parts of water add 2 parts of bleached shellac dissolved previously
in 50 parts of alcohol. Dissolve by the aid of heat 50 parts of
dextrine in 50 parts of water, and mix the two solutions by stirring
the second slowly into the first. Strain the mixture through a cloth
into a shallow dish and let it harden. When needed cut off a piece of
sufficient size and warm until it becomes liquid and if necessary or
advisable thin with water.
IX.—Stir up 10 parts of dextrine with sufficient water to make a thick
broth. Then, over a light fire, heat and add 25 parts of sodium water
glass.
X.—Dissolve 5 parts of dextrine in water and add 1 part of alum.
«Fastening Cork to Metal.»—In fastening cork to iron and brass, even
when these are lacquered, a good sealing wax containing shellac will
be found to serve the purpose nicely. Wax prepared with rosin is not
suitable. The cork surface is painted with the melted sealing wax.
The surface of the metal is heated with a spirit flame entirely free
from soot, until the sealing wax melts when pressed upon the metallic
surface. The wax is held in the flame until it burns, and it is then
applied to the hot surface of the metal. The cork surface painted with
sealing wax is now held in the flame, and as soon as the wax begins to
melt the cork is pressed firmly on the metallic surface bearing the wax.
«To Paste Celluloid on Wood, Tin, or Leather.»—To attach celluloid to
wood, tin, or leather, a mixture of 1 part of shellac, 1 part of spirit
of camphor, 3 to 4 parts of alcohol and spirit of camphor (90°) is well
adapted, in which 1 part of camphor is dissolved without heating in 7
parts of spirit of wine of 0.832 specific gravity, adding 2 parts of
water.
«To Paste Paper Signs on Metal or Cloth.»—A piece of gutta percha of
the same size as the label is laid under the latter and the whole is
heated. If the heating cannot be accomplished by means of a spirit lamp
the label should be ironed down under a protective cloth or paper in
the same manner as woolen goods are pressed. This method is also very
useful for attaching paper labels to minerals.
«Paste for Fastening Leather, Oilcloth, or Similar Stuff to Table
or Desk Tops, etc.»—Use the same paste for leather as for oilcloth
or other goods, but moisten the leather before applying the paste.
Prepare the paste as follows: Mix 2 1/4 pounds of good wheat flour
with 2 tablespoonfuls of pulverized gum arabic or powdered rosin and
2 tablespoonfuls of pulverized alum in a clean dish with water enough
to make a uniformly thick batter; set it over a slow fire and stir
continuously until the paste is uniform and free from lumps. When the
mass has become so stout that the wooden spoon or stick will stand in
it {37} upright, it is taken from the fire and placed in another dish
and covered so that no skin will form on top. When cold, the table or
desk top, etc., is covered with a thin coat of the paste, the cloth,
etc., carefully laid on and smoothed from the center toward the edges
with a rolling pin. The trimming of edges is accomplished when the
paste has dried. To smooth out the leather after pasting, a woolen
cloth is of the best service.
«To Paste Paper on Smooth Iron.»—Over a water bath dissolve 200 parts,
by weight, of gelatine in 150 parts, by weight, of water; while
stirring add 50 parts, by weight, of acetic acid, 50 parts alcohol,
and 50 parts, by weight, of pulverized alum. The spot upon which it is
desired to attach the paper must first be rubbed with a bit of fine
emery paper.
«Paste for Affixing Cloth to Metal.»—
Starch 20 parts
Sugar 10 parts
Zinc chloride 1 part
Water 100 parts
Mix the ingredients and stir until a perfectly smooth liquid results
entirely free from lumps, then warm gradually until the liquid thickens.
«To Fix Paper upon Polished Metal.»—Dissolve 400 parts, by weight, of
dextrine in 600 parts, by weight, of water; add to this 10 parts, by
weight, of glucose, and heat almost to boiling.
«Albumen Paste.»—Fresh egg albumen is recommended as a paste for
affixing labels on bottles. It is said that labels put on with this
substance, and well dried at the time, will not loosen even when
bottles are put into water and left there for some time. Albumen, dry,
is almost proof against mold or ferments. As to cost, it is but little
if any higher than gum arabic, the white of one egg being sufficient to
attach at least 100 medium-sized labels.
«Paste for Parchment Paper.»—The best agent is made by dissolving
casein in a saturated aqueous solution of borax.
«Medical Paste.»—As an adhesive agent for medicinal purposes Professor
Reihl, of Leipsic, recommends the viscous substance contained in the
white mistletoe. It is largely present in the berries and the bark
of the plant; it is called viscin, and can be produced at one-tenth
the price of caoutchouc. Solutions in benzine may be used like those
of caoutchouc without causing any irritation if applied mixed with
medicinal remedies to the skin.
«Paste That Will Not Mold.»—Mix good white flour with cold water into a
thick paste. Be sure to stir out all the lumps; then add boiling water,
stirring all the time until thoroughly cooked. To 6 quarts of this add
1/2 pound light brown sugar and 1/4 ounce corrosive sublimate,
dissolved in a little hot water. When the paste is cool add 1 drachm
oil of lavender. This paste will keep for a long time.
«Pasting Wood and Cardboard on Metal.»—In a little water dissolve
50 parts of lead acetate and 5 parts of alum. In another receptacle
dissolve 75 parts of gum arabic in 2,000 parts of water. Into this
gum-arabic solution pour 500 parts of flour, stirring constantly, and
heat gradually to the boiling point. Mingle the solution first prepared
with the second solution. It should be kept in mind that, owing to the
lead acetate, this preparation is poisonous.
«Agar Agar Paste.»—The agar agar is broken up small, wetted with water,
and exposed in an earthenware vessel to the action of ozone pumped
under pressure into the vessel from the ozonizing apparatus. About an
hour of this bleaches the agar agar and makes it freely soluble in
boiling water, when solutions far more concentrated than has hitherto
been possible can be prepared. On cooling, the solutions assume a milky
appearance, but form no lumps and are readily reliquefied by heating.
If the solution is completely evaporated, as of course happens when
the adhesive is allowed to dry after use, it leaves a firmly holding
mass which is insoluble in cold water. Among the uses to which the
preparation can be applied are the dressing of textile fabrics and
paper sizing, and the production of photographic papers, as well as the
ordinary uses of an adhesive.
«Strongly Adhesive Paste.»—Four parts glue are soaked a few hours in
15 parts cold water, and moderately heated till the solution becomes
perfectly clear, when 65 parts boiling water are added, while stirring.
In another vessel 30 parts boiled starch are previously stirred
together with 20 parts cold water, so that a thin, milky liquid without
lumps results. The boiling glue solution is poured into this while
stirring constantly, and the whole is kept boiling another 10 minutes.
«Paste for Tissue Paper.»—
(_a_) Pulverized gum arabic 2 ounces
White sugar 4 drachms
Boiling water 3 fluidounces {38}
(_b_) Common laundry starch 1 1/2 ounces
Cold water 3 fluidounces
Make into a batter and pour into
Boiling water 32 fluidounces
Mix (_a_) with (_b_), and keep in a wide-mouthed bottle.
«Waterproof and Acidproof Pastes.»—
I.—Chromic acid 2 1/2 parts
Stronger ammonia 15 parts
Sulphuric acid 1/2 part
Cuprammonium solution 30 parts
Fine white paper 4 parts
II.—Isinglass, a sufficient quantity
Acetic acid 1 part
Water 7 parts
Dissolve sufficient isinglass in the mixture of acetic acid and water
to make a thin mucilage.
One of the solutions is applied to the surface of one sheet of paper
and the other to the other sheet, and they are then pressed together.
III.—A fair knotting varnish free from surplus oil is by far the best
adhesive for fixing labels, especially on metal surfaces. It dries
instantly, insuring a speedy job and immediate packing, if needful,
without fear of derangement. It has great tenacity, and is not only
absolutely damp-proof itself, but is actually repellent of moisture, to
which all water pastes are subject. It costs more, but the additional
expense is often infinitesimal compared with the pleasure of a
satisfactory result.
«Balkan Paste.»—
Pale glue 4 ounces
White loaf sugar 2 ounces
Powdered starch 1 ounce
White dextrine 1/4 pound
Pure glycerine 3 ounces
Carbolic acid 1/4 ounce
Boiling water 32 ounces
Cut up the glue and steep it in 1/2 pint boiling water; when softened
melt in a saucepan; add sugar, starch, and dextrine, and lastly the
glycerine, in which carbolic acid has been mixed; add remainder of
water, and boil until it thickens. Pour into jars or bottles.
«Permanent Paste.»—
I.—Wheat flour 1 pound
Water, cold 1 quart
Nitric acid 4 fluidrachms
Boric acid 40 grains
Oil of cloves 20 minims
Mix the flour, boric acid, and water, then strain the mixture; add
the nitric acid, apply heat with constant stirring until the mixture
thickens; when nearly cold add the oil of cloves. This paste will have
a pleasant smell, will not attract flies, and can be thinned by the
addition of cold water as needed.
II.—Dissolve 4 ounces alum in 4 quarts hot water. When cool add as much
flour as will make it of the usual consistency; then stir into it 1/2
ounce powdered rosin; next add a little water in which a dozen cloves
have been steeped; then boil it until thick as mush, stirring from the
bottom all the time. Thin with warm water for use.
«Preservatives for Paste.»—Various antiseptics are employed for the
preservation of flour paste, mucilage, etc. Boric and salicylic acids,
oil of cloves, oil of sassafras, and solution of formaldehyde are among
those which have given best service. A durable starch paste is produced
by adding some borax to the water used in making it. A paste from 10
parts (weight) starch to 100 parts (weight) water with 1 per cent borax
added will keep many weeks, while without this addition it will sour
after six days. In the case of a gluing material prepared from starch
paste and joiners’ glue, borax has also demonstrated its preserving
qualities. The solution is made by mixing 10 parts (weight) starch into
a paste with water and adding 10 parts (weight) glue soaked in water to
the hot solution; the addition of 1/10 part (weight) of borax to the
solution will cause it to keep for weeks. It is equal to the best glue,
but should be warmed and stirred before use.
«Board-Sizing.»—A cheap sizing for rough, weather-beaten boards may be
made by dissolving shellac in sal soda and adding some heavy-bodied
pigment. This size will stick to grease spots. Linseed oil may be
added if desired. Limewater and linseed oil make a good heavy sizing,
but hard to spread. They are usually used half and half, though these
proportions may be varied somewhat.
«Rice Paste.»—Mix the rice flour with cold water, and boil it over a
gentle fire until it thickens. This paste is quite white and becomes
transparent on drying. It is very adherent and of great use for many
purposes.
«Casein Paste.»—A solution of tannin, prepared from a bark or from
commercial tannin, is precipitated with limewater, the lime being added
until the solution just turns red litmus paper blue. The supernatant
liquid is then decanted, {39} and the precipitate is dried without
artificial heat. The resulting calcium tannate is then mixed, according
to the purpose for which the adhesive is intended, with from 1 to 10
times its weight of dry casein by grinding in a mill. The adhesive
compound is soluble in water, petroleum, oils, and carbon bisulphide.
It is very strong, and is applied in the form of a paste with water.
«PASTES FOR PAPERHANGERS.»
I.—Use a cheap grade of rye or wheat flour, mix thoroughly with cold
water to about the consistency of dough, or a little thinner, being
careful to remove all lumps; stir in a tablespoonful of powdered alum
to a quart of flour, then pour in boiling water, stirring rapidly until
the flour is thoroughly cooked. Let this cool before using, and thin
with cold water.
II.—Venetian Paste.—
(_a_) 4 ounces white or fish glue
8 fluidounces cold water
(_b_) 2 fluidounces Venice turpentine
(_c_) 1 pound rye flour
16 fluidounces (1 pint) cold water
(_d_) 64 fluidounces (1/2 gallon) boiling water
Soak the 4 ounces of glue in the cold water for 4 hours; dissolve on
a water bath (glue pot), and while hot stir in the Venice turpentine.
Make up (_c_) into a batter free from lumps and pour into (_d_). Stir
briskly, and finally add the glue solution. This makes a very strong
paste, and it will adhere to a painted surface, owing to the Venice
turpentine in its composition.
III.—Strong Adhesive Paste.—
(_a_) 4 pounds rye flour
1/2 gallon cold water
(_b_) 1 1/2 gallons boiling water
(_c_) 2 ounces pulverized rosin
Make (_a_) into a batter free from lumps; then pour into (_b_). Boil
if necessary, and while hot stir in the pulverized rosin a little at a
time. This paste is exceedingly strong, and will stick heavy wall paper
or thin leather. If the paste be too thick, thin with a little hot
water; never thin paste with cold water.
IV.—Flour Paste.—
(_a_) 2 pounds wheat flour
32 fluidounces (1 quart) cold water
(_b_) 1 ounce alum
4 fluidounces hot water
(_c_) 96 fluidounces (1/2 gallon) boiling water
Work the wheat flour into a batter free from lumps with the cold water.
Dissolve the alum as designated in (_b_). Now stir in (_a_) and (_c_)
and, if necessary, continue boiling until the paste thickens into a
semitransparent mucilage, after which stir in solution (_b_). The above
makes a very fine paste for wall paper.
V.—Elastic or Pliable Paste.—
(_a_) 4 ounces common starch
2 ounces white dextrine
10 fluidounces cold water
(_b_) 1 ounce borax
3 fluidounces glycerine
64 fluidounces (1/2 gallon) boiling water
Beat to a batter the ingredients of (_a_). Dissolve the borax in the
boiling water; then add the glycerine, after which pour (_a_) into
solution (_b_). Stir until it becomes translucent. This paste will not
crack, and, being very pliable, is used for paper, cloth, leather, and
other material where flexibility is required.
VI.—A paste with which wall paper can be attached to wood or masonry,
adhering to it firmly in spite of dampness, is prepared, as usual, of
rye flour, to which, however, are added, after the boiling, 8 1/3
parts, by weight, of good linseed-oil varnish and 8 1/3 parts, by
weight, of turpentine to every 500 parts, by weight.
VII.—Paste for Wall Paper.—Soak 18 pounds of bolus (bole) in water,
after it has been beaten into small fragments, and pour off the
supernatant water. Boil 10 ounces of glue into glue water, mix it
well with the softened bolus and 2 pounds plaster of Paris and strain
through a sieve by means of a brush. Thin the mass with water to the
consistency of a thin paste. The paste is now ready for use. It is not
only much cheaper than other varieties, but has the advantage over them
of adhering better to whitewashed walls, and especially such as have
been repeatedly coated over the old coatings which were not thoroughly
removed. For hanging fine wall paper this paste is less commendable, as
it forms a white color, with which the paper might easily become soiled
if great care is not exercised in applying it. If the fine wall paper
is mounted on ground paper, however, it can be recommended for pasting
the ground paper on the wall.
«LABEL PASTES:»
«Pastes to Affix Labels to Tin.»—Labels separate from tin because the
paste becomes too dry. Some moisture is presumably always present; but
more is required to cause continued adhesion in the case of tin than
where the container is of {40} glass. Paste may be kept moist by the
addition of calcium chloride, which is strongly hygroscopic, or of
glycerine.
The following formulas for pastes of the type indicated were proposed
by Leo Eliel:
I.—Tragacanth 1 ounce
Acacia 4 ounces
Thymol 14 grains
Glycerine 4 ounces
Water, sufficient to make 2 pints
Dissolve the gums in 1 pint of water, strain, and add the glycerine, in
which the thymol is suspended; shake well and add sufficient water to
make 2 pints. This separates on standing, but a single shake mixes it
sufficiently for use.
II.—Rye flour 8 ounces
Powdered acacia 1 ounce
Glycerine 2 ounces
Oil of cloves 40 drops
Rub the rye flour and acacia to a smooth paste with 8 ounces of cold
water; strain through cheese cloth, and pour into 1 pint of boiling
water, and continue the heat until as thick as desired. When nearly
cold add the glycerine and oil of cloves.
III.—Rye flour 5 parts
Venice turpentine 1 part
Liquid glue, a sufficient quantity
Rub up the flour with the turpentine and then add sufficient freshly
prepared glue (glue or gelatine dissolved in water) to make a stiff
paste. This paste dries slowly.
IV.—Dextrine 2 parts
Acetic acid 1 part
Water 5 parts
Alcohol, 95 per cent. 1 part
Dissolve the dextrine and acetic acid in water by heating together in
the water bath, and to the solution add the alcohol.
V.—Dextrine 3 pounds
Borax 2 ounces
Glucose 5 drachms
Water 3 pints 2 ounces
Dissolve the borax in the water by warming, then add the dextrine and
glucose, and continue to heat gently until dissolved.
Another variety is made by dissolving a cheap Ghatti gum in limewater,
but it keeps badly.
VI.—Add tartaric acid to thick flour paste. The paste is to be boiled
until quite thick, and the acid, previously dissolved in a little
water, is added, the proportion being about 2 ounces to the pint of
paste.
VII.—Gum arabic, 50 parts; glycerine, 10 parts; water, 30 parts; liq.
Stibii chlorat., 2 parts.
VIII.—Boil rye flour and strong glue water into a mass to which are
added, for 1,000 parts, good linseed-oil varnish 30 parts and oil of
turpentine 30 parts. This mixture furnishes a gluing agent which, it
is claimed, even renders the labels proof against being loosened by
moisture.
IX.—Pour 140 parts of distilled cold water over 100 parts of gum arabic
in a wide-necked bottle and dissolve by frequent shaking. To the
solution, which is ready after standing for about 3 days, add 10 parts
of glycerine; later, 20 parts of diluted acetic acid, and finally 6
parts of aluminum sulphate, then straining it through a fine-hair sieve.
X.—Good glue is said to be obtained by dissolving 1 part of powdered
sugar in 4 parts of soda water glass.
XI.—A glue for bottle labels is prepared by dissolving borax in water;
soak glue in this solution and dissolve the glue by boiling. Carefully
drop as much acetic acid into the solution as will allow it to remain
thin on cooling. Labels affixed with this agent adhere firmly and do
not become moldy in damp cellars.
XII.—Dissolve some isinglass in acetic acid and brush the labels over
with it. There will be no cause to complain of their coming off, nor
of striking through the paper. Take a wide-mouthed bottle, fill about
two-thirds with commercial acetic acid, and put in as much isinglass as
the liquid will hold, and set aside in a warm place until completely
dissolved. When cold it should form a jelly. To use it place the bottle
in hot water. The cork should be well-fitting and smeared with vaseline
or melted paraffine.
«How to Paste Labels on Tin.»—Brush over the entire back of the label
with a flour paste, fold the label loosely by sticking both ends
together without creasing the center, and throw to one side until this
process has been gone through with the whole lot. Then unfold each
label and place it on the can in the regular manner. The paste ought
not to be thicker than maple syrup. When of this consistency it soaks
through the label and makes it pliable and in a condition to be easily
rubbed into position. If the paste is too thick it dries quickly, and
does not soak through the label sufficiently. After the labels have
been placed upon the cans the latter must be {41} kept apart until dry.
In putting the paste upon the labels in the first place, follow the
method of placing the dry labels over one another, back sides up, with
the edge of each just protruding over the edge of the one beneath it,
so that the fingers may easily grasp the label after the pasting has
been done.
«Druggists’ Label Paste.»—This paste, when carefully made, is an
admirable one for label use, and a very little will go a long way:
Wheat flour 4 ounces
Nitric acid 1 drachm
Boric acid 10 grains
Oil of cloves 5 drops
Carbolic acid 1/2 drachm
Stir flour and water together, mixing thoroughly, and add the other
ingredients. After the stuff is well mixed, heat it, watching very
carefully and removing the instant it stiffens.
«To Attach Glass Labels to Bottles.»—Melt together 1 part of rosin and
2 parts of yellow wax, and use while warm.
«Photographic Mountants (see also Photography).»—Owing to the nature
of the different papers used for printing photographs, it is a
matter of extreme importance to use a mountant that shall not set up
decomposition in the coating of the print. For example, a mountant that
exhibits acidity or alkalinity is injurious with most varieties of
paper; and in photography the following formulas for pastes, mucilages,
etc., have therefore been selected with regard to their absolute
immunity from setting up decomposition in the print or changing its
tone in any way. One of the usual mountants is rice starch or else
rice water. The latter is boiled to a thick jelly, strained, and the
strained mass used as an agglutinant for attaching photographic prints
to the mounts. There is nothing of an injurious nature whatever in this
mountant, neither is there in a mucilage made with gum dragon.
This gum (also called gum tragacanth) is usually in the form of curls
(i.e., leaf gum), which take a long time to properly dissolve in
water—several weeks, in fact—but during the past few years there has
been put on the market a powdered gum dragon which does not occupy so
many days in dissolving. To make a mucilage from gum dragon a very
large volume of water is required. For example, 1 ounce of the gum,
either leaf or powder, will swell up and convert 1 gallon of water into
a thickish mucilage in the course of 2 or 3 weeks. Only cold water must
be used, and before using the mucilage, all whitish lumps (which are
particles of undissolved gum) should be picked out or else the mucilage
strained. The time of solution can be considerably shortened (to a few
hours) by acidifying the water in which the gum is placed with a little
sulphuric or oxalic acid; but as the resultant mucilage would contain
traces of their presence, such acids are not permissible when the
gum-dragon mucilage is to be used for mounting photographs.
Glycerine and gum arabic make a very good adhesive of a fluid nature
suited to mounting photographs; and although glycerine is hygroscopic
by itself, such tendency to absorb moisture is checked by the reverse
nature of the gum arabic; consequently an ideal fluid mucilage is
produced. The proportions of the several ingredients are these:
Gum arabic, genuine (gum acacia, not Bassora gum) 4 ounces
Boiling water 12 ounces
Glycerine, pure 1 ounce
First dissolve the gum in the water, and then stir in the glycerine,
and allow all _débris_ from the gum to deposit before using. The
following adhesive compound is also one that is free from chemical
reactions, and is suited for photographic purposes:
Water 2 pints
Gum dragon, powdered 1 ounce
Gum arabic, genuine 4 ounces
Glycerine 4 ounces
Mix the gum arabic with half the water, and in the remainder of the
water dissolve the gum dragon. When both solids are dissolved, mix them
together, and then stir in the glycerine.
The following paste will be found a useful mountant:
Gum arabic, genuine 1 ounce
Rice starch 1 ounce
White sugar 4 ounces
Water, q. s.
Dissolve the gum in just sufficient water to completely dissolve it,
then add the sugar, and when that has completely dissolved stir in the
starch paste, and then boil the mixture until the starch is properly
cooked.