Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1880 — How Toothbrushes Are Made. [ARTICLE]

How Toothbrushes Are Made.

Although the toothbrush is not a very complicated article, no small degree of skill is required in its manufacture. In the first place, care must be exercised in the selection of bone from which the handle is to be made. For this purpose the thigh bone of an ox is used, aud instead of boiling these with the joints on —the method commonly in vogue—these joints are sawed off previous to the boiling process. The increased heat necessary in the former method renders

the bone unfit for the purpose of the brush manufacturer. On arriving at the factory the bones are first sawed into the required length and thickness for brush-handles. They are next turned with a model in a similar manner to that employed in the manufacture of shoelasts. Then comes the polishing process, which is done by means of a sort of revolving churn. An ingeniously contrived machine now takes the pieces and deftly punctures holes for the bristles, while grooves are cut in the top by saws. Now being ready for the bristles, they are introduced *to the department for this work. Girls are usually employed for this branch of the business. After putting in the bristles, they are backed with sealing-wax to fasten them securely in place and to fill up the groves. All that remains to be done is to brand the brushes and pack them for market.