The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-08-16

.na Picfur- Fram-- L. Froduerd
Geld Leaf wftS~of Cold.
How many psrsons who see ths shin
soz xoid Ia coiore3 printing and on
ullrrcr and picture francs know that
sd do-s cot enter a. all into the con-
t,ssifion q the stug TAT produces thsss
golden e.eCtss
The shining metallic eject Is pro
cocs~i ~ a fne powder made from a
minflre q bronze a0d sreifer. his
oners TIE cheapest and bssi mems q
gving The rch surface demanded In
VAL papsrs- printing uf1c-raphy. fres-
G. ug ap1 10 vast range - manufac-
turel artiCles q wood. paper and iron.
The material usel Is ~ caiied Dui.h
metal an alloy % copper and speiter.
Tie relative proportions are varied %
prol1c different Colors The larger
tie rerceuiaEe of sf,eiter the lighter or
n.cre yeiiowish all D. the tat u the
sll0y
The copper and splitter are smeiied in
grarH SO c--.rihlrs contain. u- about 500
ponnis of metal which. when com
picsly fused is run OF into moids
forming la'f round ingofs two feet
icus hy ialf an inch in thickness Aft
~ cooling these are bound into bundles
ard sent 10 TIE rolling mill where they
are rI-s.,1 roi1 uiue time. through d
double ~ % steel rolls under en0r-
nous pressure. This fafteus them aud
draws them ont into thin ribbons from
- % ~ feet long aud something more
H..
der such extreme pressure makes the
metal brittle. 30 il passes % the an
nealing furnace. which b. heated hy
wood tre. "a the sulphur in coal or
coke would be injurious 10 the ribbons
Having been softened and rendered
ducilie by annealing. they are cleansed
On an acid bath. cut into lengths %
about three feet and collected IN bun
I dies of 40 or - strips each They are
laid between sheets of zinc and passed
under hammers which beat the metal
strips 20 the thinness Of tissue paper.
/ This requires six successive beatings.
I and great skill must be exercised 10
produce a uniform and unbroken foil.
After the third beating the metal strips
are taken from between the sheets ~
zinc. loosened from each other and
cleanSed by immersion IN a bath Of
tartrate % potassium. The cleaning is
repeated after the last beating. and the
sheets are hung on lines TO dry. In the
beginning the rolled strips are n dull
gray metallic color. at the fourth beat
ing the yellowish color begins 20 show,
and after the sixth they are clear and
bright as gold.
Tic defective leaves PRE- then thrown
ont and the perfect ones cut into small
squares. which are laid together by
hand In packets OF several hundred
each and inclosed within an envelope
of sheet brass. The packets return 10
the annealIng furnace. where they are
softened by heating and slow cooling.
and then go TO the beaters. where they
are reduced under fiattenlng hammers
90 the thiuness Of real gold leaf. so thin
that II can be blown away by the
breath.
The manufacture OF bronze powder
consists In grading. clipping and pull
verizing the various bronze fOils 10 an
even. impalpable powder and is an In
dusiry Of comparatively recent date.
IL began as a means Of using up and
utilizing the imperfect leaves which
came as waste from the beaters OF
gold. silver and bronze. These were
cut by hand into fine clippings and
then ground to powder ~ hand mills OF
simple construction. With the lapse OF
time and the spread OF artistic indus
tries the uses OF bronze powder in
creased until the demand far outran
the supply Of waste, and the leaf meta
is now made on large scale.
The beating process fattens out q
pound OF copper and spelter alloy 10 ar
area Of about 500 square feet, and In
this condition the square sheets as they
come from the brass envelopes are
sbeared into small fragments and rub
bed with olive oil through a steel sieve
having ten meshes 20 the inch and ther
passed 10 the stamping and grindins
machines, where they are pulverlzed 10y
steam or water power 10 the bronz'
= powder OF commerce The grindinl
occupies from one to four hours, ac
{ cordlng 10 the grade or quality of th'
: powder 10 be produced. which is O
four grades. from coarse 70 superfine
> The superhuous oil is removed by heat
, ing under pressure and the pOwde
Is then carried into centrifugal clari
, fiets. or grading machines, which, turn
ing at a high speed, expel the powde
y through fine oreces 10 the form o
n dust. which settles on lnclosed shelves
according 20 weight aud fneness, th
, finer particles at the top. the coarse
/. below. and In this way the powder !
. divided into its various grades.-Ney
York Press.
. How Customs Vary.
She-In some parts OF Australi