Charging And Varnishing

The small tube is charged by pressing the open end in the friction composition spread on a flat piece of iron, and brought to the consistency of soft putty, the long tube being closed its whole length with a wooden or metal plug.

A conical hole is made in the composition while yet moist, with a conical drift, and the surplus composition removed; the wire rubber is passed through the short tube and through the small hole in the long tube, the round end first, leaving the annealed tip projecting out of the open end, which is then closed by pressing the top and bottom together firmly with pincers, and bending the tip against the bottom,

The end of the wire rubber is doubled on itself and twisted, leaving a loop 0.2 inch diameter, and then bent alongside the long tube for packing.

The head of the long tube, including the short tube and the joint, is dipped into shellac varnish colored with lampblack.

When dry, the long tube is filled with musket powder, and cleared with beeswax mixed with one-third its weight of pitch.

Both ends are touched with varnish, and the tube thoroughly dried.

Materials Required For 10,000 Friction Primers

66 lbs. sheet brass No. 19. 20 lbs. brass wire No. 16. about 36 1/3 lbs. re-turned in scraps.

1.25 lb. solder.

2.33 lbs. chlorate of potash.

2.66 lbs. sulphuret of antimony.

0.65 lb. beeswax and pitch.

11.00 lbs. musket powder.

1.25 quart varnish (0.75 lb. shellac, 1 quart of alcohol, 0.25 ounce lampblack).

44 sheets of common tin are required for 100 tin boxes.