filed down to the necessary taper
after the union is effected. The finishing work involves smoothing
rough places with a file and painting. Asphaltum makes a good
black finish. Some of the best designs of grates are bronzed. Some
are silvered. The different designs are finished as desired by
customers.

Figure 15 is another design of grate in which the process of
shaping the rings is like that in the first design. There are some
half circles in this pattern and these are framed by shaping the
same about the mandrel with the hammer. In order to get the
shoulders close and the circle complete it is necessary to heat
the metal. A coke fire can be made in a hole in the ground. Then
procure a tin blowpipe and blow the flame against the metal at the
point to be bent. This metal will become red hot very soon, and
can be bent readily against the anvil and the circular form. Let
the metal cool off on the ground after heating. Fig. 16 is another
design

[Illustration: Fig. 16 to 20]

which can be wrought out. The middle adjustment is wire screen
work which may be bought at a hardware store and set into the
position shown. Fig. 17 shows a chipping off device useful in
connection with this work. Metal chippers can be bought at any
tool store. The chipper is placed in the jaws of the vise as at K,
and secured there. The strip of metal in process of cutting is
marked M. The hammer head is caused to strike the metal just over
the cutting edge of the chipper. The quick, hard blow causes the
cutting edge to penetrate far enough to sever the piece. Bending
cold with a wooden form is done as in Fig. 18. The wooden form is
marked P and is about 8 in. wide and 7 in. high, forming a
one-sided oval shape. There is a pin R set into the base board of
the oval form and the strip of metal for bending is grasped at S
and the other end is inserted back of the pin R. By applying
pressure, the strip of metal is bent to the form.

Figure 19 shows the hour-glass wood bending form, made by
selecting a piece of hard wood block, about 6 in. square and
boring through with an inch bit. Then the hole is shaped
hour-glass like. The view is a sectional one. The block is placed
in a vise and the strip for bending is inserted as at T.

The strip of metal is grasped at W and can be bent to various
forms by exerting pressure. Fig. 20 is another type of fireplace
front, constructed by uniting the shaped metal pieces. In fact an
almost endless variety of d