1000000031

885

m1lnura~uriog

l<ather comprehended under the firCl part of

lhe de6oitioo; aod Iheo explain feparattly the panicular

operarion, comprehcndcd uoder (he general proecfs.

Wben tbe hide or Ikin

received raw from Ihe hand of

the butchcr, itis thrown into a watcr·dub ar other pieec of

water, to clcanfe ir from the blood and

gOTe;

after which,

the horns and

n il

are cut off: then

¡s

pUl

ioto the lime,

and wrought there accarding

the dircélioDs git'cn below;

from thenee it is wrought into lhe bait, and c1canfed there

from the lime,

&c.

Dext

transferred to the ooze ; and

""hen properly fiJled, according to the direaioJls on thal he>d ,

it i$

cODveycd to tho tann-pit, where it is taocc:d; which

1I0ifhes the procefs.

Before we procecd, il wiJl ht necdTary 10 give a fhoTt

.iew of che

natufe

aod firuéture of

Icather, which

will

[ OD·

tribute to explain the reafon of the differcDt opcratioM

p alTe. Ihrough .

hide. or fidos, when recei..d from Ihe hond of the

butcher. are a bundle of conneBc:d tubcJ, fomcwhat re·

rembliog a hooey-comh fixed 00 •

h.fi.

; on Ihe Befh-Gde,

of aD extreme

cloCe

tcxture:;

but all

opeo on

the hairor

graío

rKie. Tbefe tuhes eOD13io a

f.ny

or mucil.giaous kind of

matter; which,

allowed to remaio ir)

fluid nate, would

corrupttbeleather, and,

dricd in the hide, lVould not on–

J¡¡

oecaúoo

erifp or hardoef. iD the leather, aod be eafily

fOfteoed by moiAure ; -hUI would alfo, in ,he eourre of lan·

¡og. in a

g~at

meafure oppofe cvery fubllance that can be

ap.¡>lied 10 eonrolidate and preferve the hide from corruption.

To extr.a this m.ner ; 10

fweJl.nd

expand the pon. a.

moch as they can bear, witbo\St.a difuDion of parts, ·

or–

der lO ioereare the tbicknef., aod the more e.fily to re-fill

or introduce a matter lefs fuhj:fl to chaoge. Irom droughl

.nd mQiClure; to preforve Ihe fibres ihal compofe the lea-

1her (roro putrefaélion ;

i-nd

to confolidate the whole

iDto

ooe durable m,f. ; are the cnd. propofed hy tbe fe...,l 0-

peratioDS of taDDiDg.

I MI" G.

TH: extTaélion of the matter contained in the pores be–

irig ,he firn . i", of the tanner, Ihe 6rCl nep i. 10 open .nd

expand the 6hres, that che matJer may be the more cafily e–

jcétcd. in arder to give room for lhe fub(cquent

receplioo of

the tan. This

done:

by ccmmon fi.lckcd

lime:

iof~rcd

wal cr, and is made up in a pit built with Hone, of a lcngth

fufficicot to contajn amidling hide, bUl Ctldom

broad as to

.1I0w' il 10 lie al its fuJl bre.d,h. The hides are generally

trCltcd in the lime in the following manner. They are

tbrown ioto a Jime.dub, of a weak or ,(1ack contiflence

firn ; where they are

d~awn

out and thrown in twiee or

thrice cvcry day,' for a {ew daY" They are then conveyed

to a lime of a flronger qoality, aod drawn as before, though

perhaps not fa often; once in a day, or oncc in two days

whcn they are fUflher·ad..anced, may

ffi

ce.

Aftcr

(he

have laio there for ten

founeen days , the Clrcngth of the

time may be

~ncreaCed.

or they may be carried to one oF" a

ftronger na,tDre, where lhey -are drawD and returaed as

be·

fore liIJ ,he

be compleleJy limed .

As the hafiening and retarding the operation iD" particular

cafes may be aecelTclry; and

ir is material for the qaality

or-

Ih. le"her, thanhe lime fhould make an equal impref–

lion

upon the hide ; or rather, if poffible, that the

weak.er

paru fhould be f..ed, .nd Ihe Aronger more expofed; ,he

followiog obfavatioo may be of ufe. lo rooCl yard. there

're from 20 to 40 hide. or upwards wrought in a lime at •

lime. Wh<n tbefe hide. >re

.JI

throwD in, they mul! oe–

celTarily be mOlde to lie fprcau. out upon one aoother. a,

clofe

poffihle, 10 take up Jiule room.

this mean. Ihofe

thal are neu the bouom of ,h. pit wiJl be fqueczed fo

clofely toget"er by Ihe preffure of the fuperior hide., thal

tbe water. the medium

which the lime is commuaicated

10 IheDl, wiU he almoCl en,irely exeJuded from aaiog upon

Ihe body of tbe hide, while Ihe bellie. and olher oUler

Ikirts will be expofed 10 its fuJl force. For this r.,loo,

is neeefT'ary to cbange their pofition often, that the different

par.. of Ihe hides may have oearly the fa me opponuoity of

being impregnated "¡lh the lime: and in tbis .-¡e\'J, fince

drawing in tbe limes is necelfary, it is airo evident, th2t

prejudice

~an

3ccrue

the leather from the frequent repeti·

tion of il, but may be greatly hurt if it is neglelled. The

often drawing of Jeather muO: not only bring on the opera–

tion more equalJy, but mufi at the fame time quicken the

e!fea o( the lime, as Ihe expofure of the hide 10 Ihe air

aod lime hy turno \ViU give il ao opponuoi,y of alling wit"

greater force. Befides, the workman has it in his power,

every time the dub is drawn, cither to add Dew firength

to il (if neceffary) by giving more -lime, or 10

m.ke

il ex–

en the Clrength il already poffelTes hy flirring or raifing Ihe

lime from the bouoru. Thus the workman has

greatly

iD.

his power to accelerare or retard the operation as he

(hall

Ihink proper. SmaU leather ought 10 be drawn ofteoer

Ihan large, as it i. oot fo able 10 refiCl tbe Arength of Ihe

Jime. DurinQ very hot weathet the lime will operate more

quickly Ihao in cold : therefore the workm. n_ought to p.y

a firiét

aluntion to tbe Hate of hillirnn at thu time, and

draw oflener. The rayo 01 Ihe fun, if-allowed 10 .a ,oy

time on the leather

wbeo it is in the draught,

will

gready

hurt

ir.

From the above binlS, Ihe workman will be enabled

ti>

form fome'judgmeot ho\V to u .ry his work accordiog to the

di-frueot circumfb.nces that may oceur. And here it would

feem requirite, that fome direélions fhould be given foc

knowing when°the leather is fufficiently limed .

BUl

it is

impoffible to cooyey

ide~s

in an intelligible manner by words,

which can only be aequircd by praéticC' anei frequenl obfer·

vation. Only

may obfcrve in general, as {he hide be·

comes limed, it Icaves che original raw flefhy appearance, has

more: of Ihe appearance of bcing boilcd, and becomcs more

pluRlp .nd fpungy . BUI all ,hefe appearance. are ,he more

vífible: in proportion as the leilther is over.done; and there–

fore it would be extremely dangerous for a perron wilhout

expericnee tO trufi to the above mark9. Howeycr, thou,eh

the time taken

perform this operation ma y

much va·

ríed; yet the ordinary lime for a

middJio~

hide is from " tQ

weeks, and fo in proponion for larger and fmaJler lellbec.

TI HG,

and o/hu 'WorA b<for<

Oozing.

fH 6

hide is now ClripI of its

h.ir

, and

.JI

the Oi"'1 fauy

Cl\Jff feparated froRrlhe le..her th.t i. fouod adhering 'O tbe

~.fh·fide;

the firCl of which operarion. is caJled hairing,

and Ihe lan flefhing. A fcel"'which, as

jI'

is.

the workman's

aim

difcharge the maner c:ontained in the pores of the

leather,

alfo the particles of lime tha.t may havc infinu–

ated themfelve. during Ihe limiog ; aod

the lime will be

fouDd to have communicated a de¡ree of elanieity to the

fibres, and a [enacious quality to the maner; ir is necef–

rary 10 uobrace aod

rel",

the 6br.., and bring the ",.utr