The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-11-29
G0LDLEAF MANUFACTURE
PROCESS
AN ETREMELY DELEGATE OPER
ATloN-PLANT NEAR ORANGE
CALIFORNIA.
BY a. w. Allen in Engineering and
Mining Journal Press

] IodV near orange, Caltl, may have
5 wondered at the sound OF persistent
y hammering that escapes as if from the
heavily laden fruit trees that cover
most OF the ground in the district.
active curiosity discloses the fact that
a gold-leaf mandatory is in operation
in an orange grove, where a veteran
craftsman William Grecht, who is one
of the pioneers of this industry in
California, and three skilled assistants
ply their interesting avOoation and per-
petuate an industry the age of which
can be guessed by recalling the evid-
ence recently adduced in support Of
the contention that gold leaf was used
in Egypt at least 5000 years ago. pre-
pared and applied in so skilled fash
ion that it presents today all the
characteristics of modern gliding
From the writings of Pnny(2S-7s
A. d. it is possible to estimate the
thickness of gold leaf produced in
his time at about 10000 in How
/ ever the Encyclopaedia Britannica
states that l grain of gold has been
beaten out to cover rs square inches.
or to a calculated thickness of 1897
$50 in, which is about 1900 times
thinner than ordinary printing paper
Commercial gold leaf as produced at
present, is hammered to a thickness
OF about l-2OO.OOOin.. which allows in
sufficient metal to prevent the pas
sage of rays of light
Gold beating is one of the few |
industries that has resisted the inroads |
of modern machinery. for reasons TO
be disclosed later The only mechanical
contrivance at the Grecht works is a
motor driven set of bullion rolls. used
to flatten the ingots before the beat
ing is begun, and after the pure metal
obtained from the L. S Assay Office
has been alloyed with sufficient cop
per and silver to harden it slightly
and tint il according to requirements
At Orange, the standard alloy is
made by adding Il grains of copper
and an equal amount of silver to $50
grains of fine gold This proportion
produces a deep, rich, and Appropriate
orange gold For special requirements,
however other proportions may he
adopted a red is produced if copper
alone is used, which may be added up
to a maximum Of about z dwt per
ounce. Or the color may be shaded
through the various tints of lemon to
a pure white. which is reached when
equal parts OF gold ana silver are used
The alleged gold at the California
plant is cast into small ingot,
about 4 in. thick This is passed
through the rolls a sufficient number
of times until a thickness approximat-
ing that of heavy writing paper is
reached. Castor oil is used as a
lubricant on the face of the rolls, which
are kept highly FURNISHED and free
from any suspicion of rust Between
rollings the gold is annealed carefully
in a fired furnace, to soften it and ,
to prevent fraying at the edges. It is i
then cut with scissors into lin. {
squares, 200 of which are placed, q
centrally, between the leaves of a 7
'cutch" which consists of a sufficient S
number OF pieces OF fairly heavy rice q
paper, each about in. square The t
corner of the "cutch" is clamped to {
he edge of the table during the opera %
ion, to hold the leaves in position I;
until the pack is completed This g
s then inclosed in a parchment en- f,
-elope made (of two battened sleeves Il
ermed bands" the one slipping into Il
he other } from old deeds and
egal documents purchased by collect
rs in England. il
A heavy granite column is used as OF
n anvil The"cutch" is placed on the hi
op, planed surface of this and beaten B
nth an 1S-lb. convex-face hammer, al
haped like a gavel, made specially
Or the purpose, which rebounds at hi
ach stroke, the packet being frequent II
? turned by the left hand meanwhile. n,
he operation takes about twenty III
linutes at the end of which time the ii
old has been spread to cover, as far In
s possible the leaves comprising the to
eutch." Each leaf of gold is then r
AIKEN out and cut into four. the 500 OF
ieces produced being placed, as cut, til
etween sheets of goldbeaters' skin ca
lch about AZ in. square, which have be
cen worn down in the mould" or tr
nishing process. The material used te
obtained from the gut of the OK, &c
ouble skins forming the single leaf al
skin is manufacturede in wi
ngland, being used there to a small dr.
Itent also as a court plaster.
The "shoder." as It is called, of 500 mi
yins with gold interleaves about y a
. thick. is then placed in the bands" pr
Id beaten for about one and one-half Al
ours The 1S-lb. hammer is also by
,ed for this operation at Orange, DO
though many other artisans of the If
aft prefer a lighter tool, of 1 ID. or ev
. At the conclusion of this step
the process each leaf is divided into
ur pieces, making 5000 in ALL suf We
oient for three "moulds" or books of St
in and gold leaf, in. square, each ra
which is beaten, with an 1S-lb. ham ms