Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-01-31
A THIMBLE OF GOLD
TITS MADE or METAL ALLOWED DOWN
TO FOURTEEN CARATS.
The Process OF Manufacture, From
the InEots OF Pure Gold Fresh From
the Subtreasury 10 the Finished
shining Product.

The Process OF Manufactures, From
the InEots OF Pure Gold Fresh From
the Subtreasury 10 the Finished
shining Product.
Out OF whatever part OF the earth Il
may originally have been dug. the gold
from which thimblcs are made in Phil
adelphia was bought at The United
States subtreasury in the city I'm the
form OF snug little ingots. brick shaped
and about two and half inches long,
an inch and Il quarter wide and about
nm inch thick.
These little ingots would be OF a con-
venient size for paperweights. But
they would be rather heavy for such
use and probably too expensive for
most people, for each one contains, OF
pure gold. "a carats fine. metal of the
value OF about 5000
Gold OF this fineness would be much
too soft for thimbles. and it is alleged
down to il caratS. in which condi-
ton il is rolled into sheets of suitable
thickness. In the first process Of man.
uf0cture 4 sheet Of this gold is run
into a machine which cuts out Of ii a
disk in size sufficient TO form n Thin
bic, the same machine stamping this
disk also into the form OF n straight
sided capsule with irregular edges.
Then the thimble blank goes into an
other machine. in which a die stamps.lt
into its conical shape. out Of this ma
chine it goes into an annealing fur
mace for tempering and from that into
an acid bath for cleaning and the re-
mOval Of the fire coating.
Then the thimble is put into n lathe
TO be turned down to its final shape
I and dimensions. 1t is dull colored
when ii goes into the lathe, but at the
first touch Of the keen edged cutting
tool it shows Il glistenng narrow band
of bright gold surface. which is widen
Cd in moment 10 cover the whole
length OF the thimble as the skinful
worker shifts the tool along.
With repeated application Of the tool
the operator brings the crown OF the
thimble into its perfect form and cuts
down along the thimble's sides TO bring
the walls of the thimble to the reQul-
/ site thickness. and he defines and FIN
( ishes the smooth band that runs around
the lower part OF the elimble and
brings into relief the rounded rim that
encircles the thimblc ut its opening at
once TO give it finishing ornamental
grace there and to stifen It The Clis-
tening little gold shavings that he cuts
OF in these various operations all fall
into canvas trough suspended be
tween him and the benca upon which
stands the lathe.
With that last touch 10 it's rim IN this
stage Of making the former has grown
marvelously more thmble-like IN ap-
pcarance, but somehow IL still lacks the
breath, SO TO speak. OF thimbie life; Il
lacks vet the familiar indcntatlons in
its surface that serve to support the
needle and 10 hold it in place. These
the thimble maker now proceeds TO
make. and the making Of these IS nice |
work indeed.
II Is done with a tool called knurle. !
There is an end knurlc and n side |
knurle. An end l1nurle Is simply han |
die having set in it a tiny. thin revolv- |
Ing wheel OF steel, upon whose periph- |
cry Is n continuous encircling row of |
little bosses or knobs corresponding in |
size TO the indentations TO be made. |
The side knurle has In place Of such n /
wheel little steel cylinder Of n length /
sufficient 10 cover that section Of the /
thimble that is To he indented on its |
sides, this cylinder having knobs all /
over its surface as The end knurle /
wheel has around its edges. and turn |
ing like the wheel, on its axis.
The thimble in the lathe is turning /
with $500 revolutions q minute. and It /
seems rs though the application to its
surface Of any sort Of tool with pro- /
tuberances on Il must leave there only |
n tangled and mixed up lot of irregular |
marks. But now with the end l1nurie |
the thimble maker makes an indenta- |
ton in the center of the top OF the thim- !
bic, and then he proceeds rapidly and |
with perfect certainty with the end |
knurle TO describe around that center |
cOncentric rings Of indentatlons. with /
the fluctuations al perfectly made and |
the rings all perfectly spaced, from the |
center to the circumference OF the ton. |
You may see him do this, but you |
can't tell how he is able to do 1t. And |
then with the side knurle he makes the |
indentations in the sides Of the thin |
bic, making there rs well, as he deftIy |
presses the tool against il. indentations |
mat run absolutely uniform and true /
and that end at their lower edge in a /
perfectly true encircling line
1t IS astonishing and pleasant thing |
TO see how it develops and comes to |
itself with the making Of these IA
millar indentations, and now there re-
mains TO be done to it only the polish
Ing inside and out and you have the
finished gold thimble.-Phiadelphi /
Press.