The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-04-04
WOOD PULP MOSAIC.
"A Flooring Said to DO Superior to Stone
NOW Mada of pnnar

Hioorlng Said to DO Superior to Stone In
! now Made OF Paper.
IN ehe latest reports of the local
A@onstrial Union, mention is made of a
PROCESS claimed to be entirely new. for
manufa cturing floor IN osaics from wood
pulp an innovation which is expected
10 produce important results 1t ia
claimed that this process is distin-
; guished from the known processes of
manufacturing sectional or mosaic
uoors' oy reason o. tho fact that sec
LIONS made according to it are not
Alaoie TO any change of temperature,
ana are not like stone, but similar to
"ooo IN oil essential qualities. The
process Is as follows:
Small PARTICLES ot wood, such as saw
DUST, wood flour, fine shavings, etc.
are soalted in a mixture Of shcllac and
alcohol, 90 that the pores of the wood
are penetrated aud thoroughly dried,
cement, consisting OF fresh cheese
whey (curD and slaolted limo, is then
prepared The cement Is thinncd with
water and then mixed thoroughly with
the Already dry wood particles III such
way that the consistency Of the mass
10 uniform. Particular care Is talxon to
render tho cement as thin as possible,
80 that 1t will distribute itself easily
ana uniformly, and inclose each par
''cie OF wood as perfectly us the shcllao
solution Tho mixture thus produced
10 allowed TO dry until it is moist-not
ehro"ghly dry, as before, for in tho
lntter case the curd would lose its cohc.
slve power. The moist pulp is then
put into heated mosaic molds, Of tho
desired shape and size, and, in these
forms, placed under tho press As O.
result OF the heat. the shcllac softcus.
rogaining It's adhesive powers, and tho
curd cement hardcns rapidly, SO that
both Of the subs tances, the shcllac us
we'll rs the cement, unite under tho
pressure so perfectly with the wood
particles that the wood mass resulting
may, within u few minutes, be taken
out Of the molds without losing
the form received. After the cooling
process and complete hardening these
mosaics, 1t is claimed are far loss sus-
ceptible to any change Of temperature
or moisture than any natural wood. IL
1s absolutely necessary that the uso
OF every other Ingredient, especially If
of an oily or fatty character, should be
avoided In this process, rs otherwise
tho close union of the shelluc with tho
curd cement would DO retarded or oven
prevented.
Wood pulp for the manufacture Of
vari-colored mosacs is prepared in tho
following manner:
The particles Of diilcrent varieties Of
wood arc put through the process
separately, so that the natural color Of
tho wood itself is brought into promi.
ncnce. Dyes, dissolved in alcohol, arc
mixed with the shcllac solution before
tho wood PARTICLES arc coated The
wood PARTICLES arc first colored with
ayes, dissolved In water, and allowed
to dry we'll before the coating with tho
shellac solution. For simple floors It
sutiiccs to manufacture mosnics Of diff
| ferent colors, changing them Mt pleas
ure 30 as to form Il variety Of patterns
I The manufacture of pattern or fancy
wood mosaics Is proceeded with as fol-
| lows: Pattern moldS, of tho required
design (dividcd into folds and ngurcs),
are fitted into the plain mold: each
section of the design is filled with the
wood pulp, dyed ns before described,
and the pattern mold removed, after
which tho whole, thus freely outlined.
Is subjected to heat and pressure, "a
before mentioned. the result being per-
feet vari-colorcd fancy mosaic. This
wood mosaic, in spite of it's hardness
and resisting qualities, still retains all
the essential properties Of wood, being
thus particularly we'll adapted for use
rs floor covers in living rooms and
similar purposcs.-N. Y. Engineer.