Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-03-20
L. a Paias Factory.


To begin with, what is white lead,
which l. the basis OF nearly ell paintss
Don't know"
Il would be odd IL you did. Now and
then you mey ind some one to tell you
that the same lead you mold into bull
lets is the white lead you see In the
paint pots, blt you Will ask great
many people before you nnd one TO ex-
plain the process Of msnufacture. Let
ms follow IL out.
Iron Is melted into what IL called
pigs" for shipment aud for coDven-
lent use. IL Is the same with lead, only
the pigs" are not as large and heavy.
The nrst step Ia the manufacture is to
corrode the lead. We will take what 10
called the "old Dutch process. because
that makes the besT article. The pigs"
are tossed into q melting furnace, and
when reduced to liquid state the metai
Is drawn OF into molds which are called
"buckle- molds." The lead thus nodded
is called a ''buckle, being q little round
cake nesrly as large as q saucer, but not
so thick. and perforated IN many places.
These buckles" are carried by an
endless belt aud dropped into earthen
lars Of various sizes. At the bottom Of
each jar is a small quantity Of acetic
acid. When jar is full Of buckles"
which have been dropped In without
regard 10 order, IL is removed TO the
eorroding house. Here the jars are
placed In row, covered by boards, the
boards covered by two insh-s OF tan
| bark, and then another course Of Jars
Is added until all the rooui Is taken up.
There 10 nothing more TO do for ninety
day. except TO wait. The acid At once
begins It's work on the buckles" aud
corrosion 10 the result. IL isn't the acid
direct, but its fumes, and the perform
tions of which I spoke permit the fumes
to get at all parts OF the little cake.
At the end Of ninety days the lead
should be corrodej. The "buckl-s" are
then bleschrd out until they look like
crackers, and will crumble TO pieces at
fhe touch. The same acid which has
brfriended us In the coirosIon 80 now
our worst enemy, aud must he got rid
of. Haven't you rubbed your hand
along the clsy,sosrds OF house aud
found IL smrarrd with a white po~derf Y
Well. that touse Was painted with lead
from which the ac-,ic acid was not tho
roughly washed out, aud the paint kill
ej aud powdered up.
The jars are taken 10 the washing
lroughs aud their contents emptled In,
aud the water 10 then let In snd the
batch Il sluiced until We have mixture
the color OF milk aud scarcely heavier.
Afier n deal Of washing the wster 10
drawn oG aud the lead IL found at the
bottom oi the trouxhs. II the =cIJ has
been taken out II ID shovel-i iDto jars
again. and rhrs. ATE carried Into hot
air room snd left for the water IN evnp-
orale. When this has been accomplished
the contents OF the jars are emptird on
copper drying pans heated by steam.
The sun nov looks like Ice cream. but
soon dries until IL IL ss due aud almost
as white a. ho'rr. To make paint it sim-
ply has to b~ ground Ia oil.
Let me a.k you if that wasn't curl
Gus discovery? Who could have got the
idea into his head as he looked at bar
Of lead that II would preserys and beau
tify the buildings Of the worlds And
the process requires 20 much time that
men must have spent years In expsrI-
mentiug 10 get the right acid and the
proper method Of using. Now, 70 prove
to you that this white paint was once
metal, we'll take this piece Of charcoal, /,
dig out a small hole In the centre. aud
I'LL the cavity with pains. Now light
your coal and put the blow-pipe q
work, aud what Is The resulif A ragged
button Of lead! Acid in~le II psint--
nre turns it back To its original state.
The corrodsr ships to the paint t4cio.
ries by the barrel. At the factories the
dry stun 10 poured into paint miIls, oil
added, and the stuff IL ground through
lhree different mills before Il comes out
as you see Il IL the paint csns. iftbe
paint man Is making pure lead he adds
nothing II he 90 desires the lead n
adulterated while grinding. There IL
species quartz Of rock called bsrytes.
When this is pnlverized it closely re-
ssmbles lead, and IL largely used "a
sdultsraJs IL.
Did you ever call . boy putty
hezds' Well, you die IL without know.
Ing anything about putty. Here h
where II is msde. 80 many pounds Of
whiting are placed In this great iron
basin, 90 much oil added, and then the
! machinery Is set In motion. Iron kaises
keep mixing the MuG up sad turning is
cser and over, and a griDdstc0e, weigh
Ing 1000 pounds ana faced With Iron,
rolls arouhd the bssIn twesfy times
minute. The stone is called 'schassS. y
and ir msshes the putty down - fsss -
the knives can dug itover. Pure putty
Ia made almost snureIy Of whiting sno
iinsert oil, although email quantity Of
,otton-sce,I oil Is used 10 every grade %
! ,a~vsut II from drying too sooa. Ths
; next grade contains sboat half nssb'e-
dust, sud the pccr-st grade, which 70
ros.I enougb for all out door rork. y
hv~-seyeDibs nsarbIe-iusf to twe o.
shifting.
-Bus what l. whihiDgr"
Ak your f.tber thai qs~ssiss aud go
I, h~ can com~ within sofly.rois u
-. ~