a strip of tin remains next to the rim about ¼ inch wide.
Cutting Away Surplus Tin at the Rim.—(A pair of curved metal shears are very useful for making circular cuts of this nature if you have them, but the surplus tin may be trimmed away with the straight shears if small cuts are taken with them.) Cut into the tin next to the rim with the shears—the cut should be made at right angles to the rim and extend in to the rim. Now take a pair of strong flat-nosed pliers and grasp the tin firmly with them to the right of the cut and with a quick downward motion of the plier jaws start to break away the tin next to the rim as shown in [Fig. 36]. The tin will break away at the angle of the lid and the rim and should peel away easily with a series of quick downward movements of the plier jaws—a fresh grip should be taken for each downward movement of the plier jaws and the ends of the plier jaws should be pushed up against the rim each time that they are moved into a new position.
Fig. 36.
When the tin is trimmed away place the rim of the can on the end of the maple block and use the rounded end of the forming mallet to hammer the tin down tight to the rim, see [Fig. 37]. The pail is then ready for the lugs or handle-holding pieces at the sides. These are to be soldered and riveted in place.
Forming the Lugs for the Handle.—Cut two pieces of tin, each 1½ by 3½ inches, fold over ¼ inch on each of the long sides of these two pieces, then double over each piece with the folds outside, as shown in [Fig. 38]. Snip off the corners, then place the lugs on the maple block and punch three holes in about the position shown. See that the holes are slightly larger than the shanks of the rivets to be used, but do not get the holes very much larger than the rivets.
Rivets are supplied by the hardware stores in plain soft black iron and also tinned. The tinned rivets are best for tin work as they may be easily soldered to the work if necessary. These tinned rivets are used for representing faucets, try-cocks, etc., in making tin can toys. Several dozen or a box of No. 14 Tinned Rivets should be purchased.
Fig. 37.