Each handframe had its own mould for casting the needles into leads. A mixture of lead and tin was heated and poured into the mould. Needles were then placed into the molten metal. The number of needles held by each lead varied for different frames.…

Each handframe had its own mould for casting the needles into leads. The inside of the mould was blackened with soot from a buring candle prior to a mixture of molten lead and tin being poured in. Needles were placed into the molten metal. The leads…