I recently acquired a Jacobean lamp, the conversion lamp itself is in nice condition but unfortunately the copper bowl on top of the barley twist stem has been stripped and painted gold! Worse, it has quite a number of small dents all over it as well as a few splits on the rim. This isn’t something I could tackle and it isn’t something I would ask John to try to sort out. Any suggestions boys?
Not that I'm a skilled coppersmith but if I had to tackle a job like that I'd start by getting rid of the paint then annealing the copper. Assuming the dents are inward, rest the affected area on a flat piece of wood and use a small (4oz.) ball pien hammer to reshape the bowl. The thing to remember is many light blows are better than a single heavy blow. Depending on the severity of the splits in the rim, once you've got rid of the dents, tighten a piece of reasoably fine wire around the rim so that the splits are closed then solder them on the inside of the bowl. Another method would be to find a tame copper smith or failing that, a panel beater.
Thanks for reply Henry. I did have a couple of notions but was afraid to air them in case they sounded stupid. One was to approach a jeweller and the other a panel beater. Not knowing exactly what panel beaters actually do I had visions of big hammers. So, not so stupid as I look eh?
Not stupid at all Jean. Panel beaters use a variety of specially shaped hammers of different weights to beat dents and creases out of damaged car body panels. It's a skilled job and requires a good deal of finesse to achieve a perfect finish.
Maybe a picture of the dents and split Jean will help to give a a idea of the extent of the problem. One things for sure it will be easier to sort out than a tank in that condition so that's good Cheers pete
On copper i have had better successs suaging the metal back into shape. I've done things with a few dented copper kettles by making a smooth, rounded wooden 'dolly' (that's a legitimate term!) For the job. I held this very tighly in a vice and then suaged the copper back into position. This means pushing or massaging the copper over the dolly while pressing down. Its a bit of a skill you have to learn but its less likely to stretch the copper which is what happens when you beat it with a hammer.
I have had some success in rolling the dent out using a castor typed wheel. Working it backwards and forwards against a firm, smooth surface seems to help but take care it does not introduce its own marks. Panel beaters have something called (improbably) a shrinking hammer. Somehow they can return the stretched material to its former gauge.
Your correct in the description Ian it is a shrinking hammer but one's I have seen have like lots of grooves on the hammer face probably make the bowl look worse in this case Cheers pete
Hi Jean, looking at it I think any silversmith or decent car restorer could get those out. Or you could try yourself with a bossing mallet and a sandbag. - athough it may be a challenge https://www.frost.co.uk/bossing-mallet-leather-sandbag-18-inch-dia-metal-working-panel-beating-kit/
@Jean J I would be inclined to leave a few small dents in it, as they are part of the history. Hugs Sammi xXx
Thanks for the suggestion @Fireexit1 but I wouldn’t trust myself with a mallet of any size! @Sammi Jane that’s true but it would annoy me every time I looked at it.
Just send it to Colin. With the recent successes he's having with metal work, I bet those dents would be gone in no time.
I’ve already had a ‘chat’ with Colin but once he sees pics of the bowl with the paint stripped iff he might withdraw his offer. I was shocked to find that the bowl is made of brass, I’ve always assumed they were all made if copper. Anyone else seen a brass example?
Actually Jean, brass makes it easier because it's less ductile and hence less prone to creating unwanted outward dents if that makes sense. Oh, and thanks for the nice comment @MYN
Some skilled car enthusiasts filled dents, not with 'bog' but with lead. Had to be good and know what you were doing. If it is to be painted, then just another approach.
If it was made of copper I would just have polished it up but if it’s brass it could be painted I suppose. It would have to be a colour that at least looks something like the oxidised finish.
