It is no exaggeration to say that the success of an acetylene
installation, from the consumer's point of view, will largely, if not
principally, depend on the tightness of the pipes in his house. The
statement has been made that the "paint" used by gas-fitters,
_i.e._, the mixture of red and white lead ground in "linseed" oil,
is not suitable for employment with acetylene, and it has been proposed
to adopt a similar material in which the vehicle is castor-oil. No good
reason has been given for the preference for castor-oil, and the troubles
which have arisen after using ordinary paint may be explained partly on
the very probable assumption that the oil was not genuine linseed, and so
did not dry, and partly on the fact that almost entire reliance was
placed on the paint for keeping the joint sound. Joints for acetylene,
like those for steam and high-pressure water, must be made tight by using
well-threaded fittings, so as to secure metallic contact between pipe and
socket, &c.; the paint or spun-yarn is only an additional safeguard. In
making a faced joint, washers of (say, 7 lb) lead, or coils of lead-wire
arc extremely convenient and quite trustworthy; the packing can be used
repeatedly.
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