Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-10-09
BY w. A. LEE AND HUGH WILSON.

SOihcN hAe SCiiNCN l,tCcS tlc HfSL Ol
heaviest, called tho cutch hammer, is
| about four inches in diam mctcr, and
weighs from seventeen to twenty-five
pounds; the second is called tho sho.
dcring hammer, and weighs about
twelve pounds, having tho same d.
amotcr; ana tho third, still nearly OF
| tho same diameter, weighs about ten
pounds. Tie square pieces Of gold
ono hundred and fifty in numbcr-
above mentioned, arc intcriaid with
leaves Of vcilum, about three or four
inches square, ono leaf laid between
every t~o, and about twenty more
arc laiu Oh the outside. Over thcsc
liz drawn parchmcn case, open at
both ends; and over these another, in
Contrary direction, 80 that tho vel
lum and plates Of gold arc kcp. Ii a.t
and close. Thc whole IS then beaten
alternately with tho right and left
hands with the heaviest of tho three
hammers, which rebounds by tho
elasticity Of the skin, and saves the
labor OF lifting, till the gold is cxtcn-
J.d to tho breadth Of tho vclium
Each leaf is then taken out by q deli
cate pair Of whitowood pinccrs and
cut into four pieces with u s!cci knife,
auh put between the skins Of Il "sho.
dcr," four and Il half inches square,
and thrc-quartcrs Of M inch thick,
containing about seven hundred skins,
which have been wCln out in tho tin
ishing process. Tue beating is thea
repeated with the lighter hammer fer
two ho4rs. rs tho gold will spread
unsqnaliy', tie "shoacr" Is beaten up
on, after the larger leaves hare reach
cd the edges. The effect of this is,
that tho larger leaves come out of the
edges 10 {. state Of d lst. Thi3 allows
time for thc smaller leaves to reach
the full! size Of the "shoGcr," thus pro-
ducing = general evcrnc.,s Of the SIZE
of tho leaves
Each leaf is again cut into four pic
ccs, and placed between the loavcs of
a mould composed Of aboat nine hun
dred of the finest skins, fvo inches
s4narc, and thrce-quarlcrs or an inch
thick; this is the Last ard most diff
cult stage Of the process and on L,c
tinencss Of tho skin and Judgment Of
tho workman, the perfection and thin
ness OF the leaf cf gold depend. Du-
ring the first hour the hammer is al
lowed to fall principally upon the
centre OF thc mould. This causes
gaping cracks upon tho edges Of the
leaves, the sides oi which readily co.
ale:ce ant unite without leaving any
trace of the union after being beaten
upon. Al1ho second hour, whcn tho
gold is aboIt tho ono hundred and
fifty thou<andth Of an inch in thick
ness, il for tho first time permits the
transmission of the rays of light. In
puro gold, or gold but slightly alloyod
tho green rays aro transmitted and
in gold highly alloycd with silver, tho
pale violet rays pass. Tho mould thon
requires in all about four hours beat
ing with u sc9en pound hammer, when
tho gold will havo arrived at the ordi-
nary thinncss for tho gold leaf Of
commerce. II is then ta!Son out of
the mould, and tho rough edges are
cut Oft by slips of rattan fixed in par
ailcl grooves Of m Instrument called
"wagon," tho leaf TO be laid on Il
leather cushion for that purpose. The
leaves thus prepared arc placed in q
book capable OF holding twenty-five
leaves each, which havo been rubbed
over with red ochro: to prevent tho
gold clinging TO tho paper.
The dryness Of tho cutch, shodcr,
and mould is a matter Of extromc inn
portancc. They require to bo bot
pressed every time they arc used, al
though they may be used daily, to
remove tho moisture which they ae-
qniro from the atmosphere, except in
extremely frosty weather, when they
acquire SO littlc moisture that then q
difficulty arises from their over-dry-
ness; the brilliancy Of tho gold il
diminished, and it spreads very slo WY
under the hammer. On the contrary
if the cutch or shoder be damp, the
gold will become that which is tcchni
cally termed hollow or siove.likc-
that is, it is pierced with innumerablt
small holes, and in tho moulds in III
more attenuated state, il becomes re-
duccd to a pulverulcnt state. Thi
condition is moro easily produced il
alloyed gold than in fino gold.
1t is necessary that each skin Of tn,
mould should bo rubbed over will
calcired gypsum each time the moult
may be used, in order to prevent tn,