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Re: Engish Messtins
To answer in part of the what and how aspects:
I have personally inspected three originals with good documentation to the CW era. All are manufatured of tinplate, either hot dipped or hot rolled (plating was to deteriorated to determine). All were manufactured using similiar construction detail with minor dimensional variations.
The base unit/kettle was manufactured with mechancial seams (allowing use over a heat source without boiling dry and falling apart) and soldered, interior body and bottom seams. Soldering of interior bottom seams tends to be the exception rather than the norm for mid C. product, indicating well made/thought out product (or possibly the English origin?). Cast iron ears are attached by rivits and had traces of plating on all three artifacts. Two of the three had identical castings, the third had a definetely smaller casting but similiar style. One had a visible "6" stamped into the flat side of the flange. The bail for the kettle on two of the items was brass rod (12 ga) shaped rectangular rather than arced to fit tight on the flat side of the vessel. The third was missing the bail.
The lid/plate was manufactured using simple lap seam construction. The burr on the bottom tends to be extremely large (1/4" to 5/16"), generally seen as a sign of pre-stamped parts (it is next to impossible to hand manufacture a perfectly clean burr over 3/16").
The interior/cup tends to be of sloppy construction. In order to fit in the base the cup was constructed as a modified frustrum. The pattern piece was not developed as a modified frustrum but two rectangular pieces that are cocked from a perpendicular seam, allowing the base of the cup to be of smaller circumference than the top. This causes the part to "hump" when sitting on a flat surface. Construction is again simply lap seams and soldered. Once again the burr of the bottom tends to be heavy and possibly stamped. The flip wire handle is manufactured of black iron wire, no traces of plating.
To add to the where, when, and why questions:
What is significance of two cast ear styles? Are there more? Is this a casting variation, manufacturer variation, difference in time frame? Why a stamped "6" on one artifact? It macthes the nominal measurement across the back side. Does it indicate a larger or smaller version that was manufactured? Were these only import items or was there domestic manufacture of a British stlye? Why a brass bail wire and not iron when all other wires are iron?
Hope this helps get this thread going the way I think you are looking to see it progress. Sorry I can only touch on two of the five questions. I am still planning on forwarding my notes to you Robert as soon as I get them scanned.
Patrick Cunningham
To answer in part of the what and how aspects:
I have personally inspected three originals with good documentation to the CW era. All are manufatured of tinplate, either hot dipped or hot rolled (plating was to deteriorated to determine). All were manufactured using similiar construction detail with minor dimensional variations.
The base unit/kettle was manufactured with mechancial seams (allowing use over a heat source without boiling dry and falling apart) and soldered, interior body and bottom seams. Soldering of interior bottom seams tends to be the exception rather than the norm for mid C. product, indicating well made/thought out product (or possibly the English origin?). Cast iron ears are attached by rivits and had traces of plating on all three artifacts. Two of the three had identical castings, the third had a definetely smaller casting but similiar style. One had a visible "6" stamped into the flat side of the flange. The bail for the kettle on two of the items was brass rod (12 ga) shaped rectangular rather than arced to fit tight on the flat side of the vessel. The third was missing the bail.
The lid/plate was manufactured using simple lap seam construction. The burr on the bottom tends to be extremely large (1/4" to 5/16"), generally seen as a sign of pre-stamped parts (it is next to impossible to hand manufacture a perfectly clean burr over 3/16").
The interior/cup tends to be of sloppy construction. In order to fit in the base the cup was constructed as a modified frustrum. The pattern piece was not developed as a modified frustrum but two rectangular pieces that are cocked from a perpendicular seam, allowing the base of the cup to be of smaller circumference than the top. This causes the part to "hump" when sitting on a flat surface. Construction is again simply lap seams and soldered. Once again the burr of the bottom tends to be heavy and possibly stamped. The flip wire handle is manufactured of black iron wire, no traces of plating.
To add to the where, when, and why questions:
What is significance of two cast ear styles? Are there more? Is this a casting variation, manufacturer variation, difference in time frame? Why a stamped "6" on one artifact? It macthes the nominal measurement across the back side. Does it indicate a larger or smaller version that was manufactured? Were these only import items or was there domestic manufacture of a British stlye? Why a brass bail wire and not iron when all other wires are iron?
Hope this helps get this thread going the way I think you are looking to see it progress. Sorry I can only touch on two of the five questions. I am still planning on forwarding my notes to you Robert as soon as I get them scanned.
Patrick Cunningham
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