ORDER VII.—METAL WORKERS (NOT ELECTRO PLATE OR PRECIOUS METALS)

Sub-order 8.—Other Workers

250.—Picklers

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cleaner (cartridge cases) ; tank hand

(i) dips brass cartridge cases in dilute sulphuric acid, by hand, or places cases of holders on dipping machine, to remove oxide after annealing; washes in water and dries in saw dust;

(ii) dips cartridge cases in alkali baths to remove grease and to clean ready for polishing.

cleaner (hollow-ware, iron enamelling, japanning, tinplate, etc.) ; scourer

cleans or scours, by dipping in acid baths and rubbing with tow, sheet metal articles in preparation for enamelling or japanning; cf. pickier.

cleaner, sheet cleaner (galvanised sheet)

(i) removes sheets singly by hand, or in cradle by hoist, from water bosh, where they have been placed by pickier q.v., and places them on platform adjacent to dipper (234) or feeder (279) q.v. at galvanising machine;

(ii) see pickier.

dipper, acid dipper, brass dipper

dips brass fittings of all kinds, e.g., unions, taps, lampholders, in acid baths (nitric acid) in preparation for huffing or polishing, or to give semi-bright finish; washes in water and dries, as for cleaner (cartridge cases).

dipper, link (chains)

a pickier q.v. cleaning chain links in preparation for galvanising.

dipper (wire)

see pickier (wire).

pickler ; cleaner, scourer, sheet cleaner (galvanised sheet)

removes oxide on surface of metal articles or sheet, in preparation for tinning, galvanising, electro-plating, enamelling, japanning, polishing, etc., by dipping in acid baths and afterwards dipping in water baths to remove excess of acid.

pickier (galvanised sheet)

(i) (machine process) dips cradle on which are arranged sheets of iron or steel (toast rack fashion) into a vat of hot dilute sulphuric acid by moving a lever; cradle is mechanically agitated in vat for a few minutes; raises cradle by moving lever and dips it in tepid water hath, i.e., water bosh, to remove excess of acid;

(ii) (hand process) drops sheets into acid vat; agitates contents by means of rod for 10 to 15 minutes: lifts sheets -with tones from acid vat and drops into water bath.

pickler (hollow-ware, enamelling, etc.)

immerses iron or steel articles, e.g., howls, cycle parts, taps, in vat or bath of dilute acid, and removes them, when cleaned of oxide, to water hath, using a pickling fork; sometimes also dries articles in sawdust and a current of air.

pickler (tinplate)

(i) as for pickier (galvanised sheet); may be a black pickier working at black pickling vats of stronger acid between hot mills and annealing furnaces, to remove black oxide, or a white pickier working at white pickling vats where sheet is cleaned just prior to tinning;

(ii) places tin plates on travelling belts which carry them into and through pickling baths, rinsing and drying apparatus; specifically designated first pickier, first hand pickier, if in charge of process and gang; or second pickier, second hand pickier, underhand pickier, if second in command.

pickler (wire) ; dipper (wire), scourer

dips coils of wire or wire rod, suspended on hook of small travelling overhead hoist, into acid tank and rinses in water bosh, in preparation for galvanising, coating, card clothing manufacture, etc.; if to be further drawn, plunges into lime cistern after removal from water bosh.

scaler

beats sheet metal with piece of flat iron (sword shaped), after annealing to remove obstinate scale, prior to pickling; now obsolescent owing to strength of acid used in pickling.

scaler, copper sheet

plunges red hot copper sheet into water to remove most of scale; where further cleaning is necessary, dips sheet into dilute sulphuric acid or other acid solution; or applies liquid to surface of sheet with a brush of tow; plunges sheet into dean water after it has then been heated in a furnace; for special classes of work, places sheets cold in a bath of dilute sulphuric acid and washes in a hath of clean water.

scourer

(i) see cleaner (hollow-ware, tin-plate, etc.);

(ii) see pickler, and pickler (wire).

tank hand

see cleaner (cartridge cases).

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From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016.   This text is in the Public Domain.