The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-13

By q handle at one end a wire that is 10
make the hole in the stem Of the pipe.
He picks Up a roll. and draws the stem
part down on the wire; there Is the hole
in the stem Of the pipe already made. He
bends the head end mp a little 10 make II
90 more easily into the mould, and that
touch adds distinctly TO the pipe look OF
the roll. He puts the roll in one side OF the
mould and shuts the mould up together
and puts II ia a press, bowl up. The clos
ing together Of the parts Of the mould
upon the pliable clay has already shaped
the pipe upon the outside, and there Is a
hole through the stem, the wire still re-
naming in 1t, but it has no bowl. A sin
gle turn of side screw holds the mould
firmly in the press. over the press Is
lever to which Is attached what Is called
stopped; IL is like a plunger attached TO
the underside of the lever by a pivot.
When the lever is brought down the stop
per IS forced into the clay in the head Of
the mould, and so the bowl is formed The
mould is taken from the press and the
surplus clay around the edges OF the
mould, pressed out when the mould was
shut together is shaved off with a knife;
the wire is drawn from the stem, and the
now completely formed pipe is set aside.
The celebrity with which the work is done
is surprising. An expert pipemaker can
make seventy-five gross Of common pipes
In a week; forty gross, however, would be
about the average.
When the pipe comes from the mould,
the clay still damp, It is a little darker
in shade than the clay in its natural state.
The bowl almost elistens in its smooth
ness. The new pipes are set away in racks
20 dry out somewhat before the next pro-
cess, the finishing. Ten or twelve hours in
a temperature of Is degrees is sufficient.
There remains on the pipe a little seam
where the mould has come togther. In
finishing the pipe a wire is run through the
stem again to clear the hole If there should
be any obstruction and the wire serves
also as a handle with which to hold the
pipe. The seams are taken Off as is also
the little burr of clay at the bottom Of the
bowl of the pipe over the hole from the
stem. At this stage, too, the pipe is
stamped with it's brand, If it is to have one,
II 1t is anything more elaborate than a
simple letter or two on either side of the
pipe. Designs are some times cut in the
mould, but if it should be one across the
pipe the mould seam would run through
it, and a smoother finish can be given by
stamping after the pipe has come from
the mould. Now the wire is drawn, and
the pipe is set back on the drying rack;
this time the pipes are to be thoroughly
dried, and tWenty-four hours is about the
time required.
Then the pipes are put into saggers, to
be placed in the kiln. The sagger is a cyl
indrical-shaped pot of FIRE clay, twelve or
fifteen inches high, and of about the same
diameter. The long stemmed pipes are laid
in the sagger with regularity; the shorter
stemmed, such pipes, for instance, as are
to be finished later, with stem piece of
another material, and, perhaps, to be col
ored in imitation of meerschaum, and
which have stems so short that there is no
danger Of bending them, are simply laid
in loosely. On the average a sagger will
hold about a gross of pipes of some pines
Of ar |-s..
The saggers, filled, are stacked up in the
kiln in stands, kiln of ordinary dimen-
slons holding twenty-one stands or stacks
nine high. The pipes are first subjected
for about five hours to a comparatively
mild heat, which is called soaking; then
the fun heat of the kiln is put on and con-
unued for twelve or fourteen hours. Then
the kiln is opened and the saggers are
taken out, with the now completed pipes
They come out white.
Fancy clay pipes are made in the same
manner as common clay pipes. In the
making of the more elaborate pipes, as
for instance, one with bowl in the sem
blance of head, more elaborate moulds
may be required. As stated above, moulds
OF half dozen or more pieces are some
times used OF course, il takes more time
to make such pipes, but the general pro-
cess followed is the same. The properties
OF the clays used In the manufacture of
PAPSS a. VI Npuisei hhOWH, anu the eI-
feet produced upon them by heat. The
slate-colored clays used as here described,
burn white; sine red clays burn red and
some pink, and so on
There are some familiar shapes of clay
pipes that are standard and that are sold
year after year constantly in great num-
bers. There are some other shapes and
styles that are of steady sale; and fancy
clay pipes are made in great variety; pop
ular styles of wood pipes are reproduced
in clay.
There are number of clay pipe fac
tories in this country, none of them very
large, and most of them quite small.
Their total output of pipes is quite con-
siderable, but it is but very small part