FINISHING MACHINE-WROUGHT WOOD CARVINGS, AND ALSO FOR FINISHING CERTAIN WOOD CARVINGS. ROUGH HEWN OR CUT BY HAND LABOUR
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abdiel Hawkins, Glyphographer, of 65, Hatton
Garden, London, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"FINISHING MACHINE-WROUGHT WOOD CARVINGS, AND ALSO FOR FINISHING
CERTAIN WOOD CARVINGS. ROUGH HEWN OR CUT BY HAND LABOUR."
Sealed the 17th July 1860, and dated the 2nd February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abdiel Hawkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd February 1860.
I, ABDIEL HAWKINS, Glyphographer, of 65, Hatton Garden, London, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"FINISHING MACHINE-WROUGHT WOOD CARVINGS, AND ALSO FOR FINISHING CERTAIN
WOOD CARVINGS, ROUGH HEWN OR CUT BY HAND LABOUR," to be as follows:-
The rough carving as it comes from the machine is first to be rubbed with
glass paper in all the broad or plain parts to remove the drill marks of the
carving machine, taking care not to touch or reduce the prominent parts.
After brushing out the dust, a solution of shell lac or any suitable solution or
varnish is to be applied in order to bind the torn fibre of the wood. When
perfectly dry it should be lightly oiled; it is then to be placed in a hot metal
mould (which mould should be taken by any of the ordinary processes from
the original pattern of the said carving, and may at pleasure be brought to the
highest possible degree of finish.) Then by bydraulic power, if the work be
large, a suitable amount of pressure is to be applied, when all the beautiful

page_text: detail and finish of the mould will be communicated to the rough carving upon
which you are operating.
For subjects in high releif in the round compound moulds (that is to say,
moulds which take to pieces) must be used. The above process is applicable
also to certain wood carvings roughly cut by hand labour. An impression is
to be taken from the mould upon the plain wood by pressure, and all the
impressed parts are to be cut away; this will need to be repeated once or
twice, when it will be ready for the mould to finish as before stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abdiel Hawkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABDIEL
HAWKINS, of 65, Hatton Garden, London, in the County of Middlesex,
Glyphographer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Abdiel Hawkins, Her special licence that I, the said Abdiel
Hawkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Abdiel Hawkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should. at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "FINISHING
MACHINE-WROUGHT WOOD CARVINGS, AND ALSO POR FINISHING CERTAIN WOOD
CARVINGS, ROUGH HEWN OR CUT BY HAND LABOUR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Abdiel Hawkins, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under his, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abdiel Hawkins, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement —

page_text: My Invention consists in imparting all the beautiful finish and minute
details that can be obtained in metal moulds or engraved plates to the surface
of machine-wrought wood carving, or to carvings roughly cut by hand labour,
that is, in fact, to an otherwise plain surface of wood. To describe this in
order, first obtain a good and well-finished model or pattern from which to
work. This pattern should not be undercut, but if it is undercut at all, such
parts should be stopped, or filled in with wax or plaister of Paris, as the requi-
site undercutting must be done by hand after the surface of the carving is
finished. From this obtain a counterpart, that is, a sunken metal mould, if
the pattern be in relief, or a raised metal mould if the pattern is sunken, such
pattern moulds or plates, whether single or consisting of two or more parts,
can be prepared by any of the well known processes of casting or electro-
typing. Generally speaking, brass admits of being well finished, yet for
foliage, &c., an electrotype direct from the object where practical, or from a
good impression in wax, will impart all the beautiful detail and perfect finish.
of nature. But you must bear in mind, that if you electrotype from a wax
mould or cast, and not from the object itself, that will necessitate a second
electrotype, in order to obtain a mould of the object, as the first electrotype
from the wax impression would be in relief.
Having prepared the moulds, and made the back quite flat, if single, or
having adjusted the various parts, if compound, so as best to meet and sustain
the pressure, either separately or together, some convenient arrangement
must be made for heating them, either by means of gas or coal fire, as may be
most convenient; for though in some cases they may be used cold, yet in
general they will require different degrees of heat, varying from about 120°
Fahrenheit up to the highest degree that will not discolour the wood.
The wood carving, if wet, must be thoroughly dried and the surface well
rubbed with glass paper to remove the burr, and also in all the broad and
plain parts to remove the marks of the drill or tool, taking special care not to
reduce the prominent parts. After brushing out the dust from the carving,
place it in the mould previously heated as highly as the wood will bear
without chaning colour, and submit the same to pressure. The press for this
purpose must be made or chosen according to the nature and size of the work..
The arming press, for instance, as used by bookbinders, will do for flat work,
such as beading, medallions, &c., but objects in high relief, or in the round,.
will require more room, and the hydraulic press will be desirable.
When
sufficient pressure has been given, remove the carving from the mould for
examination if it is quite finished, or if it obviously requires but little more
pressure, to finish it, pass it, and proceed in like manner with others of the

page_text: same pattern. But if it is evident that, from any cause, it will require more
pressure to finish it then is desirable, then you must remove or sufficiently
lower those parts that have obviously taken off the pressure from the rest,
as, for instance, a large flat surface of any kind, and the background of the
pattern. Indeed, it is generally desirable to lower the ground of the pattern
used in the machine to trace and carve from, as that will allow the mould
first to reach the pattern and finish it before the pressure is affected and
lightened from it by the larger parts or spaces of the ground. If the
surface of the wood is not broken, the carvings may be turned out finished
by this one operation; but if the surface of the wood is fretted and torn
.before placing it in the mould, as is most generally the case, it will again fret
-up in the course of ware, or with dusting or brushing. In that case take a
solution of lac, or French polish, or any solution or varnish that will not
cause the carving to adhere to the mould when it is moderately heated, and
with a brush apply this over the whole surface of the carving, but more freely
where the surface of the wood is most torn or fretted. When this is perfectly
dry, replace the same in the mould, which should be but gently heated (a little
hotter than the hand can bear) and submit it to a sufficient amount of pressure
to produce a perfect finish. If as a matter of taste, or to match other work,
or to give the appearance of age, greater colour is desired then what the
wood naturally affords, it can of course be dyed before the application of the
varnish, or the heat of the mould may be increased, but so as not to char the
surface of the wood, and the carving placed repeatedly in the mould until
the desired colour is obtained. If the mould is oiled it will prevent adhesion,
and then greater heat may be used. It will also tend to bring up the colour
of the wood; but it is very apt to darken the surface, and to render it spotty
or dirty, as copper, &c., slightly decomposes with the heat, and dyes the
wood, or mixes with the lac on the surface, yet this also should be remem-
bered by the intelligent workman, as although it is a fault in many instances,
yet it may be turned to account, and afford the exact colour or appearance
that is wanted in others.
I have described the application of the solution of lac, &c., as after the first
application of pressure only, because by this means a much greater degree of
heat may be used so as more perfectly to set the fibre of the wood; but of
course if any suitable means are taken to prevent adhesion taking place
between the carving and mould, such solutions, &c., may be applied while the
surface of the wood is open, or even in a vacuum, or a less degree of heat may
be used.
In the foregoing description I have mentioned only the single mould, that

page_text: being sufficient for describing the nature of the process which I use, and as
regards compound moulds to be used in finishing objects that are undercut, or
in the round, it is obvious that, as no two of them can be alike, so no method
of placing them so as best to sustain the pressure, and to communicate their
finish to the carving can be given; but it must be left to the common sense,
judgment, and experience of the workman, as to whether he had best use the
whole of the parts of an entire mould in one operation, or to work with only
two or more pieces at a time.
There is no difference to be observed in the above process as regards those
carvings which may be roughly cut by the hand instead of the carving
machine, but they must be so cut as to as to register and fit the mould. For
this purpose proceed as follows:-First place the mould of the subject to be
carved upon the plain wood, and submit the same to moderate pressure; this
will give sufficient of the outline of the pattern to commence cutting by
with sufficient accuracy as regards the register. Having removed all those
parts where an impression has been made, replace the same in the mould, and
submit it again to pressure, proceeding as before, cutting and pressing until
the work admits of perfect finish.
In the application of the above Invention to carved covers for books, and in
all cases where the work of the entire pattern or design is not deeper, or in
greater relief than those portions of the generality of carvings (which portions
are not at this present time usually copied and carved by the carving machine,
but which I communicate by the before-mentioned process,) and which con-
stitute the finish, cutting will not be required, but the entire pattern or device
can be communicated to a prepared surface, or otherwise, whether the object
be in the round or quite flat.
The following are sufficiently illustrative of this kind of work, frosted, or
matted grounds, the different grains of leather, chasing, crests, coats of arms,
ornamental writing, and engravings of all kinds can be impressed either in
relief or sunken. If the device, writing, or subject is required in relief, then
it should be engraved, chased, frosted, &c., upon the plate or mould; but if
it is desirable to have the work sunken, either in part or wholly, then an
electrotype should be taken from the said part or whole of the plate or mould,
which will thus be obtained in relief, giving of course a sunken impression;
such impressions may afterwards be filled with black, white, gold, silver, or any
different colour.
Casts can also be taken, and moulds obtained from shells, fish, birds, and
many natural objects. All kinds of foliage, fruits and flowers (the separate
leaves of flowers) or electrotypes can be taken direct from many objects, and

page_text: the moulds made to register so as to impress and communicate all the beautiful
detail and finish of nature itself to one or both sides at the same time, and
such leaves, &c., can afterwards be joined, and perfect patterns of endless
variety, scrolls, cornices, frames, pannels, &c., obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abdiel Hawkins, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ABDIEL HAWKINS. (L.S.)