Roans are not split. They are degreased, puered, scudded and drenched
overnight at 95° F. They are tanned with sumach usually in pits, and
take rather longer than usual to tan. They are finished in much the same
style as goatskins for morocco leather, but as the sheepskin has little
natural grain it needs embossing or printing according to the type
required. If for "hard grains," the skins are soaked, sumached,
seasoned, dried, glazed and damped back for printing. This is done by
the "hard grain" roller, and the goods are dried out to fix the pattern.
They are damped back, sammed, and grained in four directions (cp.
Section II.), dried out and boarded to soften. If for straight grains
they are printed with a straight-grain roller, or grained neck to butt.
After tooth rolling they are boarded, dried and glazed. They are
softened down and "aired off" in a cool store.
Roller leather is a special class of sheepskin leather which is used to
cover the rollers used in cotton spinning. The essential requirements
are that a smooth plain finish should be given, and the leather must not
stretch or be greasy. For this purpose small sheepskins with a fine
small grain are chosen, such as those obtained from the Welsh mountain
sheep. The pelts are machine fleshed, short haired and often puered, but
the deliming is also brought about by organic acids also. The pelts are
drenched in pits fitted with paddles, which are used to stir up the
infusion occasionally. A thorough scudding is given. For the
smooth-grain finish it is necessary to tan in weak liquors, and to give
plenty of time so as to ensure complete penetration. An oak-bark tannage
is preferred, but a little extract is usual to assist. The goods are
coloured through in paddle, like basils, and are then degreased by
hydraulic pressure. This should be as complete as possible, and a little
heat is used to assist the escape of grease. The pressed skins,
moreover, must be quite freed from creases, and this is attained first
by paddling in warm water to remove sawdust, and then by drumming in
fairly hot water, in which they are left overnight. The skins are tanned
out in suspenders, taking about 3 weeks. The crust skins need careful
sorting, and are soaked and hand shaved. They are sumached in drum,
rinsed, struck out, sammed and set. The striking and setting should be
thorough, in order to get rid of stretch. They are next "filled" by
coating with linseed jelly or similar material, and dried out on boards
in a thoroughly stretched condition. They are then trimmed, seasoned and
rolled with a steel roller. They are then staked or perched, fluffed,
reseasoned, dried and glazed. They are carefully short-haired, glazed
again and finally ironed.
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