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Clip description
A ten-tonne drawing press shapes the body of a teapot. A jeweller and two others watch a workman operate the machine and admire its product. The teapot body is then passed to another machine which cuts off the ‘scrap’ around the edges. In another machine, the draining holes are punched into the side. The teapot spout is cut from sheet metal and moulded into shape by a drop hammer. The seat or bottom of the teapot, and the teapot foot are shaped by a process called ‘metal spinning’.
Curator’s notes
This clip clearly illustrates some of the processes involved in manufacturing a teapot in a 1920s silverware factory. The pot begins to take shape in front of our eyes as pieces are shaped, trimmed and fitted together. The Made in Australia Council convincingly used the medium of the moving image to look inside factories such as this and raise awareness of the world-class quality of Australian-made goods.
