The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-03-05
nov sILYER-rLATED WIRE rs MADE.

1t is an Old and trite saying that one-half of
the people have no idea how the other half
live; and it is equally trite, though not so old
perhaps that the greater part of the world
haven't the least idea how the articles they
use in everyday life are made. We get SO
used to going to bed and getting up, and see
the living tools in use about us, that they
become common things to our sight, and we
seldom stop to think whence they come or
how they are manufactured Take teapot,
for Instance common silver-plated or Bri-
tannia teapot. 1t is one of the commonest of
articles in daily use, and yet how many of our
readers have the least idea how one of them is
manufactured? 1t is the purpose of this arti-
Gle in brief manner, and as .intelligibly as
possible to tell this. 4~ sFs
| Standing upon Front street, and running
clear through from Pearl to Adams street. in
Brooklyn, is large brick building, which has
the appearance of an armory upon the outside,
at first glance. The building is occupied by
the Brooklyn Brass and Copper Company, and
the Webster Manufacturing Company, en-
gagged in the making of all manner of silver
plated ware in common use, from a "silver
cup" for the baby, to massive waiter for the
ward politician
The last named company generally have at
work about 100 hands, both male and female,
with predomnance of the former, and do an
average business of $1,000
The process by which silver plated goods are
made is rather a curious one and quite differ
ent from any the uninitiated would be led to
suppose. Let us follow the process of making
a teapot, for instance
fiat piece of Britannia-which is the basis
| for most plated goods--circular, in form and
about the size of common dinner-plate, is
fastened upon lathe next wooden form or
mold and the lathe is set in motion. The
workman with the requisite tools presses upon
this revolving disc and shapes it over the
wooden block, giving it the requisite form.
The body of the teapot is thus "turned off,
in moment or two. The top is turned in the
same way, also the lid, and at the proper time
they are put together The legs, handles, and
whatever other ornaments of solid nature
are to be added, are generally cast in molds
and fastened upon the pots by workmen skill
ed in that line.
If the pot is to be engraved or chased it will
be necessary to hammer upon its surface, and,
as the metal is soft and yielding, the pot must
be made in some way solid. This is done by
filing the vessel with hot pitch and allowing
it to cool, when the whole mass is as flint al
most, and will bear any amount of banging.
The engraving and chasing finished, the pot
! Il
pitch, and the heat soon empties it of its con-
tents. 1t is then placed in solutions of tur-
pentine and soda respectively, and all traces
of the pitch are removed.
From here it goes to the polishing and then
to the "bath ROOM" where the silver is added
to the surface. The great requisite in silver
plating is a clear and smooth surface. With
out this the work would he very unsatisfactory.
In order to attain this, each piece is thoroughly
polished, and then thoroughly boiled in a
strong solution of potash, and rinsed in clean
cold water before going into the bath of silver,
in which it remains a sufficient length of time
to obtain the coating required, and is again
thoroughly cleansed.
Another polishcr gets it next, and by means
of revolving brush of copper wire takes off
the heavy white appearance which the silver
bath leaves, except in the interstices of the
engraved or chased parts.
The burnisher handles it next and with q
steel instrument about three-eighths of an inch
thick, shaped somewhat like trowel but
much smaller, by constant attrition brings into
brightness the now dull looking body, bur-
nishng such portions as are intended so to be
acted upon. The remaining processes are those
of finishing and packing, mainly.
The girls who are employed as burnishcrs,
work by the piece and get the same compen-
saton Us mon for the same class of work. They
earn from 81 to S15 per week, according to
capacity.
All work, except the heaviest and oddly
shaped, like large walters, etc, are made by
the lathe and pressure process we have de-
scribed.