A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c18.s2: Filing and Cutting
A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c18.s2
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Filing and Cutting
v1.c18.s2.1
These are the two operations of the goldsmith in the course of which gold is lost to an appreciable extent. The work of cutting is done by a class of men called *nakāshiwalās* to whom the articles are made over for the purpose. In recognition of the fact that loss of gold must inevitably take place during the operation of cutting, the goldsmith, when he takes back the articles and the particles that are chopped off the surface from the *nakāshiwalās*, generally makes an allowance of one pie per tola in favour of the latter.
v1.c18.s2.2
The loss which takes place during the operation of cutting as well as the loss during filing, *i.e.* rubbing the surface of gold with a steel file to make it smooth, is due to causes of a purely mechanical nature and can be prevented to a great extent by the means suggested for minimising such loss in the course of hammering and drawing.
v1.c18.s2.3
The operation of cutting is always, and that of filing some times, effected after the article has been coloured and polished. But as the chemical process of colouring will be treated of separately in the following pages, the mere mechanical operation of cutting and filing are here put in for the purpose of preserving continuity.