MESSRS A. AND T. BURT'S WORKS AND WAREHOUSE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5266, 4 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

MESSRS A. AND T. BURT'S WORKS AND WAREHOUSE.

The rapid increase in the population and wealth of this Colony has been followed as a natural consequence by a correspondingly increasing demand on the producing powers of our manufacturers, combined with an enormous development ia our manufacturing industries. Many' important manufactures , are now carried on, fiesh ones are beiDg daily , established, and Colonial-made goods have m : several instances driven imported articles , out of the market. Manufacturers are being compelled to enlarge their works or build , new one 3, while improved and labour-saving , machines and appliances are being constantly , introduced. Among the firms which have ; lately been obliged to extend their work- , shops and warehouses is- that of Messrs A. and T. Bart, oi Cumberland and Stuart Btreetß. The following short description of i the establishment will, we are sure, be read ! with interest as giving some idea of the . extent and importance. of one of the varied i industries carried on in our midst—nameJy, > the manufacture of lead, copper, and brass ] goods, such as lead and composition pipes, j gas fittings, engineers' and plumbers' brass j work, brewerß' plant, and hydraulic machi- ( nery of every description. On our visit to i the works, the first place we inspected was i the LEAD PIPE FACTORY. The making of lead pipes is certainly a most inteiestmg operation, and one that tew persons would expect ti» find carried en in Dunedin. The machinery employed is a comparatively recent invention, and is one which exhibits in a bigh degree the rapid advances baiog made in machine design. Formerly lead pipes were made by casting the metal round an iron case aad drawing this through a series of steel dies of gradually diminishing diameter bo causing the metal to stretch or flow along tiie core until the proper Biza was reached. This was, of course, a slow and troublesome operation. The method employed by. Messrs Burt is that commonly known as "squirting." The metal to be manufactured into pipes is melted in a large vessel capable of containing several hundredweights, from which it is run into an iron cylinder placed vertically and fitted with a solid piscon, moved by powerful hydraulic pressure. A die corresponding to the external diameter of the required pipe, and fitted with a central spindle of the in ternal diameter, is placed in the top of the cylinder. The piston is now moved upwards and the lead is forced through the die, flowing around the spindle and thus forming the pipe. The metal in the cylinder, W6 may add, ia kept heated to a point just below fusion. When the pipe is required to be tinned, a3 in the case of gas composition piping, it is made to pass as it isaue3 from the die through a oup containing molten tin, which, adhearing to its surface, gives it a bright white appearance. It ia truly an astonishing sight to see, steadily and noiselessly, yards upon yards of piping issue from the machine and pass over a pulley near the roof of the building, whsnee it descends to the floor, where it is rolled into co h ready for tho market. The quantity manufactured daily is, as may be imagined, very considerable. The diameter of the pipe depends, as we have seen, on the size of the die and spindle fixed in the top of the cylinder. Of these Messrs Burt are possessed of a set, which enables them to produce pipes varying in size from the smallest gas pipe to a tube six inches in diameter. The hydraulic pressure is supplied by a very well-finished double cylinder steam-engine of about ten horse power, which works three pumps, Adjoining the pipe factory ia THE FOUNDRY, Where is placed a hrga steam boler which supplies steam to the engines used in different parts of the works. MouldiDg and casting are carried on in this department. As, however, these operations are probab'y familiar io most of our readeis, wo need not describe them. Tho furnaces in whiah the mixture of copper, zinc, and tin—of which bras'* is compoaed--is melted, aro ordinary wind furnaces, the degree of htat required not rendering the use of the blast nsces.ryag in iron founding. The meta's are melted in plumbago crucible?, and when fusion is completed are removed from the fire and the contents poured into the previously prepared casting boxe?, which, wnen the metal has cooled, are opened and the ccsts removed. Any superfluous metal that may adhere to thorn is detached, and they are then ready for the hands o£ the finisher. As circumstances led us to visit the foundry on several occasions, we had an opportunity of becoming pretty well acquainted with the nature pi tho work performed, and were surprised boih at the quantity and variety of the eatings produced. From the foundry we passed into tho

MAIN WORKSHOP, a lofty and well lighted building some 180 ft in length, by 45ft in breadth. Hero several branches of manufacture are carried on, a certain part of the Bhop beiug allotted to each trade, and so all risk of confusion avoided. One end we found devoted to the manufacture of hydraulic appliances, aud fitted with ail necessary to )Ib, among which wo noticed three largs screw-cuttisig kthfs, a pkniug machine and vertical, beoides a r/ieafc number of smalkr tools. The middle of the ahop ib set apart for coppersmiths aad blacksmiths, aud in the centre of the floor are several fixed brazing forge.?. These are very conveniently placed, allowing the workmen accesa on every side. One large fan supplies the blast tj oil. I7«r planishing <md working up copper m il» soft state fchere we a couple o£ steam, Jwmipers, the

smaller of the two being as perfect a tool of the kind as we have seen. It is wonderfully rapid, and can deliver, if nscessary, upwards of four hundred blows a minute. Tn the right hand wing of the building, tinsmiths and light coppersmiths pursue th 1 • trade, turning out every description of t n. copper, and galvanised iron goods. In the left wing the plumbers devoto their energies to the manufacture of lead goods and sanitary ware. The shop, as a whole, seems admirably arranged and most completely furnished, with all tools and _ appliances needful for rapid and economical manufacture. We were next conducted to tho

BRASS FINISHING SHOP, which occupies the second flat o£ the building fronting Cumberland street, and is 66ft in length by 40ft in width. When brought from the foundry, the various articles are in a very rough state, and bear but small resemblance to the bright and polished goods one sees in the warehouse. To bring them to this state is the work of the brass finisher. Twenty lathesarekeptconstantlyemploytdon this work, and we were fairly astonished at the quantity Of plumbers' and engineers' specialities, besides other descriptions of brass goods that were in progress or laid aside ready for removal to the store. What is technically known as a "nibbling machine" struck us as being a particularly neat and useful invention, by means of which the heads of screws and nuta are quickly and truly cut to any desired form, from a square to a polygon of any number of sides. Quite recently the firm added to their al-ready-numerousmanufacturesthat of chandeliers and gas-brackets, a number of which we saw in tho hands of the workmen. The men employed in this branch were, we believe, specially selected by Messrs Burt's agentß from some of the best workshops at Home, and have only recently arrived in tho Colony. In a separate room at the end of tho building the goods are lacquered and bronzed. Freedom from dirt and dust is necessary to the success of this process, and care has been taken to secure this requisite. For heating the goods a lacquering stove of the most improved kind is provided. The object of lacquering, as our readers are probably aware, is to give a golden colour to articles of brass, and to preserve their lustre. Lacquer is a sort of varnish, and is usually applied by means of a camel's hair brush. It is, we understand, the intention of the lira to employ female labour in this department, as women's superior delicacy of touch render them, it is said, peculiarly fitted for this description of work. Behind the brass-finishing shop is THE PATTEEN SIAKERS' SHOP.

where also several cabinet makers are employed. Pattern-making is a trade demanding great skill and eire on the part of the workman, as on the aocuracy of tha pattern depends the value of the casting. A pattern, we need hardly mention, is an exact counterpart in wood, of an article to be reproduced in metal, and by its aid the moulder forms in the Band the cavity into which the molten metal is poured. The cabinot makers were engaged on bathroom and lavatory fittings. In thio, as in all other parts of the works, labour-saving machinery is, wherever practicable, employed, a circular and band saw and other machines be'mg in constant use. Adjoining is a large room U3ed for storing the patterns, which are all carefully arranged, numbered, and catalogued, so that any required one can be found at a moment's rutic^. We had forgotten to mention that in the pattern shop there is placed a large galvanic battery, which is used in electro platiDg plumbers' brass work, this style becoming daily more fashionable. Under this and the brass finishing shop are the STOKE AND OFFICES. In the former is kept the raw material used in the workshops, and all finished good 9 pass through it, on their way either to the warehouse or to the consumer. The offices are connected with the warehouse, which is about a couple of hundred yards distant, and on the opposite side of the street, by telephones constructed by the firm, and which we found on trial to be excellent instruments, every word uttered being hoard distinctly. This means of communication proves, of course, a great convenience. Electric oall-bells are need in conjunction with the telephones. Having finished our inspection of the works, we proceeded to THE WAREHOUSE, A handsome building of three stories, situated at the corner of Cumberland and Stuatt streets, and hay.', g frontages to both. A hydraulic lift, manufactured by the firm, and which works with ease and smoothness, affords a ready means of conveying goods from one floor to another. With the exception of a part partitioned off for offices, the ground floor is devoted to the display and storage of a large and varied stock of the manufactures of the firm, as well as a considerable quantity of imported goods._ Of he Colonial manufactures wo shall notica a few. Messrs Burl's well-known force and lift pumps are conspicuous by their neat appearance and superior finish. Machines, of different dosigns and sizes, for the manufacture of aerated waters, together with the necessary filling, corking, and wiring apparatut?, are to be seen, as wall as water-preesurd engines of several powers. These engines have besE made by ttie firm for the last ten years, and ara extensively used in the Oalony. This engine, which has an oscillating cylinder, and differing from engines on the sama principle, runs at a high speed, upwards of .100 revolution < a minute having been attained. It is, besides, simple in design, and therefore not liable to get out of order, take 3 up very little space, aad is altogether a most economical and efficient motor. In the English engineering journals we observe that a watar "engine almost identical in form has been largely advertised for the last eighteen months or two years. Several largo bells which attracted our attention, we found on iuquiry to ba duplicates of others that had been cist for churches and other buildings in the Colony. Thsygivea fine clear toae equal to auy we have come across.. The manu facture of brewers' plant fomn one of the leading branches of the firm's business, and a largertfrigerator, on the most approved principle, as well as other apparatus used in brewing, were amongst the stuck, whilo in the main workshop wa saw a copper of 1000 gallons' capacity in course of construction. Brewing plant stands no longer on our list of imports, all that ia required being manufactured in the Colony, and of this, the major portion, if not al! s ia produced at the Otago Works. Roller skates next claim our notice, and these wa find to be equal in every re> speed to any we have seen in London, As a proof of their excellence we miy mention that they are now in considerable demand ia the sister Colonies. A remarkably simpla and compact marine engine - room telegraph which we examined, is aimilar to several supplied to New Zeahnd built Bteamers. Bpaos would fail up, however, were we to attempt to enumerate the varied stock we were shown, but we must not fail to mention, the very complete show of water woiks plant, consisting of cooks, valvea, street services, and house fittings of every description and pattern. In connection with these we may mention that Messrs Burt are the successful tenderers for supplying the whole of the nwtal fittings required for the Oainaru water works, and this, although they had to compete with importers. Tae difference between tho tenders was small, bub was nevertheless on the side of tho Colonial made goods. The stock of imported goods shown is also very large, comprising all kinds of rubber goods, such as hoso and tube, insertion sheet, valvo, &c, black and water and gas pipes, metals o. different lands iv sheets, baw, and rods, and "eaerally goods of a similar class, ° The one half of the second floor is filled with gas fittings, while the_ other half is used as a show room for sanitary ware and other manufactures. Like the first floor, this too is lofty and well lighted. In tho show ro m are exhibited patterns of bedroom, bathroom, and lavatory fittings, all of which we may remark were made on, the premises. The fixed washatands for bedrooms are extremely handsome, the woodwork being tastefully designed, and the china of good quality, whilo the electro--1 I plated taps for the admission of hot and cold water, and the escape of waßte, aro conveniently placed. In ona stand i; the basin is oval instead of the common 1 round style, aoc1 this struck us as a decided a improvement, giving a larger baaiu without I 0 increasing tho space oocupud. Stands fitted 1 with two or more basins for hotels, public c building?, and steamers aie alao shown. ;l Thtae, tw, are distinguished by excellence a of cabinet work, and oare haß evidently been i taken to render them as useful as ornaa mental. When such conveniences can ba c obtained on the spot, and at a moderate d cost, we aye surprised that there should be a >r single hotel in town without a properly fitted c lavatory, an a good waßh in this dusty city :- should certainly precede a hearty dinaer. n A splendid plunge-bath, with hot and cold, a shower feud spray, together with foot-baths c i aud bidets, all beautifully finished and a*[c j ranged for the supply of hot and. cold water

at pleasure, we were also shown. As noticed above, everything connected with this department, excepting the ohina,. which ib imported, and the marble work,' which is made, however, in Dunedin, is executed by the firm. Most, of the cabinet work is of native or Australian woods, and struck us as being particularly beautiful. From the ceiling of the show-room are suspended specimens of tho chandeliers kept in stook—a vast assortment, numbering some 200 patterns. Designs from the plainest to the most elaborate are found among them, and the cottage or the mansion could ba alike readily and suitably furnished. On the walls are fitted electric bells, all in working order, and exhibiting the various methods of fitting adapted to hotels or private houses. The top fht of the warehouse is adapted for the reception of manufactured and imported stock, and contains a very largo assortment of all descriptions of goods in which the firm deals.

Adjoining the warehouee, and having a frontsge to Cumberland street, is a large shed, used for packing and unpacking goods, and where is stored a large quantity of heavy material, such as black and galvanised roofing ironj iron and brass tubes, sheet and ingot copper, boilers, and a variety of similar goods, An extensive yard and another shed extendiug further along Cumberland street afford additional accommodation. Messrs Burt, we should mention in concluding, employ from 80 to 100 men throughout the year. Year by year they are adding to the number and variety of the articles produced in the works, and three ; fourths of the goods that a few year 3 ago they were importing they are now makiug, a sufficient proof, it Buch were wanting, of the vitality of our local manufacturing industries.