| These examples of tube are
shown in the William Tonks & Sons 1939
and earlier catalogues. The brass cased tube is made by wrapping strip
round a steel tube and giving it a finish pass through a tube mill to ensure
that it is tight. This type of tube was used to give extra strength where
needed, typically for curtain rails. The lower three
illustrations show simple twisted shapes for decorative tube that were made by
finish drawing brass tube through angled dies. Frequently roller-dies were
used instead of plain to give a better shape and surface finish. These
rollers could also be engraved to give a textured or patterned finish.
Spiral drawn tube is well recognised when supporting the canopies
of showmens' traction engines but the stock of roller dies catered for over
1,000 varieties for many other uses as well.
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