PORCELAIN WORKS.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 47, 1 May 1930, Page 3

PORCELAIN WORKS.

AN ENTERTAINING AFTERNOON

AT AYA

By kind invitation of Mr. Toonibs', manager of Matters' Ltd. Ava, the Waiwctu Wolf-cubs and their Cubmaster, Mrs Joyco, spont the afternoon of April 4th at the works. Mr. Sandling .conduced the party over the place, starting in the yard where the visitors were shown the pig-iron, and fronr there through the various departments to see every process of making that same pigiron into beautiful baths fit for the King* or incidentally fhe .Ruler of the touse —,ti, ( - Baby! The visit was timed to '-We the molten iron being drawn from the furimce-s, and poured into t>he ni.uMs for the batha. It is an aweinspiring sight to see those four men currying that dangerous bucket, each bucket containing-about 2ewt of molten iron, which is t>he quantity required' to in.-ike a bath. One Cub ?pith a love of <>\citing happenings, asked what would hiij'pen if the iron splashed on a man's arm and he jumped, the reply was "he it-t.st not jump; he doesn't jump; he has Mice other men's" lives in Ms hands, mml ha* to cultivate that determination to keep .ins" head at any, cost." They wc.-rq shown the machine which refines tho sand, a huge, bed of sand lies on the 'floor, an-d it was what t>he boyVealled "spooky" to see the machine creeping cog by cog nearer us as the hopper scrooped put more sand and sent it up or its' endless chain. They saw the fee* of the baths lying in t>heir ' graves' on the -floor; then the scouring department where even thechatterbox could not make himself heard, doubtless if he could one would have heard his usual query, "I wonder what it costs." One quiet lufctle Cub edged away from one iot process and when asked if he were norvoras - replied, " No, I only wanted tho others to see better; the joke being that any other could see over him easily:

The thrill-of- the day was tie visit. to the "ghost" chamber, for which the Cubmaster had prepared them, haying been there before with a party of school children. It is weird to open a door and c-ome upon three white coated figure^/ coats to their heels almost, white pads of cotton wool or something of the nature across their faces, eyes behind dark goggles, and even white tennis shoes. , Hat 3of course were also whito with the powdered porcelain. TMs whs the enamelling hall, where crude oil furnace^ give each bath_three bakings in an oven heated to 2,000 degrees; To illustrate the power of such heat the. children were -told that a rat was placed in a cage at the open oven door, and in two seconds he was reduced to a heap of as>hes. No wonder the men have such long forks, ylt is a dexterous job to spray the bath with the powdered enamel, the bath revolving at intervals on a frame worked by an eccentric wheel or something of the sort. Washhand basins made of steel or iron, were exhibited, enamelled so beautifully that one could not have toid' the difference betwen them and china ones. On being asked if Ihey could be re-enamelled if they ohipped, the reply was that they were made NOT to chip. The colours of the baths in the dispatch department

vc-re lovely—-palo pink, greens, blues, mauve, etc.. the latter colour drawing one slang-u.scr to remark "j(Jee, if you Jilt bilious and sat in that" you M feel Ciang of a worse, too right you wov-kl to!" Being on a holiday the slang was x( ft uncorrected for once. The hull stage-was the readiness for dispatch h\i over Xe.v Zealand, six baths bci;i& packed in each crate, the top-most being left exposed bottom up. To those who disparage the railways it is interesting to note the manager's reply when asked if the* bath would not get knocked about in- that position. He said, "Oh ao, they are most careful; nothing is ever the worse for its travel."

Coming away thirsty and hot,, the Wolf-cubs were . shown the apparatus which makes the machinery go. All machinery in this place is driven by compressed air. We were allowed to feel a: slight breeze, which was1 * volte-:1 "Hang of a southerly!?' T>he man working the sand blasting machine is allbv himself in a strong little hut, and; one cannot go inside when it is in use only peep, very sideways at ity for fear of the eyes. The jjower of the compressed . air is so terrific that the big sand comes out like fine oatmeal after being forced on to the bath to scour.it. This process makes it smooth and ready for the enamel. ,

One cannot conclude without a .word of appreciation to: this firm and their courteous manager; and other officials, who do not consider any child's question too trivial to answer, ot the time taken up as wasted. An instance of their consideration is the fact that the gentleman who was to have conducted the party round was called out on .business, but 'he arranged for another to take his place, the latter making it a most interesting time, Mr Toombs coming in at the conclusion and" asking if the party had seen everything and understood it.