St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-23
BEATING GOLD.
Leaves So Thin That 100000
Would Make Only an Inch in

Leaves So Thin That 2SO.OOO
Would Make Only an Inch in
Thickness.
Gold beating is an out-of-the-way in
dustry which probably few people know
anything about, and yet it is one of
great antiquity. Homer refers to the
art, and the more practical Pliny states
that gold could be beaten to such an ex
tent that one ounce would make $50
leaves, each four fingers square, says
the Scottish Leader.
What was a marvel in those days is no
longer so, for those leaves were four
times the thickness of the gold now
used.
The process of gold-beating is ex-
ceedinglY simple from a spectators
point of view, but there appears to be
an indefinable art about it which cannot
be acquired by every one who sets
about learning it.
Apprentices have been known for
years to peg away at the work, and in
the end throw down their tools in dis
gust, aud devote themselves to other
labor.
The pure gold is generally received in
the shape of tiny shells, which are
formed by dropping the molten metal
from a height into water. For gold
beating purposes it is alleged with sill
yer or copper, according to the color
desired, and cast into ingOtS four inches
III length, and weighing from ten to
seventeen ounces.
The second process consists in pass
ing the ingot between polished steam
rollers. This reduces the gold to rib
bon tweDtv-eight yards in length and
1-S00th part of an inch in thickness.
Seven yards of this ribbon are cut
into $50 pieces one inch square. These
are placed singly bet Yeen the leaves of
bundle of vellum, technically known
as 'cutch."
They are then inclosed in a parch-
ment case and beaten for half an hour
with tWenty-pOund hammer. By this
time the gold is extended into squares
of three inches.
These are removed from the "cutch'i
and quartered. The next tool is called
a ''showder.' 1t consists of 40 gold
beaterS' SKINS" four inches. square.
The gold beaters' skins are bought in
packets of go leaves, and for each
packet the intestineS of 500 oxen are re-
quired.
Although the skins have a delicate
appearance. and are beaten for several
hours every week with a ten pound
hammer, they generally last about a
year, when they are renewed for $40.
The 720 pieces of gold are beaten in the
''shoWder'' for an hour and a quarter,
till they increase to four inches square.
Another quartering then takes place,
aud the pieces are placed between skins
in tool called mold, and beaten for
! the third time. The mold is filled three
times, thus producing 1850 leaves from
$50 pieces.
1t is beaten altogether about five
hours. The clutch, showder and mould
before being filled with gold are subject
ed to treatmentin hot presses, formed on
the principle of a letter press, fer the
purpose Of clearing the-toOls from damp.
With an instrument called wagon
the gold is cut to its final siZe-a square
of 33s inehes-and is then lifted into
books of tissue paper, the leaves of
which have been previously rubbed
with red chalk to prevent adhesion.
The leaf is now only 1-2S0, o00th of an
inch in thickness, and when held up to
the light appears to be green.
1t is calculated that one ounce of gold
may be converted into leaf sufficient to
gid silver wire aDour 1,3oO miles in
length.
One grain may be beaten into leaf
Of ffty-six inches square, or formed