The tinsmith makes what the blacksmith doesn't — fine work from sheet metal.

Products

Buckets and dippers. Funnels. Lanterns for candles and kerosene lamps. Baking molds. Stovepipes and elbows. Rain gutters. Weather vanes. Oil lamps. Livestock feeders. Toolboxes.

Materials

Sheet tin (galvanized steel). Copper (for gutters — won't rust). Tin (for food items). Brass (decorative elements).

Techniques

Cutting with tin snips. Bending (on mandrel or by hand). Seam joining (folded edges interlock — watertight without solder). Tin soldering (for waterproof joints). Riveting.

Lanterns

Amish lantern = tin body with glass or mica windows. Inside — candle or small kerosene lamp. Used in buggy (legally required), barn, porch. Beautiful, functional, lasts decades.