Who was Liu Sanjin's original name?

This tin shop is run by a 74-year-old man named Liu Yuying. In fact, not many people know the name Liu Yuying. Most neighbors know another name of this elder sister-Liu Sanjin.

As early as the early days of liberation, she was an employee of the Tai Po Street Cooperative. Later, the cooperative was dissolved, and she has been running this tin shop alone for more than 40 years.

In her shop, the small telephone booth with lock, the kettle for watering flowers, the lunch box, the hood of the range hood, the wine rack and the small barrel for sausage, which are not common at ordinary times, are all made of tin. Although there is no colorful decoration, these objects are straight and flat, like exquisite handicrafts.

Liu Yuying told us that the tin processing industry is far from what it used to be. Now the main business is to make some watering cans with long mouths, repair some antimony pots, fume hoods and so on. To say "big business" is to make kitchen exhaust pipes for some small and medium-sized restaurants. Occasionally, customers will order some rice barrels, teapots and the like. Although the business is not as good as before, we can't lose the craft of white iron.

What belief made Liu Yuying insist on making white iron? Frankly speaking, she said that people still need to repair the craft of white iron. Sometimes we can't throw away the antimony pot just because it has a hole, and it will last for a year or two after it is repaired.

Liu Yuying is 70 years old, but he still does a clean job.

She said: "To be a white iron, the most test technique is cutting." If you go down with a knife, you must be accurate and cut too much waste; If you cut less, you can't be a model. Take this steaming tray as an example. It is a cone. The cut iron sheet is first made into a fan shape and then rolled into a cone shape. This should be junior high school geometry knowledge!

Although I haven't read many books, with the methods taught by the master of Baitie Society and my years of work experience, Liu Yuying has been able to do it accurately now.

After years of practice, she developed a pair of "critical eyes". Just tell her the length, width and height of the appliance, and she can quickly figure out how big and what shape the iron piece is to be cut, without having to do it with a pen. When she made the exhaust duct for the restaurant, she not only cut and made it herself, but also went to the scene to help install it. I can't believe that Liu Yuying can go into battle in person at his age.

They all beat white iron with their hands. It's not easy to hit the ball straight. Liu Yuying said that the kung fu of processing tin sheet is reflected in knocking, which is not good or strong; Playing unevenly is not beautiful. Knock and knock, and master the strength. If you knock, you will hurt the tin. It rusts easily if you don't use it. Not playing enough is not only unstable, but also leak-proof.

Secondly, the test of manual labor is curling. Knock slowly on the anvil with a wooden hammer, turn the edge of the iron sheet up bit by bit, and finally bite the two pieces of tin sheet firmly into a whole, just like a tailor sews the front piece and the back piece of clothes with a needle and thread. Good white iron products have no obvious marks, smooth surface and convenient use.

Liu Yuying's life is not as rich as before, but the things that have accompanied her for more than 40 years are still there: sharp scissors, sharp horns, iron angle plates and homemade soldering irons. They are all simple tools, but after a series of processes such as calculation, composition, cutting and sewing, pieces of tin have become pieces of tin products.

It takes more than half an hour for a sprinkler to drill dozens of small holes, and a watering can needs 14 parts. It takes hours to make them by hand. Even if they don't stop for a day, they can only do four at most. Although a watering can can't sell much money, Liu Yuying built a small building in Tai Po Street and raised four children in his early years by relying on traditional crafts. She lives quite well in Tai Po Street.

In the 1970s, there used to be several white iron masters in Tai Po Street, but with the popularization of plastic products, most of them switched to other jobs, and there were fewer and fewer full-time white iron masters.

Liu Yuying sighed. There are not many customers in the small tin booth. Most of them are elderly people. It is difficult to give up their feelings for tin. You can find a small box for putting files, a small pot for watering flowers, or buy a wine rack as a handicraft. There are also some thrifty old people who come to Liu Yuying to help change the bottom of the pot. Not making money. For her, tin foil has been with them for more than 40 years, and her love for old crafts has long been deeply rooted in her bones.

They can always find joy in life by beating tinplates. Now she also regards this craft as a pleasure, and when she is free, she organizes the old sisters in the neighborhood to travel all over the country and enjoy the fun of her later life!