The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-17

New York Sum-
Tin Toys.

About two hundred hands are now employed
In the manufacture of tin toys in factory in
Avenue d. OF these, one hundred and twenty
five are girls, thirty-fve boys, and forty men.
At other seasons of the year, the force is in
creased. A great part of the material used is
scrap tin, bought from tin-smiths and tin manu-
facturers. 1t is cut into available shape by
shearing machines worked by girls. The COM
plicated tin toys go through variety OF proc
cesses before they are completed. The ma
chimes can be explained by describing the
manufacture of jockey on horse moved on
a tin circle by a grooyed wheel. The horse is
made from piece of tin of the right size, that
is placed in stamping press, which stamps
ont the form of the body, head and legs. The
tin plate bearing the stamped horse is then
placed in a cutting machine, that cuts away all
the waste tin ON the outside of the figure.
Another machine cuts away the tin between
the legs. The result is one-half of the horse,
and the other half is made in the same manner
BY a reversed die. The two sides go to the
solderer, who has pan of liquid solder before
him. He puts the two sides neatly together,
dips the edges Of the hoofs, tail, and head into
the solder, and the horse is completed. The
Jockey is made in a slightly different way. I'm
like the horse, his limbs do not lie in the same
plane His legs must be spread apart SO as to
bestride the horses back. The tin Is hrst put
in the cutting stamp, and the die cuts out q
fiat figure That then goes to the stamping
nress' which presses out the curves, and at the
same time gives the right direction to the legs:
The platforms on whcih the toys are placed
are cut out by the dies. To form the circle, a
long band of tin is passed through rolling
- No. HhA
ends are then soldered together. If crossbars
or supports are needed, they are made by
folding machine, which folds the tin into mar
row stiff strips All these different parts OF the
toy are made by different workman. Near the
cutting and stamping machines are barrels of
tigers, boxes of dogs, and heaps of all kinds of
animals. The various completed parts OF the
toy pass into the hands of the men, who put
them together Their chief outfit consists of
small furnace, two soldering irons, and a bar of
solder. They solder the different parts TO-
gether with amazing quickness and dexterity.
The toy then goes up stairs to the painters.
who are mostly girls Some of the toys which
consist of one figure are dipped in tub OF
paint, and the finishing touches OF hair, eyes,
etc., are put on afterwards.
The elaborate toys require more care. The
girl painters have broad camels hair brushes
and paints of all colors, mixed with varnish.
One takes toy, and in very short time paints
the platform lively green, the horse brown,
anu lllo JOChcy Ndiicu COlOlcs 1uo lOJ 10 tuou
put in the drying room, in temperature of two
hundred degrees. When dry, it goes back to
the painters, who put on the finishing touches,
such as the harness of the horse, the hair, eyes,
and shoes of the jockey, and other little things
of the kind. All lettering Is put on by STEM
ellis The girls who do the painting are from
twelve to eighteen years of age and they earn
from IS to $40 a week, being paid by the piece.
The toy, when painted, goes to workman,
who puts the little iron wheels on the platform.
axrrho 41,a font fvty TONS n
year, and the fact gives idea of the toy trade.
Another workman adjusts the cord on the
grooved wheels. and the toy is complete. 1t is
then packed up by half-dozens for shipment.
Another branch of the toy business is the
making of pewter tea-sets. A set that consists
of six CUPS, six saucers, SIX spoons sugar
bowl, sugar tongs. pitcher, teapot, and
slop bowl of fair size, sells for eight cents
wholesale, and fifteen or twenty cents retail.
The cups and spoons are cast in small iron
moulds, that are held in the hand. Pitchers
and teapots are made by dumping" The
mould is hollow, and of the shape of the article
desired 1t is filled with molten metal, and
after a minutes's delay part of the metal is
poured out again. That leaves the teapot hol-
low: otherwise it would be solid. The castings
go to a boy, who cleans off all superhuous lead.
The metal spinner then takes them, evens the
edges, and polishes the insides. Toy soldiers
are cast in the same manner. Attached to the
factory is an artist, who draws designs of men,
animals, and various parts of toys They are
. taken to the machine shops, where stamps and
dies are made from them. There is a curious
machine, called a crimping machine, that puts
tin bottom on a hollow tin cylinder as neatly
as if soldered there. Another machine stamps
out net work pattern from asheet of tin. The
pattern is used in making large knife baskets,
for which there is large demand in the West
Girls make all the paper boxes used in the fac
tory, and girls do the packing. Boys, as rule,
run the machines. Men put the toys together
and make the dies.