The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-05-08

N11
!, give them their scientific names, fol
If | do | shall get hopelessly confus
ed end then you will wish that haC
let it alone, or got some IN else y
do it for me that knew something.
The laboratory is q large room
well lighted by three windows, ant
superlatively clean. At one window
r behind a screen, the young ladies
work, while the men have the "rur
Of the place. To the right Of th,
laboratory on entering is a sink fitted
with sand brushes and hot and cold
water and spoDges. These are t
wash the articles thoroughly, that nC
particle of grease adhere. From
this preparation they are dipped int
a hot bath Of caustic potash, to en-
tirely kill the oily matter, aud thea
into the metallic baths. These cleans
ing baths are tubs arranged to have a
continual stream of water flowing
into them. Close TO these stand
tour other baths, having an aisle be.
tween, and they are all connected by
metal rods, and these connected by
wires when an electric current is de-
sired. Ga stand near the outer
door, is placed the electric battery,
Weston's Dynamic Machine, which,is
the most powerful n known. and it
is turned by a leather band by steam,
aud in some manner, indefnable to
me, By the friction the electricity is
engendered. ~anG,passed by magnet, in
sufficient quantities to make wire red
hot by the successive shocks.
One Of these baths on the line of
the battery contains cyanide Of cop
per, for the copper plating; the second,
contains an ammoniacal solution OF
niekle salts, for nickle plating the
third, cyanide Of silver for silver pla.
ting; and the fourth, cyanide of cold,
for gold plating.
Beyond these TO the left Of the
room, is u long, narrow counter,
wherein are the brushes, etc, for
burnlsbiDg One Of them,being made
Of round disks, of Canton flannel,
some two hundred, | should think,
fastened firmly together. This forms
a circular brush, which revolves by
steam, and puts a very high polish
on the articles. This is all the par
~aphernalia tina: strikes the eye of the
beholder.
The goods come to the laboratory
from the mandatory in the shape,
but made of far baser metals than
will presently gid them. MIR. Will
liams took up a steel knife, and after
washing it thoroughly, dipped it, by
means of o piece of wire into the
caustic potash, and then rinsed it in
clear water. The electric battery
was all the while revolving like a
cyclone, and storing up electricity by
the measure, and then he connected
wires to all the rods over the metal
baths, !hus completing the electric
circle, and then by the wire dipped
it into the copper bath. It commence
ed to ferment like a bottle Of newly
worked soda water, and when he
lifted it out it was the loyeliest rose
colored copper you ever saw. An
other rinsing iu clear water and then
it was dipped into the nickel and 10 a
few minutes all that beauty of rose
coloriDg had disappeared, aud it look
ed like silver. Another swish of
running water and it went this time
into the s:lvder bath, and came out
silver but white and frosty looking.
1t was then carefully wiped, and Civ.
en- to the polisher. And how do you
suppose that polishing is done? oh,
with channels or some other soft ma
t%erial," you say, but no. 1t is done
with steel implements, somewhat re-
sembling putty knives. and the pol
ishing consists Of pressing fiat and
causing 10 firmly adhere, all those
minute particles that loose gave the
frosty appearance.
A sort of powder is rubbed on oc-
casionally, add the blunt instrument
scrapes down and p0lishes the newly
plated ware. Here in a few minutes
was a course steel knife turned into
o shining silver one by the magic in
auence Of chemistry. OF course, this
was a simple operation, and done
only to show me the practical work
ings Of this marvellous invention.
The most Of the Furnishing and
polishing, is done by young ladies.
| ~coBversed with one a few moments.
She says the work is rot unhealthy
nor hard, and that presenting as it
does every hour some new and at
tractige appearance she never wear
les.
1t makes a %callous spot ID the
palm of the hand to hold the bur
nishing knives, which are Of e varie-
ty of forms for differently formed ar
ticles.
The bath for the gold plating is
generally used hot, while the others
, are used cold. For this purpose the
gold bath is placed in a porceiainlin-
ed vessel and gas burners under this.
OF course | have here given but a
simple and crude outline of the work,
for | could not go into a learned dis
QUESTION, and most of people may
think it a very simple operation, but
when you remember that you must
have the best knowledge of chemis-
try, and must adjust all your uncon-
genial elements with such extreme
nicely and precision, that each shall
blend with the other completely and
leave no preponderance Of anything,
aud you must understand and control
that wonderful and subtle power,
electricity, and make it subservient
TO your desire, you will find that it is
the study for a life time.
have spoken only of the Iaborato.
ry as yet, and said nothing of the
beautiful results Of that producer of
magic results, and now | have little
space left to say all | would There
are the coolest ice pitchers, where the
white frosted silver sets off to advan-
tage the delicate scrolls, aud arabes.
ques and flowers Of polished silver /:
the goblets fit for kings to drink from.
in their grace Of form aud richness /;
! of fable servica pvhora ar,;o.s 49,