
At the time I visited, the first workshop was forging out flat discs of the metal, stretching them to the correct diameter, forming the edges and cutting the rims.

Short clips of the men working can be seen here: Bangladesh Metalworking 03 and here:Bangladesh Metalworking 01
See an overview of the workshop and the processes here: Bangladesh Metalwork - Hammerwork.


Together the men then forge up to 8 of the ingots at a time into thin sheets, working together to stretch the hot metal.
See the detail of the men working the discs here: Bangladesh Metalworking 04

The way the men work is wonderful to see. The hammer-work develops as more and more of the men start to hit the metal. As each individual adds to the hammering process his first blow is struck then he misses a beat, indicating his addition to the sequence of blows, he then joins in at the faster pace. The finish is also signaled by a change in sequence of the hammering, some blows are placed to the centre and sometimes the direction or order of the blows is reversed or changed.
The man controlling the fire moves the plates through the stack to ensure that they are all heated and stretched evenly. When the team are hammering he controls the stack of discs rotating and positioning them carefully to get maximum effect from the hammering.

Watch him rearranging the stack here: Bangladesh Metalworking 05.


Watch the men cutting and scraping the metal here: Bangladesh Metalwork - Cutting and Scraping
The discs are formed using a hammer over a stake or working the metal into a indentation in a stone, set into the workshop floor.
A second workshop

There were examples of the crucibles, some filled and ready to be capped and heated for the casting process, others stacked ready for to be filled. The large ceramic discs in the image below are the moulds where the molten metal is poured.

Like in the previous workshop, the men worked on the discs, forging and stretching them out.
others were planishing knocking out the worst of the dents and even-ing out the metal.
or scraping the surface smooth -



The shavings from the brass are re-melted to make more discs. The scrapers are honed using emery on hardwood logs. The men, as in most workshops I have seen in Bangladesh, work on the floor.
Sometimes the scraping was done on an improvised lathe where the disc of metal is attached to a block of wood, which is, in turn, attached to a motor or bicycle chain machine.

Much of the technology here is based upon work without electricity, using as much locally sourced materials as possible.
The metal is held in place by using heated plant resin as an adhesive. The resin is softened over a small ceramic kiln filled with burning charcoal, again heated with the aid of a small, hand powered, fan.

See the men using scrapers and the lathe to even out the metal surface here: Bangladesh Metalwork - Scraping
