hyposulphate in the proportion of 1 part of the former to 9 parts of
the latter, and with the mixture fill an earthenware bottle about
three-quarters full. Close the vessel well with a cork and place it
either in hot water or in the oven, and let remain until the salts
within melt. For at least a half day the jug will radiate its heat,
and need only be well shaken from time to time to renew its heat-giving
energy.
«Bottle Deodorizer.»—Powdered black mustard seed is successfully
employed. Pour a little of it with some lukewarm water into the
receptacle, rinsing it afterwards with water. If necessary, repeat the
process.
BRANDY AND BRANDY BITTERS See Wines and Liquors.
«Brass»
Formulas for the making of Brass will be found under Alloys.
«Colors for Polished Brass.»—The brass objects are put into boiling
solutions composed of different salts, and the intensity of the shade
obtained is dependent upon the duration of the immersion. With a
solution composed of
Sulphate of copper 120 grains
Hydrochlorate of ammonia 30 grains
Water 1 quart
greenish shades are obtained. With the following solution all the
shades of brown from orange brown to cinnamon are obtained: {128}
Chlorate of potash 150 grains
Sulphate of copper 150 grains
Water 1 quart
The following solution gives the brass first a rosy tint and then
colors it violet and blue:
Sulphate of copper 435 grains
Hyposulphite of soda 300 grains
Cream of tartar 150 grains
Water 1 pint
Upon adding to the last solution
Ammoniacal sulphate of iron 300 grains
Hyposulphite of soda 300 grains
there are obtained, according to the duration of the immersion,
yellowish, orange, rosy, then bluish shades. Upon polarizing the
ebullition the blue tint gives way to yellow, and finally to a pretty
gray. Silver, under the same circumstances, becomes very beautifully
colored. After a long ebullition in the following solution we obtain a
yellow-brown shade, and then a remarkable fire red:
Chlorate of potash 75 grains
Carbonate of nickel 30 grains
Salt of nickel 75 grains
Water 16 ounces
The following solution gives a beautiful, dark-brown color:
Chlorate of potash 75 grains
Salt of nickel 150 grains
Water 10 ounces
The following gives, in the first place, a red, which passes to blue,
then to pale lilac, and finally to white:
Orpiment 75 grains
Crystallized sal sodæ 150 grains
Water 10 ounces
The following gives a yellow brown:
Salt of nickel 75 grains
Sulphate of copper 75 grains
Chlorate of potash 75 grains
Water 10 ounces
On mixing the following solutions, sulphur separates and the brass
becomes covered with iridescent crystallizations:
I.—Cream of tartar 75 grains
Sulphate of copper 75 grains
Water 10 ounces
II.—Hyposulphite of soda 225 grains
Water 5 ounces
Upon leaving the brass objects immersed in the following mixture
contained in corked vessels they at length acquire a very beautiful
blue color:
Hepar of sulphur 15 grains
Ammonia 75 grains
Water 4 ounces
«Miscellaneous Coloring of Brass.»—Yellow to bright red: Dissolve
2 parts native copper carbonate with 1 part caustic soda in 10
parts water. Dip for a few minutes into the liquor, the various
shades desired being obtained according to the length of time of
the immersion. Green: Dissolve 1 part copper acetate (verdigris), 1
part blue vitriol, and 1 part alum in 10 parts of water and boil the
articles therein. Black: For optical articles, photographic apparatus,
plates, rings, screws, etc., dissolve 45 parts of malachite (native
copper carbonate) in 1,000 parts of sal ammoniac. For use clean and
remove the grease from the article by pickling and dip it into the
bath until the coating is strong enough. The bath operates better and
quicker if heated. Should the oxidation be a failure it should be
removed by dipping into the brass pickle.
A verdigris color on brass is produced by treating the articles with
dilute acids, acetic acid, or sulphuric acid, and drying.
Brown in all varieties of shades is obtained by immersing the metal in
solutions of nitrates or ferric chloride after it has been corroded
with dilute nitric acid, cleaned with sand and water, and dried. The
strength of the solutions governs the deepness of the resulting color.
Violet is caused by immersing the thoroughly cleaned objects in a
solution of ammonium chloride.
Chocolate color results if red ferric oxide is strewn on and burned
off, followed by polishing with a small quantity of galena.
Olive green is produced by blackening the surface with a solution of
iron in hydrochloric acid, polishing with galena, and coating hot with
a lacquer composed of 1 part varnish, 4 parts cincuma, and 1 part
gamboge.
A steel-blue coloring is obtained by means of a dilute boiling solution
of chloride of arsenic, and a blue one by a treatment with strong
hyposulphite of soda. Another formula for bluing brass is: Dissolve 10
parts of antimony chloride in 200 parts of water, and add 30 parts of
pure hydrochloric acid. Dip the article until it is well blued, then
wash and dry in sawdust.
Black is much used for optical brass articles and is produced by
coating with a solution of platinum or auric chloride mixed with
nitrate of tin.
«Coloring Unpolished Brass.»—A yellow color of handsome effect is
obtained on {129} unpolished brass by means of antimony-chloride
solution. This is produced by finely powdering gray antimony and
boiling it with hydrochloric acid. With formation of hydrogen sulphide
a solution of antimony results, which must not be diluted with water,
since a white precipitate of antimony oxychloride is immediately
formed upon admixture of water. For dilution, completely saturated
cooking-salt solution is employed, using for 1 part of antimony
chloride 2 parts of salt solution.
«Coloring Fluid for Brass.»—Caustic soda, 33 parts; water, 24 parts;
hydrated carbonate of copper, 5.5 parts.
Dissolve the salt in water and dip the metal in the solution obtained.
The intensity of the color will be proportional to the time of
immersion. After removing the object from the liquid, rinse with water
and dry in sawdust.
«Black Color on Brass.»—A black or oxidized surface on brass is
produced by a solution of carbonate of copper in ammonia. The work is
immersed and allowed to remain until the required tint is observed. The
carbonate of copper is best used in a plastic condition, as it is then
much more easily dissolved. Plastic carbonate of copper may be mixed
as follows: Make a solution of blue vitriol (sulphate of copper) in
hot water, and add a strong solution of common washing soda to it as
long as any precipitate forms. The precipitate is allowed to settle,
and the clear liquid is poured off. Hot water is added, and the mass
stirred and again allowed to settle. This operation is repeated six or
eight times to remove the impurities. After the water has been removed
during the last pouring, and nothing is left but an emulsion of the
thick plastic carbonate in a small quantity of water, liquid ammonia
is added until everything is dissolved and a clear, deep-blue liquid
is produced. If too strong, water may be added, but a strong solution
is better than a weak one. If it is desired to make the solution from
commercial plastic carbonate of copper the following directions may
be followed: Dissolve 1 pound of the plastic carbonate of copper in 2
gallons of strong ammonia. This gives the required strength of solution.
The brass which it is desired to blacken is first boiled in a strong
potash solution to remove grease and oil, then well rinsed and dipped
in the copper solution, which has previously been heated to from 150°
to 175° F. This solution, if heated too hot, gives off all the ammonia.
The brass is left in the solution until the required tint is produced.
The color produced is uniform, black, and tenacious. The brass is
rinsed and dried in sawdust. A great variety of effects may be produced
by first finishing the brass before blackening, as the oxidizing
process does not injure the texture of the metal. A satisfactory finish
is produced by first rendering the surface of the brass matt, either
by scratch-brush or similar methods, as the black finish thus produced
by the copper solution is dead—one of the most pleasing effects of an
oxidized surface. Various effects may also be produced by coloring the
entire article and then buffing the exposed portions.
The best results in the use of this solution are obtained by the use of
the so-called red metals—i. e., those in which the copper predominates.
The reason for this is obvious. Ordinary sheet brass consists of about
2 parts of copper and 1 part of zinc, so that the large quantity of the
latter somewhat hinders the production of a deep-black surface. Yellow
brass is colored black by the solution, but it is well to use some
metal having a reddish tint, indicating the presence of a large amount
of copper. The varieties of sheet brass known as gilding or bronze work
well. Copper also gives excellent results. Where the best results are
desired on yellow brass a very light electroplate of copper before
the oxidizing works well and gives an excellent black. With the usual
articles made of yellow brass this is rarely done, but the oxidation
carried out directly.
«Black Finish for Brass.»—I.—A handsome black finish may be put on
brass by the following process: Dissolve in 1,000 parts of ammonia
water 45 parts of natural malachite, and in the solution put the object
to be blackened, after first having carefully and thoroughly cleaned
the same. After letting it stand a short time gradually warm the
mixture, examining the article from time to time to ascertain if the
color is deep enough. Rinse and let dry.
II.—The blacking of brass may be accomplished by immersing it in the
following solution and then heating over a Bunsen burner or a spirit
flame: Add a saturated solution of ammonium carbonate to a saturated
copper-sulphate solution, until the precipitate resulting in the
beginning has almost entirely dissolved. The immersion and heating are
repeated until the brass turns dark; then it is brushed and dipped in
negative varnish or dull varnish. {130}
«To Give a Brown Color to Brass.»—I.—In 1,000 parts of rain or
distilled water dissolve 5 parts each of verdigris (copper acetate)
and ammonium chloride. Let the solution stand 4 hours, then add 1,500
parts of water. Remove the brass to be browned from its attachment to
the fixtures and make the surface perfectly bright and smooth and free
from grease. Place it over a charcoal fire and heat until it “sizzes”
when touched with the dampened finger. The solution is then painted
over the surface with a brush or swabbed on with a rag. If one swabbing
does not produce a sufficient depth of color, repeat the heating and
the application of the liquid until a fine durable brown is produced.
For door plates, knobs, and ornamental fixtures generally, this is one
of the handsomest as well as the most durable surfaces, and is easily
applied.
II.—A very handsome brown may be produced on brass castings by
immersing the thoroughly cleaned and dried articles in a warm solution
of 15 parts of sodium hydrate and 5 parts of cupric carbonate in 100
parts of water. The metal turns dark yellow, light brown, and finally
dark brown, with a greenish shimmer, and, when the desired shade is
reached, is taken out of the bath, rinsed, and dried.
III.—Paint the cleaned and dried surface uniformly with a dilute
solution of ammonium sulphide. When this coating is dry, it is rubbed
over, and then painted with a dilute ammoniacal solution of arsenic
sulphide, until the required depth of color is attained. If the results
are not satisfactory the painting can be repeated after washing over
with ammonia. Prolonged immersion in the second solution produces a
grayish-green film, which looks well, and acquires luster when polished
with a cloth.
«Refinishing Gas Fixtures.»—Gas fixtures which have become dirty or
tarnished from use may be improved in appearance by painting with
bronze paint and then, if a still better finish is required, varnishing
after the paint is thoroughly dry with some light-colored varnish that
will give a hard and brilliant coating.
If the bronze paint is made up with ordinary varnish it is liable to
become discolored from acid which may be present in the varnish. One
method proposed for obviating this is to mix the varnish with about
five times its volume of spirit of turpentine, add to the mixture dried
slaked lime in the proportion of about 40 grains to the pint, agitate
well, repeating the agitation several times, and finally allowing the
suspended matter to settle and decanting the clear liquid. The object
of this is to neutralize any acid which may be present. To determine
how effectively this has been done the varnish may be chemically tested.
«Steel Blue and Old Silver on Brass.»—For the former dissolve 100
parts of carbonic carbonate in 750 parts of ammonia and dilute this
solution with distilled water, whereupon the cleaned articles are
dipped into the liquid by means of a brass wire. After two to three
minutes take them out, rinse in clean water, and dry in sawdust.
Old silver on brass is produced as follows: The articles are first
silvered and next painted with a thin paste consisting of graphite,
6 parts; pulverized hematite, 1 part; and turpentine. Use a soft
brush and dry well; then brush off the powder. Oxidized silver is
obtained by dipping the silvered goods into a heated solution of liver
of sulphur, 5 parts; ammonia carbonate, 10 parts; and water, 10,000
parts. Only substantially silvered objects are suited for oxidation,
as a weak silvering is taken off by this solution. Unsatisfactory
coloring is removed with potassium-cyanide solution. It is advisable
to lay the articles in hydrogen sulphide-ammonia solution diluted with
water,wherein they acquire a blue to a deep-black shade.
«Tombac Color on Brass.»—This is produced by immersion in a mixture of
copper carbonate, 10 parts; caustic soda, 30 parts; water, 200 parts.
This layer will only endure wiping with a cloth, not vigorous scouring
with sand.
«Graining of Brass.»—Brass parts of timepieces are frequently provided
with a dead grained surface. For this purpose they are fastened with
flat-headed pins on cork disks and brushed with a paste of water and
finest powdered pumice stone. Next they are thoroughly washed and
placed in a solution of 10 quarts of water, 30 grains of mercuric
nitrate, and 60 grains of sulphuric acid. In this amalgamating solution
the objects become at once covered with a layer of mercury, which forms
an amalgam with the copper, while the zinc passes into solution. After
the articles have again been washed they are treated with graining
powder, which consists of silver powder, tartar, and cooking salt.
These substances must be pure, dry, and very finely pulverized. The
mixing is done with moderate heat. According {131} to whether a coarser
or finer grain is desired, more cooking salt or more tartar must be
contained in the powder. The ordinary proportions are:
Silver powder 28 28 28 parts
Tartar 283 110–140 85 parts
Cooking salt 900 370 900 parts
This powder is moistened with water and applied to the object. Place
the article with the cork support in a flat dish and rub on the paste
with a stiff brush while turning the dish incessantly. Gradually fresh
portions of graining powder are put on until the desired grain is
obtained. These turn out the rounder the more the dish and brush are
turned. When the right grain is attained, rinse off with water, and
treat the object with a scratch brush, with employment of a decoction
of saponaria. The brushes must be moved around in a circle in brushing
with the pumice stone, as well as in rubbing on the graining powder and
in using the scratch brush. The required silver powder is produced by
precipitating a diluted solution of silver nitrate with some strips of
sheet copper. The precipitated silver powder is washed out on a paper
filter and dried at moderate heat.
«The Dead, or Matt, Dip for Brass.»—The dead dip is used to impart a
satiny or crystalline finish to the surface. The bright dip gives a
smooth, shiny, and perfectly even surface, but the dead dip is the
most pleasing of any dip finish, and can be used as a base for many
secondary finishes.
The dead dip is a mixture of oil of vitriol (sulphuric acid) and
aqua fortis (nitric acid) in which there is enough sulphate of zinc
(white vitriol) to saturate the solution. It is in the presence of the
sulphate of zinc that the essential difference between the bright and
the dead dip exists. Without it the dead or matt surface cannot be
obtained.
The method generally practiced is to add the sulphate of zinc to the
mixed acids (sulphuric and nitric), so that some remains undissolved in
the bottom of the vessel. It is found that the sulphate of zinc occurs
in small crystals having the appearance of very coarse granulated
sugar. These crystals readily settle to the bottom of the vessel and
do not do the work of matting properly. If they are finely pulverized
the dip is slightly improved, but it is impossible to pulverize such
material to a fineness that will do the desired work. The use of
sulphate of zinc, then, leaves much to be desired.
The most modern method of making up the dead dip is to produce the
sulphate of zinc directly in the solution and in the precipitated form.
It is well known that the most finely divided materials are those which
are produced by precipitation, and in the dead dip it is very important
that the sulphate of zinc shall be finely divided so that it will not
immediately settle to the bottom. Therefore it should be precipitated
so that when it is mixed with the acids it will not settle immediately.
The method of making the sulphate of zinc directly in the solution is
as follows:
Take 1 gallon of yellow aqua fortis (38° F.) and place in a stone crock
which is surrounded with cold water. The cold water is to keep the
heat, formed by the reaction, from evaporating the acid. Add metallic
zinc in small pieces until the acid will dissolve no more. The zinc
may be in any convenient form—sheet clippings, lumps, granulated,
etc., that may be added little by little. If all is added at once it
will boil over. When the acid will dissolve no more zinc it will be
found that some of the acid has evaporated by the heat, and it will be
necessary to add enough fresh acid to make up to the original gallon.
When this is done add 1 gallon of strong oil of vitriol. The mixture
should be stirred with a wooden paddle while the oil of vitriol is
being added.
As the sulphuric acid is being added the solution begins to grow milky,
and finally the whole has the consistency of thick cream. This is
caused by the sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) precipitating out the
sulphate of zinc. Thus the very finely divided precipitate of sulphate
of zinc is formed. If one desires to use known quantities of acid and
zinc the following amounts may be taken: Oil of vitriol, 1 gallon; aqua
fortis (38° F.), 1 gallon; metallic zinc, 6 ounces.
In dissolving the zinc in the aqua fortis it is necessary to be sure
that none remains undissolved in the bottom.
The dead or matt dip is used hot, and, therefore, is kept in a stone
crock surrounded with hot water. The articles to be matted are polished
and cleaned, and the dip thoroughly stirred with a wooden paddle, so
as to bring up the sulphate of zinc which has settled. Dip the work in
the solution and allow it to remain until the matt is obtained. This
is a point which can be learned only by experience. When the brass
article is first introduced there is a rapid action on the surface,
but in a few seconds this slows down. Remove the article and rinse and
immediately dip into the usual bright dip. This {132} is necessary for
the reason that the dead dip produces a dark coating upon the surface,
which, were it left on, would not show the real effect or the color of
the metal. The bright dip, however, removes this and exposes the true
dead surface.
The usual rule for making up the dead dip is to use equal parts of oil
of vitriol and aqua fortis; but these may be altered to suit the case.
More oil of vitriol gives a finer matt, while a larger quantity of
aqua fortis will give a coarser matt. When the dip becomes old it is
unnecessary to add more zinc, as a little goes into the solution each
time anything is dipped. After a while, however, the solution becomes
loaded with copper salts, and should be thrown away.
A new dip does not work well, and will not give good results when used
at once. It is usual to allow it to remain over night, when it will be
found to be in a better working condition in the morning. A new dip
will frequently refuse to work, and the addition of a little water will
often start it. The water must be used sparingly, however, and only
when necessary. Water, as a usual thing, spoils a dead dip, and must be
avoided. After a while it may be necessary to add a little more aqua
fortis, and this may be introduced as desired. Much care is needed in
working the dead dip, and it requires constant watching and experience.
The chief difficulty in working the dead dip is to match a given
article. The only way that it can be done is to “cut and try,” and add
aqua fortis or oil of vitriol as the case requires.
The dead or matt dip can be obtained only upon brass or German silver;
in other words, only on alloys which contain zinc. The best results are
obtained upon yellow brass high in zinc.
«To Improve Deadened Brass Parts.»—Clock parts matted with oilstone
and oil, such as the hour wheels, minute wheels, etc., obtain, by mere
grinding, a somewhat dull appearance, with a sensitive surface which
readily takes spots. This may be improved by preparing the following
powder, rubbing a little of it on a buff stick, and treating the
deadened parts, which have been cleansed with benzine, by rubbing with
slight pressure on cork. This imparts to the articles a handsome,
permanent, metallic matt luster. The smoothing powder consists of 2
parts of jewelers’ red and 8 parts of lime carbonate, levigated in
water, and well dried. Jewelers’ red alone may be employed, but this
requires some practice and care, especially in the treatment of wheels,
because rays are liable to form from the teeth toward the center.
«Pickle for Brass.»—Stir 10 parts (by weight) of shining soot or snuff,
10 parts of cooking salt, and 10 parts of red tartar with 250 parts
of nitric acid, and afterwards add 250 parts of sulphuric acid; or
else mix 7 parts of aqua fortis (nitric acid) with 10 parts of English
sulphuric acid. For the mixing ratio of the acid, the kind and alloy of
the metal should be the guidance, and it is best found out by practical
trials. The better the alloy and the less the percentage of zinc or
lead, the handsomer will be the color. Genuine bronze, for instance,
acquires a golden shade. In order to give brass the appearance of
handsome gilding it is often coated with gold varnish by applying same
thinly with a brush or sponge and immediately heating the metal over a
coal fire.
«Pickling Brass to Look Like Gold.»—To pickle brass so as to make it
resemble gold allow a mixture of 6 parts of chemically pure nitric
acid and 1 part of English sulphuric acid to act for some hours upon
the surface of the brass; then wash with a warm solution, 20 parts of
tartar in 50 parts of water, and rub off neatly with dry sawdust. Then
coat the article with the proper varnish.
«Pickle for Dipping Brass.»—To improve the appearance of brass, tombac,
and copper goods, they are usually dipped. For this purpose they are
first immersed in diluted oil of vitriol (brown sulphuric acid),
proportion, 1 to 10; next in a mixture of 10 parts of red tartar; 10
parts of cooking salt; 250 parts of English sulphuric acid, as well as
250 parts of aqua fortis (only for a moment), rinsing off well in water
and drying in sawdust. For obtaining a handsome matt gold color 1/20
part of zinc vitriol (zinc sulphate) is still added to the pickle.
«Restoration of Brass Articles.»—The brass articles are first freed
from adhering dirt by the use of hot soda lye; if bronzed they are
dipped in a highly dilute solution of sulphuric acid and rinsed in
clean water. Next they are yellowed in a mixture of nitric acid, 75
parts; sulphuric acid, 100 parts; shining lampblack, 2 parts; cooking
salt, 1 part; then rinsed and polished and, to prevent oxidation,
coated with a colorless spirit varnish, a celluloid varnish being best
for this purpose.