Hot Stampers and Extruders

(c) Vin Callcut 2002-2021.

Small extracts can be used with acknowledgements to 'Oldcopper.org' website.

Helpful comments are very welcome.

 

tank

3044   Unusual brass model of a first world war tank made c1922 as a paper weight mainly promoting the ‘Tank Brass’ made by McKechnie Bros. Ltd. who made many varieties of brass and had a good speciality in anti-friction bearing metals.  Idle moments at the owner’s office desk might be spent reading their comprehensive overkill of messages: ‘Specify Tank Brand’ ‘McKechnie brothers Ltd Birmingham England’, ‘Non-ferrous ingot metals, phosphor copper, chill cast phosphor bronze bars’ ‘Extruded brass and copper rods, bars and sections, solid brass & bronze pressings’ and even underneath ‘This is one of our solid brass pressings’, ‘and at London, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle-on-Tyne – Metal refining works Widnes.  They must have used an expensive four-draw mould to obtain the detail on each face. It is 80mm (1?”) long and weighs 650g (1lb 7oz).  The company moved out of Birmingham to Aldridge, Walsall and became McKechnie metals

mck extrusion2418   A later souvenir from the same company is this desk penholder byMcKechnie Metals, Aldridge, celebrating the opening of their fourth extrusion press, c1988 that had the power to produce large special shapes. A special die had been cut with the 'Mc' initials as the design included in a rectangular extrusion approximately 60 x 40mm (c2¼ x 1½”) with a superb surface finish.  The die was used only the once and each section was cut to length on an angle and polished to form a very acceptable desk pen holder.

robinsons5300   A lucky horseshoe in the form of a promotional hot brass pressing byRobinsons of Liverpool.  There was a Joseph Robinson established as a brass founder in Upper Pitt Street, Liverpool by 1832 but a more likely company issuing this might have been the telegraph engineers, A Robinson & Co who made many engine room telegraphs of brass in the 20th century.  The search will continue.   Size 95 x 76mm (3¾ x 3”).

aston9150   This was not meant to be a tube nor seen outside the factory.  It is an educational item from the ‘black museum’ of Aston Chain & Hook Co. Ltd., Erdington, latterly an extrusion plant of Delta Drawn Metals.  It shows the back end of a square section copper alloy extrusion cut and opened to show the 'back end defect' that must always be removed to leave just sound rod for further drawing. This type of souvenir is invaluable as an example that is better than a thousand words.  Unfortunately it tends to loose perceived value completely when generations move on in industry and may end up being recycled with other scrap instead of preserved with its history.  The section was 31mm (1¼”) square.

revere5187   Hot stamped paperweight block featuring Revere Copper and Brass Products.  The top has a relief design celebrating the famous midnight ride of Paul Revere in 1775, well celebrated by Longfellow amongst others.  From being an excellent silversmith, Revere expanded his industrial interests tremendously and many products are still marketed under his name.  Size 80 x 52mm (3⅛ x 2”). 

dlta bronze

delta

 

 

 

 

 

851        Circular brass ashtray hot pressed from Delta Bronze No IV,  by The Delta Metal Co., a rare surviving souvenir of a material in widespread use from the 1920's, 97mm (4”) diameter.

leslie2419     An elegant simple paperweight by Leslie & Co celebrating modernisation in 1994.   Leslie & Co. (Coventry) Ltd  202 Waterloo Rd, Birmingham. West Midlands. B25 8LD

 

 

oak leaf

base

 

 

 

 

3661      Copper on brass dish in shape of oak leaf with ‘Guests Brass Stamping Co., Selly Oak’ marked on the underside.  They are now at 112-117 Charles Henry Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0SJ

ash tray

 

5501 Stamped brass ashtray by Peerage (Pearson Page Jewsbury.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After