Card/Transcription No.: 332-03

332 Chariot

Experiments to soften raw hide on wheels and to make it pliable.
Tried: -
Caster oil: castor oil + benzine: castor oil + turpentine
Glycerine: glycerine + water
Duroprene
Canada balsam in xylol
Celluloid in acetone and in amyl acetate - both weak & strong
solutions
All results unsatisfactory.
Tried: -
Water and water + gelatine
Both rendered the hide pliable.
The best conditions, working on small fragments of the hide, were
obtained by using very hot water (practically boiling) with 1% of
gelatine dissolved in it; the solution being left in contact with
the hide for 10 to 15 minutes (in some cases 10 ms were
sufficient but in others 15 ms gave better results). The hide
becomes somewhat translucent and when dry becomes hard & brittle
again. But remained yellowish & translucent. The drying may be
delayed by adding 5% of glycerine to the gelatine solution.

xx When more material is available for experiments a mixture of
alcohol and glycerine might be tried for soaking; also caster oil
dissolved in alcohol.

N.B. The experiments were made on the hide at a stage before it
had become black and disintegrated - nothing has been found to
recover the black which is largely dissolved by hot water.