Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-15
BASEBALL MAKING
Materials and Methods Used In
Building Up the Spheres.
ONLY ONE PROCESS BY HAND.
That 10 Sowing on tho Covers, q Task
to Which Machines Are Not Equal.
Tho Yarns Are Wound by Machinery
Because Hand Work Was a Failure.

because Hand work was q FAILURE.
There are few fans who realize just
how much work Is required in the
making Of II regulation sized baseball.
The centers Of baseballs are made Of
pure Para rubber in most cases. but
the cork center ball. which has been
patented. Is an exception. The idea Of
the center piece Of rubber. Of courSe, is
to give the ball %resiliency. II a base
ball vas made without this center piece
1t would be "dend"-that Is, 1t would
not have the desired bounding quail.
ties, the life" The centerpicccs arc
generally made to order for the base
ball factories. The next process in the
making Of II ball Is the winding on OF
pure WOODEN yarn. There was n time
when the yarn was wound around tho
Para by hand. but soon it became nee
essary to get Il machine which would
do the work of mar. 1t was found In
the times when the yarn was wound
by hand that the man coming to work
at 0 o'clock in the morning was putting
out better balls than he was in the aft.
rnoon around 3 o'clock. Winding by
hand was a tiresomc job, and toward
the late afternoon the men hogan to
get tired, and, consequently the yarn
enough. Many balls were returned to
the factory because they did not pos.
sess the resilient powers.
Realizing that this personal defect
was something which had to be over
come, Il machine for the winding pur.
pose was worked upon and perfected.
Now all bascballs are wound by me-
chanical power, and much better work
than nan did or can do is accom-
plishcd. The yarn is wound around
the Para under heavy tension. almost
to the breaking point. Consequently
when enough has been put on the ball
is very strong and almost solid, due to
the tight tension used. In the days Of
hand making many balls were sogsy
and soft because a uniform tension
could not be kept by the person wind
Ing. There are three layers Of wooden
yarn over tue para. For about an inch
in thickness three ply yarn OF blue
color is used. and over this is wound a
thin layer of white two ply yarn. The
blue yarn is again brought into use,
but is only Of one ply.
Naturally 1t develops that somethin.
to cover the wool yarn must be used in
order to keep it from u%nwinding. The
ball must be solid. so that when it
comes in contact with a bat the
threads will not break or mov out Of
place. 1t has been found that camel's
hair stretched yarn is the best for GOV.
cring the ball after the wool has been
put on and the ball. is the size desired.
This hair is put on wet. and when II
dries a contraction takes place. max.
ing the ball more firm and at the same
time solidifying it. Only a thin layer
OF the camcI's hair Is used. just
enough to warrant the wool yarn keep
ing in position After the drying proc
ess is over a very fine layer Of spc.
cinlly made cement is applied by
mems Of dipping the ball into the
fluid. Then the ball is ready to cover.
Most balls are covered with alum tan
horsehidc. the best material. it is claim.
cd. which has been found to be OF good
use for the hammering which Il base
ball gets. This is cut into its proper
shape by means Of pin dies, which also
punch small holes around the edge OF
the hide to be used in the sewing. Tho
ball is sent to the men doing the sew
ing. which is now and always has been
done by hand. Machines have been
tried, but not one Of them has proved
equal to the task. The men who sew
the covers must be experienced and
very capable in their work. This sew.
ing process must be done with great
accuracy. The work appears to be
tiresome and rather tedious, and so 1t
is. A man working at his fastest a
do only two to three dozen a dny.
With the overs sewed on the finish
ing up processes come next. Natural
~ just after the sewing has been cOm.
pIetcd the seams are rather rough. A
good baseball. If II will notice. Is
smooth over the entire surface. includ-
ing the seams. A pitcher, If he had to
use Il ball with rough seams, would not
be able to do his best work. rs a bulge
in the ball would be trying to him.
The roughncss would make the fingers
sore from the continual rubbing.
Therefore to do away with ibis the ball
is put in a rolling machine, which
presses out the rough seam and makes
the ball smooth all over. This done,
the trademark Is stamped on. together
with the guarantee. size and weight OF
the ball. The balls are then taken to
the packing room. where they are
wrapped in tissue paper and still fur
Their wrapped in tin foil. They are then
sealed in pasteboard boxes and are
ready for shipment.
There are surprising numbers OF
baseballs used in this country and in
other countries to some extent. but out
Of every $50 dozen it is claimed that
but one ball comes back for being in
bad condition Republican.
A Technical Move.
"What did that young lawyer chap
say. Matilda. when you told him it was
to- Al car -.