brass moulder - tinker?

[sonofhatton]

Researching my family history I found my ggrandfather owned a brass moulding factory
I'm not sure if he worked his way up or not however.
He was from Scotland, was episcopolian and lived in or near Londonderry Ireland..
my family never mentioned being Scottish and simply said we are Irish however
This is in the mid to late 1800s
a friend suggested that he may have been a "tinker" as brass is a cheap metal and the tinkers or gypsies used to specialize in making moulds of metal

is my friend right in that this brass moulding occupation may be a tinker occupation or that his profession suggeests a possible tinker/gypsy ancestry?

[locksmith]

Wasn't aware that there was anything such as a Brass moulding Factory. A Brass Moulder (and also Iron Moulders) typically worked in Foundries or large engineering companies (train works for example) making moulds into which the molten metal was poured. It was at the higher end of the skill set in a foundry. Maybe they made the moulds for the foundries. I doubt there was a connection to Tinkers.

Simon

[barryd]

Of course I knew approximately what a Tinker was but not officially.

Tinker or tinkerer is an archaic term for an itinerant tinsmith who mends household utensils.