posted 04-16-2017 11:45 AM            

“The process of spinning (repoussé sur tour) consists in “raising " the work from a flat plate to the form required, over a chuck on the lathe, instead of by the more laborious method of hammering. It was first introduced at the time when the manufacture of plated work commenced, perhaps some forty years ago, or rather more. The silver outside the copper being very thin, the removal of the unevenness and marks left by the hammer was likely to take the silver off in places and expose the copper ; by spinning, on the contrary, it is possible to get a smooth, uniform surface, as the raising is done by means of well-smoothed and polished steel tools. Since electro-plate has taken the place of the original plate, and the work is more often executed in brass, or German- silver, than in copper, and plated after being hammered instead of before, spinning has to some extent been superseded in that branch, by stamping the work into its shape. The untractable nature of German-silver (or nickel silver) renders it less suited for spinning than the pure copper; but for such good quality of silver as is used in France and England the process is well adapted. In Christofle's great manufactory, I found that even very large objects, such as dish-covers, were spun, both oval and round, the lathes being moved by steam power. M. Hugo, a manufacturer of good dinner and tea services, also employs spinning to a large extent: all the bodies of the different pieces, coffee and tea pots, sugar-basins, &c, were spun ; some of them were 7in. or 8in. high, with large bellies and long narrow necks, yet they were spun in one piece, over a wooden chuck, made, of course, of many pieces, to enable its being taken out when the work has received its form. Where 8 great number of objects are expected to be wanted of one pattern, the chuck is sometimes made of brass, which, of course, lasts longer than wood; but generally good hard wood answers all necessary purposes. The objects spun were considerably lighter than English work is usually made; but M. Hugo informed me that both for France and for exportation lightness was required, and that he, in fact, had difficulty in getting the work light enough. Sets, consisting of coffee and tea pots, sugar-basin and cream-jug, weighed 2 kilogrammes, or sometimes under, and were sold at a price considerably below what is paid in England.”

I think the “plate” they are referring to in this article is Old Sheffield Plate and forty years from 1868 is 1828.

Another reference that discusses this is Fredrick Bradbury’s book The History of Old Sheffield Plate on page 116 where 1820 is given as the date for spinning in a Sheffield shop.

“A HISTORY OF OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE. SPINNING. The process of spinning must be regarded as a latter day invention in connection with Sheffield Plate. Thomas Nicholson,* writing in the year 1850, says, " Much of late years is accomplished by turning with a burnish on pieces of wood formed for the purpose, some forty years ago never contemplated. I remember being laughed at for such an attempt, but it has to-day become an important advantage in the cases of detached forms." By this it will be seen that the old platers clung closely to their dies for the production of small detached parts, and no research has so far led to the discovery of the existence of a separate spinning shop (such as is to-day indispensable in an up-to-date Sheffield silversmith's factory) previous to the year 1820. In fact it would be pretty safe to give this as an approximate date for the introduction of spinning into the plated trade of Sheffield in any form. A manufacturer by this method could produce a greater variety of articles, and he could also rely on the process of spinning as an alternative. Though rather more expensive a method of manufacture, it was a far quicker one, the reasons being that dies took an exceedingly long time in their execution, and a new pattern, before the invention of spinning, took as many months in its production as days would now be required by the aid of the spinner. Perhaps the French may be credited with the invention and introduction of the process of spinning, as it is singular how they came to the front in the manufacture of fused plated ware about the years, 1820-25. It will also be noted that this date has been given as an approximate one for the invasion of our English markets by them with their cheap, lightly made and plated articles. The French accomplish this task very much more easily than it is performed in our English workshops. Their method has now reached such a scientific point that a man when at work sits on a revolving stool and practically swings on the end of the burnish, and so concentrates the full weight of his body on to the article which he is spinning; whilst the Englishman invariably stands up when performing the process, getting thereby no more force than can be exerted by the use of his arms and the weight of his head and shoulders.”

It appears that this article gives the French credit for perfecting this method first and the first date of use 1820, but neither of these articles discusses when the process started to be used in the U.S. or used on solid silver.

Does anyone know when spinning replaced hand raising in the U.S. on solid silver? By 1800 makers of beakers left the hand raising method when rolled plate became available and my friend wonders if beakers (because they would be cheaper to buy) diminished the sales of goblets until spinning became available in the U.S.