composed of 129 lbs. of white sand, 50 lbs. of red lead, 40 lbs. of
sub-carbonate of potass, 20 lbs. of nitrate of potass, and 5 oz. of
magnesia. The best crown glass is composed of 60 lbs. of white sand,
30 lbs. of sub-carbonate of potass, 15 lbs. of nitrate of potass, 1
lb. of borate of soda and 1/2 lb. of arsenic. The composition of
common green window glass, is 120 lbs. of white sand, 30 lbs. of
sub-carbonate of potass, 60 lbs. of wood ashes, 20 lbs. of muriate of
soda and 5 lbs. of arsenic. The composition for looking glass plates,
is 60 lbs. of clean white sand, 25 lbs. of purified sub-carbonate of
potass, 15 lbs. of nitrate of potass, and 7 lbs. of borate of soda.
Common green bottle glass is made from 200 lbs. of wood ashes, and 100
lbs. of sand. The materials for making glass, is first reduced to
powder; then mixed and exposed to a strong heat, in suitable pots and
furnaces, till the whole mass liquifies and becomes thoroughly
commixed and transparent.
107. COMPOSITION OF VARIOUS ALLOYS.--Brass is composed of two parts of
copper to one of zinc; or copper and calamine, (an ore of zinc,) equal
quantities. Pinchbeck consists of from five to ten parts copper, and
one of zinc. Bell metal is composed of three parts copper and one of
tin. Gun metal, nine parts copper and one of tin. Tombac, sixteen
parts copper, one part zinc and one of tin. The composition of pewter
is seven pounds of tin, one of lead, four ounces of copper and two of
zinc. That of type-metal is nine parts lead, two parts antimony and
one of bismuth. Solder, two parts of lead with one of tin. Queen's
metal, nine parts of tin, one of bismuth, one of antimony and one of
lead. Jewel gold is composed of twenty-five parts gold, four parts
silver, and seven parts fine copper. In forming metallic compounds or
alloys, it is proper to melt such of the ingredients as are the least
fusible first, and afterwards add the others, stirring them briskly
till they are thoroughly commixed.
108. TO PRODUCE VARIOUS KINDS OF GAS.--To three or four ounces of
pulverized chalk or marble, moistened in a flask, with an equal
quantity of water, add one ounce of sulphuric acid;--carbonic acid gas
will be evolved in abundance, and will rise through the neck of the
flask, and may be conducted by pipes, to any proper receiver. Instead
of the marble or chalk, substitute granulated zinc;--in this case
hydrogen gas will be evolved; but this may require a larger proportion
of water. Pour sulphuric acid upon a similar quantity of dry muriate
of soda;--muriatic acid gas will be rapidly evolved. Proceed in the
same manner with a similar quantity of black oxide of manganese,--apply
the heat of a lamp, and oxygen gas will be produced. Put into the
flask, two or three ounces of lean beef, cut into small pieces; pour
over them one ounce of nitric acid diluted with three ounces of water;
apply the heat of a lamp, and nitrogen gas will be liberated. Powder
separately, equal quantities of muriate of ammonia and newly burnt
lime; put them together into a flask and apply gentle heat; ammoniacal
gas will be evolved. Pour an ounce of nitric acid, diluted with five
times its weight of water, upon one ounce of shreds or turnings of
copper; nitrous gas will be rapidly evolved. Grind three parts of
muriate of soda with two parts of black oxide of manganese; introduce
this mixture into the flask, and add two parts of sulphuric acid,
diluted with an equal quantity of water; apply a gentle heat and
chlorine gas will be evolved. _Note._--When either of the last
mentioned gases are produced, great caution is requisite that they
do not escape into the room, in any considerable quantity, as their
action on the lungs is exceedingly injurious.
109. VARIOUS CHEMICAL TESTS.--When water is suspected to hold any
foreign substance in solution, various means may be used to detect and
ascertain the quality of the substances combined; thus, acids may be
detected by immersing in the water, a slip of litmus colored paper,
which, if acid be present, will be changed to red. In the same manner,
alkalies may be detected by a strip of turmeric yellow paper, which
will be also changed to red by alkalies. These tests are sensible to
the presence of an acid or alkali in the proportion of one to ten
thousand. Iron may be detected by a drop of infusion of galls, which
will give to the water (if iron be present) a brown tinge. A drop of
sulphuric acid, precipitates barites in the form of a white powder.
Clear transparent lime-water (water in which lime has been slaked and
then suffered to settle) will indicate the presence of carbonic acid
by a milky whiteness. On the same principle, a solution of
super-carbonate of potass will detect lime. A few drops of nitrate of
silver will instantly discover muriatic acid, by a white flaky
precipitate. Muriatic acid, consequently, is a good test for silver.
Acetate of lead, in solution, is a test for sulphureted hydrogen,
which occasions a precipitate of a black colour. Nitrate of mercury is
an excellent test for ammonia, one part of which, with 30,000 parts of
water is indicated by a blackish yellow tinge on adding the test.
Liquid ammonia is a very sensible test for copper, with which it
strikes a fine blue colour. Nitro-muriate of gold will discover the
presence of tin, by a beautiful purple precipitate. Nitro-muriate of
tin is, on the same principle, an excellent test for gold.
110. TO PRODUCE A PICTURE INSTANTLY, IN A VARIETY OF COLOURS.--Paint
any picture on paper in the usual way, only instead of colours, use
the following substitutes: for green, use a solution of nitro-muriate
of cobalt, for blue, a solution of sulphate of iron--for yellow, a
solution of nitrate of bismuth--and for a brown, a solution of
sulphate of copper. Any of these solutions may be more or less
diluted, as the respective parts of the picture are to be light or
dark, but none of them must be strong enough to colour the paper. This
pictture is invisible: but when it is required to appear, the paper
may be tacked up on the wall, and having a glass of the transparent
solution of prussiate of potass (which by sight cannot be
distinguished from clear water) dashed suddenly upon it, the picture
will instantly appear in its full colours. A similar effect may be
produced, by drawing the picture with infusion of galls, and
sub-carbonate of potass; this is revived by a solution of sulphate of
iron, and appears in a yellow and a brown colour.
111. A CHEAP IMITATION OF SILVER BRONZE.--Put into a crucible, an
ounce of pure tin, and set it on a fire to melt; when it begins to
melt, add to it an equal quantity of bismuth, and stir the mixture
with an iron rod till the whole is entirely melted and incorporated.
Take the crucible then from the fire, and after the melted composition
has become a little cooler, but while it is yet in a fluid state, pour
into it gradually, an ounce of mercury, stirring it at the same time,
that the mercury may be thoroughly conjoined with the other
ingredients. When the whole is thus commixed, pour the mass out of the
crucible on a stone, where, as it cools, it will take the form of an
amalgam, or metallic paste; which will be easily bruised into a flaky
powder, and may then be applied to sized figures in the manner of gold
or silver bronze, or may be tempered with gum-water, and applied to
the work with a brush or camel-hair pencil; and if properly secured
with varnish or laquers will be even more durable than either silver
leaf or silver bronze.
112. TO MAKE CRAYONS OF VARIOUS COLOURS.--Crayons or pastils consist
of various coloured pigments or paints, formed into sticks or rolls
for the purpose of drawing and shading with them in the manner of lead
pencils. But that they may be of uniform texture or hardness,
different ingredients and materials require some variation in the
management. To make white crayons, nothing more is requisite than to
mix superfine or refined whiting with alcohol, to the consistence of
soft putty; form it into rolls of a convenient length and size and let
them dry: or the whiting may be mixed with water and a sufficient
quantity of burnt or calcined sulphate of lime to give the crayons a
sufficient degree of hardness when dry. A great variety of elegant
light colours may be formed by adding to the whiting prepared as
above, small quantities of any of the coloured pigments. The most
proper colors for crayons are lamp-black, prussian blue, burnt umber,
burnt terra-de-sienna, red ochre, vermilion, lake, rose-pink, chrome
yellow, yellow ochre and mineral green. Many other handsome greens are
formed by mixing chrome yellow with prussian blue, varying the
proportions; and purples are produced by mixing rose pink or lake with
blue. Prussian blue and lake being each naturally of a binding nature,
require only to be ground in water; but red ochre and vermilion should
be ground in alcohol, or may have some quantity of the sulphate of
lime mixed with them. Any of these colours may be mixed in any
proportion with whiting or with each other, each compound having a
sufficient proportion of the sulphate of lime, to give it a proper
degree of hardness and strength when dry. The proper length for
crayons is from two to three inches, and the size about the same as
that of a tobacco-pipe stem. It is customary in making crayons, to
have at hand a large piece of chalk with a plane surface, on which to
lay the crayons as soon as they are rolled; the chalk absorbs a part
of the moisture, which makes them dry the sooner and without cracking.
113. TO MAKE HARD SEALING WAX, OF VARIOUS COLOURS.--Take of
gum-shellac and rosin each two ounces; and of gum-mastic one ounce;
reduce them to powder and mix and melt them together over a gentle
fire. Then if a red colour is required, add to the mixture one ounce
of fine vermilion; for a black colour, add half an ounce of a mixture
of lamp black with rum; for a blue, half an ounce of white lead with
one fourth of an ounce of prussian blue; which should be previously
ground together dry. To give a green colour, add finely ground
verdegris; a yellow is produced by chrome yellow or gamboge; and
white, by adding pure white lead to the mixture. When the desired
colour is formed by the mixture and incorporation of any of the above
mentioned colouring ingredients, take out a part of the mixture,
sufficient to form a stick or roll of the usual size, and roll it
between two smooth metallic plates, which should also be previously
warmed to prevent the wax from becoming too hard. When the stick is
reduced to a proper size, flatten it a little and let it cool. Proceed
in the same manner with the rest of the composition; afterward hold
each stick severally over a fire of charcoal, turning it quickly till
the surface of the wax is completely melted, by which means the sticks
will have acquired a very smooth and shining polish at the surface,
which they will retain when cold again. If a softer wax is required, a
small quantity of bees-wax and of linseed oil may be added to the
above composition, or may be substituted in the place of the
gum-mastic.
114. THE ART OF MANUFACTURING PAPER HANGINGS.--This business, which
has been usually, though improperly termed paper staining, consists
principally in stamping or painting various figures in water colours
on paper. The paper for this purpose is formed into long strips or
rolls, by pasting the edges of several sheets together. The edges of
the sheets should not lap on each other more than half an inch, and
the usual length of a roll is about nine yards. These rolls are first
painted plain with a large brush; the paint is composed of refined
whiting with some colouring ingredient, being ground in water and
tempered with a sufficient quantity of glue to prevent it from rubbing
off; when a new design or figure is to be introduced, several colours
are prepared, i.e. as many as are required in such design, and with
these the design is painted on a sheet of paper. The paper is then
laid on a smooth birch or maple board, and such parts of the paper as
contain the colour that was last applied in the drawing (which is
usually the white) are completely cut out, with a sharp pen-knife, and
the parts thus cut out, are pasted down upon the board, immediately,
in the places and positions they occupied in the design. The sheet is
then removed to another board, and another colour is cut out in the
same manner; thus the several colours are distributed in their proper
arrangements on as many different boards. Each board is then cut away
with chisels and gouges, to the depth of a fourth, or an eighth of an
inch, in every part except where the pieces of paper are fixed. These
boards or prints are supported by other thin pieces, which are fixed
firmly on the backs of them by screws, in such manner that the grain
of one, crosses that of the other, and thus prevents their warping.
They have also cleats or pins attached to them which serve as handles.
A trough is provided, a little larger than the prints, of one inch in
depth, and having a smooth bottom, on which is laid three or four
pieces of fine flannel or cassimere, each of which is at least as
large as the prints. Then some of the colour with which the first part
of the design was painted, is spread upon the cloth with a brush; and
upon this, the print containing the corresponding parts of the figure,
is pressed, (the pieces of paper having been previously scraped off;)
the print being thus charged with the colour, is placed upon one end
of a roll of the prepared paper, which is laid on a table for that
purpose, and is pressed down hard by a lever or screw. It is then
returned to the trough, and again charged with the colour, and again
impressed on the paper at a proper distance above the other
impression. In this manner several rolls are printed with one colour.
Then the next colour in the design is applied to the paper in the same
manner by another print;--a third colour by a third print and so on
till the paper is completely printed with every colour in the design,
each in its proper place. These prints should be washed and kept dry
for future use. A variety of figures may be produced with the same
print, by varying the colours.
115. TO MAKE ELASTIC BLACKING FOR LEATHER.--Dilute one ounce of
gum-asphaltum with a pint of spirits of turpentine, in the manner
described at 51;--put this into a flask, and add one ounce of
gum-elastic cut into very small pieces, and half an ounce of
gum-shellac previously reduced to powder. Suspend the flask unstopped
over a fire of charcoal, or set it in a sand bath where it may boil
gently till the quantity is reduced to a gill; then strain it through
a flannel, and when nearly cold, bottle and cork it. The leather
should be thoroughly blackened with some liquid blacking and waxed
over slightly with bees-wax before the elastic blacking is applied. If
the blacking should be too thick, it may again be diluted with spirits
of turpentine. It should be warmed when applied, and the work may
require several coats, and a considerable time for each to dry. Any of
the above mentioned gums may also be dissolved in sulphuric ether, and
thus produce a fine drying varnish, but the preparation is much more
difficult as the volatile nature of the ether will not admit of much
heat, whereby to facilitate the solution.
116. SUNDRY EXPERIMENTS.--Rub together a little dry powdered alum, and
acetate of lead; both will become fluid. To a saturated solution of
muriate of lime, add a saturated solution of sub-carbonate of potass,
(both transparent liquids,) the mixture will be nearly solid. Rub
together a little pure white calomel (sublimed mercury) and pure white
ammonia (being moistened;) both will become intensely black. Fill a
flask nearly half full of water, and apply heat till it boils; take it
from the fire and (when it has done boiling) cork it; pour cold water
upon the flask, and the water inside will re-commence boiling. Fill a
glass with water, and lay a piece of paper upon the top of it; place
your hand upon the paper, and invert the glass; the hand may be
removed and the glass may be suspended in that position by a thread,
and the water will not be spilled. Expose a piece of ice to the action
of (cold) muriatic gas; the ice will be instantly melted. Drop a piece
of phosphuret of lime, into a glass of water; bubbles will soon rise,
and on reaching the surface of the water will spontaneously explode.
Apply the end of a roll of brimstone to a hot bar of iron; a part of
the iron will be instantly melted, and will fall. Write with diluted
sulphuric acid, on paper that has been coloured brown by a mixture of
sulphate of iron, and infusion of galls; the writing will be white.
Moisten the under lip, and lay upon it a piece of silver money, (not
less than a twenty cent piece) with the edge of it beneath the tongue;
lay a piece of zinc, of nearly an equal size, upon the tongue, and
bring the edges of the pieces of metal into contact; you will
instantly drop the money.
_Appendix._
A catalogue of the various articles mentioned in the preceding pages,
with the prices, explanations, &c.
--> The articles which have this mark * prefixed may be procured at
135, Washington-street, Boston.
ACETATE OF COBALT, produced by digesting the oxide of
cobalt in strong vinegar, _Cts._
* ACETATE OF LEAD, (sugar of lead) procured by
dissolving white lead in vinegar, and evaporating, _oz._ 6
* ACETIC ACID, vinegar concentrated by distillation, _pt._ 25
* ALCOHOL, rectified spirit of wine, _pt._ 25
* ALUM, sulphate of alumine and potass, _oz._ 3
* AMMONIA, (hartshorn) a volatile alkali, _oz._ 12
* ANTIMONY, a dark porous metal, _oz._ 6
* BEES WAX, a yellowish resinous substance procured
from honey, or honey combs, _oz._ 6
* BISMUTH, (tin glass) a reddish white metal, _oz._ 12
* BORACIC ACID, procured by adding sulphuric acid to
a hot solution of borax; the acid crystallizes, _oz._ 100
* BRAZIL-WOOD, (red-wood,) _lb._ 6
* BORATE OF SODA, OR SUB-BORATE OF SODA, (borax) is
brought from the East-Indies in an impure state
called tincal, _oz._ 6
BURNISH GOLD-SIZE, and BURNISHERS, may be had of Bittle
and Cooper, Pemberton's-hill, Boston, prices various,
* CAMPHOR, obtained from a species of laurel tree, _oz._ 12
* CARBONATE OF COPPER, (French green) produced by
adding a solution of super-carbonate of soda, to
a hot solution of sulphate of copper, _lb._ 50
* CARBONATE OF LEAD, (white lead) is formed by
exposing thin sheets of lead to the vapour of
vinegar, after which they abstract the carbonic
acid from the atmosphere, _lb._ 16
* CARBONATE OF STRONTIA, a native mineral, _oz._ 50
CARBONATE OF LIME, (marble, chalk) a native earth,
* CHLORATE OF POTASS, procured by passing a current
of chlorine gas through a solution of pearl-ash, _oz._ 100
* CHROME YELLOW, a pigment, is formed by the combination
of a metallic substance with the chromic acid, _oz._ 12
* COBALT, (Zaffre) a metal of a reddish grey colour;
when exposed to a gentle heat, it becomes oxidized and
takes the form of a black powder, _oz._ 50
* CITRIC ACID, procured from lemons, limes, &c., _oz._ 75
* CALOMEL, white sublimate of mercury, _oz._ 20
* DRAGON'S BLOOD, a red mucilage extracted from
a plant, _oz._ 10
* FLUATE OF LIME, (fluor spar) is found in abundance in
Derbyshire, England, its acid constituent has the peculiar
property of dissolving glass, _lb._ 50
* FRANKFORT BLACK, which takes its name from Frankfort, in
Germany, is manufactured from the lees of wine, _oz._ 12
* GAMBOGE, a yellow opaque gum, or mucilage, _oz._ 16
* GLUE, (gelatine) a jelly procured from skins of
animals, _lb._ 25
* GOLD BRONZE, gold in fine powder, _pwt._ 75
* GOLD LEAF, thin laminas of gold, _book_ 45
* GUM-ARABIC, a mucilaginous substance that exudes from
certain trees in Arabia, _oz._ 6
* GUM-ASPHALTUM, a bitumen, or mineral pitch, _oz._ 8
* GUM-COPAL, a hard transparent resin, _lb._ 40
* GUM-ELASTIC, (indian rubber, caoutchouc) exudes
from trees in the West-Indies, _oz._ 8
* GUM-SANDARAC, a resin, similar to rosin but much
harder, _lb._ 100
* GUM-SHELLAC, a compound, resinous substance, procured
from the nests, or cells of an insect, _oz._ 6
* GUM-MASTIC, a hard, transparent resin, _lb._ 100
* ISING-GLASS, a kind of transparent glue procured
from various kinds of fish, _oz._ 25
* LAKE, (drop lake) a rose coloured pigment, prepared
from brazil wood, _oz._ 200
* LEAD, a brown heavy metal, _lb._ 12
LIME, an oxide of calcium, is procured by calcining
lime stone, marble or chalk,
* LINSEED OIL, is expressed from ground flaxseed, _pt._ 15
* LITHARGE, (gold litharge) an oxide of lead, _oz._ 4
* LITMUS, a blue colouring vegetable, _oz._ 10
* MERCURY, (quick silver) a metal that remains fluid
in the common temperature of the atmosphere, _oz._ 8
* MURIATE OF AMMONIA, (sal ammoniac) is formed by adding
muriatic acid to liquid ammonia, evaporating, &c., _oz._ 6
MURIATE OF SODA, (culinary salt) is procured by
evaporating the water of the ocean,
* MURIATE OF STRONTIA, procured by dissolving native
carbonate of strontia, in muriatic acid, and
evaporating, _oz._ 75
MURIATE OF LIME, formed by evaporating a solution of
marble in muriatic acid,
* MURIATIC ACID, (marine acid, spirit of salt) is
extracted from sea-salt, _oz._ 12
* NITRATE OF AMMONIA, procured by dissolving carbonate
of ammonia (common smelling salts) in nitric acid, _oz._ 20
* NITRATE OF POTASS, (nitre, salt-petre) may be procured
by adding nitric acid to a solution of sub-carbonate of
potass, and crystallizing by evaporation, _oz._ 3
* NITRATE OF STRONTIA, procured the same as the muriate, _oz._ 75
* NITRIC ACID, (aquafortis) is obtained by distilling
two parts of sulphuric acid, together with one part of
salt-petre, _oz._ 12
* NUT GALLS, are formed on the leaves of a species
of oak, _oz._ 6
* OLIVE OIL, (sweet oil,) _oz._ 3
* OIL OF CINNAMON, extracted from cinnamon by
distillation, _oz._ 75
* OIL OF ROSEMARY, procured also by distillation, _oz._ 25
* ORANGE LEAD, a scarlet pigment similar to red lead, _oz._ 3
* OXIDE OF MANGANESE, a black powder consisting of a
metal combined with oxygen, _oz._ 10
* PHOSPHORUS, a simple substance procured from
bones; its greatest peculiarity is extraordinary
combustibility, _oz._ 200
* PHOSPHURET OF LIME, a combination of lime and
phosphorus, _oz._ 200
* PLUMBAGO, (black lead) a carburet of iron, _lb._ 16
* POTASSIUM, the metallic base of potass, may be readily
obtained from pearl ash by any one who has a galvanic
apparatus,
* PRUSSIATE OF IRON, (prussian blue) may be formed by
adding prussiate of potass, to a solution of copperas, _oz._ 25
* PRUSSIATE OF POTASS, a combination of potass and
prussic acid, _oz._ 50
* PUMICE STONE, _lb._ 12
* RED LEAD, (minium) is obtained by melting lead in an
open vessel, and exposing it in that state to the action
of the atmospheric air, _oz._ 3
* RED OCHRE, (spanish brown) a native oxide of iron, _lb._ 6
* ROSIN, the resinous part of turpentine, _lb._ 6
* SILVER BRONZE, _pwt._ 50
* SILVER LEAF, _book_ 30
* SLIP BLUE, (wet blue) an aqueous preparation of
prussian blue, _lb._ 30
* SPIRITS OF TURPENTINE, (oil of turpentine) is
procured by distilling common or crude turpentine;
the residuum is rosin, _pt._ 12
* SUB-ACETATE OF COPPER, (verdigris,) _oz._ 3
* SUB-CARBONATE OF POTASS, (pearlash) potass refined
by calcination, _lb._ 12
* SULPHATE OF COPPER, (blue vitriol, roman
vitriol,) _oz._ 3
* SULPHATE OF IRON, (copperas, green vitriol,) _oz._ 6
SULPHATE OF LIME, (plaister of paris, alabaster, gypsum,)
* SULPHATE OF ZINC, (white vitriol,) _oz._ 3
* SULPHUR (brimstone) is generally found combined with
ores of metals, _oz._ 3
* SULPHURIC ACID, (oil of vitriol) the condensed vapour
of burning sulphur, _oz._ 16
* SULPHURIC ETHER, procured by distilling alcohol with
sulphuric acid, _oz._ 25
* SUPER CARBONATE OF POTASS (sal eratus) is formed by
passing a current of carbonic acid gas, through a
solution of pearl ash, _oz._ 3
* SUPER CARBONATE OF SODA, may be prepared in the same
manner from the sub-carbonate, _oz._ 12
* SUPER TARTRATE OF POTASS (cream of tartar) is found
encrusted on the sides of casks in which wine has
been kept, _oz._ 4
* TARTARIC ACID, procured from cream of tartar, _oz._ 12
* TERRA-DE-SIENNA, an oxide of iron that becomes dark
red by burning, _oz._ 6
* TIN, (grain, or granulated tin,) _oz._ 12
* TIN FOIL, metallic tin rolled to thin laminas or
sheets like paper, _oz._ 12
* TURMERIC, the root of a vegetable, _oz._ 3
* UMBER, a brown earth that becomes nearly black by
burning, _oz._ 3
* VENICE TURPENTINE, _oz._ 6
* VERMILION, a sulphuret of mercury, is sometimes
found native, but may be procured by grinding sulphur
and mercury together, and heating them, first in an open
vessel, till the mixture takes a violet colour; and
afterward in a flask or matrass, _oz._ 12
* WHITING, (Spanish white) refined, _lb._ 12
* YELLOW OCHRE, (spruce yellow) an oxide of iron, _lb._ 12
* ZINC (spelter) a metal of which, with copper, brass
is made, _oz._ 3