The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-04-27
HOW PENCILS ARE MADE.
Not Lead" Pencils at All-Made o.
Graphite.
From School and Home.

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The first thing to be said about lead
pencils is that they are not lead renc,l,
at all. Once upon time sticks Of lead
were used for making marks ON pane,
and wood, and the name has survived
though nowadays all the pencils are
nile1 with graphite, Or riu1nbago. This
mineral is found In only few places
In the world-ln Cumberland. Eng
land along the Laurentian ranges in
the province of Quebec, and at Ticon-
deroga, VI The largest mines on this
continent are at the latter place.
The graphite Is taken in the lum
from the mines and carried to the re-
duclng mill, where it is ground or p,l :
verized III stamp mills under water.
Inc fine PARTICLES of graphite float away
with the water through a number O.;
tanks, collecting at the bottom of these
reservoirs. 1t is packed in barrels in
the form OF dust and sent to the tactc-
ry' where tens CT thousands of lead
pencils are turned out every day. The
puiyerlzed graphite is so fine that it
really is dust, dingy in color anl
smooth and oily to the touch. 1t is
dlyided into various grades OF fineness
by Hoat'ng 1t on water from one tank
to another. The coarse dust sinks to
the bottom OF the first tank, the next
finer to the bottom of the second tank
and SO on down the line, the finest
powder for the finest pencils settling in
the last tank.
In another series OF tanks the Ger
man pipe clay, WHICH Is mixed with
graphite to secure the different grades
OF pencils from very soft to extra bard
Is graded in the same way, by floating.
The finest clay is mixed with the finest
graphite, being ground together be-
tween stones, and the hardness of the
pencil is secured b. increasing the pro-
portion Of clay in the mixture.
For the medium grades seven parts
by weight OF clay are mixed with ten
parts OF graphite. Alter the graphite
and clay are ground together the mix
ture Is put IN canvas bags and the water
is squeezed out under ar hydraulic
press, leaving a mass the consistency OF
putty. The plaster is placed In a form
ing press, which is a small iron cvlin-
der, in which a solid pl,nger or piston
works up and down. A steel plate
haylng hole the size and shape of
the "iead" is put under the open end of
the cylinder, and the plunger pressing
down forces the graphite through the
hole, making a continuous thread OF
wire OF graphite. AS long as this
thread is moist it is p]iable, but it be |
comes brittle when dry, so 1t is handled |
1t is cut into three lead |
engths, Strengthened out, and then
hardened in crucibIe over coal fire.
The leads when taken from the cruel
oes are ready for the wood, which is
pine For cheap pencils and cedar for
more expensive ones. When the strips
If wood are received at the factory they
ire run through a machine which cuts
n each one six grooves, round or
quare, and at the same time smooths
he face Of the wood.
The filling of the strips is done by
iris. The first one takes grooyed
trip Of wood in her LETT hand and
lunch OF leads in the right. She
preads the leads out fan shape, and
With one motion she fills the six
rooves with leads. Next to her sits
mother girl, who takes the filled strips
nd quickly and neatly lays on another
roved strip which has just been coated
nth hot glue by q third girl. The
lied and glued strips are piled upon
ach other and put il q press, where
aey are LETT 20 dry. The ends Of the !
rip are eyei:ed off under a sandpaper
heel, and then the strips are fed into
machinc which cuts out the lndiyld- .
al pencils, shapes them and delivers s
aem smooth and ready tor the color ]
nd polish in six streams. The color
lg is done with liquid dyes, after
hlch the pencils are sent through the q
machine.