52 



THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



think that that experiment proves that not anywhere near all 

 the wax is obtained by that method of pressing, without any 

 heat at the time of pressing. 



Now I will describe the hot-water method that I used. 

 I had an ordinary oil-barrel, I think. I cut it off so that 

 it made a tub about one foot high, and then nailed ribs down 

 through that about ^ of an inch square. I made a frame of 

 oak, 2x4, to surround that tub — one piece underneath, one 

 piece on top, and two side-sticks, and to connect those we 

 got heavy cleats. Then I had an ordinary carpenter's bench- 

 vice. I was careful to take only such material as could be 

 obtained at any hardware store in any town. This screw was 

 three or four threads to the inch. I took the nut and placed 

 it on the under side of the cross-stick, and there I had my 

 wax-press. 



The method I used was slow. I wrapped up about five 

 pounds of the old comb in burlap ; made a nice package of it 

 that would just sit down in the bottom of the tub. Then I 

 took a pail of boiling water and poured over it, and let it 

 stand for perhaps a minute, and then applied the screw. I 

 guess I left out the plunger under, the screw. It was a hard, 

 wood piece sawed to fit the tub. After applying the screw on 

 this amount of wax the wax immediately flowed on top. I 

 could tell right away that I was getting a lot of wax. I 

 turned the screw down with all my might, and then raised 

 it, and with a stick pawed over the contents, and then applied 

 the screw and found more wax, and the third time I found a 

 little more wax, but the fourth time I didn't get enough to 

 say so, so I applied the pressure about three times, and in this 

 manner I obtained an average of 18 ounces ; once I think it 

 was as high as 24; again, down to 15, but it averaged about 

 18 ounces out of five pounds. 



There was quite a little discussion at the time as to 

 which would be better, a large 12-foot lever or this screw, 

 and I tried both of them. It is a mathematical fact that there 

 is more mechanical advantage with the pressure that can be 

 exercised with one arm on the pressure of a screw than a 

 man's weight on the foot of a lever. It is not only a 

 mechanical fact, but a fact that I proved by experiment, but 

 I don't know whether the pressure is what I want. I don't 

 believe we want a lot of pressure. It was the press- 

 ing, and giving reasonable heat while pressing, and then 

 raising up and pressing again, imder the continued hot-water 

 heat, and so I found that I could get just as good results 

 with the lever as I could with the screw, but I had to employ 

 a man to help me — a good heavy man to sit on that lever 

 while I was at the other end, whereas with the screw I just 

 used one arm. And then with the lever I had to have a good, 

 strong post at the end, for the end -of the lever, as a fulcrum. 

 There is a tremendous pressure on the floor. Of course the 

 screw and the strain is all on the frame. So I found that al- 

 though I could get as much wax with the lever it was a lot 

 more trouble. It took about the same length of time, and 

 I had to have somebody to help me, and then continually dur- 



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