OpenTube

Tinsmithing Demonstration: Reproducing a US Civil War Tin Cup

Dakota Tinworks

54,289 views

A demonstration, given online as a presentation to the Early American Industries Association annual meeting, May 20-22, 2021, showing how I make a reproduction US Civil War tin cup, based on one in the collection of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia. In the video, I discuss details about the cup, and show the various steps I take, using antique tinsmith's tools, to reproduce it. You can check out the EAIA's website at: https://eaiainfo.org/

If you like my work, you can see more of it at my webstore: https://dakotatinworks.com/
I sell a variety of reproduction and original items, and take commissions for new work.

I do research on tinsmithing as a heritage craft. You can support me in that effort through my Patreon page: Patreon: dakotatinworks

Want to learn more about tinsmithing? Join the Facebook groups I administer:
Tinsmithing FB Group -- Facebook: tinsmithing
Tinsmithing Heritage Project -- Facebook: Tinsmithing-Heritage-Project-104752811386006

20 Comments

@forgottencrafts9307 5 years ago (edited)

My wife and I just spent the day yesterday taking a class with Chris Hagemann and made a cup. What a great time!

@cwyvern4861 2 years ago

My great grandfather was a tinsmith when he was alive, I wish I could have met the guy, he also served in WW2 and survived until one year before I was born, heck I have some of his tools and they have served me well, a lot better than tools made nowadays.

@j_pn 1 year ago

I was hoping this was a wire reinforced cup as that's the detail I'm most interested in.

@chriswood4676 3 years ago

Awesome video! I found one of those tipping machines, just like yours in a scrap pile last week..glad i saved it. Going to clean it up and put it to use..Thanks again!!

@myderek1950 2 years ago

Thank you for showing so much, it's been very interesting

@25marcb 5 years ago

Love the video. I took an introductory tinsmithing class at Old Sturbridge Village this spring. It was a 2 day class of about 8 hours a day making a server, a cup, a sconce, and a pail. I learned to dread burring the circles for the cup and pail bottom along with making sure I had plenty of bandages. I think I must have cut out at least a dozen circles trying to get a somewhat even burr for the bottom of that cup. We also used swages to create the beading for the cup and sconce backing which was very noisy with just 4 people so I can easily understand using the machine to do the beading.

The interesting thing is that we used a 50/50 mix of tallow and pine rosin that was heated on a candle warmer to make it a liquid. The instructor said they had found records of a CT tinsmith who was buying a lot of tallow but his records didn't show he was selling candles or anything made from the tallow. They eventually figured out the smith was mixing the rosin and tallow to make a flux that was liquid when kept warm. I thought it was an interesting bit of history detective work.

@nehemiahmathews8683 4 years ago

From you making that one cup I learned so much about the Tim smithing tools I inherited thank you I applaud you for that

@tractorman4461 5 months ago

Awesome job my friend !! I don't think I could even carry your tool box, much less create the artworks you do..

@Almosthomeforever 2 months ago

Wonderful instructions. Thank you. Where do you buy your tools from?

@dus10doo 1 year ago

Where's the best place to buy sheets of tin?

@joseluis5712 5 years ago

Thanks for the video, great work!! Greatings from a blacksmith/coppersmith from Portugal.

@sheetmetalwork 5 years ago

I enjoyed the video and I can certainly appreciate the skills required to make it seem easy. Well done!

@roberthorner6248 3 years ago

Very interesting, Karl. I always wondered exactly how you do your tinsmithing. I've followed you on Facebook for years but never really understood what you do. I never thought to look for you on YouTube so I'm just now finding this video you made. You have people from all over the world watching this. Pretty cool!

@KettleCamping 3 months ago

Very informative! Well done!
Thank you! What kind of soldering iron are you using? Is there a dimmer as well?
👍

@CapeeshStupido 3 years ago

Fascinating. Thanks for a great video!

@michaeldonovan6076 1 year ago (edited)

Fantastic i love this so brings me back to my grandfather s period,,he was in deed Merchant Tinsmith delt with many of the tinsmith traveling community throughout Ireland grandad could make anything from tin a true craftsman.