Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-05-16
ARE MADE pr GRAPHITE.
LEAD DOES NOT ENTER INTO THE CON-
POSITION OF PENCILS.

The first thing TO be said about lead
pencils Ia that they are not lead pencils
at all. Once upon time sticks OF lead
were used for making marks on paper
and wood, the name has survived,
though nowadays all the pencils are
Oiled with graphite or plumbago. This
mineral Is found In only few places In
the world--in Cumberland, England,
along the Laurentlan ranges In the prov
ince OF Quebec, and at Ticonderogs, VI.
The largest mines on this continent are
at the latter place.
The graphite is taken 10 the lump from
the mines and carried to the reducing
mill, where Il 10 ground or pulverizsd 10
stamp mills under water. The fine par
ticles Of graphite float away with the
water through number OF tsnks, col
lecting at the bottom Of these reservoirs.
II Il packed In barrels In the form of
dust and sent to the factory, where tens
Of thousands OF lead pencils are turned
out every day. The pnlverized graphite
l. SO fine that It really is q dust, dingy
la color and smooth and oily to the
touch. II Is divided into various grades
OF fiueness by floating 1t on water from
sinks 70 the bottom OF the first tank, the
next finer To the bottom OF the second
tank, and 80 on down the line, the finest
powder for the finest pencils settling 10
the last tank.
In another series OF tanks the German
pipe clay. which Ia mixed with graphite
To secure the different grades OF pencils
from very soft 20 extrs hard, IL graded
In the same way, by floating. The finest
clay is mixed with the finest graphite,
being ground together between stones,
and the hardness Of the pencil Ii secured
by increasing the proportion OF clay In
the mixture.
For the medium grades seven parts by
weight OF clay are mixed with ten parts
OF graphite. After the graphite and clay
are ground together the mixture Ia put
10 canvas bags and the water Is squeezed
out under e hydraulic press, leaving a
mass the consistency OF putty. The
plsster Il placed Ia forming press,
which Is a small iron cylinder, In which
a solid plunger or piston works up and
down. A steel plste having hole the
sire and shape OF the .'Iesd" IL put under
the open end Of the cylinder, and the
plunger pressing down forces the graph
lie through the hole, making continu-
ous thread or wire OF graphite. AZ long
"a this thread IL moist IL Ia plisble, but
II becomes brittle when dry, so II IL
handled rapidly. II is cut In three lead
lengths, Strengthened out. and then hard
eued In a crucible over q coal fire. The
leads when taken from the crucibles are
ready for the wood, which IL pine for
cheap pencils sni cedar for more expen-
sive ones. when the strips Of wood are
received at the factory they are run
through mschine which cuts Ia each
one six grooves, round or square, and at
the same time smooths the face OF the
wood.
The filling Of the strips Is done by
girls. The first one takes \ grooved
strip OF wood 10 her left hand, bunch
OF leads In the right. She spreads the
leads out fan shape, and with one motion
she fills the six grooves with leads. Next
IN her sits another girl who takes the
filed strips and quickly and neatly lays
on another grooved strip, which has just
been coated with no, glue by third
girl. The filled and glued strips are piled
upon each other aud put 10 press,
where they are left 10 drv. The ends OF
the strips are evened of under sand
paper wheel, and then the strips are fed
into 4 mschine which cuts out the indi-
vidusl pencils, shapes them and delivers
them smooth and ready for the color and
polish 10 six streams. The coloring is
done with liquid dyes, after which the
pencils are sent through the vanishing
machine. and Home.