The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-10-06
NkNAo ropAcco PIPES.


sIff
ilaaipa liila V which ne CLAY Il sab
lI,l,d-Rsady Ter the KilA.
Tie o'ay after bsIng delivered at the
factor , allowed 10 stand in the sun for
kfew d.yn 10 become seasoned. After
beng lsposed sufficiently long it Is
mirpd rilh waler and -milled, ths pro-
oes5 consisting 81 funningit through 3
mill which crushes Il and removes al
Kfil dnd foreign Substances. Aftor CON-
ing from the min It Is worked and
kneaded hY hand, much In the same
manner Is bread, and whatever grit NJ
tiaina j eafefully removed. whenfthe
ayhna BEEN worked sufficiently tits
given 70 ne ROLLER" as the mar, who
fashion1 u 4 called. His tools are ot the
simple A wooden bench, a stool, .
rolling bond; and his hands. eonstitut-
ing III kits The clay Is placed on the
night band q the bench In easy reaching
diSaaco q the workman, and then the
Seocnd process ot plpe-making Is gone
through Gfasptng a handful Of clay
the workman separates Il In halves, and
placing u On he board rolls them, one
piih 1el hand, until they have Feaehed
Tie ishst desired, ohg end, ,of which
thebowl Is made. resembling a small
sized pear. After being rolled the partly
formed pipe Is laid on board Just the
length Of the pipe desired, when, Il the
stem Is too long, til broken Of at the
required length,
After one dozen pipes have been rolled
in this fashion they are punched and
passed over to the helper, who sits on
the opposite side Of the bench, on one
end Of which Is the machine with which
the pipe Is made. II consists Of alever,
at the lower end Of which Is plunger,
the size Of the bowl Of the pipe to be
made. Below the prunger Is slat in
which the iron mold Is placed, the slat
allowing the mold to enter until the
bowl Of the pipe is directly underneath
the plunger. When the half made pipes
are handed to the man at the machine,
he picks up the bunch in one hand, dip.
ping the other in oil, with which he oils
The clay, separating the bunch as he
does So After oiling the clay he picks
up the iron pipe mold, which Is double,
separating at the center, and opening It,
he dips his finger in oil, and with a quick
movement oils the inside Of the mold,
which from constant use shines like bur-
nished steel. The mold Is the exact size
and shape Of the pipe. After the mold
is oiled the workman picks up a long
steel wire and, oiling It, proceeds to in
sert it in the stem Of the pipe, pulling
the clay on in about the same manner as
a glove Is put on the hand.
After the wire has been inserted nearly
to the bowl portion Of the pipe, the clay
Is placed in the mold which is then
closed and placed in the slot Of the ma
chine care being taken that the wire in
the stem docs not reach to the bowl, as
II 1t did the plunger which forms the
bowl would break 1t. The mold is
pushed as far as possible into the slot
and while being held there with one
hand the workman turns screw at the
side Of the machine, with the other hand
forcing an iron plate against the mold,
the pressure forcing out all superiluouS
clay and forming the pipe. The lever to
which the plunger is attached is then
lowered, the plunger entering the bowl
ipofll6h of the mold forcing out the clay
and making the bowl. The mold Is tlien
withdrawn from the machine, the wire
in tie stom being forced into the bowl
OF the pipe making the hole through
which the smoke Is drawn. The clay
which has been forced out Of the mold
Is then cut away with knife, aud the
pipe removed from the mold and placed
upon a tray.
The wooden trays when full are placed
in the sun to allow the clay to dry mod
erately. They are then taken by girl
and each pipe is carefully polished with
piece Of hard wood. A "rinlmer," a
block OF hard wood, is placedin the bowl
and turned around to smooth the bowl,
while piece Of iron attached to tho
trimmer" cuts the wreath on the out
side Of the bowl. The stamp that is seen
on the front Of the bowl Is then put on
by means OF hand.stamp, and the pipe
Is ready for the potter" another girl
who places the pipes, bowls down, into
an earthen pot called a "Sagger," which
after being filled with pipes Is covered
with fiat earthen covcrandplacOd in the
kiln. The clay before being fired isof slaty
blue. The various decorations, such as
wreaths, fern leaves, figures, etc., seen
on the pipes are formed by the mold.
After the kiln has been filed with the
-saggeB" containing the pipes the door
Is closed and the fire built,-"V. D." in
Brooklyn Eagle.