The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-24
TANNING BY ELECTRICITY.
New Way OF Making Leather That VIII
RevOlutt0nixe the Trade.

New Way OF Making Leather That VIII
RevoluttOnixe the Trade.
The process of converting hides into
leather, as now followed, consumes a
space OF time varying from six to
twelve months. 1t also demands close
attention and good management. as
well as experience. Great care has to
be exercised in the selection of ma
terial, else lot of choice hides are
found at the expiration of the tanning
season to have deteriOrated into Sec
ond or even third quality leather.
tanners, and leather dealers general
ly. are accredited with being very
careful and conservative in all their
business methods.
With these facts in view it is not
surprising that when it was reported
from France that leather was being
tanned by electricity. American tan
ners regarded the statement as a news
paper sensation. Twenty-four hours
was considered pretty quick work
for even electricity. 1t was not until
the doubling Thomases had seen and
felt that they believed. But now since
tanning by this process seems an as
sured fact it is no longer regard
ed as sort Of transatlantic offset to
our electric sugar refining. Every
item that can be CLEANED is thoroughly
discussed and every source of informa-
ton eagerly sought That the earlier
efforts in this direction were failures
is true. but this is largely owing to
lack of electrical knowledge on the
part Of the inventors. They
were unable to economically pro-
duce an effective current. And
again. many experiments were
necessary to learn the strength of
the most effective current. But this
in time was learned. as was also it's
most economic means of production.
Only uniform current will give good
results.
The process as described by those
who have seen it is very simple one.
The hides are placed in large cylinders,
which revolve upon horizontal axles.
The drum is filled with a decoction of
tannin and closed. Provision is made
for the passing of current of electric
ity through the drum. The drum is
kept slowly revolvino until the process
of tanning is completed. The length
of time required varies with the nature
of the hide. For the lighter skins,
such as sheep and goat. which used to
require from three to six months, by
the electric process are tanned in twen-
ty-four hours. The heavier hides. such
as calf. OK. cow or horse. require from
seventy-two to ninety-six hours. BY
the Old-fashiOned bark process twelve
months. or even more, would have been
taken
The cost of production is greatly re-
duced by this method. for not only is
the saving in time, but in labor. The
actual cost of working is reduced over
fifty per cent. BY the bark process
the cost of tanning is from seven to
eight cents per pound of dry leather,
rs against that of three to four cents
by the electric methods. And again,
where a force of fifty men were re-
quired to produce a given quantity of
leather, only ten are needed to pro-
duce tho same by the new methods.
Heretofore large capital has been re-
quired to run tannery having a reg
ular weekly output. AS hides often
require to lie in the tan watts nearly a
year, it will be seen that a great num-
Der must be in process of tannage in
order that certain amount of leather
be turned out each week. In addition
to extensive plant, heavy investments
are represented by the hides in tan
mage. But the electric process COM
pletely revolutionizes this. Hides pur-
chased on Monday have been convert
ed into leather and put on the market
by Saturday.
Just what effect the electric current
has upon the tannin is. as yet, ques-
ton of dispute. Some claim that it's
effect is upon the tannin. giving it
more active properties Others say
that it effects the hide only. Prof S.
P. Thompson, who has examined the
process, thinks that the effect is to
open the pores of the hide and so per-
NIT more rapid access of the tannin
solution. Another claims that the
current renders the gelatine more
soluble, so that it is able to combine
more rapidly with the tannin. There
is reason to believe that there is truth
in both these statements, from the
fact that the leather is much more
pliable and of greater strength than
that of the long process. IN. Y. Mail
and Express