The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23
COPPER PLATING A VESSEL.
A GREAT PROBLEM IN sHIPBUILD-
ING SAID TO NAVE BEEN SOLVED.

A Patent Process. In Operation in Jersey
city OF welding n Copper Coating III
reetiy 20 the steel Hull OF = Vessel by
Applying Electric. Baths-Ir Successful n
Revelation in shipbuiidine Will Come.
Over in Jersey City, at the foot of Warren
street, there Is an oceangoing tug on the dry
dock, all housed in and carefully guarded from
observation, on which an experiment is being
tried which, IL successful, will bring about a
notable revolution In ehipbuilding. The tug Is
the Assistance, formerly belonging to the An
Choir line. and the experiment being tried on her
is that OF eleotroplsting her hull. In other
words, copper is being plated on the hull to the
thickness Of one-sixteenth of an inch by cleo
tricity. To do this successfully has beeu a
problem which has occupied the attention OF
shipbuilders for scores OF years. 1t is constant
subject OF discussion in naval circles, and 1t has
been declared that such a task was practically
among the impossibilitics.
A man Of great fame in the electrical world is
said to have remarked recently that when a
man could pull himself up by the boot straps,
then would II be possible to apply n copper coat
ing TO the iron or steel hull OF n vessel. The
owners of this new process say they are pre-
pared to show that this man is mistaken in his
estimate OF the possibilities OF this task. and
NiNg uhbbbiIobiiikl1 Una NuNg hhNVE
the problem. II what they say is true, and there
is already ocular demonstration to prove it, It
means that hereafter there will be no more foul
bottoms Of oceangoing vessels, for at moderate
cost the bulls may be copper plated, and the
result will be an enormous saving OF coal, the
prevention Of pitting and the collection OF barna-
Giles on ships, and also the surety that the hulL
will last as long as the other parts Of vessels and
with very little necessity of repair. Only re-
Gently one of our war ships burned 1000 moro
tons Of coal on her homeward trip from Rio
than on her journey there. and her speed was
two or three knots less, because of a foul bottom.
Every two or three months It is necessary TO
place the liners in a dry dock to cleanse tho
bulls. and each time this is done It entails an
enormous cost. Even In the boats that ply be-
tween New York and New Orleans this causes
an expense Of at least 81, 1000 each time they are
cleaned. Constant painting of the hulls is
necessary In all vessels. and II this new process
can accomplish what its owners say It can, It
means that henoeforth there will be no more
need Of paint on any Of the hulls.
There have been scores Of suggestions as to the
proper way to solve this problem. All sorts
Of paints and varnishes have been tried.
and many hints have been thrown out that
some special kind of lacquer would be found
ultimately that would do tho work. None
has been successful. however. and seafaring
men have practically given up trying to over
come the difficulties. Even within a few months
the Navy Department Of this country, in . re-
port on this particular process, said II was not
feasible; but now that 1t appears TO be success
full in operation the department is watching
every step with the utmost vigilance and care,
having IN officer OF the navy almost
constantly on hand. Since he has been
in office Secretary Herbert has recommended
that some. OF our new boats be sheathed and
then plated with copper, as some OF the English
life to the hulls and save the large expense OF
constantly dry docking the vessels, and also to
and painting. Congress did not agree TO his
suggestion. and SO this item of expense has
crack vessels has dsteriorated voyage after voy-
age to the disappointment Of the naval officials
coal has also increased in such a way as 70 alarm
the department because of its cost and the wear
and tear on the machinery.
1t has been suggested that one way to copper
cover vessels would be TO place them in a dry
dock and immense them in a sulphide of copper
would be so enormous that It could not be done,
and that probably caused the remark about tho
probably larger than that required TO light an
enormous city, and all experts say such a plan is
absolutely out OF the question.
The process now In operation in Jersey City Is
OF the simplest design. In fact, 1t Is nothing
more than the ordinary process OF electroplut-
Ing that is in constant use in hundreds OF places
In this and other citiee. The Ship Copper Plat
Ing Company, OF which Mr.. James ii. George, OF
this city is President, owns the patents in this
country and all the chief European countries. The
patent consists OF the method OF the application
of the copper, electroplating itself being too old
and too common to be secured by any patent.
Mr.. George. bought the patents from a patent
solicitor, who had never tried his invention, and
patents were feasible. Mr.. George, however, is
a shrewd man, and from his study Of the proc
large sums already 10 prove his faith in the
invention. His first step, after he secured the
patents. was to send ?pO miles on sandy HOOK
~solutely salt and not tainted by any fresh water
that might come down In the ocean from the
rivers. Then he took an iron tube -four, inches
In diameter, sealed up one end, and had II cop
per plated by the process. He then stood the
many months, The tube showed no deteriora-
ton. and he was convinced that he had solved
the puzzle that had been troubling shipbuilders
for scores OF years.
The next step was to prove the worth OF the
process by actual use. The tug Assistance VAS
purchased and the plating is now twO-thirds
finished. IL will be completed in about a month,
and the tug will be placed in the sCow-tOwing bus
mess OF the city for a demonstration of its util-
ity. Ii. after a few months, the hull OF the tug
shows no accumulation OF barnaCles, and no
Of the sea water; the success NJ the venture will
he complete. and a company will be formed 10
put the invention in actual use. not only in this
country but abroad as well.
The Assistance was found TO be especially
adapted for the test. She IS five years old. and
had been painted only twice in all that time.
Her hull was not only badly pitted, but was 50
scanned and rough that If a success could be
made with her IL could probably be achieved
with any vessel afoat. The tug is also sum
GENTLY large 70 demonstrate, that the process
could be applied 10 any vessel. She Is 100 feet
long and OF nearly 90 tors. After having
purchased the tug the first thing To- do was TO
dry dock her and clean her absolutely. This is
said To be the most difficult part OF the new
process, An acid bath was given To tho
lug, and then she was washed clean and every
bit of paint that chung TO the fluctuations in the
hull had 20 be picked out. II wasnecessary that
the hull should be free from every kind of I'M
purity. or the copper would not stick. II the
place should not be- covered by the cop
per, the salt water would cause galvAnic action,
and the hull would lie destroyed In time. Having
the hull thoroughly, an electric plant
set up on the land just alongside the dry
dock, TO use in the electrOplating. Several
dynamOs were put in operation 10 secure the
quantity OF electricity for the process
OF plating and the electric lights that are in con-
slant use day and night.
The next thing 10 do vas to apply the copper.
electroplating Is done by giving the object
TO be plated a bath In copper sulphate, with the
assistance OF electricity, The electricity causes
the copper in solution to become deposited on
the object TO he plated by passing a current
through the bath and the object under treat
ment. This is the same process that is applied