divide it into two equal portions. In the one dissolve 10 parts of
silver nitrate and in the other 25 parts of potassium cyanide. The two
solutions are reunited in a single vessel as soon as completed. Next
prepare a mixture of 100 parts of Spanish white, passed through a fine
sieve, 10 parts of cream of tartar, pulverized, and 1 part of mercury.
This powder is stirred in a portion of the above liquid so as to form a
rather thick paste. The composition is applied by means of the finger,
covered with a rag, on the object to be silvered. The application must
be as even as possible. Let the object dry and wash in pure water. The
excess of powder is removed with a brush.
II.—The following is a process used when the jeweler has to repair
certain pieces from which silvering has come off {589} in places, and
which he would like to repair without having recourse to the battery,
and specially without having to take out the stones or pearls: Take
nitrate of silver, 25 parts, by weight; cyanide of potassium, 50 parts;
cream of tartar, 20 parts; Paris white, 200 parts; distilled water, 200
parts; mercury, 2 parts. Dissolve the nitrate of silver in half of the
distilled water and the cyanide in the other half; mix the two liquids;
next bray well in a mortar the mercury, Paris white, and cream of
tartar. Preserve the products of these two operations separately, and
when you wish to use them make a rather soft paste of the two, which
apply with a little cotton or a brush on the portion to be silvered.
Let dry and subsequently rub with a soft brush.
«Tin Silver-Plating.»—Prepare a solution of 3 parts, by weight,
of bismuth subnitrate in 10 parts of nitric acid of 1.4 specific
gravity, to which add a solution of 10 parts of tartar and 40 parts
of hydrochloric acid in 1,000 parts of water. In the mixture of these
solutions immerse the tin articles freed from grease and oxide. The
pulverous bismuth precipitated on the surface is rubbed off, whereupon
the objects appear dark steel gray. For silvering prepare a mixture
of 10 parts of silver chloride; 30 parts of cooking salt; 20 parts of
tartar, and 100 parts of powdered chalk, which is rubbed in a slightly
moist state on the bismuth surface of the tin articles, using a flannel
rag. The silver separates only in a very thin layer, and must be
protected against power and light before tarnishing by a coating of
preservative or celluloid varnish.
«Zinc Contact Silver-Plating.»—According to Buchner, 10 parts, by
weight, of silver nitrate is dissolved in water and precipitated by the
addition of hydrochloric acid in the form of silver chloride, which is
washed several times in clean water; now dissolve 70 parts, by weight,
of spirit of sal ammoniac in water, and add to it 40 parts, by weight,
of soda crystals, 40 parts, by weight, of pure potassium cyanide, and
15 parts, by weight, of common salt. Now thin down the compound with
sufficient distilled water to make a total of 1,000 parts.
«Tin Plating of Lead.»—Lead plates are best tinned by plating. For
this purpose a table with a perfectly even iron surface and provided
with vertical raised edges to prevent the melted metal from flowing
away, is employed. The lead is poured on this table, and covered with
grease to prevent oxidation of the surface. As soon as the lead is
congealed, melted tin is poured over it, care being taken that the tin
is sufficiently heated to remelt the surface of the lead and combine
thoroughly with it. When the plate is sufficiently cooled, it is
turned over, and the lower surface treated in the same way. The plate,
thus tinned on both sides, is then placed between rollers, and can be
rolled into very thin sheets without injury to the tin coating. These
sheets, doubly coated with tin by this process, are specially adapted
for lining cases intended for the transport of biscuits, chocolate,
candies, tea, snuff, etc. If lead plates are only to be tinned
superficially, they are heated to a tolerably high temperature, and
sprinkled with powdered rosin; melted tin is then rubbed on the surface
of the plate with a ball of tow. It is advisable to give the lead a
fairly thick coating of tin, as the latter is rendered thinner by the
subsequent rolling.
«VARIOUS RECIPES:»
«To Ascertain whether an Article is Nickeled, Tinned, or
Silvered.»—When necessary to ascertain quickly and accurately the
nature of the white metal covering an object, the following process
will be found to give excellent results:
«Nickeled Surface.»—If the article has a nickel coating, a drop of
hydrochloric acid, deposited on a spot clean and free from grease, will
quickly develop a greenish tint. If the object is kept for 5 or 10
minutes in a solution composed of 60 parts of sea salt and 110 parts of
water, it will receive a very characteristic reddish tint. A drop of
sulphuret of sodium does not change a nickeled surface.
«Tinned Surface.»—A tinned object may be recognized readily by applying
hydrochloric acid, which, even diluted, will remove the tin. The salt
solution, used as previously described, produces a gray tint, faint in
certain cases. The sulphuret of sodium dissolves tin.
«Silvered Surface.»—In the case of a silvered article a drop of nitric
acid will remove the silver, while hydrochloric acid will scarcely
attack it. The salt solution will produce no effect. The sulphuret of
sodium will blacken it rapidly.
PLATINIZING: See Plating.
PLATINOTYPE PAPER: See Photography. {590}
PLATINUM PAPERS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT: See Photography, under
Developing Papers.
PLATINUM WASTE, TO SEPARATE SILVER FROM: See Silver.
PLUMBAGO: See Lubricants.
PLUMES: See Feathers.
«PLUSH:»
«To Make Plush Adhere to Metal.»—Wash off with ordinary soda water
the bottom of a tin box, wiping it dry with cloth. Coat the tin with
the juice of onion and press on this space a piece of strong paper,
smoothing it out so that there will be no blisters. When this has
dried, the paper will adhere, so that it can be removed only by
scraping with a sharp instrument. Then give a coat of hot glue to the
paper and press the plush down into the glue, and when dry and hard,
the plush can be removed only by placing the tin box in boiling water.
PLUSH, TO REMOVE GREASE SPOTS FROM: See Cleaning Preparations and
Methods.
POISONS, ANTIDOTES FOR: See Antidotes.
«Polishes»
<h4>Polishes for Aluminum.»—I.—M. Mouray recommends the use of an
emulsion of equal parts of rum and olive oil, made by shaking these
liquids together in a bottle. When a burnishing stone is used, the
peculiar black streaks first appearing should not cause vexation, since
they do not injure the metal in the least, and may be removed with a
woolen rag. The object in question may also be brightened in potash
lye, in which case, however, care must be taken not to have the lye too
strong. For cleaning purposes benzol has been found best.
II.—Aluminum is susceptible of taking a beautiful polish, but it is
not white like that of silver or nickel, rather slightly bluish, like
tin. The shade can be improved. First, the grease is to be removed
from the object with pumice stone. Then, for polishing, use is made of
an emery paste mingled with tallow, forming cakes which are rubbed on
the polishing brushes. Finally, rouge powder is employed with oil of
turpentine.
«Polishes for Bars, Counters, etc.»
I.—Linseed oil 8 ounces
Stale ale 8 ounces
Hydrochloric acid 1 ounce
Alcohol, 95 per cent 1 ounce
White of 1 egg.
Mix. Shake before using. Clean out the dust, dirt, etc., using an
appropriate brush, or a bit of cloth wrapped around a stick, then apply
the above, with a soft brush, or a bit of cotton wrapped in a bit of
silk—or, in fact, any convenient method of applying it.
II.—Japan wax 1 av. ounce
Oil of turpentine 3 fluidounces
Linseed oil 16 fluidounces
Alcohol 3 fluidounces
Solution of potash 1 1/2 fluidounces
Water to make 32 fluidounces.
Dissolve the wax in the turpentine, add the other ingredients,
diluting the potash solution with the water before adding to the other
ingredients, and stir briskly until well mixed.
«POLISHES FOR BRASS, BRONZE, COPPER, ETC.»
Objects of polished copper, bronze, brass, and other alloys of copper
tarnish through water and it is sometimes necessary to give them again
their bright appearance. Pickle the articles in an acid bath; wash them
next in a neutral bath; dry them, and subsequently rub them with a
polishing powder. Such is the general formula; the processes indicated
below are but variants adapted to divers cases and recommended by
disinterested experimenters:
«Sharp Polishes.»—The following three may be used on dirty brasses,
copper articles, etc., where scratching is not objectionable:
I.—Quartz sand, powdered and levigated 20 parts
Paris red 30 parts
Vaseline 50 parts
Mix intimately and make a pomade.
II.—Emery flour, finest levigated 50 parts
Paris red 50 parts
Mutton suet 40 parts
Oleic acid 40 parts
III.—Levigated emery powder 100 parts
Anhydrous sodium carbonate 5 parts
Tallow soap 20 parts
Water 100 parts
{591}
«Copper Articles.»—Make a mixture of powdered charcoal, very fine, 4
parts; spirit of wine, 3 parts; and essence of turpentine, 2 parts.
To this add water in which one-third of its weight of sorrel salt or
oxalic acid has been stirred, and rub the objects with this mixture.
«Bronze Articles.»—Boil the objects in soap lye, wash in plenty of
water, and dry in sawdust.
«Highly Oxidized Bronzes.»—First dip in strong soda lye, then in a bath
containing 1 part of sulphuric acid to 12 parts of water. Rinse in
clean water, and next in water containing a little ammonia. Dry and rub
with a polishing powder or paste.
«POLISHES FOR FLOORS.»
I.—Throw a handful of permanganate potash crystals into a pail of
boiling water, and apply the mixture as hot as possible to the floor
with a large flat brush. If the stain produced is not dark enough,
apply one or two more coats as desired, leaving each wash to dry
thoroughly before applying another. If it is desired to polish the
surface with beeswax, a coat of size should be applied to the boards
before staining, as this gives depth and richness to the color. After 3
or 4 days, polish well with a mixture of turpentine and beeswax. A few
cents will cover the cost of both size and permanganate of potash.
II.—Potash 1 part
Water 4 parts
Yellow beeswax 5 parts
Hot water, a sufficient quantity.
Emulsify the wax by boiling it in the water in which the potash has
been dissolved; stir the whole time. The exact amount of boiling is
determined by the absence of any free water in the mass. Then remove
the vessel from the fire, and gently pour in a little boiling water,
and stir the mixture carefully. If a fat-like mass appears without
traces of watery particles, one may know the mass is in a fit condition
to be liquefied by the addition of more hot water without the water
separating. Then put in the water to the extent of 200 to 225 parts,
and reheat the compound for 5 to 10 minutes, without allowing it to
reach the boiling point. Stir constantly until the mixture is cool, so
as to prevent the separation of the wax, when a cream-like mass results
which gives a quick and brilliant polish on woodwork, if applied in
the usual way, on a piece of flannel rag, and polished by rubbing with
another piece of flannel.
«Colored Floor Polishes.»—Yellow: Caustic soda solution, 7 1/2 parts,
mixed with 1 1/2 to 2 parts of finely powdered ocher, heated with
2 1/2 parts of yellow wax, and stirred until uniformly mixed. A
reddish-brown color may be obtained by adding 2 parts of powdered umber
to the above mixture.
Nut Brown.—I.—Natural umber, 1/2 part; burnt umber, 1 part; and
yellow ocher, 1 part, gives a fine red-brown color when incorporated
with the same wax and soda mixture.
II.—Treat 5 pounds of wax with 15 pounds of caustic soda lye of 3° Bé.
so that a uniform wax milk results; boil with 1/2 pound of annatto, 3
pounds of yellow ocher, and 2 pounds of burnt umber.
Mahogany Brown.—Boil 5 pounds of wax with 15 pounds of caustic soda lye
as above. Then add 7 pounds of burnt umber very finely powdered, making
it into a uniform mass by boiling again.
Yellow Ocher.—The wax milk obtained as above is boiled with 5 pounds of
yellow ocher.
The mass on cooling has the consistency of a salve. If it is to be
used for rubbing the floor it is stirred with sufficient boiling water
so as to form a fluid of the consistency of thin syrup or oil. This
is applied very thin on the floor, using a brush; then it is allowed
to dry only half way, and is rubbed with a stiff floor brush. The
polishing is continued with a woolen rag until a mirror-like gloss
is obtained. It is best not to paint the whole room and then brush,
but the deals should be taken one after the other, otherwise the
coating would become too dry and give too dull a luster. The floors
thus treated with gloss paste are very beautiful. To keep them in
this condition they should be once in a while rubbed with a woolen
rag, and if necessary the color has to be renewed in places. If there
are parquet floors whose patterns are not to be covered up, the ocher
(yellow) paste or, better still, the pure wax milk is used.
«French Polish.»—The wood to be polished must be made perfectly smooth
and all irregularities removed from the surface with glass paper; next
oil the work with linseed oil, taking care to rub off all superfluous
oil. (If the wood is white no oil should be used, as it imparts a
slight color.) Then prepare a wad or rubber of wadding, taking care
there are no hard lumps in it. After the rubber is prepared pour on it
a small quantity of polish. Then cover it with a piece of old cotton
rag (new will {592} not answer). Put a small drop of oil with the
finger on the surface of the rubber, and then proceed to polish, moving
the rubber in lines, making a kind of figure of eight over the work.
Be very careful that the rubber is not allowed to stick or the work
will be spoilt. A little linseed oil facilitates the process. When
the rubber requires more polish, turn back the rag cover, pour on the
polish, replace the cover, oil and work as before. After this rubbing
has proceeded for a little time and the whole surface has been gone
over, the work must be allowed to stand for a few hours to harden,
and then be rubbed down smooth with very fine emery paper. Then give
another coat of polish. If not smooth enough, emery paper again. This
process must continue until the grain is filled up. Finish off with a
clean rubber with only spirit on it (no polish), when a clear bright
surface should be the result. Great care must be taken not to put the
polish on too freely, or you will get a rough surface. After a little
practice all difficulties will vanish. The best French polish will be
found to be one made only from good pale orange shellac and spirit,
using 3 pounds of shellac for each gallon of spirit. The latter should
be of 63 to 64° over-proof. A weak spirit is not suitable and does not
make a good polish. A few drops of pure linseed oil make the polish
work more freely.
«POLISHES FOR FURNITURE.»
First make a paste to fill cracks as follows: Whiting, plaster of
Paris, pumice stone, litharge, equal parts; japan dryer, boiled linseed
oil, turpentine, coloring matter of sufficient quantity. Rub the solids
intimately with a mixture of 1 part of the japan, 2 parts of the
linseed oil, and 3 parts of turpentine, coloring to suit with Vandyke
brown or sienna. Lay the filling on with a brush, let it set for about
20 minutes, and then rub off clean except where it is to remain. In 2
or 3 days it will be hard enough to polish.
After the surface has been thus prepared, the application of a coat
of first-class copal varnish is in order. It is recommended that the
varnish be applied in a moderately warm room, as it is injured by
becoming chilled in drying. To get the best results in varnishing,
some skill and experience are required. The varnish must be kept in an
evenly warm temperature, and put on neither too plentifully nor too
gingerly.
After a satisfactorily smooth and regular surface has been obtained,
the polishing proper may be done. This may be accomplished by manual
labor and dexterity, or consist in the application of a very thin, even
coat of a very fine, transparent varnish.
If the hand-polishing method be preferred, it may be pursued by rubbing
briskly and thoroughly with the following finishing polish:
I.—Alcohol 8 ounces
Shellac 2 drachms
Gum benzoin 2 drachms
Best poppy oil 2 drachms
Dissolve the shellac and gum in the alcohol in a warm place, with
frequent agitation, and, when cold, add the poppy oil. This may be
applied on the end of a cylindrical rubber made by tightly rolling
a piece of flannel which has been torn, not cut, into strips 4 to 6
inches wide.
A certain “oily sweating” of articles of polished wood occurs which
has been ascribed to the oil used in polishing, but has been found to
be due to a waxy substance present in shellac, which is often used in
polishing. During the operation of polishing, this wax enters into
close combination with the oil, forming a soft, greasy mass, which
prevents the varnish from ever becoming really hard. This greasy
matter exudes in the course of time. The remedy is to use only shellac
from which the vegetable wax has been completely removed. This is
accomplished by making a strong solution of the shellac in alcohol
and then shaking it up with fresh seed lac or filtering it through
seed lac. In this way the readily soluble rosins in the seed lac are
dissolved, and with them traces of coloring matter. At the same time
the vegetable wax, which is only slightly soluble, is deposited. The
shellac solution which has exchanged its vegetable wax for rosin is
not yet suitable for fine furniture polishing. It is not sufficiently
taken up by the wood, and an essential oil must be added to give it the
necessary properties, one of the best oils to employ for this purpose
being that of rosemary. The following recipe is given:
II.—Twenty pounds of shellac and 4 pounds of benzoin are dissolved in
the smallest possible quantity of alcohol, together with 1 pound of
rosemary oil. The solution then obtained is filtered through seed lac
so as to remove whatever vegetable wax may be present.
«Red Furniture Paste.»—
Soft water 6 pints
Turpentine 6 pints {593}
Beeswax 3 pounds
White wax 1 1/2 ounces
White soap 18 ounces
Red lead 12 ounces
Cut up soap and dissolve in water by aid of heat; then evaporate to 6
pounds. Melt the waxes and add turpentine in which red lead has been
stirred, pour into this the soap solution, and stir until it is nearly
cold. If a darker color is wanted add more red lead, 4 to 6 ounces.
«Beechwood Furniture.»—The wood of the red beech is known to acquire,
by the use of ordinary shellac polish, a dirty yellow color, and by
the use of white polish, prepared from bleached shellac, an unsightly
gray-white color. Therefore, where light colors are desired, only
filtered shellac polish should be employed, and in order to impart some
fire to the naturally dull color of the beechwood the admixture of a
solution of dragon’s blood in alcohol for a red shade, or turmeric
in alcohol for yellow may be used. A compound of the red and yellow
liquids gives a good orange shade. A few trials will soon show how much
coloring matter may be added to the polish.
«Polishes for Glass.»—I.—Mix calcined magnesia with purified benzine
to a semi-liquid paste. Rub the glass with this mixture by means of a
cotton wad, until it is bright.
II.—Crush to powder cologne chalk, 60 parts, by weight; tripoli, 30
parts, by weight; bole, 15 parts, by weight. For use moisten the glass
a little, dip a linen rag into the powder and rub the glass until it
is clean.
III.—Tin ashes may be employed with advantage. The glass is rubbed with
this substance and then washed off with a piece of soft felt. In this
manner a very handsome polish is obtained.
«Polishes for Ivory, Bone, etc.»—I.—First rub with a piece of linen
soaked with a paste made of Armenian bole and oleic acid. Wash with
Marseilles soap, dry, rub with a chamois skin, and finally render it
bright with an old piece of silk. If the ivory is scratched, it may
be smoothed by means of English red stuff on a cloth, or even with a
piece of glass if the scratches are rather deep. In the hollow parts
of ivory objects the paste can be made to penetrate by means of an old
toothbrush.
II.—Tortoise-shell articles have a way of getting dull and dingy
looking. To repolish dip the finger in linseed oil and rub over the
whole surface. Very little oil should be used, and if the article is a
patterned one it may be necessary to use a soft brush to get it into
the crevices. Then rub with the palm of the hand until all oil has
disappeared, and the shell feels hot and looks bright and shiny.
«Marble Polishing.»—Polishing includes five operations. Smoothing the
roughness left on the surface is done by rubbing the marble with a
piece of moist sandstone; for moldings either wooden or iron mullers
are used, crushed, and wet sandstone, or sand, more or less fine,
according to the degree of polish required, being thrown under them.
The second process is continued rubbing with pieces of pottery without
enamel, which have only been baked once, also wet. If a brilliant
polish is required, Gothland stone instead of pottery is used, and
potter’s clay or fuller’s earth is placed beneath the muller. This
operation is performed upon granites and porphyry with emery and a lead
muller, the upper part of which is incrusted with the mixture until
reduced by friction to clay or impalpable powder. As the polish depends
almost entirely upon these two operations, care must be taken that
they are performed with a regular and steady movement. When the marble
has received the first polish, the flaws, cavities, and soft spots are
sought out and filled with mastic of a suitable color.
This mastic is usually composed of a mixture of yellow wax, rosin, and
Burgundy pitch, mixed with a little sulphur and plaster passed through
a fine sieve, which gives it the consistency of a thick paste; to color
this paste to a tone analogous to the ground tints or natural cement
of the material upon which it is placed, lampblack and rouge, with a
little of the prevailing color of the material, are added. For green
and red marbles, this mastic is sometimes made of gum lac, mixed with
Spanish sealing wax of the color of the marble. It is applied with
pincers, and these parts are polished with the rest. Sometimes crushed
fragments of marble are introduced into the cement, but for fine
marbles the same colors are employed which are used in painting, and
which will produce the same tone as the ground; the gum lac is added to
give it body and brilliancy.
The third operation in polishing consists in rubbing it again with
a hard pumice stone, under which water is being constantly poured,
unmixed with sand. For the fourth process, called {594} softening
the ground, lead filings are mixed with the emery mud produced by
the polishing of mirrors or the working of precious stones, and the
marble is rubbed by a compact linen cushion well saturated with this
mixture; rouge is also used for this polish. For some outside works,
and for hearths and paving tiles, marble workers confine themselves
to this polish. When the marbles have holes or grains, a lead muller
is substituted for the linen cushion. In order to give a perfect
brilliancy to the polish, the gloss is applied. Wash well the prepared
surfaces and leave them until perfectly dry, then take a linen cushion,
moistened only with water, and a little powder of calcined tin of the
first quality. After rubbing with this for some time take another
cushion of dry rags, rub with it lightly, brush away any foreign
substance which might scratch the marble, and a perfect polish will be
obtained. A little alum mixed with the water used penetrates the pores
of the marble, and gives it a speedier polish. This polish spots very
easily and is soon tarnished and destroyed by dampness. It is necessary
when purchasing articles of polished marbles to subject them to the
test of water; if there is too much alum, the marble absorbs the water
and a whitish spot is left.
«POLISHING POWDERS.»
Polishing powders are advantageously prepared according to the
following recipes:
I.—Four pounds magnesium carbonate, 4 pounds chalk, and 4 pounds rouge
are intimately mixed.
II.—Four pounds magnesium carbonate are mixed with 1/4 pound fine
rouge.
III.—Five pounds fine levigated whiting and 2 pounds Venetian red are
ground together.
IV.—Kieselguhr 42 pounds
Putty powder 14 pounds
Pipe clay 14 pounds
Tartaric acid 1 1/2 pounds