Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 142, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1918 — HOW GOLD LEAF IS MADE. [ARTICLE]

HOW GOLD LEAF IS MADE.

Oast In Ingots and Flattened, Cut In Pieces and Beaten. Gold leaf, of which such large quantities are used by picture-frame ma* kers as well aa by other trades, la made as follows: An alloy of the desired color havtn* been formed, the gold la melted in a crucible at a temperature well above the fusion point It is then cast into an Ingot and flattened by rolling between a pair of powerful steel rollers into a ribbon one and one-half inches wide and ten feet in length to the ounce. After being flattened It is annealed and cut into pieces of about six and one-half grains each, and placed between the leaves of a “cutch”, which te about half an inch thick and three and a half inches square, containing gbout 180 leaves of tough paper manufhctured for the purpose. This is beaten on for about twenty minutes with a seventeen pound hammer by which the gold is spread to the size of the “cutch.” Each leaf is then taken out and cut in four pieces. These are put between the leaves of a “shoder” four and a half inches square and three-quarters of an inch thick, containing about 720 skins which have been worn out in the “mold” or finishing process. The “shoder" requires about two hours beating with a nine-pound hammer. Each leaf is again cut in four pieces and placed between the leaves of a mold, composed of about 850 of the finest gold-beater’s skins, five inches square and thee-quarters of an inch thick, the contents of one “shoder" filling three molds. The material has now reached the last and most difficult stage of the process. During the first hour the hammer is allowed to fall principally on the center of the mold. This causes gaping cracks upon the edges of the leaves, the sides of which rapidly coalesce without leaving any trace of the union after being beaten upon. At the second hour, when the gold Is about the one hundred and fifty thousandth part of an inch in thickness, it for the first time permits the transmission of light If the gold is pure, or but slightly alloyed, green rays pass through; when highly alloyed with silver, violet rays appear. As a rule, about four hours’ beating with a seven-pound hammer is required. A single ounce of gold will at this stage trim to about 1,200 leaves three and a quarter Inches square. The finished leaves are taken out of the mold and the rough edges trimmed off by slips of rattan fixed in parallel grooves of an Instrument called a wagon, the leaf being laid upon a leather cushion for that purpose. The leaves are placed in books capable of holding twenty-five leaves each which have been rubbed over with red ocher to prevent the gold from clinging to the paper. The fine gold beaters’ skin is the outer coat of the caecum or blind gut of the ox, specially prepared.—Painter and Decorator.