CHAPTER VII 

 CONDITIONS NOTED AT INSPECTION OF TESTS 



Inspection of Atlantic City Tests. During the month of 

 March, just one year after the placing of the painted panels on 

 the Atlantic City fence, an inspection was made jointly by a 

 committee representing the Master Painters' Association of 

 Pennsylvania, the Scientific Section of the Paint Manufacturers' 

 Association of the United States, and certain members of sub- 

 Committee E of the American Society for Testing Materials. 



Methods Used at Inspection. One of the most important 

 tests made when inspecting paint is the determination of the 

 chalking taking place. 1 There was developed during the inspec- 

 tion of the Atlantic City panels a new method for determining 

 the comparative chalking of the various paints. It was thought 

 desirable to secure a method, if possible, that would show results 

 which might be photographed and even tabulated in percentage 

 form, if desired. The apparatus for the new test consisted of a 

 small strip of black felt three inches wide by five inches long, 

 placed across a small block of wood which would fit in the palm 

 of the inspector's hand. This outfit resembled a blackboard 

 eraser and was used in a similar way. By holding the apparatus 

 firmly against the panel and drawing it half-way across the panel 

 in a straight line toward the operator, there was obtained on the 

 black cloth a white mark proportional in intensity to the amount 

 of chalking which had taken place on the given area. When a 

 series of these cloths were made, they were assembled and photo- 

 graphed for comparison. It should be noted that the above 

 chalking test is useful only where the painted panels under 

 examination have been exposed over a period of one to two 



1 Mr. Macgregor of the Picher Lead Co. has just developed a new test 

 to determine the relative imperviousness of paints which have begun to 

 chalk. He draws a mark about two inches long upon the painted surface 

 with a fountain pen. The ink mark will spread rapidly to a wide area if 

 the chalking is of a bad order. If the chalking is slight and the film in 

 good condition, the ink mark will not spread. 



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