San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-05
OUR TIN PLATE PRODUCT.
Fully As Good As That of European
Manufacture.

Fully As Good As That of European
Manufacture.
Philadelphia Press.
A New York newspaper of a free
rrade stamp, has been endeavoring
re GENTLY to cast aspersions on the tin
pIate industries of the country and
Philadelphia in particular, which
have been started everywhere as a
result of the additional duty fixed by
the Mckinley bill on imported roofing
tin. The sallies have been directed
mainly against the n. & g. Taylor
Company of this city, which began TO
manufacture tin plate in q mill at
Front and Laurel streets some weeks
ago.
1t is claimed upon an alleged in
vestigation that the n. Il g.. Taylor
Co. did not have any tin plate works,
nor could the firm furnish any Amer
lean tin plate. A further assertion
was made that the company was
making boasts OF turning out as good
tin plate as could be purchss ed
across the water, in order to bring
trade for their imported material,
and also correspondence which they
could not otherwise procure.
The Press, yesterday, took occasian
to investigate these reports. A visit
was made TO the works, at Front
and Laurel streets. A gang of
workers were seen busily engaged
in the manufacture of tin plate and
the thoughts of probable illusion
were speedily dispeIled. The factory
is long, low brick building. Along
the east side of the big open room
were piles Of black sheet iron. Ada
cent to them were oIher piles of shin
ing tin plates in boxes and ready for
packing. At the southern end of the
building was a huge brick furnace
with six fires. Above the furnace
was q large iron protector, placed
there to carry off the fumes of the
palm oil. Near by was the machin-
cry used for stamping the sheets.
Along the west wall was the ''pick-
ing" paraphernalia.
Two hours ofinvestigation produced
a conviction beyond all doubt that
tin plate, as fine as any of European
make, was certainly being manufac-
tured. The brand of tin that the
company is making is the Taylor
"old style" brand, and the impression
stamped on every sheet shows the
brand, thickness, trademark and
name r. & G. Taylor Co., Phila
A fellow seized black iron plate
from pile nesting against an iron
support. These plates are made from
Siemens-Martin soft steel. The pre-
parations of these lack, glistenting
sheets for tin plate manufacture is in
teresting. They are picked" aud
and annealed; then they are cold
rolled, re-anneal and made perfect
ly square, This makes the sheets
soft and pliable. Next they are pack
ed i'm boxes so that the edges may
not be Injured.
The burly fellow with one of these
finely prepared iron sheets dexterous-
ly handed it to the man at the "pick-
ling" vat. The vat is large wooden
q strong solution OF sulphuric acid.
The sheet is dipped into the vat sew
eral times and then goes to the man
at the water vat. There it is deposit
ed several moments. The sheet next
goes to the "scorer" who skillfully
scrubs it with sand and passes 1t to an
auburn bearded man who deposits it
INTO another vat of water and re-
cleans it.
Now the sheet iron is ready to don
its coat of tin. 1t is tossed over to
the worker at the furnace vat, filled
with pure palm oil. He immerses 1t
several times. The palm oil renders
the iron adhesive to the thinning"
material. 1t is q rather expensive
mode of manufacture but skilled
makers know that the best tin plate
can be made in this way. The oily
sheet is next tossed to the man at the
metal vat. The metal Is almost all
tin, and down into the sizzling fluid
the sheet is deposited. 1t becomes
silver coated after several dimensions,
and Is then handed to a muscular in
dividual who gives it a number of ad.
ditional baths in a vat of metal. The
sheet is thoroughly washed with a
brush OF hemp saturated with palm
oil.
Next it is passed to an employee,
who Is waiting to deposit it into vat
OF metal, which consists of mixture
of tin and lead. Now the sheet is a
beautiful tin roofing plate. But the
finishing touches have to be made. 1t
is dipped into a palm oil pot. The
cleaners" take 1t. 1t is rubbed in
saw kust first then In bran, and final
ly polished on q table of sheepskin.
All traces of oil are thus removed
carefully from the surface. The tin
plate now goes under an examination.
The "sorter" examines every inch OF
the surface to find whether there
are any imperfectionss But the
"sorter" looks pleased 1t is a
good tin plate and ready to be
stamped and packed away with
the other Ill sheets In box. The