V 5 '** THE ARTISTS’ ARCANUM; OR THE ESSENCE OF A VARIETY OF Useful auU ^Entertaining •Erts, CAREFULLY AND PERSPICUOUSLY LAID DOWN; THE GREATER PART FROM ACTUAL EXPERIMENTS. THIRD EDITION. BY FRED. THOS. BURTON, Carper and Gilder , Picture and Glass Frame Maker , Silver er and Polisher of Looking-glass Plates , Bookbinder } fyc. y STAMFORD. 1823. Cm/s //$sy® 5 1 ? fgX5 PREFACE The particulars of the following Pages are many of them Originals ; some of them communications, and part of them copied from the best Authors ; and are known to me in consequence of some opportu- nities which seldom happen to any who are willing to impart to the Public what they learn of this kind : a minute knowledge of such matters being almost wholly confined to those who are lucratively engaged in the business they relate to, and who, therefore, have very strong reasons against revealing them to the world. There are very few Artists amongst those versed in the Arts, who can boast of knowing more than a Part of what are here com- municated ; each having only a certain share of Arcana, for which reason, I am fully convinced of their Utility. It may be said that several of the particular's here introduced, are not new discoveries, having been before mentioned in the Works of others, though somewhat differently — I admit the charge : — but al- ledge in justification, that I have inserted nothing but what may be depended upon ; and in as plain Terms as the Subject would admit. a 2 IV PREFACE. I have also, for the benefit of those who have not made the Arts their study, introduced a Glossary, or Explanation of the Scientifical Terms, which could not he dispensed with in the Illustration of the various Subjects treated on. I have likewise classed separately, the different Branches, and introduced ar Table of Contents, which render^ an Index totally useless ; the Head of each Page also expresses what Branch of the Arts it relates to. As my Design was to supply only what seemed wanting, I have reduced my Plan to such a Form as seemed most useful for the encouragers of the performance ; and if this Book does not contain every thing in a general view, it nevertheless con r tains many very material Articles which are not to be found in any other. | have also, for the more readily distinguishing the Recipes from the Operations, inserted them with* inverted Commas* CONTENTS PAGES* Gilding Requisites, kc. - - - 1 to 3 Gilding in Oil - - - . 4— 8' Japanners’ - - - - 8—10 — Burnished - - - - 11—17 — on Glass - - -* . 18—22 on Paper - - - _ 23—25 on Metals - - - - 20—33 Tracing - - - - 24—25 Silvering - - - - - 32—35 Plating - - - - 35—37 Colouring Gold - - - - - 38—39 Burnishing Metals - - - - 40—41 Compound Metals - - - - 42 — 55 Specific Gravity of Metals - - - 56 Affinity of Do. - - - 57 Japanning - - - - - 58—70 Varnishing - * - - 71—85 Lacquering - - - 80—88 Bronzing - - - - - 89—91 Staining Wood - - - - - 92—102 Staining Ivory - - ~ - 102—105 Staining Paper - - - - 102—108 Silvering Looking Glasses, &c. - - 109—121 Casting - - - - 121—133 Engraving - - - - - 133 142 Etching - - - - 142—157 Painting in Oil, See, r - - - - 158 182 Fire Works . - - 183—188 Glues and Cements - - - - 189—195 Inks in General - - - - 195—201 Dying Hats - - - - 201—202 VI CONTENTS. PAGES. Staining Leather - 203— -204 Vein Marbling Silk, Linen, &c. - - 205 — 206 Beautifying Mahogany - 207 — 208 Naples Yellow ----- 208 — 209 German Ass-skin - 209 — 210 Dying Paper, Card-paper, kc. - - 211 — 213 Browning Gun-barrels - 214 Liquid Blacking for Boots, &c. - - 214 — 215 Preparing Oil Colour Cakes - - 215 — 216 Nankin Dye ----- 217 Powder to Clean Plate - - - 217 Curious Tree - - - - - 218 Varnishing Prints - 218 New Method of Writing and Engraving in Oil 220 To Clean Prints - , - - - 223 To prevent Iron from rusting - - 224 To Polish Black Slate, Iron, Wood, kc. 224 To Clean Plate - - - - 225 Blue for Ceilings, &c. - - - 225 Vainish for Mahogany, kc. - - 225 To give Maple, &c. the appearance of Mahogany 226 To clean Polished Grates and Copper Coins 227 Curing a Ham - - - - 227 Gum Haedra — Gum Lake - - - 228 Milk Punch ----- 229 Painting in Wax — Welding Cast Steel to Iron 230 Engraving upon Glass with the Fluor- Acid 230 — 232 A GLOSSARY; OPw EXPLANATION OF SUCH TECHNICAL TERMS AS COULD NOT BE DISPENSED WITH IN THIS WORK, Acid . — By Acids, are meant all those things which taste sour ; as vinegar, tartar, juice of lemons, oil of vitriol, &c. Alkali — Is a word of extensive signification, and de- notes a large tribe of bodies. The most common mark of an Alkali is, that it turns syrup of vio- lets green, and an* Acid turns it red. Thus, Pot- ash, Salt of Tartar, and all fixed Vegetable Salts, are Artificial Alkalis, and are very easily distin- guished from Acids by their taste. Amalgamation — Is the dissolution or mixture of any metal with quicksilver ; but iron is the only metal which will not unite or amalgamate therewith. Balneum Marice — Is no more than a vessel of water set in a furnace, or over the fire, with another VIII GLOSSARY. vessel put into it which contains the matter, or subject of the operation. Calcination — Is the burning a body in the open fire, in order to discharge its more volatile parts, or to reduce it to powder. Concentration — Is bringing the required parts of a subject closer together. Evaporation — Is the setting a liquor in a gentle heat to discharge its superfluous humidity, or to obtain its dry remainder. Filtration — Is suffering any liquor to pass through cloth or paper without pressure, for obtaining the finer parts, and the remainder may be pressed through for coarser purposes. Flux — Is any matter added to an Ore or Metals, to make them melt more easily, and to yield a greater quantity of pure metal. Menstruum — Is any body applied to anbther so as to dissolve it, and intimately to mix its parts with that of another. Phlegm — Is the same as water, or aqueous liquor. Precipitation ' — Is the depositing a sediment, either by a liquor standing at rest, or when any addition is used for the purpose. Sulphate of Indigo — Indigo dissolved in oil of vitriol. THE ARTIST’S ARCANUM, GILDING IN GENERAL . Gilding is the Art of fixing gold, &c. upon the surface of wood, or other substances, so as to give them the external appearance of solid gold, or other metals, that it is intended to imitate ; and is per- formed by a variety of cements, adapted to each particular kind of gilding. In order to facilitate the variety of gilding, it will be necessary to be provided with the following tools, or instruments, viz. a cushion to spread and cut the leaves of gold upon, which may be readily made as follows ; — “ Procure of any book-binder, a piece of smooth calf leather, 16 inches long by nine inches broad ; you must have a piece of dry wood B 2 GILDING plained to about one inch thick, and less by an inch and a half in the diameter; it must then be covered with two or three thicknesses of baize, or blanket- ing, and the leather stretched tight over it and se- cured round the edge with small tacks, it must then be lightly sprinkled over with fine bole armoniac, and rubbed in with a little cotton to prevent the leaves of gold from sticking to it.” The next requisite is a knife to cut and shape the gold when laid and blown out even upon the cushion, which must be shaped as follows: — “ the blade about 10 inches long and one inch and quarter broad, to be ground perfectly even on the edge and sides, and may be ground in a lozenge shape from the back of the point, something in imitation of a shoemaker’s paring-knife.” You must also be provided with a tip, for con- veying the' leaves of gold from the cushion to the parts intended to be gilt, and may be commodiously made as follows : — “ Procure any quantity of "bad- ger’s hair, and spread it thinly on a card previously smeared over with weak glue, the hair to project an IN GENERAL. 3 inch and a half from the card, and to be at least three inches and a half broad; when dry, another card must be glued on it as even as possible.’ * This instrument though so little understood by oil-gil- ders is one of the greatest improvements ; for, a per- son with a little practice will be able from the elas- ticity of the above instrument to gild the quickest hollows without breaking the gold. “ A piece of cotton inclosed in a piece of fine shammy leather with the flesh side outward, and made in the form of a small ball, with this you gently press the parts that are gilt to make the gold adhere more closely to the size.” It will be necessary to have camel’s-hair pencils of various sizes, for conveying small pieces of gold to the parts of the work that want repairing. You must also be provided with a fitches-hair tool, either in a tin case, or in a swan’s-quill, this is to pass over the gold in order to smooth it and to take away the superfluous gold, and give it an even appear- ance. Being provided with the meaftSj yotir next step b 3 4 GILDING, &C. is to the performance of Gilding in Oil, Japanners, Burnished Gold, Glass, Paper, &c. GILDING IN OIL. Note— -To render the performances of gilding as plain and intelligible as possible, I shall entirely di- vest them of far-fetched technical teims, which serve rather to perplex than inform the young Artist Your work intended to be gilt, whether painted in oil, or fresco, must first be prepared with the gold size explained below ; you must be careful the parts intended to be gilt must not be neglected in any degree, as the gilding by that means would be imperfect, and net to be remedied otheiwise than by fresh sizing the part, or parts oyer again, which’ GILDING IN OIL. 5 would cause additional trouble. When your work is in this forwardness, some attention is necessary to be paid to the size in order that it may not get too dry, which may soon be known by pressing the fin- ger upon it, for, if it be too dry, the finger will not adhere to it ; but if in a proper state for gilding, the finger will be attracted by the size, but not so as to disturb the ground, for in that case it would rob it of its brilliancy. The size being in a proper state for receiving the gold, the next operation is laying it on : you must take a leaf, or leaves of gold out of the book and blow it even on the cushion,' if the work intended to be gilt is large, you may take it up whole with the tip (first moistened a little, if in warm weather, by drawing it gently between your hand and forehead ; but if in cold weather, it might be necessary to moisten the forehead with a little Florence oil, or soft pomatum) and transfer them as quick as possible to their proper places, pressing them gently down with the cotton bail ; for smaller work, you must cut the gold as near the size as you can on the cushion, and transfer it by the same 6 GILDING IN OIL. means ; but if the pieces of gold are very small, you may lay it on very commodiously from the point of a camel's hair pencil, moistened a little by the same means ; when all the parts are completely covered with gold, it must be gently pressed down with a cotton-ball, and if convenient, let it stand a day or two to harden, and brush it off with the fitches-hair tool, and it is done. TO MAKE THE BEST FAT OIL FOE GILDING. 4i Take any quantity of linseed oil, and having previously deposited some white lead in a broad bot- tomed vessel, pour the oil upon it and suffer it to stand for a day, and give it a gentle stir, after which, let it stand a day or two more, stir it again, and if convenient you may expose it to the sun, taking care that no dust get to it ; let it continue in this state for a week and it will have acquired a proper fatness for making gold size for gilding in oil.”’ GILDING IN OIL. '7 ANOTHER METHOD OF MAKING FAT OIL. “ In the months of June, July and August, you may give linseed oil a very great degree of fatness by exposing it to the sun in a lead, or pewter vessel of a broad form, and covering it with water to the depth of an inch, and expose it to the sun and air, in an open place as free from dust as possible, it will thereby receive a considerable degree of fatness, and will be made whiter where that is preferable.’* HOW TO MAKE THE GOLD SIZE FOR GILDING IN OIL. “ Being provided with fat oil, you must endea- vour to procure some good Oxford, or stone ochre, which must be well ground to the consistence of cream, upon a painter’s grinding stone ; you may- add one-eighth part of white lead, it will give the size a better body and make it flow with greater facility from the pencil ; and when used for writing, or other ornaments, it may be diluted upon your b 4 s GILDING* kc. palette with a small quantity of oil of turpentine, which will make it work more freely.” JAPJNNERS' GILDING. Note— Japanners* Gilding varies very little from the oil gilding, only in the construction of the size, and its tendency to drying, and being fit for gild- ingsooner, and more attention must be paid to it whilst drying, which if the size is good, will be ready to receive the gold in half an hour; and may be made to advantage by adhering to the following process .* TO MAKE THE JAPANNERS* GOLD SIZE. “ Bruise into a gross powder, gum anime and asa* phaltum, each one ounce ; red lead, litharge of lead JAPANNERS* GILDING. 0 and umber, an ounce and half each, put the ingredi- ents to a pound of linseed oil, and set them on a slow fire in a vessel that will contain as much more, to prevent it from boiling over; as jpoon as the oil on putting in a feather will singe it, you may then remove it from the fire, and while yet warm, strain it through a coarse piece of flannel, and when cold it will be fit for use.” When you use the Japanners’ gold-size for gilding, it is necessary to dilute it with oil of turpentine to make it flow more readily from the pencil ; you may also mix a little vermillion with it, which gives the size a better body in working, and causes it to dry with a more hard and brilliant surface. For dis- patch this kind of gilding is superior to the fat-oil, for inside work ; but 1 would by no means recom- mend it to be used where the air, or weather may have free access ; and be sure not to size too much at once, as its quickly drying may give additional trouble. Those who do not wish to make the Japanners * 10 BURNISHED GILDING. gold-size , Black-japan , or other Varnishes them - selves , way Aavtf f Am ready prepared to advantage at Mr. Wall’s, Japanner and Varnish-maker , Long- Acre, London . BURNISHED; or, WATER GILDING. The Art of Burnished, or Water-gilding differs very materially from oil ; or Japanner’s gilding, not only in the construction of the size, but in the manner of laying it on also ; and which I shall endeavour to explain in as intelligible and per- spicuous terms as I possibly can, for the informa- tion of my subscribers. Your frame, moulding, or other ornaments being made, they must first be prepared with the follow- ing ground, or laying-in, as it is called ^ TO MAKE THE GROUND, OR, LAYING-IN. “ Take any quantity of slips of parchment, and put them into a tin saucepan, or other boiler, with a discretionary quantity of water, set them on the fire to boil gently, or until they have acquired the consistence of a strong size, it must then be strained 12 BURNISHED GILDING. through a linen cloth, and as much Paris-white ground upon a stone, as will make the quantity you want for present use as thick as cream, and it will be fit for the following process Your frame, or lengths of moulding, ornaments, or whatever subjects they are that you intend to gild, must be brushed over at various times (suffer- ing each coat to dry before you lay on another) until it is at least the sixteenth part of an inch in thickness; it must then be suffered to dry tho- roughly, and undergo what is called the water- polish, viz. — You must procure small pieces of very fine stone of various forms and cuivatures, to fit each member of the subject to be gilt. You then take a bason containing fair water, and with a clean sponge you moisten a part, and with the fine mould- ed stones you gently rub first one part of the frame, &c. and so on, until you have relieved the sharpness of the mouldings and carved work, nearly as they were when they came from the joiner, or carver ; but be sure not to rub through the ground to the wood, which can only be remedied by fresh BURNISHED GILDING, 13 Saying it in, for in that case, the water in the ope- ration of gilding (particularly when you come to the burnishing) would make the grain of the wood rise up and entirely spoil the gilding. Your frame, &c. must now be suffered to dry, it will then be fit to receive the gold-size, which must be carefully made as under : GOLD SIZE FOR BURNISHED GOLD. “ Take two pounds of the purest pipe-clay, a quarter of an ounce of red chalk, half an ounce of fine black lead, and one ounce of fine puiified tallow, or mould candle. Grind the clay, chalk, and black lead separately, very fine in rain, or liver water; then mix the tallow and black-lead well together, and add the chalk, grind these well together and add the pipe-clay, they must all be thoroughly incorpo- rated, and it will be fit for use ; — It should at all times be kept immersed in water, for by so doing, should there be any particles not sufficiently ground, their being covered will rot them, and the older it gets the finer it will be,” 14 BUREfSHED GILDING* The next essential is the laying on the gold-size to the parts intended to be gilt, which may be thus performed : — You must dilute your strong parch- ment-size, until on being cold it may be no stronger than a jelly, it must then be ground up with the gold-size to the consistence of cream, and it must be laid on about as warm as new milk ; must be done three times over, suffered to dry between each time, and after the last coat, when dry, you may give it a gentle rub over with a soft cloth to smooth it a little before you lay on the gold. You must have by you a bason of very clean water, with a fiat camel’s hair pencil to lay on the water with ; you must also have the gold and other instruments for gilding by you, viz. the gold-knife and cushion, the tip, ca- mel’s-hair pencils, &c. You must then take your frame and set it rather higher at one end than the other, and begin at the highest end by wetting a part of the work to be gilt wdth your flat pencil and the water from the bason, which must be laid on in a plentiful manner, and the gold must immediately be laid on whilst in this wet state, and so you must BURNISHED GILDING* 15 continue to apply fresh water and lay on the gold until every part be sufficiently gilt, taking care that no part of it may be neglected, for in that case it would not only cause trouble to repair it, but in this delicate way of gilding, even fair water to get above the gold, would rob it of its beauty ; you must therefore, be particularly careful to lay on the gold with an even and quick hand, that you may break the gold as little as possible, and you must also re- pair all the discoverable breaches as you go on ; and must endeavour to join the gold as even as you possibly can : — When in this forwardness it must be suffered to dry, and the superfluous gold care- fully brushed off’ with the fitches-hair pencil, and the parts that want repairing must be carefully moistened with water and the gold immediately laid on, and suffered to dry, and then it must, when fit, have the parts burnished which may best suit your fancy. As there is no limited time for bur- nishing, you may do it with jsafety in twelve or fourteen hours, and if any doubt should arise, you may try it with your burnisher in some part that 16 BURNISHED GILDING® is out of sight, which if not sufficiently dry, yon must wait ; for 1 would by no means recommend too hasty drying, where dispatch is not absolutely ne- cessary ; but where that is not the case, if the size be good, and dried slowly, it will keep any length of time in a fit state for burnishing. Matting is the next operation, which is simply nothing more than taking a little of the diluted parchment-size and going carefully over the parts that are not burnished, it consequently deadens, or takes away the glaring effect of the matted parts, and adds additional lustre to the parts that are burnished. Repass, is the finishing stroke, and is that which darts its variegated rays through the whole of the burnished parts of the frames, &c. and gives them, where the light falls, a beautiful shadowy appearance ; it is nothing more than conveying from the point of a pencil, the following transparent fluid into the cavities, or parts where you could not conveniently convey the gold, and may be made to great per- fection by the following method : BURNISHED GILDING. 17 This alone is worth three times the value of the publication, and I dare venture to say is the first time it ever appeared in print. REPASS FOR THE BURNISHED GILDING. “ Take half an ounce of dragon’s-blood, half an "ounce of saffron of the best quality, half an ounce of good Spanish vermiilion, and half an ounce of white Turkey-gum, or what is generally called gum ara- bic ; bruise the dragon’s blood and white Turkey gum, to facilitate their dissolving more quickly; you must then mix all the ingredients together, and boil them gently in a pint of water until reduced to Tialf the quantity; filter it through flannel, and it will be ready for the use as above described.” c ENAMELLED GILDING ON GLASS , Note — The imitation of Enamelled Gilding on Glass, is performed very differently frcm the preced- ing kinds of gilding. Enamelled gilding on glass, is the art of fixing the gold by means of a per- fectly transparent, colourless fluid, so as neither to rob the gold of its colour, or the glass of its bril- liancy ; and it is that criterion whereby it so justly classes with enamelled gilding, though destitute of its propei ties, except that of external appearance. It is at present in high estimation from the simpli- city of the process, and the beautiful ornaments it is capable of producing around pictures, lockets, names, or inscriptions for doors, shop-fronts, &c. Nay, indeed, an ingenious Artist may do landscapes, profiles, or other beautiful devices, that will have a very brilliant effect. In order to accomplish this beautiful manner of gilding, it will be necessary strictly to adhere to the following directions, that have never before appeared in print : ENAMELLED GILDING ON GLASS 19 Suppose you want to do a name, inscription, or other ornament, it will be necessary to have the de- sign first drawn on paper, which may be afterwards oiled, and the drawing will appear in an inverted state, and the way it should appear on the glass. Take a bit of the best London, or Newcastle crown glass, the whitest you can procure, if it is good, when laid on a sheet of white paper, it will alter the colour very little; but should it give the paper a very green shade, it is very unfit for the purpose, as the gold would appear of quite a different colour. Having procured a piece of good plate, or other glass the size you wish, take your design and fasten it at the four corners with a wafer, or other gluti- nous substance, to prevent it from moving until the design is complete ; you then proceed to paint, or ra- ther write your design, with the common drawing- pen from a common case of mathematical instruments, viz. take a little Brunswick black, and put it into the drawing-pen, and with it you draw straight lines with a ruler, or curved lines, by fixing the moveable pen into the compasses, you will by that means be c 2 20 ENAMELLED GILDING ON GLASS. able to describe large, or small circles; and with a little practice, you will be able to trace any subject that is moderately large to a very great nicety, by first going over eadi part, leaving the subject to be gilt, until you have completely filled up the ground with the Brunswick patent-black, or what other co- lours your fancy may suggest. Or what is yet more simple, moisten your pencil well in your mouth, and apply it to the glass in the same manner you do the isinglass size, and it will procure the same effect; nay, indeed, in some cases, better, and particularly in gilding the second time, as it prevents the greasiness of some gold snivelling up the size, and rendering it very difficult without erasing the first gilding. The gilding is performed as follows : — “ Take a small slip of isinglass in the bruised state you have it from the -chemists, put it into a bason and pour a pint of perfectly -clean boiling water upon it, and let it stand a few minutes, ,and it will be fit for use.” Take a camePs-hair pencil, and lay the weak isinglass or spittle, on the parts intended to be gilt ENAMELLED GILDING ON GLASS. 21 in the same manner as you do in burnished gilding, and lay on the gold in the same way ; it must be suffered to dry by being set a little near the fire ; it must be sized over a second time very nimbly, and another coat of gold laid on by the same means. It may when dry, be done over again with the size made a little stronger, which will prevent the paint, or Brunswick-black from sinking into the gold and discolouring of it. When the subjects were in miniature, I have succeeded to advantage by first gilding where the design was intended, and tracing the design upon the gold, I then took a little of the Brunswick- black and drew the design that was intended to be gold, and suffered it to dry, by which means the gold was secure; I then breathed upon the gold that was to be removed, and gently rubbed it off, taking great care not to move the painting which secures the gold ; you may then fill it up with the black, or any other colours you please. I have also succeeded by the following method, viz,— -cover the whole of the glass over with Bruns- 22 ENAMELLED GILDING ON GLASS. wick black, or any other colour you intend the ground to be ; lay it on with a good body and trace your design on the ground as before, and take instru- ments of various sizes, and with them cut away the ground, and clean it well with a little Paris-white, and it will be ready to gild upon by the means before taught, and must be secured by the same method. GILDING ON PAPER. Gilding on Paper, that is now so much used at boarding-schools, and by the ladies for ornamenting a number of curious fancy articles, may be gilt and burnished to very great perfection in the following manner : Take the size you make use of in burnished gild- ing, temper it in the same manner with w eak parch- ment-size ; procure some fine vellum paper, and brush it over at least three times, suffering it to dry between each time, you may rub it gently with a soft cloth and it will be ready to receive the gold. The ground must be moistened well with very clear water, and the gold laid on in all respects the same as in burnished gilding on wood, and when dry may be burnished by the same means. The burnishers for this and all kinds of burnish- ed gilding on wood, paper, Sfc. are made of agate fiint ; or sometimes a pair of dog's-teeth ; but the others are preferable as one will be sufficient. TRACING. VARIETY OF METHODS FOR TRACING. The methods of tracing that I prefer are, first, if the subject to be traced is a light ground, I take a little lamp-black and mix it with some butter; if it is in cold weather, and the butter be very hard, I soften it by mixing a little Florence-oil with it ; I then take a piece of cotton-wool, or any bit of soft linen, and rub the composition of lamp-black and butter over the back of the design, and should I wish to keep the design quite clean, I black a piece of thin paper and put between the design and subject to be traced upon ; I then take a tracing needle (which is nothing more than a large stocking-needle rounded, instead of being quite sharp at the point, which would cut the design) and go over every part of what I wish to be traced, as soon as I think it complete, I raise one of the corners and look under- neath to see if the tracing be perfect ; should any part of the design be imperfect, I gently lay it down ■ TRACING. 25 again and repair it; remove the paper and you will have a perfect copy of the design ready to be exe- cuted in any style you think proper. Should the subject to be traced upon be a dark ground, the vehicle for tracing may be Paris-white, made use of in- the same manner as the former, and by which means you may use almost every pigment that is used for oil-painting. The Brunswick-black may readily be made by dissolving good asphaltum in spirits , or oil of tur- pentine. Note.— When the black gets too thick , you may thin it with oil of turpentine ; but be sure not to dilute more of it than you want for present use, as it will spoil by being too frequently mixed. 'GILDING ON METALS . Note. — Gilding on M^tal is the art of fixing gold upon silver, or some of the baser metals, so that they may possess the external appearance of gold. It is performed two ways; first, by amalgamation, and secondly, by leaf gold. The process of amal- gamation is as follows : — The mercury is made pure by pressing through leather ; it is then put into a crucible, and placed over a moderate fire. — The gold to be amalgamated being previously heated, is added to the mercury, the mixture is stirred with an iron rod until it begins to rise in vapours ; it is then left to cool, or thrown into a vessel of water ; when cold, the superfluous mer- cury is separated by squeezing through shammy leather, or fine linen. The metal to be gilt must be cleaned on its surface, in order to make it take the amalgam a more uniformly ; accordingly, it must be pickled in a weak solution of aquafortis and water ; and if the substances to be gilt have a large GILDING ON METALS. 27 surface and scaled, a wire brush will be necessary to scratch off the foulness. The metal, thus pre- pared, may be dipped in aquafortis where mercury has been dissolved, and apply the amalgama over the precipitated coat ; or you may apply the amal- fama alone, if by hand-gilding*, with a small hair brush, or, fine copper pencil ; or you may otherwise proportion the amalgama to the quantity to be gilt, and put both into a pan, and shake it over the fire until the mercury fixfes on the surfaces exposed; but in both cases the work is held in a sufficient degree of heat to evaporate the mercury, which will leave the gold behind. THEORY OF GILDING BY AMALGAMATION. The aquafortis not only deprives the metal of its impurities on the surface, but likewise dissolves a portion of it, and precipitates the mercury in its place, having a stronger chemical attraction for cop- per than mercury. The mercury united with the 28 GILDING ON METALS. gold being diffused over the surface of the metal, is exposed to the fire ; the mercury being volatile, is evaporated, and leaves the gold attracted by gravi- tation. THEORY OF GILDING IN THE DRY WAY. In the dry way, the amalgama has a chemical at- traction for the copper and unites with it. The most volatile substances always rise first by heat, there- fore the mercury flies off in a vapour, and leaves the gold attached, as in the wet way. TO PREPARE GOLD FOR GILDING. To one part of pure gold, add three of pure silver; fuse them in the fire, and granulate by pouring them into a vessel of cold wafer. The grains are to be put into a vessel which con- tains aquafortis, and the dissolution is to be pro- moted by heat. The aquafortis is to be poured off GILDING ON METALS. 29 occasionally, and fresh applied; and when it remains of the same colour, the gold is fit for the purpose. The acid must be destroyed by careful and repeated washes in cold water. The gold after this process will be of a brown colour, to which some may object ; —to remove this objection, the gold is put into a vessel which is placed in a sand-bath, and a sufficient degree of heat applied to dissipate the adhering phlogiston ; hence it becomes of a proper shining '‘Colour on its surface. TO MAKE GOLD ITS ORIGINAL WEIGHT. Take pure gold twenty-four grains, and crude • mercury an ounce and a half ; put them together in a crucible until it be of a red colour. Pour them out upon an earthen plate, then take about a foot square of sound wash leather, put the mixture into it, and twist and squeeze the superfluous mercury from it, which will go through the leather, and leave the amalgama behind, which is fit for use in thefol- 30 GILDING ON METALS lowing manner: — Take the amalgama and weigh it, making a small allowance for loss, then take and rub it well over the gold ; heat a poker, kc. red hot, and put the gold upon it until the mercury evapo- rates ; when cold put it into a pickle of five water and one aquafortis, let it remain twenty minutes, take it out and scour it with fine sand and water. To deaden it, dissolve equal quantities of sal ammoniac and blue vitriol in warm water, and lay it upon the gold while warm. TO GILD ON COPPER. First, take and clean the article to be gilt, by pic- kling it in diluted aquafortis ; clean it well from all its impurities, put on the gold amalgama with a little mercury, and lay it on with a hogs-hair tool ; evapo- rate the mercury, and burnish it. — For which see Burnishing, kc. i GILDING ON METALS. 31 TO GILD ON SILVER.. Take pure gold and put it to dissolve in aqua^re- gia, in a well-glazed cup set near the fire until quite dissolved. Pour it into a piece of linen and hang it up in the air to dry : you must have an earthen-plate ready to burn the rag upon, in the same manner you would burn tinder, and be very careful in collecting every particle ; you then have nothing to do (the sil- ver being previously cleaned) but to rub the powder on with your finger a little moistened until it is a proper gold colour. — ’Burnish it and it is done. TO GILD ON STEEL. Dissolve sal ammoniac in water, and with it care- fully moisten the part, or parts you intend to gild, with a camers-hair pencil : dissolve blue vitriol in water, and go over the same place until it has re- ceived a copper colour, wash it clean with water and take your gold prepared from your burnt rag, and follow the former process. 32 GILDING ON METALS-. TO SILVER ON COPPER. Take half an ounce of pure silver, put it into a ~well-glazed earthen cup, and pour upon it an ounce and half of double aquafortis, set it near the fire to dissolve ; when it is crystallized, add four ounces of cream of tartar, stir it gently with the crystals, then put it into a large bason, &c. and add two quarts of water to it, and at the same time mix three or four handfuls of salt with it ; let it stand at least for one hour, and pour off about four-fifths of the water by inclination, and immediately add more fresh water, and let it stand for twenty-four hours more, and pour the whole of the water from it as carefully as possible, taking great care that you waste none of the powder, and it will be ready for the follow- ing process : The article to be silvered, must first be washed over with mercury dissolved in aquafortis, in order to give it a leaden appearance, rub on the composition with your finger, or a fine piece of cork, until it is completely covered; apply heat until the work ap- GILDING ON METALS. 33 pear of a yellow colour, suffer it to cool, and clean it with salt and water ; and if you wish it to appear dead, you may rub it over with wax. SILVERINO IN THE COLD WAY. Dissolve pure silver in aquafortis, and precipitate the silver by throwing in a handful of common salt ; add any quantity of water to it, and let it stand for an hour, pour off the water and add fresh until the acid is entirely destroyed ; to the precipitation add two-thirds cream of tartar and one third salt, and make it into a paste ; the article to be silvered must be well cleaned on its surface, and the composition rubbed on with a cork. It may be deadened with yellow, or white wax. SILVERING BY HEAT. Dissolve two ounces of pure silver in aquafortis, precipitate the silver with common salt, and one D 34 (GILDING ON METALS* pound each of sal-ammoniac, sandiver, and white vitriol, and half an ounce of sublimate. ANOTHER WAY BY HEAT. Two ounces of fine silver must be dissolved in aquafortis, precipitate the silver with salt ; and add after washing, twelve ounces of common salt, six ounces each of sandiver and white vitriol, and half an ounce of sublimate. This paste is to be ground very fine upon a stone with a muller ; a quantity of it is to be put into an earthen vessel, in proportion to the work to be silvered ; the work added, and the whole to be stirred with a large brush; when the paste has attached itself to the work to be silvered, it is placed overlhe fire until it appears black, and the silver runs ; it is then to be put into spirits of salt to cleanse it, and afterwards boiled out in water. SILVERING ON GILT WORK. Silver will not attach* itself to any metal by amal- GILDING ON METALS. 35 gamation, unless it be first gilt ; if any part of a gilt surface is wished to be silvered, the whole must be stopped, except the portion where the silver is to be applied ; an amalgama must be made of the silver with mercury, which is rubbed on the surface ex- posed. It is then subjected to the fire, which dissi- pates the mercury, and leaves the silver firmly at- tached. THE METHOD OF PLATCNG METAL. The principal difficulty of plating metal is to bring the surfaces of the copper and silver into fusion at the same time, and to prevent the copper from scal- ing, this is accomplished by the use of fluxes ; the copper is filed, and the surface on which the- silver is to be adapted, should be left as rough as possi- ble ; the silver is first annealed, and pickled in di- luted spirits of salt; it is then planished and scratch- ed on the surface, which is to be fixed by binding wire on the rough side of the copper ; the surfaces 36 PLATING ON METALS. being previously anointed with a solution of borax and sublimate, then by exposing them to a suffi- cient degree of heat, the flux causes the surfaces to fuse at the same time, and when cold, they become firmly united. TO STRIP PLATED METAL. The silver of ingot-metal is always stripped ; but in plated copper, sometimes the copper is destroyed ; this is done by dissolving it in oil of vitriol assisted by heat, by which you make blue vitriol. But when both metals are saved, a menstruum should be applied, which will attach the silver, as being the least quantity, and leave the copper nearly un- touched : this menstruum is composed of three pounds of oil of vitriol, an ounce and a half of ni- tre, and a pound of water; the plated metal must be put into it so long as it will act. This quantity of menstruum will strip better than a pound of metal. ESSAYING PLATED METAL. 37 TO MAKE AN ESSAY OF PLATED METAL. The smaller the quantity for the Essay, the more uncertain will the process be. Trifling inaccura- cies upon a small scale may be attended with great loss in working at large ; two or three pounds ought to be the least quantity used : this is to be put into __an earthen vessel, and a sufficient quantity of liquor applied to st$jp off the silver. The silver is care- fully to be coljected by common salt, and then to be gathered either with red-lead or nitre. Red-^ 4 § lead is preferable, because, by fire, nitre will de- stroy a small portion of the silver. When the sil- ver is gathered by lead, it is to be tested off, and you will have the quantity of pure silver on three pounds, and may make the estimate accordingly. COLOURING GOLD . Note — Colouring* is the next operation to gilding* and consists in advancing the colour of gold to a higher yellow, green or red. TO COLOUR GOLD RED. t “ To four ounces of yellow wax, add, in fine powder, one ounce and a half of red ochre, one "ounce and a half of verdi grease, calcined until it yields no more fumes, and half an ounce' of borax, calcined to crispness/’ ANOTHER RED COLOUR FOR GOLD. Vitriol and burnt allum, each four ounces ; four ounces of nitre, one ouncie of salt, with the addition of a little verdigrease. This may be either kept dry, or made liquid with vinegar. COLOURING GOLD. 3D TO COLOUR GOLD YELLOW. Salt-pet re six ounces ; green copperas two ounces ; white vitriol and alum of each one ounce. If you w r ish to make it a little redder, add ten penny- weights of blue vitriol. TO COLOUR GOLD GREEN. Salt-petre one ounce and ten pennyweights ; sal ammoniac one ounce and four pennyweights ; ro- man vitriol one ounce and four pennyweights ; white vitriol one ounce ; verdi grease eighteen penny- weights; dissolve these in a little water; dip the work you want to colour into it, and apply it over the .fire until it is burnt off, and afterwards quench it in water. _ ON BURNISHING METALS. Note — Burnishing adds brightness to bodies of metallic surfaces. Bodies are granulated so that the rays of light fall upon them with a variety of obli- quities; therefore are scattered and reflected all ways ; and this is the reason why the eye does not receive the colour with its full force ; but when the eminences are worn away by the friction of the bur- nisher, and all the rays of light are equally re- flected from a plain surface, it is then that the co- lour appears in its full force, and constitutes bright- ness. Burnishers are made of substances of great hardness, for which reason steel, or iron finely po- lished, are most^ frequently used ; as also haema- tites, or blood stone, which is of a very glossy sub- stance, and when broke, of a fine regular striated texture ; it contains iron, and its hardness depends upon the quantity therein ; it is ground into a va- riety of forms, and its surface made as smooth as BURNISHING METALS. 41 possible. In burnishing, it is necessary to use a liquid, as beer, which makes the surface burnish with greater facility, and brings the work to a 'better colour ; for without it, if the gold be thin, the burnisher would wear it off, or the work would appear in streaks. R A VARIETY OF RECIPES FOR COMPOUND METALS , ON PARTING. Parting’ is the separation of silver and copper from gold. The mass is first granulated, by drop- ping it in cold water when in fusion. Aquafortis is therr applied, which will dissolve the silver and copper, without affecting the gold. Small quan- tities of it are used at a time so long as it will work, by the assistance of a small degree of heat, the liquor which is poured off contains the silver and copper. The geld is then put into a crucible, and with nitre is refined. The silver is obtained from the liquor by adding copper, and may be re- vived by red-lead, or nitre ; if by red-lead, it must be worked off in a test, but the nitie leaves it suf- ON METALS. 48 ficiently fine. The copper may be recovered in a metallic state, by the addition of iron to the liquor ; iron being so very cheap is not worth the trouble of recovering. The silver must always be in greater proportion than gold, or it will be defended from the action of the aquafortis by the prevailing metal. The pro- portion may be nearly guessed at, by rubbing it upon a touch-stone. ON CASE-HARDENING. Case-hardening is a superficial conversion of iron into steel, by cementation ; it is performed on small pieces of iron, by inclosing them in an iron box among burnt leather, bone-dust, or any other sub- stance containing phlogiston, and exposing them some hours to a red heat ; the surface of the iron attracts the metallizing principal, and the earthy parts are converted into a perfect metal. Iron thus case-hardened, is susceptible of the finest polish. 44 ON METALS. ON COLOURING STEEL BLUE. The steel is to be finely polished on its surface, and then exposed to a uniform degree of heat. Ac- cordingly, there are three ways of making the co- lour ; first by a flame producing no soot, as spirits of wine ; secondly, by a hot iron ; and thirdly, by wood ashes. As a very regular degree of heat is necessary, wood-ashes bear the preference. The work is to be covered over with them, and carefully watched. When the colour is sufficiently exalted, the work is perfect. ON TINNING. Sal ammoniac is used in tinning as a flux. The metals to be tinned are to he clean on their sur- faces. When vessels, a small quantity of tin is to be put into them with sal ammoniac, and then they are applied to a sufficient degree of heat to melt the tin. The sal ammoniac prevents their scaling, ON METALS. 45 and causes the tin to fix itself on every part of the surface which it touches. ON COMPOUND METALS. Metals in general will unite with each other, and acquire new properties. Brass is formed of zinc and copper, and possesses a different colour from either of the ingredients. Sometimes indeed, the compound will retain the colour of one of the com- posing metals, as in all amalgamas where it is white, owing to the mercury. Compound metals are always of a greater specific gravity than either of the ingredients ; but its absolute gravity is di- minished. — Their ductility and malleability differ from the metals which compose them ; sometimes deci easing, and at other times increasing; brass suffers no alteration in these proportions. Silver united with tin has them both diminished. The vo- latility of metals is much affected by union ; the most fixed becoming volatile, whilst the most vola- 40 ON METALS. tile becomes fixed. Quicksilver requires more heat to dissipate when combined, than when in an un- combined state ; and gold, on the contrary, when amalgamated, rises with the mercury in the form of vapour. Their fusibility is much altered by mixture ; a remarkable instance of which is in the compound of bismuth, tin and lead. For eight parts of bis- muth, three of 4in, and five of lead,, will form a metal which will completely melt in boiling water ; which is a degree of heat less by two hundred and three degrees, than the most fusible of the com- pounds, viz. tin. Bell metal, which is composed of copper and tin, is a striking proof of the change which the proper- ties of bodies undergo from the union. This com- pound is one of the hardest metals, and most so- norous, although copper is very little sonorous, tin is less so* ON METALS. 47 ON THE FORMATION OF COMPOUND METALS. The formation of compound metals depends upon a minute division. The attraction of cohesion of the different metals which are to form the com- pound must be overcome ; accordingly they are subjected to the fire. The compound metal is not made by the chemical attraction of the particles forming the composition of metals, but from their equable diffusion through each other, and being returned in a proper situation by the attraction of cohesion. Metals are calcined by heat, but then the calxes of those metals will not unite chemi- cally ; which is a convincing proof that the com- posing metals undergo no specific change, but are simply diffused ; and produce new propei ties. In forming compounds, it must be observed that some of the metals make them brittle ; others add to their malleability ; some make them soft, others stiffen them, as arsenic makes copper, which is malleable, very brittle; and as tin or lead, adds E 4 48 ON METALS. softness to metals, which are otherwise stiff ; so that to improve a composition, or alter it, it will be necessary to add those metals which in their original state, possess the properties wanted, but in small proportion ; for too much added may pro- duce the opposite effect to those required. And as metals fuse in different degrees of heat, care should be taken not to add those metals which fuse easily, to those which require a greater de- gree of heat, w hile they are too hot ; because the former will evaporate and leave the compound imperfect. Compound metals in which brass enters as a con- stituent part, are much influenced by the brass employed. Cheadle, or Macclesfield brass, are more malleable than that made at Birmingham ; but for those metals which require hardness, the brass of Birmingham is preferable. MIXTURES of METALS. STANDARD GOLD. “ Twenty-two carats of fine gold, two carats of alloy, in one pound troy.’’ A carat is four grains. STANDARD SILVER. “ Eleven ounces and two pepny weights of fine silver, and eighteen pennyweights of alloy, in one pound troy.” GOLD SOLDER. 4 4 Pure gold, twelve pennyweights, pure silver* two pennyweights, and fine copper, fom: penny- weights.” SILVER SOLDER. t 64 Fine silver, nineteen pennyweights, copper, one pennyweight, brass, ten pennyweights.” For Jewellers, &c. SOLDER FOR PLATING. “ Brass, ten pennyweights, and one ounce of pure silver.” 50 ON METALS. HARD SOLDER. “ Copper, two pounds, and one pound of block tin.” SOFT SOLDER. “ Tin, two pounds, and one pound of lead.” PINCHBECK FOR PLATING. 3 g o > c- ~ M ® & 3 § ® S -d *g Oq S > 3 fD p o- co fD £.C 5 ’■a I 1 -® ©18 1 1^3^ ~ cr 3 “ ^ 50 CD p- 72 P 50 Hr; 3 5- 00 E 8 ^ 5 2 " S I S. El g CO 50 gf 3 S3 ^ c* cr cT i-* 50 CO g s p p 3 3 cd cd CD ft) JO * fD 3“ g P St. £ g- ft ft P fD 3? o cr 3 O o g'S-f'S" g 3 ^ 50 P 5 o -_, JO ~ *ST* S' 3 PS.E 3 p o CD P- 05 3 tS JS 3* O f* fD P 3- S 3 3 o o *32 32 05 H 3 r* a o a ►a a a > a a sj t=H a *! o a a M JAPANNING. Note — The ancient methods of Japanning, were generally (if upon wood) to lay the ground with se- veral coats of size and whiting, with a brush as even as possible ; if the surface was even, fewer coats would do ; it was then water-polished, by rub- bing it gently with a rag dipped in water, taking great care not to rub it down to the grain of the wood. It w r as then suffered to dry thoroughly, and the inequalities (if any) gently rubbed with Dutch rushes ; it was then in a fit state to receive the co- loured ground, either by mixing the colour w anted in a strong parchment-size, or to make the varnish of the colour you intend the japan to be. If the ground were to represent embossed figures, the design was made on the embossed parts filled up by repeated layers of the size and Paris-white, finely ground together to the consistence of cream. When that was dry, the figures were gently water polished as before, and dried ; they were-touched with the JAPANNING. 59 colours they were intended to be, by being mixed in shell-lac varnish, and secured with several coats of seed-lack, or mastic varnish ; it was when dry, polished, and it was done. Where the Japanning is executed in the modern way it simply consists of beginning and linishing with varnish, using the coarse or opake kinds of varnish first, and finishing with the fine and trans- parent ones ; and is certainly superior to the ancient method, as there is not the hazard to run of the whole of the coat and varnish peeling off together, particularly when exposed to too much heat or moisture ; therefore, the ancient method of Japan- ning though attainable with less trouble and expence, for the reason alluded to, is very justly laid aside. OF JAPAN GROUNDS. Japan Grounds are such as are either formed by the varnish and colour where the whole is to re- main of one simple colour ; or by the varnish, ei- ther with or without colour, on which the painting f 2 00 JAPANNING. or other decoration is to be made ; but before I speak of the particular kinds of grounds it will be necessary to shew in what manner the priming or undercoat must be laid. This priming or updercoat, consists in laying on in the most even manner, a composition of size and Paris-white, mixed to the consistence of cream. The size for nicer purposes may be made by boil- ing slips of parchment, or glovers’ leather, in wa- ter, with which a little isinglass may be added to prevent its cracking. The size should be in strength between a jelly and common glue used by joiners* &c. and two coats of it should be laid on quite hot before you apply it; mixed with whiting. If the surface be even, two coats of the size and whiting will be sufficient. Where wood or leather is to be japanned, and no priming used, it will be necessaiy to prepare them by laying on two or three coats of coarse seed-lac varnish mixed with rosin, and may be made by the following process : “ Take one quart of rectified spirits of wine ; five JAPANNING. 61 ounces of seed-lac, and two ounces of rosin ; reduce them to a gross powder, and dissolve them in the spirits, either by sand heat or by balnaeum, and strain off the varnish for use.” After the wood, leather, paper, &c. has been var- nished two or three times with the above varnish, the proper japan-ground may be laid on, which in all cases, except where the most perfect whiteness is required, may be best performed by mixing the colour in shell-lac varnish ; but where great delicacy is required, the copal varnish is preferable. WHITE JAPAN. The forming white japan is a great desideratum in the art of japanning, and may be performed to advantage as follows : “ Flake-white, washed over, and ground up with a fifth of its weight of starch, then dry it, and mix it well with copal varnish.’ * Lay it on the article to be japanned, prepared either with or without the 62 JAPANNING. undercoat of whiting; as soon as it is of a good body, varnish it over three or four times with good copal varnish ; but if it is wanted in haste, you may iinish it with mastic varnish. BLUE JAPAN, May be performed by Prussian blue, verditer, smalt, &c. and mixed as above, the process being the same. RED JAPAN. For a Scarlet Japan, use vermilion ; but used alone, it lias a glaring effect ; to remedy which, it may be glazed over with carmine or fine lake, mixed sparingly in the last coat of varnish. YELLOW JAPAN, May be either king’s yellow, turpeth mineral*, Dutch pink, &c. mixed with copal varnish. JAPANNING. 63 GREEN JAPAN. Green Japan may be procured either by mixing king's yellow and Prussian blue to the shade you wish ; or turpeth mineral with Prussian blue, or verditer. ORANGE JAPAN, May be procured by mixing vermilion or red lead with king's yellow, or Dutch pink, but red orpi- i ment will make a brighter orange than can be ob- tained from mixture.. PURPLE JAPAN, Is made by mixing lake and Prussian blue, or vermilion and Prussian blue; but inferior in beauty,. BLACK JAPAN. Ivory or lamp-black ground up with the shell-lac varnish, and if you please, finished by seed-lac var- nish] whiting being out of the question. 2 4 64 JAPANNING. BLACK JAPAN, PRODUCED ON IRON OR COPPER, BY HEAT. This Japan can only be practised on metals, ow- ing to the great degree of heat that is necessary to procure its effects ; and may be done as follows : Take good drying linseed oil, smear the work over two or three times, and when the last coat is mode- rately dry, it must be put into a stove, or oven, of a degree of heat sufficient to turn the oil black without burning it, so as to weaken its tenacity. The heat at first should not be more than that of a declining oven, and gradually increased, for the slower the heat is augmented, and the longer it is conti- nued, the harder and brighter will be the coat of japan. This japan needs no polish; if judiciously managed, it will have a sufficient one from the heat* TORTISE-SHELL JAPAN. The Tortoise-shell Japan, practised principally upon tea boards, &c. made of iron or copper, may be procured to perfection by the following process : JAPANNING. 65 “ Take to quarts of good linseed oil, and pow- dered umber a qua ter of a pound ; boil them to- gether until the oil becomes very brown and thick, then strain it through a coarse cloth, and set it to boil gently again, which must be continued until it acquires a pitchy consistence, and it will be fit for use.” Having prepared the varnish, clean well the iron or copper-plate, or rather the piece to be japanned, and mix a little vermilion with drying oil diluted with oil of turpentine, and lay it very thinly cn the parts to be tortoise-shell ; let it dry, and brush over the whole with .the above varnish, tempered to work free with a brush, with oil of turpentine ; clean it thoroughly, put it into a stove, and regularly in- crease the heat ; continue it for a considerable time, and it will acquire a beautiful black appearance* This ground may be decorated with paintings and gilding, the same as other pieces of japan, and fi- nished by either the copal, mastic, or shell-lao varnishes. 66 JAPANNING. PAINTING JAPAN WORK. Note — For painting Japan Work, all colours adapted for painting in oil are applicable, and the more so, because many brilliant colours that would not be permanent in oil, are secured in this way of painting by their being mixed in varnish, and par- ticularly when the additional coats are laid on after the painting. Therefore the preparation of colours for this kind of painting consists in bunging them to a due state of fineness. Lake, Prussian blue, in- digo, verdigrease, and distilled verdigrease, require to be pounded to an impalpable powder, and then ground in spirits of wine, or oil of tuipentine. — Ochres and all earthy substances, together with / vermilion, turpeth-mineral, red lead, &c. require only to be previously well washed over ; and ultra- marine, carmine, king’s yellow, &c. are in a due state of fineness as you procure them from the Co- lour-shops. The vehicle I recommend for mixing the colours with, is diluted copal varnish; but as some may JAPANNING* 67 esteem variety, for the sake of such I shall give another method of performing this kind of painting, by the colours being mixed in shell-lac varnish in- stead of copal ; but the colours by no means work so freely, and must be done a great deal more ex- peditiously ; the shell-lac varnish drying so much sooner, does not allow proper time for executing the designs ; but whoever may wish to use the shell- lac, the following is an excellent recipe to procure it to advantage : 46 Take of the best transparent flakes of shell-lac, four ounces ; powder it grossly, and put it into a bottle that will hold double the quantity, with a quart of highly rectified spirits of wine ; place the bottle in balnaeum, or other gentle heat, for the space of three or four days, or until the gum is sufficiently dissolved, frequently shaking it in the time ; filter it through a flannel bag, and let all that will run freely, come off without pressure ; the remainder may be squeezed out for other coarser purposes, by which means you will have a fine and coarse shell-lac varnish*” 68 JAP INNING. When this varnish is preferred, you have nothing to do but to provide as many small glass phials as you want different colours, and to mix each colour separately in the phial, and at the time of using, if they are too thick, you may thin them with a little rectified spirits of wine. You must be sure to keep your phials that contain the varnish close stopt to prevent the spiiit exhaling; and at the time of using, they must be well shaken together. The painting in varnish is a great deal more te- dious than oil, it is therefore frequently rejected, and drying oil diluted with spiritSv of turpentine, substituted in its stead ; but is by no means so hard, though secured ever so well by the upper coats of varnish. OF VARNISHING JAPAN WORK. Varnishing is performed upon all the varieties of Japan, as well the painted as those that have only one colour, and may be best performed with either the seed-lac, or copal varnish ; but the latter is pre- JAPANNING. C9 ferable where delicacy is the point in question, or for outside work, carriages, &c. &c. ; hut for dark grounds of japan for furniture, the seed-lac will an- swer very well. For the making of which, see Var- nish Polishing, &c. It is an improvement in all kinds of japanning, varnishing, &c. to harden the varnish by means of heat ; but as wood would not resist a very great heat, the simple stove must determine ; but for me- tals, any degree of heat less than would burn, or calcine the varnish, may be used to advantage, especially if the heat be gradually increased; but great care must be taken not to scorch, or burn the varnish. GILDING JAPAN WORK. All the methods of gilding in oil, or the japan- ners’ gold size, are applicable on japan ; there is also a method of gilding, or rather bronzing, viz. by first sizing the parts intended to be gilt with ja- panners’ gold size, and suffering them to be near 70 JAPANNING. dry, or that it would bear touching’ with the finger and not come off ; you then may apply gold pow- der, silver powder, or in fact any other you please, by gently rubbing it on the ground, it will give it a dead appearance of metal, and be better suited to a number of purposes ; but for a farther explanation, see Bronzing. VARNISHING IN GENERAL . OF VENERIS MARTIN ; OR, COPAL OIL VARNISH, Note — To forward this discovery, the present ex- periment will shew, that copal, in its original state, contains a portion of certain slimy, aqueous, or mu- cilaginous property ; therefore, to render it a proper vehicle for varnish, the aqueous property must be evaporated by heat before it will dissolve in oil ; but afterwards unites in a substance of a nature com- pounded of an oil, a gum, and a resin ; nor would oil of turpentine dissolve it unless first mixed with linseed oil. Hence it appears that copal is not only resinous, but also mucilaginous, and whoever at- tempts to render it a proper vehicle for varnish, must first destroy its aqueous parts, which is com- pletely effected by melting it as for the following Varnish : COPAL OIL VARNISH, 4 6 Take any quantity of copal you please, put it into an iron pot to melt over a brisk fire ; have 72 VARNISHING. ready at the same time, four times the weight of co- pal of good drying linseed, or nut oil, made boiling hot on another fire ; as soon as the gum is com- pletely melted and the oil sufficiently hot, you must remove the oil, and pour it while quite hot on the melted copal, and continue it on the fire a little abated of the heat, and stir it well together until thoroughly incorporated ; it may then be removed from the fire, and a pint of oil of turpentine to every quart of linseed, or nut oil, may be added while yet warm, it may before quite cold, be filtered through flannel for your use.” Should it be too thick for your purpose, you may at any time thin it discretionary. TO MAKE THE BEST DRYING OIL FOR THE COPAL VARNISH. “ Take any quantity of good linseed oil, and to every quart of it add two ounces of sugar of lead ; let them boil gently for some time, or until it will vsinge a leather, it may be removed from the fire, and will be fit for use.” VARNISHING. 73 You may prepare good old nut or poppy oil, in the same manner, adding three or four onions at the same time to take away the greasy quality of the oil, and with this oil a more transparent and white varnish may be formed, and I believe quite equal in durability. Note-— You may make Amber Varnish by the same process. J HE METHOD OF MAKING COPAL VARNISH, SAI© TO BE PRACTISED BY MARTIN, HIMSELF. You must procure a large pot that will hold a gallon at least, which must be made in the form of a chocolate pot, with a cover to fit veiy close, and great care must be taken that the pot is free from flaws, least it should burst when you set it on the fire, which might endanger the house by the great inflammability of the gums and oil ; but I would re- commend processes of this description to be done in the open air : “ Let your melting-pot be gradually warmed, and G 74 VARNISHING. pour into it four ounces of chio, or cypress turpen- tine, suffer it to dissolve ; pour into it eight ounces of amber grossly powdered, mix it well with the fluid turpentine, and set it on the fire for a quarter of an hour, take it from the fire and gently add to it one pound of copal grossly powdered, stir these ingredients well together, and add four ounces more of chio turpentine melted, and half a pint of warm oil of turpentine ; set it again on the fire made a little brisker ; let it remain half an hour, take off the cover and stir it well together, and add four' ounces of the finest and whitest colophony, set it again on the fire made brisker, using the bellows, and let it remain until all is dissolved, it will be as fluid as water. Takeoff your pot and move it a small distance from the fire, and let it stand a few minutes until the excess of heat is somewhat abated. Have ready at hand,, twenty-four ounces of good drying linseed, or. nut oil, poured in boiling hot from another fire ; stir them well together until the gums and oil be thoroughly incorporated ; set them on the fire again for a few minutes more, still stir- VARNISHING. 7a ring* it until it boils up once more, take it off and set it at some distance from the fire, and pour into it a quart of oil of turpentine made hot from the other fire ; stir them well together and give them one boil up ; take it off, and pour into it a pint more hot turpentine, and stir it for a little time. Let it stand to cool, and when about milk warm, strain it through flannel* and it will be fit for use, M SEED-LAC VARNISH. Note — Seed-lac Varnish is preferable to all other spirit varnishes, particularly where whiteness is no object; it is the most hard and durable, and the least liable to crack ; but requires highly rectified spirits to dissolve it, otherwise it is apt to have a cloudy appearance when laid on. It may be made to advantage as follows : “ Take three ounces of seed-lac, pick the whitest out of it, and put it into clean water to free it from &its of sticks or dirt that it abounds with ; which 76 VARNISHING. may be readily done by stirring it about, and when settled, pour off the water by inclination, adding fresh until the water comes off perfectly clean ; it must be well dried and powdered grossly, put into a pint of highly rectified spirits of wine in a bottle that will hold nearly double the quantity ; shake the mixture well together, and place it in a moderate baluceum, or sand heat, until the gums are perfectly dissolved, shake the mixture in the mean time as often as convenient ; filtre it through flannel, bottle it, and it will be fit for use in a few days. Shell-lac varnish. iSh ell-lac Varnish may be made nearly in the same manner as that of seed-lac, instead’ of washing it, it will be necessary to pick out the most transpa- rent pieces and powder them grossly, and pursue the same method that is laid down for making the seed- lac varnish ; this is the brighter varnish of the two, but not near so durable, being very liable to crack,’ 5 VARNISHING. 77 A VERY GOOD WHITE VARNISH. “ Take ten ounces of spirits of vine, and of grossly powdered gum sandarac two ounces ; clear Venice turpentine two ounces ; put them together into a bottle that will hold at least one third more, and place the bottle in balneo, and let it remain until the gums are dissolved; you may frequently keep shaking them together, which will very much hasten their dissolution ; strain it for use.” This is' a useful Varnish" for bright colours, or or* namental purposes.. A LACQUER VARNISH# c * Take of the best brandy one quart, calcined tartar one pound ; let the brandy stand upon the tartar covered for one day in a gentle heat ; pour off the brandy and filtre it through paper ; of this take one pound, white amber six ounces, sandarac six ounces, shell-lac two ounces ; mix them all well together, and add the remainder of the filtered 78 VARNISHING. brandy, set them in balneo, often shaking them un- til the gums are dissolved, and bottle it for use.” ANOTHER GOOD LACQUER VARNISH. 44 Take dear cypress turpentine, half an ounce, mastic two ounces, and sandarac one ounce ; powder the mastic and sandarac grossly ; and add oil of spike two ounces, and oil of turpentine one ounce ; set them to dissolve in balneo, filter it as before, and it will be fit for laying over all beautiful trans-, parent grounds. ANOTHER WHITE VARNISH. 44 Dissolve eight ounces of gum mastic, and two minces of gum sandarac, in a quart of highly rec- tified spirits of wine, and add two ounces of Venice turpentine ; when all are completely dissolved, it may be filtered as before, and it will be ready foj use,” A VARNISH FOR IRON WORK. , $ To one quart of spirits of w ine add eight ounces VARNISHING. 79 of gum sandarac, two ounces of seed-lac, six ounces of clarified resin, and six ounces of Venice turpen- tine ; dissolved before, and it is ready for use.” A GOOD VARNISH FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. “ To one quart of highly rectified spirits of wine add four ounces of gum sandarac, two ounces of picked seed-lac, two ounces of gum mastic, one ounce of gum elimi, and two ounces of chio tur- pentine. The gums and spirits are all mixed toge- ther, and put into a large bottle. "Dissolve it in balneo, and it will,, after it is filtered, be fit for itse.” VARNISH FOR. GLASS TO PREVENT THE RAYS OF THE SUN FROM PASSING THROUGH IT. rush.” TARNISHING. SO A VARNISH FOR PLAISTER OF PARIS TO GIVE IT THE APPEARANCE OF MARBLE. “ Take fine white alicant soap, scrape or rasp it very fine ; put it into a well-glazed earthen pipkin with a little warm water added gradually, stir it with your finger until it becomes thick and milky. Cover it for fear the dust should get to it, and let it stand for seven or eight days, and it will' have acquired the consistence of a fine varnish.” Your varnish being thus made, take a soft brush, rather short in the hair, and brush the plaister gently over with the varnish, and set it in a place to dry as free from du3t as possible ; then rub it gently with a clean piece of soft old linen, placing yourself between it and the light that you may the more readily see how it takes the polish ; when dgne all over, it will have a bright and shining appear- ance like unto the finest marble. This secret is much sought after by Plaisterers, imd seems totally unknown to them. POLISHING VARNISH. Note — It seems from observations I have made in the article Varnishing, that most people who dive into this branch of the Arts, who, notwithstanding they may have good varnish, are totally at a loss how to lay it on and give it the additional lu3tre it receives by polishing ; for every one that has the , least idea of varnishing must know that until it is polished, it will have a kind of watery appearance, much resembling a piece of bad glass, which is very offensive to the eye ; but let such as are at a loss adhere to the following directions, and they will not fail at least to be satisfied that what I lay down for their information is founded on principle : And first, let the Article to be varnished be made as smooth as possible, then take your varnish, put it in a gallipot, &c. take a dean, soft brush and pass over the article to be varnished as quick as possible, taking care to go over the same place again as little as can be helped ; suffer it to be perfectly H 82 VARNISHING. dry, and go over it as often as you please, or till it has body sufficient to receive the polish, and must then be suffered to dry thoroughly. Afterwards, you must take some tripoli or fine powdered emery, and moisten it with water ; take a fine linen rag, clip it into the mixture and rub it gently all over, or until you perceive it receive an equal appearance, then wash it clean, and mix some of the aforesaid emery or tripoli in sweet oil, and proceed as before ; you will then perceive it to take an even polish, which, when done, you may take a little bran and oil, and rub it until quite clean, and the varnish will be perfect. If your varnish is white, or inclining to a light or delicate colour, you may use putty (calcined tin) instead of the emery or tripoli. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS RELATIVE TO VARNISHING. First. — You must choose a warm situation, and free as possible from dust to varnish in, as the cold VARNISHING. 83 or moisture are liable to chill the. varnish, particu- larly if the spirits be not sufficiently rectified. Second. — It is very common for people to say red varnish, green varnish, &c. ; when in fact, the ar- ticle to be varnished should be the colour you in- tend, and the varnish ought, if possible, to be colour- less. For instance, if you were to make varnish red by means of sanguis draconis, annetto, &c. it would very much injure your varnish by making it considerably softer. Third. — Spirits of wine being the principal sol- vent in all varnishes except that of the copal, it will be requisite to give some general information on that article. Spirits of wine being the principal vehicle in varnish, for if it is good, it will not only dissolve more gum, but the danger of chilling will be quite done away, particularly if the article to be varnished be free from damp. In order to be on a certainty as to the goodness of the spirits, it is necessary that it should undergo the following preparation for rendering it rectified : “ Take a pint of the common rectified spirits of H 2 84 VARNISHING. 'wine, put it into a bottle, of which it will fill above I ' three parts ; add to it half an ounce of pearl ashes, salt of tartar, or any other alkaline salt, heated red hot, and powdered fine without much loss of its heat. Shake the mixture frequently for the space ©f half an hour ; before which time a great quan- tity of the phlegm will be separated from the spirit, and will appear together with the undissolved salts in the bottom of the bottle. Let the spirit then be poured oft' or freed from the phlegm and salts by means of a separating funnel, and let half an ounce more of the alkali be heated, and the same treat- ment repeated. This may be done a third time, if the quantity of phlegm separated by the second operation, indicate there being still more. An ounce of allum being made hot and powdered, must then be put to the spirit, and suffered to remain some hours, shaking it frequently ; let it remain for some time quiet, pour off the spirit by inclination, and it will be fit for use.” You may rectify what quantity you please, by i^roportioning the ingredients. TARNISHING. 85 The addition of allum is necessary to neutralize the remains of the alkaline salt, or pearl ashes, which would otherwise very greatly deprave the spi- rit with respect to varnishes or lacquers, where ve- getable colours are concerned, and must conse- quently render another distillation necessary. The manner of using the brown and white var- nishes being the same in all respects, except that of polishing, and* as I have explained before, use putty instead of emery or tripoli for polishing the white varnishes ; and be sure to be careful that nothing gritty in the polishing substances may take place. A METHOD OF TRYING SPIRITS OF WINE, WITH LITTLE TROUBLE TO KNOW WHETHER IT N IS SUFFICIENTLY RECTIFIED OR NOT. “ Take a small quantity of fine gun-powder, put it into a spoon, pour on it a little of the spirits of wine you intend for making your varnish with, set fire to the spirit, and if it be a proper vehicle for varnish, it will lire .the gun-powder and leave the spoon nearly dry. Should it be deficient, you must have recourse to the method alluded to above. LACQUERING , Note. — Lacquering is the art of laying coloured or transparent varnishes on metals, to keep them from the injuries of the atmosphere, or to give them the appearance of other metals which form no part of their properties, but appearance; for instance, you may apply a lacquer to brass, to give it the external appearance of gold, &c. Lacquering seems to be mostly in use for the brass furniture of a variety of cabinet works, locks, nails, &c. In Lacquering, you must attend to the following Rules : Your pieces to be lacquered must undergo a pickle of ten parts water, and one part single aquafortis ; they may be perfectly covered with this liquor for six or eight hours, which will free them from any grease, &c. frequently attendant on new cast brass ; you must then clean it well and heat a piece of iron hot; if a small article to be lacquered, a heater LACQUERING. 87 will do very well ; you may take hold of it in a hand-vice, or your own hand, for it must not be made hotter than you can bear in your hand ; you will then, as in varnishing, pass your lacquer quickly over it, giving it what coats you please, but no polishing is necessary, neither could it be done with advantage. But the best way to procure Lacquer of an even shade of colour, is to do them over quite cold, and to bring up the lustre by gentle heat, taking great care not to blister the work by too much fire. AN EXCELLENT LACQUER FOPw BRASS, &C. * 6 Take one ounce of turmeric root cut small, and put it with an ounce of the best saffron into half a pint of rectified spirits of w T ine ; let it infuse five or six days without heat,, then add to the infusion one ounce of shell or seed-lac grossly powdered ; it must be dissolved with a very gentle heat, fdtre it, and it will be fit for use. If you would heighten its eo- •88 LACQUERING* lour, add a little Spanish annetto in powder ; this gives it a redder or orange cast.” ANOTHER GOOD LACQUER VARNISH u Take of ground turmeric, one ounce, and saf- fron and Spanish annetto two drachms ; put them into a proper bottle with a pint of rectified spirit, and place them in a moderate heat, frequently shak- ing them for seven or eight days. A very strong yellow tincture will then be procured, which you may strain from the dregs through a coarse linen cloth ; put it back again into the bottle, three ounces of good seed-lack powdered grossly, may be added, and the mixture placed again in a moderate heat, and shaked often till the gum be dissolved. The lacquer may then be filtered as before, and it will be fit for use.” BRONZINO. Note. — Bronzing is the colouring by metallic powder, plaister or other busts, or figures, to give them the appearance of copper or other metals, and to be performed after the modern, or antique. This is performed by cements, and sometimes without, in the instance of plaister figures that are frequently rubbed over with black lead only; but the bronzing is more durable when a cement is used* MODERN BRONZE FOR COPPER. If you wish to bronze a figure, if wood, it must first be painted white in oil until it is of a good body ; when completely dry, you may varnish it over with the japanners’ gold size, and when almost dry, rub it completely over. If to represent cop- per, you may mix, by grinding, a very small quan- tity of red lead with aurum mosaicum, which will give it the red or copper colour* 00 BRONZING. MODERN BRONZE TO REPRESENT BRASS. The bronze for brass may be best imitated by the aurum mosaicum, mixed with a little argentum mu- sivum, and the operation performed in all respects as before. MODERN BRONZE FOR SILVER. The argentum musivum simply applied without any mixture, forms the colour or nearest approach to silver, and may be applied and finished as the* above Bronze. MODERN BRONZE TO IMITATE GOLD. Aurum mosaicum alone may be rubbed on the fi- gure, &c. to be bronzed, in the same manner as fot the silver. TO REPRESENT BRONZE IN THE MANNER OF THE ANTIQUE. Instead of the japanners’ gold size, you must use black japan, which may be made by mixing and grinding the size with lamp-black, and a very little BRONZING. 01 Prussian blue, as fine as possible, and laying* it on in the same manner as you do the gold size. When the piece is sufficiently dry, you must be particular in rubbing any of the powders or mix- ture on the eminencies, as they must at all times have a shining appearance, but the hollow or con- cave parts must be slightly rubbed, and in some parts a green appearance will be necessary, as the metals, particularly copper and brass, are supposed to corrode by the moisture of the atmosphere so as to turn some of the parts green, with an appearance of verdigrease ; to effect which, a little verdi grease ground up in varnish may be applied in such hol- low parts as you suppose the verdigrease to lodge* For the better understanding this process, a small copper figure exposed to the air as a specimen, , would be of great utility as a copy of the produc- tions of nature. Note. — Any of the Powders for Bronzing , <§fe. may he had ready prepared at Mr. WalVs> Jo* panncr to his Majesty , Long Acre , London . STAINING WOOD A VARIETY OF COLOURS. STAINING WOOD SCARLET. 46 Take one ounce of cochineal, and one ounce of red argil or tartar, let them both be finely powder- ed, and boil them gently for some time in three pints of very soft water, and add to them two ounces of the solution of tin.” You may then put yourfineers into the liquor, and boil them until they are as deep a scarlet as you wish, or are quite stained through ; but if you want simply to give an exter- nal appearance, you need only brush the wood with it while quite hot, until it receives the colour you wish. If you wish to make a less expensive scarlet, you may add two ounces of Brazil-wood in powder, in- stead of the cochineal, which is very expensive ; but a great deal more permanent. When you substitute Brazil-wood instead of co- chineal, you must for every two ounces of the Bra- zil, add a little allum, omitting the tartar. STAINING WOOD. 03 TO MAKE THE SOLUTION OF TIN FOR THE ABOVE PURPOSE. “ Take six ounces of oil of vitriol, and nine ounces of muriatic acid, put them together into a well- glazed, or glass vessel, that will hold double the quantity ; in which dissolve by a little at a time, four ounces of granulated block or grain tin. Melt the tin, and have at hand a bason of clean water, agitate it by giving it a sudden stir, and immedi- ately pour into it the melted tin, it will then be di- vided into very thin or small particles, and will be more readily dissolved by the acid acting on a many surfaces at the same time. You must not put more than half an ounce of the tin into the acid at once, and the dissolution may be promoted by a very mo- derate heat. As soon as one portion of the tin is melted, you add more, and so on progressively until the whole is completely dissolved. TO STAIN WOOD CRIMSON. For a crimson colour on wood, you need only omit the tartar, and follow the former process in 94 STAINING WOOD. all respects, dnly the Brazil-wood must be entirely rejected. BLUE STAIN FOR WOOD. “ Tarke four ounces of the best flora of Gutamala. indigo, finely powdered, and put it into a well glazed jar, or good glass bottle, and pour upon it sixteen ounces of good concentrated oil of vitriol ; :,iset it in a warm place for forty -eight hours to dis- solve ; or you may set it in balneo with a gentle degree of heat, and the dissolution will be promoted sooner. < 6 The indigo being dissolved, you may add four -ounces of dried pot-as^, it will produce a great ef- fervescence ; let it stand twenty-four hours, or until the effervescence ceases, and you may add a pint of water to it, and filter it for use.” When you want to dye or stain wood blue, you have only to dilute the above sulphate of indigo with hot water until it is of the shade of colour you wish, and either brush the wood over with it two or three times, or if fineers,you may boil them in it. STAINING WOOD. 95 Those who do not wish to make the sulphate of indigo themselves, may buy it of most silk dyers by the name of chemical blue; or it may be had of most booksellers in a more diluted state under the name of Scot’s liquid blue ; but if you wish to make a deep blue, or a grass green, you will find this too weak for your purpose. GREEN STAIN FOR WOOD. “ Boil two ounces of French berries, brtfised a little, in a quart of soft water, with the addition of half an ounce of allum, until on trying it on writing paper, when it stains it of a deep and bright yellow colour, strain it off, and add sulphate of indigo to it until it gives the shade you wish, it may be brushed over the wood; or fineers may be boiled in it. YELLOW STAIN FOR WOOD. Use the strong decoction of French berries alone, and either brush it over the wood to be stained, or if small pieces, boil them in it. 96 STAINING WOOD. ANOTHER "YELLOW STAIN FOR WOOD. A beautiful yellow colour may be given to wood by soaking an ounce of good turmeric, ground to powder, in a pint of spirits of wine, and letting them stand a few days ; you may then strain off the fine yellow tincture, and.it will be fit to stain any white wood a beautiful yellow. If you wish it to have a redder cast, you may add to the infu- sion a very little dragon’s blood. A YELLOW STAIN FOR WOOD, PRODUCED BY AQUAFORTIS. With care, a beautiful yellow colour may be given to wood by the means of aquafortis, diluted with one-third water. Warm the wood, &c. and imme- diately rub it over with the diluted .aquafortis, and hold it to the fire until you see it change to the co- lour you wish. By the above means you may stain walking sticks in a very great variety ; for by the above stain you may give four or five shades of co- STAfNING WOOD. 97 lour, viz. — before you begin the operation you may stop the places or parts of the stick, or other piece that is to remain of its natural colour, by spotting it in the places with a little glue and whiting mixed together, it may then be rubbed over with the di- luted acid to promote the yellow colour ; you may then stop other parts of the yellow, and rub it again with the acid ; hold it to the fire, and the parts: that are yellow will turn to a beautiful brown co* lour ; you may stop the brown colour with the size and whiting, and rub it once more with the acid, aud you will, by holding it near the fire once more, produce a lasting black. When it is dry, wash off the size and whiting, and you will have four co^ lours the produce of one acid, procured by tfye means of heat. STAINING WOOD MAHOGANY COLOUR. A Mahogany Stain for Wood of all others seems to be the greatest desideratum in the art of stain- ing or dying ; especially at the time of its being at i 98 STAINING WOOD. advanced prices. As mahogany varies so much in appearance, it will be necessary to procure a va- riety of tints for the better imitation of it ; but by perseverance and pursuing the following processes, you will not fail to give a near resemblance to dif- ferent coloured mahogany. For mahogany that is of a light red brown co- lour, you may boil together in two gallons of wa- ter, one pound of madder, and half an ounce of fustic, adding three or four ounces of allum to it ; as soon as it acquires a good strong colour, you may brush over the wood to be stained, until fhe colour you wish for be obtained. For a deeper colour, you may add, instead of the fustic, half the quantity of logwood, and proceed as above. Any stains of the intermediate shades may be given by proportioning the ingredients ; accordingly if you wish to have the stain more of an orange cast, you increase the proportion of fustic ; and if you wish it of a deeper cast, you increase the pro- portion of logwood. STAINING WOOD. 90 After the wood is perfectly dry, you may fix the colour by brushing it quickly over with a solution of pearl ashes in water, in the proportion of an ounce to a gallon. PURPLE STAIN FOR WOOD. To one pound of logwood, and a quarter of a pound of Brazil, add a gallon of soft water, and boil them for an hour or more, until you have procured a strong decoction ; brush the wood over several times, and when it has received a sufficient body of colour, suffer it to dry, and make a solution of pearl ashes, in proportion of a dradhm to a quart of water. This solution must be carefully used, as it will gradually change the colour from the brown red to a dark blue-purple, and therefore its effects must be restrained at the due point of colour desired. BEAUTIFUL BLACK STAIN FOR WOOD* In a stone jar put two ounces of steel filings, and a few rusty old nails or other rusty pieces of iron ; i 2 100 STAINING WOOD. four ounces of the best blue Alleppo galls, bruised a little, and one ounce of green copperas ; add to the above, two quarts of the best white wine vine- gar, made warm ; cover the jar close with leather, and let it stand at a small distance from the fire for a fortnight ; shake it four or five times a day, if it should be too strong, you may replenish it with vinegar, and it will be fit for use ; it will keep any length of time by preventing the air getting to it. Prepare the wood by brushing it over three or four times with a strong infusion of logwood, made by boiling a quarter of a pound with a quart of water until it is of a strong colour. It must be suffered to dry between each time, and particularly so be- fore you lay on the black, or it would give it a pur- ple cast. The best way to polish the black, is to dissolve the black heel-ball used by shoe-makers, in oil of turpentine, and lay it on while warm with a hog’s hair tool; when set, you may smooth it with a fine cork, and afterwards rub it well with a woollen cloth, and it will appear as black and beautiful as the brightest ebony. STAINING WOOD. 101 N. B. — Any of the bright colours for wood may be polished by dissolving white or virgin wax in spirits of turpentine, and brushing them over with it while warm, and when cold, polishing them with a brush or woollen cloth. JBut for the security of fine colours, the best pre- servative is to varnish them by any of the aforesaid varnishes, and polishing them as before taught un- der the head Varnishing, &c. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS TO BE OBSERVED IN STAINING WOOD. The proper kinds of wood for staining are holly, sycamore, lime, poplar, or any other of fine graiu and light colour. Large articles to be stained should first have their surfaces made perfectly even, and the colours to be laid on as hot as possible, unless they are mixed with spirits of wine, which need only be laid on warm, otherwise the strength of the spirit would evaporate ; after they are of a proper degree of co- i 3 102 STAINING WOOD. lour, they may then be either polished with the wax, or if for inlaid works, they had better be var- nished by any of the methods alluded to under the article Varnishing. STAINING IVORY. STAINING IVORY OF A SCARLET COLOUR. Ivory may be stained of a scarlet colour, by the very same method as is given for staining wood, and requires no farther polish than what may be given by rubbing it well with the hand. STAINING IVORY IN IMITATION OF DERBY- SHIRE SPAR. Take a sheet of brown paper, soak it well in wa- ter, provide a number of different tints of the co- lour you wish to use, viz. — onion-peel, small bits of Brasil wood, logwood, fustic, saffron, &c. Dis- tribute a little of each on the wetted brown paper, taking care that you leave some parts of it blank STAINING IVORY, 103 for the white tints of colour ; then carefully wrap up the article to imitate spar, and tie a cord tig*ht round it, and boil it for some time in water; when took out, you will find it has received a variety of tints displayed in a curious manner over the ivory ; and when gently rubbed and secured with varnish, will have the appearance of Derbyshire Spar.* — You may give eggs the same appearance. STAINING IVORY, BONE, &C. GREEN. They must be boiled in a solution of verdigrease in vinegar, or of copper, in aquafortis, in a glass or earthen vessel, well glazed, until they are of the shade of green you prefer. STAINING IVORY, BONE, &C. RED. Take strong lime water, and the raspings of Bra- sil wood, in the proportion of half a pound to a gallon. Let them boil for an hour, and then put in the ivory, &c. (prepared by boiling in allum wa- i 4 104 STAINING IVORY* ter) and continue boiling until it is sufficiently co- loured. If it be too crimson, or verge toward the purple, it may be rendered more red, by dipping it again in allum water. STAINING IVORY, BONE, kc. BLUE* First stain the ivory or bone, green, according to the directions above given, and then dip it in a so- lution of pearl ashes, made strong and boiling hot ; but it must not be continued longer, nor dipped oftener, than is necessary to convert the green to blue. The ivory may also be dyed blue by the sulphate of indigo in the same manner as for staining wood, and converted into green by the addition of turme- ric or French berries. STAINING IVORY, &C. PURPLE. Take strong lime water and logwood, in the pro* portion of three quarters of a pound to a gallon \ hoil them for an hour, and then put in the ivory. STAINING IVORY. 105 If a redder purple is wanted, a mixture of log- wood and Brasil wood must take place instead of the logwood alone. They may be proportioned your fancy directs, for if you want a redder purple, the Brasil wood must predominate* and if a blue purple, the logwood.. STAINING PAPER. Note. — Paper may be stained by most of the co- lours given for staining wood, and requires no other preparation than what is mixed with the colours. TO STAIN PAPER SCARLET. Paper may be stained scarlet by the methods al~ luded to for staining woodv The sheets may be rubbed over with a sponge, instead of a brush, and seldom require to be done over more than once ; and hung on poles or cords to dry, taking great care 106 STAINING PAPER# that no iron may touch it, which would immedi- ately turn it black* CRIMSON STAIN FOR PAPER. Crimson Stain is given by means of the cochineal alone, with a small quantity of allum, and must be proceeded with as above. GREEN COLOUR FOR PAPER* Greens are compounded of blue and yellow, there- fore in order to obtain a variety of tints of green — “ You make a decoction of French berries, by first bruising, and then simmering them in water until you obtain a bright yellow by the addition of a lit- tle allum. Strain off the liquid, and it will be ready to mix with the sulphate of indigo, and with it you may vary the shade of green as you please, viz. from a cabbage to a grass green.” — Proceed as before. STAINING PAPER. 107 STAINING PAPER BLUE. V Blue Stain for Paper may be prepared as for wood with the sulphate of indigo diluted to any shade you please, and laid on with a sponge. X BEAUTIFUL TRANSPARENT BLUE FOR PAPER. “ Take a quarter of a pound of the best French verdi grease, and three ounces of red argil ; let them soak together for two days in about five pints of water; then boil them until the ingredients are dissolved, let the liquor settle, and pour it off for use.” N. B. The above makes a charming green mixed with the decoction of French berries, and will keep well, provided you add a little spirits of wine. You must not put the above green into your mouth, as the pernicious quality of the verdigrease is apt to cause sickness. 108 STAINING PAPER. STAINING PAPER OF AN ORANGE COLOUR. “ Stain the paper first of a full yellow, by means of a tincture of turmeric, made by infusing au ounce of it powdered, in a pint of spirits of wine for a day or two. Then dissolve half an ounce of pearl ashes or salt of tartar in a quart of water, fil- ter the solution and brush it over the yellow and it will turn to a beautiful orange.” STAINING PAPER OF A PURPLE COLOUR. Paper may be stained purple by the method di- rected for staining wood. j SILVERING LOOKING GLASSES , GLOBES, or MENISCUS GLASSES. Note. — Silvering or Foliating Looking Glasses is performed by fixing quicksilver to glass by the means of amalgamating it with tin foil ; which com- bining with the quicksilver, destroys its fluidity, and renders it so tenacious as to be capable of ad- hering to the surface of the glass. There are many methods of laying the mercury and tin-foil upon the glass ; some using the mercury alone, others form an amalgama of it by tin and lead ; others amalgamate it with bismuth ; but I am convinced the quicksilver cannot be too pure for this purpose ; nor would I advise any other mixture or amalgama to be made otherwise than what hap- pens from the tin-foil and quicksilver when they come in simple contact at the time they are applied to the glass ; I therefore advise the following pro- 110 SILVERING GLASS. ^cess to be pursued, which, if well managed, will not fail to give satisfaction. TO CONSTRUCT A TABLE FOR SILVERING LOOKING GLASSES UPON. The table, if made of wood, should be old sea- soned oak, or mahogany that has been long in use, and should be two inches thick, and cut into breadths not more than four inches broad and three feet six inches long; they must be well joined and glued with good common glue, with about one-fifth part of drying linseed oil added, and a small quan- tity of red-lead, which will preserve it from the V moisture of the atmosphere. The table may be made so large that it will admit any sized plate •you may have occasion to silver; but for less ela- borate purposes, one of three feet six inches long by two feet six inches broad would be quite large enough. There must be a groove made round the table to receive the superfluous quicksilver as it drains from the glass. The table must move upon SILVERING GLASS. Ill an axis, that it may form any sort of angles ; but must be made so that it may be set perfectly hori- zontal without much trouble.. THE METHOD OF SILVERING LOOKING GLASSES. “ Your table being perfectly horizontal, take a piece of the tin-foil, about a quarter of an inch lar- ger than the glass each way ; spread it very even on the table, and have ready at the same time some pure quicksilver filtered through flannel. The glass being previously well cleaned, take a little of the quicksilver and rub it gently over the tin foil, this is called quickening the foil ; you may then pour the remainder on the plate which you may distri- bute over the foil with pleasure ; when the foil is completely covered with a good body of quicksilver, you take hold of two extremities of the glass, and carefully shove it over the quicksilver in a parallel direction with the glass, as gently and dextrous as possible, taking great care not to move the plate from side to side, as by that means the scum of the amal- 112 SILVERING GLASS# gamated quicksilver would get under the glass, and the air also, which would completely spoil the ope- ration. When that is done you may cover the sur- face of the glass with lead weights of about *six pounds each, “ It must be suffered to remain in this horizon- tal state twelve hours at least ; and as the quicksil- ver is pressed out, you must gently brush it from the edge of the glass with a fine camel’s-liair pen- cil, and collect it in the groove round the table. — You must then move the table to form an angle of about 70 degrees, and let it stand twelve hours longer, or until all the quicksilver is pressed out. I may brush it over once or twice with thin starch on the back side of it, for you should never lay any vehicle on that side of the paper you mean to paint upon, though some use allum water, it is very in- judicious, as some of the colours will be materially 182 PAINTING. changed when they come in contact with it, parti- cularly archal, will be turned from a fine purple to a red by it. Vellum requires no other preparation previous to its being painted, than to be strained on a frame, and if you please, you may size it the same as the paper. Ivory requires only to be rubbed over with juice of garlic to divest it of its greasy quality, and make the colours work freely with the pencil. GROUNDS FOR VARNISH PAINTING. The substance or matter on which Varnish Paint* ings are made, are for the most part copper, iron, or wood. As the painting ground is not covered with the colours in most works of this kind, it must consequently be of the varnish itself the work con* sists of. But where it is intended to be painted over, as in the case of regular pictures, a priming' may be given of shell or seedlac varnish mixed with the proper colours for the ground desired* RECIPES FOR FIRE WORKS . The following' Recipes for Fire Works were given lo me from one of the greatest Artists irt that line in the kingdom, and who since that time is dead ; I am, consequently, at liberty to make them publicly known for the amusement of my Subscribers. — • They are all true copies from the very book that he compounded all his mixtures from, and therefore may be relied upon : COMPOSITION FOR ROCKETS AND ROMAN CANDLES* “ Powder, sixteen ounces, and charcoal five ounces.” STARS FOR ROCKETS AND ROMAN CANDLES. “ Saltpetre sixteen ounces, roll brimstone eight, and meal powder six ounces. — To be mixed up with brandy into a stiff paste.” To charge the roman candles — take half a tea- spoonful of com powder, then a star, and then t\yo v 4 184 FIRE WORKS. tea-spoonsful of the composition, then a star, and so on alternately until the charge is complete. CHINESE ROCKETS. Saltpetre sixteen ounces, roll brimstone seven- ounces, powder ten ounces, and cast iron one ounce.” LINE ROCKETS. ounces, in a quart of spirits of wine, and tilled ounces of turpentine. Take the same quantity of isinglass-glue, melt it, pour the solution of gums upon it, and incorporate them well together; set them in balneo, which will prevent the matter burn- ing to the sides of the vessel ; but in this case you should never put more spirits or water than is ne- cessary, as the evaporation is effected very slowly.” A very strong glue that will resist moisture may be made by adding half a pound of common glue t q two quarts of skimmed milk,' and then evaporating the mixture to the due consistence of glue. A CURIOUS MANNER OF GLUING. Take good common glue, simply made of water, and let the joint, &c. that you are going to glue be well warmed, then take some tallow or other grease and rub over the warm joint ; hold it to the fire GLUES AND CEMENTS. 191 again until the grease is quite sunk into the wood r and while yet hot, rub it over with the melted glue* and rub them together to get the glue out of the joint ; let it stand a few minutes, and you may do what you please with it, on which account it is very useful to Joiners, Cabinet-makers, &c. You may immerse the article joined,, in water, as soon as you have glued it, and it will hold so firmly that no moisture can affect it. PREPARATION OF LIP GLUE. Take of isinglass-glue and parchment-glue, each one ounce ; of sugar candy and gum adragant each Wo drachms ; add to them one ounce of water, and boil the whole together, till the mixture is, when cold, of the proper consistence of glue. You may cast it into small rolls, or any other figure that may be most convenient.” This glue only requires to be moistened with the tongue, and gently rubbed on the paper, silk, &c. that is intended to be glued, and will, on their be- 10*2 GLUES AND CEMENTS. ing joined together and suffered to dry, unite them $s firmly as any other part of the surface. PREPARATION OF A CEMENT FOR JOINING BROKEN GLASS. “ Take two ounces of good glue and steep it for a night in vinegar ; boil them together the next day, and havjng beaten a clove of garlic with half an ounce of ox gall into a soft pulp, strain the juice through a cloth, and add it to the glue and vine- gar. Take of powdered sandarac and turpentine, each one drachm, sarcocol and mastic, each half a drachm, and put them into a bottle with an ounce of highly rectified spirits of wine. Stop the bottle, and let it stand three hours in a gentle heat, often shaking it ; as soon as it is dissolved, mix it with the hot glue, and stir them well together with a stick, until part of the moisture be evaporated, then take the composition from the fire, and it will be , fit to join china, glass, or metals together, and is a very useful cement for jewellers, &c.” SLUES AND CEMENTS. 103 When you apply it, it must first be dipped in vinegar, and then melted in a proper vessel with a gentle heat; and if stones or glass are to be cement- ed, a little of their powder should be mixed with it. A VERY GOOD CEMENT WHERE THE FINENESS OF THE JOINT IS NOT PARTICULARLY WANTED. “ Take an ounce of skimmed-milk cheese, grate it as small as possible, and add to it the same quantity of quick lime, and mix it with three ounces of skimmed milk w ell together, and use it immediately.” The above is a capital cement wiiere the fineness of the joining is immaterial. A very strong and delicate cement may also be formed by skimmed milk alone. The article to be cemented must be joined very neatly together, and fix them by some means that they cannot move about. They must be gently put into a pan which contains a sufficiency of skimmed milk, let them boil together for a small' time, and it will be as 194 CLUES AND CEMENTS. strong 1 in the joined parts as any of the rest of the parts that are whole. COMMON CEMENT FOR STONES, MARBLE, &C. c< Take bees’ wax ona pound and a half, and rosin one pound ; melt them, and add one pound of brick-dust finely powdered; or you may pound some of the matter to be cemented, and add one pound of it to the bees’ wax and rosin, and stir them. well together, and afterwards you may put it in warm water and stir them well together with your hands until the powder is thoroughly incorporated with the powder and rosin.” When you apply the above cement it must be heated, and so must the subject to be cemented to- gether, and care must be taken that they are all very dry. For fixing shells and other grotto purposes, a ce- ment may be formed with quick lime and drying oil, mixed with an equal quantity of linseed oil. The stone cement, prepared as above, will answer GLUES AND CEMENTS. 195 this purpose very well ; but rosin, pitch and brick- dust in equal parts melted together and used hot, are much the cheapest, and will perform the office very well, if all the parts are dry. Of INKS in GENERAL . COMMON BLACK INK. “ Take one gallon of soft water, and pour it boiling hot upon one pound of galls grossly powder- ed ; cover the vessel close to keep in the heat as much as you can, and let it stand near the fire for two or three days. You must then add half a pound of green vitriol, powdered, and stirred well toge- ther, and let it stand three or four days more, fre- quently stirring it. Then dissolve five ounces of gum-arabic in a quart of water, and pour it to the ingredients boiling hot, and powder two ounces of allum and throw into it. It may be suffered to Q 2 196 INKS FN GENERAL. stand three or four days longer, frequently stirring it, and it may then be filtered, and it will be fit for use.” N. B. For the greater certainty of making good Black Ink, it will be at all times necessary to have good blue galls of Aleppo ; but should you be ne~ cessiated at any time to make use of white galls., the proportion may be at least one-third more* JAPAN INK (black). “ To a gallon of soft water add one pound of chip logwood, and boil them an hour. Pour off the decoction from the chips on a pound of the best blue galls, powdered grossly, and two ounces and a half of pomegranate peel. After having stirred them well together, place them near the fire for three or four days, stirring it as often as conveni- ent. Then add to the ingredients half a pound of green copperas, powdered, and let it stand four or five days as before. Then dissolve five ounces of gum-arabic in a quart of soft water, and pour R INKS IN GENERAL. 197 boiling hot on the composition, let it stand a few days more, and it may be strained off for use.” IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR BLACK INK. Take eight ounces of blue galls, and four ounces of logwood, boiled up gently in six quarts of soft water until it is reduced to three quarts. The liquor is then to be strained off, and to have the following ingredients added to it, viz . — “ Three ounces of gum-arabic, four ounces of green copperas,, one ounce of verdigrease finely pow dered, and one ounce of sugar candy.” The liquor must be shaken from time to time to facilitate the mixture and solution of the salts; when they are all dissolved, the whole may be left to stand for twenty-four hours, after which, the ink. 4 . . - ? • E k, ’S&A'Z&i. .