East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-03-28
A THIMBLE OF GOLD
1T IS MADE OF METAL ALLoYED DOWN
TO FOURTEEN CARATs.
The Process of Manufactuxe, From
the Ingots of Pure Gold Fresh From
the Subtreasury to the Finished
Shining Product.

the Subtreasury to the Finished
Shining Product.
Out Of whatever part of the earth It
may originally have been dug, the gold
from which thimbles are made in Phil
adelphia was bought at the United
States subtreasury in the city in the
form Of snug little ingots, brick shaped
and about two and half inches long,
an inch and quarter wide and about
an inch thick.
These little ingots would be Of 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 1t Is alloyed
down to IA carats, in which condi-
ton 1t Is rolled into sheets Of suitable
thickness. In the first process Of man
ufacture q sheet Of this gold Is run
into machine which cuts out Of 1t
disk in size sufficient to form Thin
Bile, the same machine stamping this
disk also into the form Of q straight
sided capsule with irregular edges.
Then the thimble blank goes into an
other machine, in which die stamps 1t
into its conical shape. Out Of this ma
chine it goes into an annealing fur
mace for temperlng and from that into
an acid bath for cleaning and the re-
moval of the fire coating.
Then the thimble is put into a lathe
to be turned down to its final shape
and dimensions. 1t is dull colored
when 1t goes into the lathe, but at the
first touch of the keen edged cutting
tool it shows glistening narrow band
of bright gold surface, which Is widen
| ed In a moment to cover the whole
length Of the thimble as the skillful
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 thimble and
brings into relief the rounded rim that
enclrcles the thimble at its opening al
once to give it finishing ornamental
grace there and to stiffen It. The glis
tening little gold shavings that he cuts
or in these various operations all fal
into canvas trough suspended be
tween him and the bench upon which
stands the lathe.
\ With that last touch to its rim in thii
stage of making the former has grown
marvelously more thimble-like in ap
pearance, but somehow 1t still lacks tn,
breath, 80 to speak, of thlmble life; 1
lacks yet the familiar indentations II
Its surface that serve TO support thu
needle and to hold II in place. Thes,
the thimble maker now proceeds Il
make. and the making of these is mic
work indeed.
II Is done with tool called knurle
There is, an end knurle and sid
knurle An end knurle is simply han
die having set in it tiny, thin revolv
ing wheel Of steel. upon whose periph
cry Is continuous encircling row o
little bosses or knobs corresponding II
size to the indentations to be made
The side knurle has In place Of such
wheel a little steel cylinder of lengtl
sufficient to cover that section Of tn
thimble that Is to be indented on II
sides, this cylinder having knobs al
over its surface, as the end knurl
wheel has around Its edges, and turn
Ing like the wheel, on its axis.
The thimble in the lathe is turnin
with $500 revolutions minute, and
, seems as though the application to It
surface Of any sort Of tool with pre-
I tuberances on It must leave there onl
r tangled and mixed up lot Of irregula
, marks. But now with the end knurl
the thimble maker makes an indenta
, ton in the center of the top Of the thin
4 ble and then he proceeds rapidly an
= with perfect certainty with the en-
= knurle to describe around that cente
= concentric rings Of indentations, wit
o the indentations all perfectly made an
= the rings all perfectly spaced, from tn
= center to the circumference Of the top.
= You may see him do this, but 20
can't tell how he is able to do It. An
= then with the side knurle he makes th
o indentatons In the sides of the thin
: bic. making there as well, as he deftl
z presses the tool against 1t, indentaion
$ that run absolutely uniform and tru
: and that end at their lower edge in
perfectly true encircling line.
II 1t is astonishing and pleasant thin
= to see how it develops and comes I
o Itself with the making Of these Z,
T. miliar indentations, and now there n
y mains to be done to 1t only the polisl
Ing inside and out and you have tf
,s finished gold thlmble.-Philadelp
Press.