The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-01-09
MAKING BILLIARD BALLS.
Pew Mea Capable OF LearataE This
Peculiar Trade.

Peculiar Trade.
Few men are competent to turn .
billiard ball. and the business is exact.
ing more skill than ever before In the
history Of ivory turning. for the reason
hat never before In the history Of the
hthe was Il 50 easy for an unskilled
workman 20 eat up his salary In Q
wastefal manner Of cutting aud turn
hs.
A fret class billiard ball must be
two and three-elghths inches In diam
ster. absolutely round TO the i've thou
sandths part Of an inch. free from
s.barky" outside and sand cracks. OF
live ivory. white and clear In order
b. make a selection Of tusk's pcssl-
billties-always TO get three balls OF
this regulation sise and clearness from
. tusk weighing from % to $50 pounds.
allowing for the hollow portions and
avoiding the enamel and sand cracks
here b the art Of the competent ivory
turner, for which be Is greatly under
aid and underappreciated-
The making Of q billiard ball In
Wolves headwork and handwork. There
= no automatic lathe combination that
ever will turn out a perfect billiard
hall however Il may produce the pool
6all In its irregalariu Of form. But
before the trained hand can make
ready to turn out the perfect sphere Of
1Ae billiard ball the trained eye and
Judgment Of the turner will have been
Axed to their best effort. In the nrst
place the man win need to recognize
the quality Of ivory. He must know
whether II be OF the best quality, as
well as Of the most economical form In
She tusk. And when he has made his
purchase Of the best possible material,
single drafty window In his shop
when the mercury is 10 degrees above
sero may ruin his ivory stock in i've
minutes.
Zanzibar and the general west coast
Of Africa produce the best elephant
ivory, while the Siberian ivory from
the dead mastodon Is the least yalu'
able. yet requiring good Judgment to
distinguish II In many cases. This
dead" ivory from Siberia is less val
liable In ball than Is the composition
Of celluloid and bone dust. The tusk
Of the African elephant will run from
seventy five pounds TO 80 pounds. But
no two tusks. even Of the same weight.
present like possibilities in ball max
Ing. One tusk may be blunt and short.
while the other Il thin and running to
q sharp point. In general way, how
ever, a tusk that weighs 100 pounds
viii be about fve feet six inches long.
Its general structure Is that Of the
cows horn. running from shell at
the base. gradually thlckening until
the hollow disappears. q little short Of
half the tusk's length. From this end
ing OF the hollow the tusk tapers sharp
ly until. II IL makes three billiard balls
OF standard sire and best quality. II Is
all that may be expected OF II for that
purpose. This means that little less
than eight inches OF the trsk's length
is available. How 10 dispose Of the
Of II to the best advantage,
leaving only few ounces to loss. 70
the chief business Of the ivory worker.
Cutting tusk for the three ball
blocks IN a job in Itself. In the nrst
place, the length OF the hollow cannot
be certain: also the outside Of the tusk
almost certainly win have sand cracks
In the enamel. and whether they be
deep or shallow viii be Of much con-
sequence. But. allowing for these MI
mute cracks. which must be turned out
TO the last shadow from the best ball.
together with the last microscopic
trace Of the enamel. the first block for
the ball is cut as close as possible TO
the point OF the tusk. After this first
block is cut to the last limit Of econ
omy the others may be cut compare.
lively easily. Chicago Tribune.
pauuIap gs0ry