SteveH

i'll track it down again... I knew i should have made a bibliography....

jlhmnj

Good idea. I save all my Davis stuff in a Yahoo group. Pretty handy and you don't have to have members if not wanted.

Jon

Macybaby

Me too!!!!!!!!

SteveH

here is the main source for JDA copies..
http://library.si.edu/digital-librar...tic-appliances

SteveH

not the JDA but a document on Japanning
http://www.si.edu/mci/downloads/relact/papier_mache.pdf

"The firm of Jennens and Bettridge also improved methods of japanning and decoration that are pertinent to the Smithsonian chair. In 1825 they received a patent for improvements in the process of mother-of-pearl decoration. Their process by-passed the need for skilled craftsmen to inlay decoration. The pearl pieces were ground and polished by workers to a thickness of 0.2-0.4 mm. These thin sheets of material were then stenciled with asphaltum and dipped in hydrochloric acid. The acid dissolved all the shell not protected by the asphaltum, leaving pearl pieces corresponding in size and shape to the stencil pattern. The pieces were adhered to the prepared japanned surface immediately after the object was varnished, using the tacky varnish as the adhesive. The areas of decoration were then repeatedly coated with varnish and polished until the surface was completely smooth, giving the appearance of intricate inlay by craftsmen of consummate skill. What appears to most 20th century eyes to be excellent craftsmanship is in reality a labor saving method of decorating industrially mass-produced objects. Gilding and painting were often applied after the pearl. "Bright" gold was applied principally by water gilding an area larger than the intended figure, and the pattern was then stopped out by asphaltum painted on with very fine brushes. The excess gold was washed away with cotton mops, and the asphaltum was removed by turpentine, exposing the desired
pattern. The final step was “sprigging" or delineating details such as feathers or flower petals."

Jeanette Frantz

Cathy, in case I've forgotten to do so, Congratulations on the "Oldest" machine you have. She's a beautiful machine.
Jeanette

purplefiend

Its beautiful!! I think its just ingenious how the bonnet folds out to become part of the cabinet.

Rodney

Thanks for the information guys! What I took for a home made attempt is actually an early factory job then. That's cool! It makes it a nice piece of history in the development of the number 12s and the processes used at the factory to produce them. That's the sort of stuff I like to see. Neat to see how the MOP was shaped into such intricate shapes once they refined the process too. I would never have guessed at acid etching.
Rodney

Macybaby

the MOP does look more like assorted chips - which would make sense if they didn't develop the way to end up with neat "cutout" looking pieces at that time. It's going to be a fun one to restore. And yes, I do plan on restoring this one, touching up the japaning and then lots of coats of varnish to bring it back to the level of the MOP. I'm hoping there may be some indication of the decal work so I can try to duplicate it.

Rodney

That's what made me think it was home made. The chips were random, they didn't look shaped at all. The closest thing it reminds me of would be a kid putting rocks in interesting designs on the beach.
That has to be a very early MOP from Singer.
Funny how things go from "It looks a little unrefined" to "Great Find! it's some of their early work!"
Kind of like an artist's work. It all depends on who did it.
Rodney