CAOUTCHOUC DEAL BOARDS. 



C^^ 



217 



§ 



There is good reason to suppose that this substance will be 

 found to answer not only the general purposes of whalebone, 

 but also those of horn and shell for hair and dressing combs, and 

 other uses. 



It may be made into sheets or forms of any size or shape 

 desired, by moulding ; for which reason it can be used for nu- 

 merous purposes for which whalebone can not be used. The 

 advantages which, from present appearances, may be antici- 

 pated with certainty in the substitution of this substance for 

 whalebone, are the following, viz. : the quality of the caout- 

 chouc whalebone is superior, the facility of working it much 

 greater, besides the first cost being considerably less than that 

 of whalebone. 



CAOUTCHOUC DEAL BOARDS. 



The ingredients of the compound and their proportions are 

 the same for deal boards as for caoutchouc whalebone, and they 

 are vulcanized with the same degree of heat. They are formed 

 of alternate layers or sheets of the compound and cloth or can- 

 vas, until the desired thickness is obtained, commonly with the 

 cloth outside upon one or both the surfaces of the board ; or the 

 board may be formed by coating the cloth, and afterwards 

 splicing the different thicknesses together. A plastic wood or 

 flexible board is thus formed, having the properties of caout- 

 chouc whalebone, and on some accounts preferable to it, being 

 cheaper for the same amount of bulk and strength ; besides it 

 can be worked or formed into articles after it is vulcanized, in 

 some ways that the whalebone cannot, as it may be stitched or 

 cemented together for boats, trunks, boxes, &c., on account of 

 its being formed with cloth, and having cloth upon the outside. 



