104 



Blanket crepe has gone out of favour, and thin lace crepe is now the 

 fashionable form, and to get this of close texture at least four rolls 

 in the smooth finisher are necessary. The first one is done with a 

 single length of rubber as it comes from the creper, and the result 

 is a thin strip full of holes. This is divided into lengths and three 

 to four lengths put through together, making another thin strip with 

 still a few holes, but getting nearer the right texture. Two lengths 

 of this then go through evenly knitted together, and a final roll of 

 the resultant single length should be enough. The smooth finished 

 rollers are hard up during all four rolls. During the finishing 

 process any soiled or discoloured pieces should be torn off to go into 

 a lower grade. 



The finished crepe is dripped till all water is off and removed to 

 the drying shed to be hung after weighing. Fine crepe should be 

 ready for packing in six to seven days. It should be pure white 

 when it goes into the drying shed and should not darken beyond 

 a rich cream colour. The thinner the crepe is made, the lighter 

 will it show up in colour when finished, and if the sodium bisulphite 

 has been properly mixed into the latex the colour will be even. 



Lower CRfiPE Gtrades. 

 For the treatment of lump and bark scrap, of course, no 

 coagulant is wanted, but sodium bisulphite plays a large part in the 

 resultant colour of these. The rolling required is the same as for 

 pale crepe, but the preliminary treatment consists of washing 

 mainly. It is important to deal with lump immediately it comes in 

 from the field as oxidation has started, which means discolouration 

 eventually, and the further oxidation has gone the worse the 

 discolouration becomes. Oxidized pieces should be picked out by 

 hand, and the lump put into the washer with hot water playing 

 on it. I do this for 10 minutes and the hot water checks oxidation. 

 A final washing of 10 minutes is given with the water turned off 

 above, and the outlet shut below, enough water being kept in to 

 come up to within an inch of the top of the rollers. A solution 

 of sodium bisulphite is added and gets thoroughly into the mass 

 during the washing process. The rubber is then rolled out in the 

 same way as pale crepe and should be very nearly equal in colour 

 and texture to the first latex grade. 



Bark and tree-scrap are washed together as soon as possible 

 after arrival at the factory, and are treated in the same way as the 

 lump, except that 10 minutes' longer washing is required to get rid 

 of all dirt before the sodium bisulphite solution is added. 



Folding and Packing. 

 The lengths of crepe are taken down when dry and folded to fit 

 the cases. A rather ingenious folding rack has been in use on 

 Sandycroft Estate for a number of years. It consists of a frame 



