Bindelu is made from brass metal. This brass vessel is made particularly only in Budithi. It is a two-piece vessel made by beating two different brass sheets till the required shape is achieved. The two pieces are welded and then finished from the inside. The mouth of the vessel is made by welding a casted ring to the finished sphere. It is then completed by scarping out the vessel's outer surface and polishing it, which imparts luster.
Following steps are involved in Budithi Bindelu making:
Sheet Work:
It starts working on brass sheets that come in a circular and rectangular shape. The work starts with marking, cutting, beating, and then finally welding the parts to form the product.
Marking and Cutting of Sheet:
The plan drawn on paper is cut into shape and placed on the metal sheet. The pattern is then traced onto the metal sheet. It is drawn using a marker and a divider for circular features. This is then cut into the required size with the help of a cutting tool. Once the sheet is cut, it is flattened out by beating with a hammer.
Forming:
A sheet is flat. It needs to be beaten and bent to give the required shape. Initial shapes for tubular items are attained by turning the sheet manually around steel rods of different widths. Simultaneously, the hemispherical shape for Bindelu and flower vases is achieved by beating the sheet with hammers on other stakes. To make products that are tubular in nature the sheet is first welded and made into a tube. Slits are cut at the edges of the two ends of the sheet, interlocked into each other, and then welded together using a kerosene and Flux paste called KDF. This is a mixture of brass shavings and a locally available chemical powder. It is also called as “thankam” in the local language.
Beating:
Once welded it is left to cool slightly and then placed on an anvil and beaten into the required shape. The sheet must not be cold while being beaten as it will crack and hardened. So it is heated from time to time while beating. For every slight change in the product's angle, the entire object must be beaten again to get a smooth surface.
Finishing:
The completed product after sheet work and casting doesn’t have shine or smoothness. This is an important characteristic required to increase the feel and aesthetic appeal of products to increase customer viability. Thus the major processes carried out in this respect are filling, polishing, and making black and golden rings on the surface.
Filing:
The filing process removes the remains of runners used in casting, making the edges smooth and providing fineness to shape.
Polishing:
The polishing of the final product in order to give it a required finish is mostly done by normal brass polishing. Products made available in the market after turning the products on a lath kind of set up.
Embossing:
Embossing is usually done for Kalasha. It is also known as ‘PIMBARTI’ work. The embossing is done on the object with the help of a chisel and hammer.