The sun., 1916-12-24
MAKING LEATHER
FOR UPHOLSTERY
Skill and Expense Required in
the Process Of Hide
Transformation.

The processes through which a hide
goes in its Transformation into leather
suitable for upholstering the modern
high grade motor car are complicated
and not generally understood. Some few
points stand out clearly. however. and
| give an Idea Of the skill required and the
! expense entailed In making good uphol-
stery leather.
To be successful as upholstery
leather. a hide must be so treated that
II will be flexible and soft. take a good
finish and hold II without crocking. fold
withou. cracking, wear well and be
waterproof. These really severe require
ments make the use OF only the best
hides and the best treatments possible
I Cattle hides make up the great bulk OF
our feathers. although pigskin Is &C.
c~asionally used for upholstery In a car.
Tanning, buffing. splitting. enclosing.
and dyeing. painting or eninelling are
the steps through which each hide must
30.
The tanning substances used are al
ways strongly astringent. the object be-
ing TO draw the fibres OF the skin as
closely together as possible to secure
coinpac,ness and ~toughness. Vegetable
and mineral substances are both used,
the former enjoying the greater popu-
larity. A new departure Is the use OF the
chrome tanning PROCESS tthe same as
: used in tanning uppers OF the best shoes)
the chromium salts impartine great
iiexlbi!ity and toughness to the hide.
The one great drawback IL the expense,
a. the percentage OF loss due to shrink
age Is abnormally large.
When tanning Is about half finished
the hides are split. A half tanned cat
tie h.de IL about three-eiehths OF an
inch thick and the splitting process sep
arat,s It into several layers. the num-
her depending upon the use TO which the
leather IL to be put. Both outside lay
ers. hand buffcd" and machine
bu0ed.' are used Cor upho,s'cr, a.
though the former IL much superior &c
the latter as u carries the natural gram
Of the leather with its great fex'bllit,
and wearing qualities. Beneath these Is
the deep BURIED layer, watch has To b,
treated with a filler and binder In order
to make II disable. Imitation leather IL
replacing u largely. as II Is not salts
factory. The remaining layers are I'm
posslhl" for uphoI tcr!ng purposes only
tho hich.s, grade leather ~ and hufet
to-day. machine but'ing being used by
the majority OF leather manufacturers
The hand but.ing ir o,oss suoo'hs oi
the natural grain OF 'he leather wi'hou
iniuriny IL. while machine burning r"
moves practically all tn. grain.
After splitting and buff!ng comes '1'
surfec!ng process. The natural way O
raising the grain for a finish L. b.
"tand boarding and can be apple
only to hand buffed hides. The boardini
H. done AZ an angie to the natural grain
VARYING the angle and the number %
appl.catlons gives the various straieh
, and rebble grain effects. Machine EN-
boSsing by AN e,ectrotype process sim
liar to tina used IN printing is used i
! place Of hand boarding on machiu
r buffed leather and splits
i Leather manufacturers have Away
found II difficult TO paint or enamel
. hide successfully. In cold weather es
~peclally there Is great hanger OF IL
\ coating cracking. In dyelng skins tn
. difficulty has been TO hold colors fast. =
they will not crock. The finishing OF IN
! chrome tanned grain leather has nov
been perfected SO It prevents crockint
The result Is a leather OF great soft
E ness and hexibility, exceptional wear'n
! qualities and perfect freedom fror
cracking. a combination that cannot h
!. found otherwise. Chrome leather wi
= he IN greater demand for upholster
J., when the buyer OF the high grade ca
!, learns moro about It's superior qualities
= In this connection II IL known that IN
Franklin Automobile Company. Syra
cuse, y. Y. II using a chrome tame
dyed grain leather In one OF It's model
:. This IL the first time such a leather ha
u ever been extensively utilized for auto
! mobile upholstery, and leather expert
! In the motor car industry are watchin
: the results with much Interest.