Tinsmith

TINSMITH

by Ted Arellanes

Albuquerque Woodworkers Association
Meeting Notes
December 11, 1999

Ted, who with his wife Genny, own and operate G-T Stained Glass, 1433 Central Ave NW, 247-9322, in Albuquerque. Ted gave a very practical and entertaining view of his craft and the self-taught approach he and Ginny took to build the successful business they now enjoy. They made the 8 large (8.5'h x 5'w) chandeliers in the ball room at La Fonda in Santa Fe, as well as most of the tin work in evidence in the Garduño's Restaurants. Ted in his ever practical and realistic form related how difficult it was for anyone to get the old tinsmiths to help a new-comer get started, including telling him where to buy tin!

Tin, by the way isn't tin (chemical element, symbol: Sn), but rather cold rolled steel, now plated with zinc (Zn), whereas it used to be plated in lead (Pb). The old tin punchers in the Southwest used tin cans, cut and opened up and punched into candle holders and niches, etc. So, with automated production, environmental concern and materials science we managed to completely replace the underlying material for which the craft is known. Now that's real progress!

Ted described the simple tools needed to punch: ground nails, hammer, "Tin", magazine, glass cutter, chisel and straight edge. Of course you can "grow" into the fancy stuff: mallet, dies, stamps, patina, rubber mat to replace your spouse's old Life Magazine, custom ground punches for trim work, lots of "0000" steel wool, wooden concave block for medallion or coin making, etc. Ted uses sheet metal bending, cutting, stamping equipment in his production shop. And he grinds his punches from mild steel, formerly from large bolts. He uses a glass-cutter's square for the edge. Since the material is the
same on both sides, the punching determines the front and back. You attach your pattern to the front and punch from the front. If you turn the piece over and punch or score from the back it's called Embossing. Ted's Motto is: "Keep it Fun"; work is a four letter word.

Ted and Ginny offer: Tin Punching classes $105 for 8 hours of instruction, incl. tin & tool use; Stained Glass three 8 hour classes for $135; both on Saturdays: 9-5PM.

Some advice from Ted: 1. Don't Dot. Place punch and strike once at an even tempo. 2. No one counts holes, so don't make it look machine-precise. 3. When the piece cups from one-sided punching, place it under the mat and press firmly. 4. Punch on the lines (of a rosette) from the back to highlight. 5. More is usually better in tin work. But don't fill the entire area. 6. Is it art or is it craft? One of a kind or 'production'? 7. Make what the customer wants, not what you'd like them to buy! 8. Score inside rosettes with a glass cutter and straight edge. 9. Make quilt pattern, leaving some intersections clear
for special punches or medallions. 10. If you are using a multi-point punch, use a hammer rather than a mallet. 11. The rosette and the star-burst are the most popular (traditional) forms.

Thank you Ted for a very informative and entertaining presentation! Additional Newsletter information: Ted donated a beautiful round mirror to the raffle.