Gig-mill

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Teasels mounted on frames used to clothe gigging/carding cylinders Leeds Industrial Museum raising gig 7063.JPG
Teasels mounted on frames used to clothe gigging/carding cylinders

A gig-mill (gigging machine, napping machine) was type of raising machine that used teasels to produce a nap on cloth. [1] [2] Examples of the results of gigging are woolen fabrics such as chinchilla, beaver cloth, and melton. [3] The process involved gradual teasing of the surface to raise the nap. [4]

Contents

Gigging

Gigging was an old method of raising. As with flannelette, the fabric surface is treated with sharp teasels during Gigging to elevate the surface fibers, providing hairiness and lustrous nap. The fabric gets a soft feel. Teasels from a plant, a thistle-like species, were once used to make it. These were fixed to a cylinder. Later, teasels were replaced by metallic wires similar to those used in carding machines. [5]

Napped fabrics

Raising machine EB1911 - Finishing - Fig. 4.jpg
Raising machine

"Napping", "raising" and "gigging" are synonymous terms. [6] Napping is the process of brushing for raising the nap. The raising method is used to draw out the ends of the fibers. Examples of napped fabrics include Brushed tricot, [6] :146 and Flannelette.

Nap

Nap in textiles refers to the raised surface. [7]

See also


Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worsted</span> Fabrics manufactured from worsted yarns.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carding</span> Process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres

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<i>Dipsacus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae

Dipsacus is a genus of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. The members of this genus are known as teasel, teazel or teazle. The genus includes about 15 species of tall herbaceous biennial plants growing to 1–2.5 metres (3.3–8.2 ft) tall. Dipsacus species are native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chenille fabric</span> Type of yarn and the fabric made of it

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<i>Dipsacus fullonum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raising card</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpaca fiber</span>

Alpaca fleece is the natural fiber harvested from an alpaca. There are two different types of alpaca fleece. The most common fleece type comes from a Huacaya. Huacaya fiber grows and looks similar to sheep wool in that the animal looks "fluffy". The second type of alpaca is Suri and makes up less than 10% of the South American alpaca population. Suri fiber is more similar to natural silk and hangs off the body in locks that have a dreadlock appearance. While both fibers can be used in the worsted milling process using light weight yarn or thread, Huacaya fiber can also be used in a woolen process and spun into various weight yarns. It is a soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fiber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nap (fabric)</span> Raised fibers on the surface of a textile, or the directionality of such a raised surface

Primarily, nap is the raised (fuzzy) surface on certain kinds of cloth, such as velvet or moleskin. Nap can refer additionally to other surfaces that look like the surface of a napped cloth, such as the surface of a felt or beaver hat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finishing (textiles)</span> Manufacturing process

In textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the processes that convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or "hand" (feel) of the finish textile or clothing. The precise meaning depends on context.

Wet Processing Engineering is one of the major streams in Textile Engineering or Textile manufacturing which refers to the engineering of textile chemical processes and associated applied science. The other three streams in textile engineering are yarn engineering, fabric engineering, and apparel engineering. The processes of this stream are involved or carried out in an aqueous stage. Hence, it is called a wet process which usually covers pre-treatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand feel</span> Feel of the fabrics to the skin or hand

Hand feel is the property of fabrics related to the touch that expresses sensory comfort. It refers to the way fabrics feel against the skin or in the hand and conveys information about the cloth's softness and smoothness. Hand feel is an estimated and subjective property of different fabrics, but nowadays, hand feel could be measured and assessed statistically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aesthetics (textile)</span> Concept of serviceability of textiles. It is determined by visual perception and the touch

Aesthetics in textiles is one of the basic concepts of serviceability of textiles. It is determined by the perception of touch and sight. Aesthetics imply the appearance and attraction of textile products; it includes the color and texture of the material. It is a statement about the end user (consumer) and the target market. When combined with fabric construction, the finish of the clothing material, garment fit, style, and fashion compatibility, colours create an aesthetic comfort. All of these elements work together to satisfy our visual perception. Aesthetics incorporates the role of evaluation also.

Shearing is a kind of mechanical finish in which the appearance of the fabric is enhanced by cutting the loops or raised surface to a uniform and even height. The machine may have a spiral blade similar to a grass cutting machine. A Shearing machine can cut the loop or the pile to a desired level. Shearing was most commonly used to make woolens and worsted materials. It was a part of dry finishing of woolen and worsted goods. Previously, shearing was also a component of gigging or napping; when partially produced goods were exposed to shear in order to improve the impact of gigging or napping, the process was referred to as "cropping."

References

  1. Elihu Root Collection of United States Documents Relating to the Philippine Islands. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1906. p. 369.
  2. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gig"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 5.
  3. Baker, William Henry (1901). Clothes dictionary;. The Library of Congress. Chicago, Ill., U.S.A., Cahn, Wampold & co. p. 17.
  4. Dyestuffs. National Aniline Division, Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation. 1946. p. 77.
  5. Joseph, Marjory L. (1992). Joseph's introductory textile science. Internet Archive. Fort Worth : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers. p. 338. ISBN   978-0-03-050723-6.
  6. 1 2 Elsasser, Virginia Hencken (2005). Textiles : concepts and principles. Internet Archive. New York, NY : Fairchild Publications. pp. 196, 197. ISBN   978-1-56367-300-9.
  7. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Nap"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 167.