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Paper and Printing Recipes
A Handy Volume of Practical Recipes,
Concerning the Every-Day Business of
Stationers, Printers, Binders, and the
Kindred Trades.
PUBLISHED BY
J. SAWTELLE FORD,
_OFFICE OF "THE STATIONER AND PRINTER,"_
CHICAGO.
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1883, by
J. SAWTELLE FORD,
In the Office of the Librarian at Washington.
GLIMPSE OF CONTENTS.
This Volume has nearly =Two Hundred= valuable Recipes for Stationers,
Printers, Bookbinders, etc. These Recipes are thoroughly practical, and
such as come up in every day's work. They have been gathered from many
sources, and are endorsed by the best workmen of the United States and
Europe.
INDEX TO RECIPES.
WRITING INKS.
Removing Writing Ink from Paper 1
White Ink 3
Purple Hektograph Ink 3
A Dark Red Indelible Ink 4
Making Carmine 4
Violet Ink 5
Indelible Ink 5
To make Black Ink 6
An Ink which cannot be Erased 6
Copying Ink to be used without Press or Water 3
A Cardinal Ink 7
A Portable Ink 28
Indelible India Ink 28
Copying Inks 29
Invisible Writing 68
PRINTING INKS.
To Prevent Colored Inks from becoming Hard 81
To keep Colored Inks from Skinning 81
To Preserve Colored Inks 82
How to Brighten Common Qualities of Colored Inks 83
A Good Dryer 79
A Quick Dryer 61
Improved Dryer for Printing Ink 66
To take Printer's Ink out of Silk 17
Red Printing Ink 68
Black Printing Ink 69
Colors for Printing Ink 71
Principal Colors of Gold for Grinding 45
MARKING INKS, ETC.
Ink for Rubber Stamps 7
Marking Ink 10
Black Ink for Stencils 6
Stencil Ink 2
Blue Marking Ink for White Goods 10
REMOVAL OF INK STAINS, ETC.
To Remove Writing Ink from Paper 1
To Remove Aniline Ink from the Hands 8
To take Ink Stains from the Hands 9
To Remove Grease Spots from Paper 13
How to Remove Colored Inks 81
Paper for taking out Ink Stains 14
To Remove Ruling Ink Stains from Fingers 17
To Remove Ink Spots 19
To Remove Oil Marks from Paper 20
To Remove Ink Stains from Mahogany 20
CARE OF BOOKS.
Care of Books 78
To Destroy Book Worms 77
How to Prevent Mildew on Books 78
GLUES, PASTES, MUCILAGE, ETC.
Solid Pocket Glue 20
To Test Glue 21
Book-Binder's Glue 22
Cement for Glass 22
Postage Stamp Mucilage 26
To keep Mucilage Fresh 26
Mucilage 27
Mucilage for Pasteboard 27
Cement for Labels 23
A Colorless Cement 23
A Cement that will Resist the Damp 24
To make Glue Water-proof 24
Two Glue Receipts 25
A Good Paster 29
A Paste which will not Spoil 29
A Silver Solder 30
An Article for Labeling Bottles 8
For Making Dextrine 70
PRINTERS' VARNISHES.
A Varnish for Color Prints 82
Printers' Varnish 83
A Varnish for Paper 13
A Transparent Paper Varnish 53
COLOR AND GOLD LEAF PRINTING.
To Fix Bronze Colors on Glass 77
A Bronze or Changeable Hue 80
Gold Leaf Printing 80
Inking Surfaces for Color Work 82
Colors for Holding Bronze 2
Colors for Printing 51
ELECTROTYPING.
To Prevent Electrotype Blocks from Warping 69
Electrotyping on China 42
Electrotyping Handwriting 35
WOOD CUTS AND ENGRAVING.
Care of Wood Cuts 75
To Produce Engraving or Types for Printing by Photography 15
Different kinds of Engraving 36
Care of Wood Type 38
To Restore the Original Whiteness of Copper plate, Wood
Engravings, etc. 42
To Transfer Engraving to Mother of Pearl 39
An Improved Process of Photo-Engraving 31
To Prevent Warping in Blocks and Wood 61
Stereotyping Wood Cuts 46
PAPER.
Waterproof Paper 56
How to Size poor Drawing Paper 56
Paper Soft and Flexible 19
Incombustible Writing and Printing Paper 17
Blue-Black Writing Paper 10
Electric Paper 30
Tinning Paper and Cloth 77
Gummed Paper from Cockling 57
Qualities of Good Paper 14
Impermeable Paper 53
Aniline Ink Paper 16
To make Paper Fine and Water-proof 52
To Bleach Sheepskin Parchment White 50
Carbon Paper 54
Luminous Paper 54
Sizes and Weights of Drawing Paper 55
Bronzed Paper 55
Transparent Drawing Paper 56
Paper for Labels 14
To Split a Sheet of Paper 15
Photo-Lithographic Transfer Paper 32
MISCELLANEOUS.
An Ink Restorer 2
To Obtain a Bright and Lasting Red Edge 41
To Mount Chromos 53
Sealing Wax 69
Photo Prints on Glass 46
Enamel for Fine Cards 35
To Bend a Rule 67
To Make a Corroded Pen 31
To Restore the Lustre of Morocco Leather 41
Non-erasible Pencil Marks 41
Copy Drawing in Color 57
Black Paint for Blackboards 33
To Preserve Pencil Sketches 37
Treatment of India Ink Drawings 9
To Clean Gilt Frames 67
Cleaning New Machinery 67
Washing Forms 59
A Hardening Gloss for Inks 84
A Modeling Material 84
Leaf Copying 84
Usual Sizes and Weights of Book papers 86
Usual Sizes and Weights Colored Print or Poster 86
Painting on Ebonized Wood 43
To Clean Steel Pens 33
To Clean a Chamois Skin 12
Dryer for Ruling Inks 85
Usual Sizes and Weights of News Printing Paper 86
Usual Sizes of Flat and Ledger Papers 87
Size of Newspaper Sheets and Number of Columns 85
STATIONERS' WINDOWS.
Stationers' Windows 33
Hints on Dressing the Store Windows 12
To Prevent Window Steaming 18
GILDING.
For Cheaply Gilding Bronze, etc. 11
Electro-Gilding in Colors 19
How Gilding is Done 43
Gilding with Gold Leaf 46
Gilding on Wood 47
Gilding in Oil 48
METALS.
Coloring Metals 11
Copper Plating on Zinc 38
An Alloy for Glass or Metal 30
Writings on Metals 45
TYPE.
Laying Type 76
Metal for Stereotyping 40
Effect of Petroleum Oil on Wood Type 79
Remedy for Type that Sticks in Distributing 76
Care of Wood Type 38
To Ascertain the Quantity of Plain Type Required for
Newspapers 75
Repairing Battered Wood Type 82
PRINTERS' ROLLERS.
Keeping Rollers when not in Use 62
Preservative of Rollers when not in Use 62
Rollers in Summer Time 63
To Keep Green Mould from Rollers 63
Treatment of Old Rollers 64
A Recipe for Printer's Rollers 64
When to Wash Rollers 66
Oils for Lubricating Roller Moulds 62
PRINTING METHODS.
Gloss Printing 49
Colors for Printing 51
Off-Setting 83
Printing Envelopes 60
On "Casting Up" 74
To Prevent Set-off 61
Temperature of the Pressroom 65
LYE.
A Strong Lye 79
A Cheap Lye 77
Paper and Printing Recipes.
HOW TO REMOVE COMMON WRITING INK FROM PAPER WITHOUT INJURY TO THE PRINT.
Common writing ink may be removed from paper without injury to the print
by oxalic acid and lime, carefully washing it in water before restoring it
to the volume.
TO RENDER PENCIL NOTES INDELIBLE.
Pencil notes found in a book, or placed there as annotations, may be
rendered indelible by washing them with a soft sponge dipped in warm
vellum size or milk.
TO REMOVE GREASE SPOTS FROM PAPER.
Grease may be removed from paper in the following manner: Warm gradually
the parts containing the grease, and extract as much as possible of it by
applying blotting-paper. Apply to the warm paper with a soft, clean brush,
some clear essential oil of turpentine that has been boiled, and then
complete the operation by rubbing over a little rectified spirits of
wine.
HOW TO DETECT ARSENIC IN PAPER.
A simple method for detecting arsenic in paper, cards, etc., is described
as follows:--Immerse the suspected paper in strong ammonia on a white
plate or saucer; if the ammonia becomes blue, the presence of salt of
copper is proved; then drop a crystal of nitrate of silver into the blue
liquid, and, if any arsenic be present, the crystal will become coated
with yellow arseniate of silver, which will disappear on stirring.
AN INK RESTORER.
The process consists in moistening the paper with water and then passing
over the lines in writing a brush which has been wet in a solution of
sulphide of ammonia. The writing will immediately appear quite dark in
color, and this color, in the case of parchment, it will preserve.
COLORS FOR HOLDING BRONZE.
Red and green inks are good colors for holding bronze, when you are not
working with size or varnish.
STENCIL INK.
A good and cheap stencil ink in cakes is said to be obtained by mixing
lampblack with fine clay, a little gum arabic or dextrine, and enough
water to bring the whole to a satisfactory consistence.
COPYING INK TO BE USED WITHOUT PRESS OR WATER.
Well mix three pints of jet-black writing ink and one pint of glycerine.
This, if used on glazed paper, will not dry for hours, and will yield one
or two fair, neat, dry copies, by simple pressure of the hand, in any good
letter copy-book. The writing should not be excessively fine, nor the
strokes uneven or heavy. To prevent "setting off," the leaves after
copying should be removed by blotting-paper. The copies and the originals
are neater than where water is used.
WHITE INK.
There is really no such article as "white ink." A true ink is a solution
of some substance or combination of substances in liquid. Colored liquids,
however, may be prepared with various substances not soluble in the
liquids available for writing fluids. A "white ink" may be made by rubbing
the finest zinc white, or white lead, with a dilute solution of gum
arabic. It must be stirred up whenever the pen or brush is dipped into it.
PURPLE HEKTOGRAPH INK.
To make the purple hektograph ink:--Dissolve 1 part of methyl-violet in 8
parts of water, and add 1 part of glycerine. Gently warm the whole for
about an hour, then allow to cool and add 1/4 part alcohol. It is said, on
good authority, that the alcohol may be advantageously omitted, and that
the following proportions will give even better results than the above,
viz: Methyl-violet, 1 part; water, 7 parts; glycerine, 2 parts. This
formula, it is said, produces an ink which is less liable to sink into the
paper.
A DARK RED INDELIBLE INK.
An indelible red ink for marking linen may be made from the following
formula:
Prepare three separate solutions:
I. Sodium carbonate 3 drs.
Acacia 3 "
Water 12 "
With this moisten the spot to be marked, and dry and smooth with a hot
flat iron.
II. Platinum bichloride 1 dr.
Water 2 oz.
Trace the letters with this fluid, permit to dry, and finally apply
solution.
III. Stannous chloride 1 dr.
Water, distilled 4 "
TO MAKE A CARMINE.
Take 9 ozs. carbonate of soda and dissolve in 27 quarts of rain-water, to
which add 8 ozs. of citric acid. When boiling, add 1-1/2 lbs. of best
cochineal, ground fine, and boil for one and a quarter hours. Filter and
set the liquor aside until cool. Then boil the clear liquor for ten
minutes with 9-1/2 ozs. of alum. Draw off, and allow the mixture to settle
for two or three days. Again draw off the liquor, and wash the sediment
with clear, cold, soft water, and then dry the sediment.
VIOLET INK.
To make violet ink:--Put 8 ozs. logwood into 3 pints of water, and boil
until half the water has gone off in steam. The rest will be good ink, if
strained, and supplemented by 1-1/2 ozs. gum, and 2-1/2 ozs. alum.
Chloride of tin may be used instead of alum. Another plan is to mix, in
hot water, 1 oz. cudbear (a dye obtained from lichen fermented in urine)
and 1-1/2 ozs. pearlash; let it stand 12 hours; strain; add 3 ozs. gum and
1 oz. spirit.
INDELIBLE INK.
A cheap indelible ink can be made by the following recipe:--Dissolve in
boiling water 20 parts of potassa, 10 parts of fine-cut leather chips, and
5 parts of flowers of sulphur are added, and the whole heated in an iron
kettle until it is evaporated to dryness. Then the heat is continued until
the mass becomes soft, care being taken that it does not ignite. The pot
is now removed from the fire, allowed to cool, water is added, the
solution strained and preserved in bottles. This ink will flow readily
from the pen.
HOW TO REMOVE INK-STAINS FROM THE HANDS.
Ripe tomatoes will remove ink or other stains from the hands.
TREATMENT OF INDIA INK DRAWINGS.
An easy method for rendering drawings in Indian ink insensible to water,
and thus preventing the ink from running when the drawing has to be
colored and the lines are very thick:--To the water in which the ink has
to be rubbed, is added a weak solution of bichromate of potash of about 2
per cent. The animal gum contained in the Indian ink combines with the
bichrome, and becomes insoluble under the influence of light.
BLACK INK.
To make a black ink for fountain pens, add 1 part of nigrosein to 50 parts
of hot water; agitate well at intervals; let it cool, and after twelve
hours filter through a fine linen cloth, and add a few drops of carbolic
acid to each pint. This may be diluted with three times its volume of
water, and still form a good ink for ordinary pens.
INK FOR RUBBER STAMPS.
Aniline (red violet), 16 parts; boiling distilled water, 80 parts;
glycerine, 7 parts; molasses, 3 parts.
CARDINAL INK.
Improved cardinal ink for draughtsmen is made as follows:--Triturate 1
gram of pure carmine with 15 grams of acetate ammonia solution and an
equal quantity of distilled water, in a porcelain mortar, and allow the
whole to stand for some time. In this way a portion of the alumina which
is combined with the carmine dye is taken up by the acetate acid of the
ammonia salt and separates as precipitate, while the pure pigment of the
cochineal remains dissolved in the half saturated ammonia. It is now
filtered and a few drops of pure white sugar syrup added to thicken it. In
this way an excellent red drawing ink is obtained, which holds its color a
long time. A solution of gum arabic cannot be employed to thicken this
ink, as it still contains some acetic acid, which would coagulate the
bassorine, one of the natural constituents of gum arabic.
AN ARTICLE FOR LABELING BOTTLES.
A very useful article for labeling bottles containing substances which
would destroy ordinary labels consists of a mixture of ammonium fluoride,
barium sulphate and sulphuric acid, the proportions for its manufacture
being: barium sulphate, 3 parts; ammonium fluoride, 1 part; and sulphuric
acid enough to decompose the fluoride and make a mixture of semi-fluid
consistency. This mixture, when brought in contact with a glass surface
with a common pen, at once etches a rough surface on the parts it comes in
contact with. The philosophy of the action is the decomposition of the
ammonium fluoride by the acid, which attacks the glass; the barium
sulphate is inert, and is simply used to prevent the spreading of the
markings. The mixture must be kept in bottles coated on the inside with
paraffine or wax.
HOW TO REMOVE ANILINE INK FROM THE HANDS.
Aniline inks are now in common use, especially in connection with the
various gelatine tablets for multiplying copies of written matter. Upon
the hands it makes annoying stains, difficult of removal by water or
acids. They may be easily washed out by using a mixture of alcohol 3
parts, and glycerine 1 part.
AN INK WHICH CANNOT BE ERASED.
An ink which cannot be erased from paper or parchment by any known
chemical solvent, and will retain its original color indefinitely, and
last as long as the material on which it is written, is made as
follows:--Make a solution of shellac in borax, to which add sufficient
lampblack to give the requisite depth of color.
TO MAKE BLACK INK.
Lactate of iron, 15 grains; powdered gum arabic, 75 grains; powdered
sugar, half a drachm; gallic acid, 9 grains; hot water, 3 ounces. (Lactate
of iron is a novelty in ink-making, and the above formula may possibly
suit those who have a taste for writing with mucilaginous matters instead
of limpid solutions.)
Black Ink for Stencils.
The following is commended for the preparation of a black ink or paste for
use with stencils:--Boneblack, 1 lb.; molasses, 8 ozs.; sulphuric acid, 4
ozs.; dextrine, 2 ozs.; water sufficient. Mix the acid with about two
ounces of water, and add it to the other ingredients, previously mixed
together. When the effervescence has subsided, enough water is to be added
to form a paste of convenient consistence.
MARKING INK.
Put two pennyworths' lunar caustic (nitrate of silver) into half a
tablespoonful of gin, and in a day or two the ink is fit for use. The
linen to be marked must first be wet with a strong solution of common
soda, and be thoroughly dried before the ink is used upon it. The color
will be faint at first, but by exposure to the sun or the fire it will
become quite black and very durable.
BLUE MARKING INK FOR WHITE GOODS.
Crystallized nitrate of silver, dram 1
Water of ammonia, drams 3
Crystallized carbonate of soda, dram 1
Powdered gum arabic, drams 1-1/2
Sulphate of copper, grains 30
Distilled water, drams 4
Dissolve the silver salt in the ammonia; dissolve the carbonate of soda,
gum arabic, and sulphate of copper in the distilled water, and mix the two
solutions together.
BLUE-BLACK WRITING PAPER.
Take of Aleppo galls, bruised, 9 ozs.; bruised cloves, 2 drachms; cold
water, 80 ozs.; sulphate of iron, 3 ozs.; sulphuric acid, 70 minims;
indigo-paste, 4 drachms. Place the galls and the cloves in a gallon
bottle, pour upon them the water, and let them macerate, with frequent
agitation, for a fortnight. Press, and filter through paper into another
gallon bottle. Next, put in the sulphate of iron, dissolve it, add the
acid, and shake the whole briskly. Lastly, add the indigo-paste, mix well,
and filter again through paper. Keep the ink in well-corked bottles.
COLORING METALS.
Metals may be rapidly colored by covering their surfaces with a thin layer
of sulphuric acid. According to the thickness of the layer and the
durability of its action, there may be obtained tints of gold, copper,
carmine, chestnut-brown, clear and aniline blue and reddish-white. These
tints are all brilliant, and if care be taken to scour the metallic
objects before treating them with the acid, the color will suffer nothing
from the polishing.
FOR CHEAPLY GILDING BRONZES, ETC.
A mixture for cheaply gilding bronzes, gas-fittings, etc.:--Two and
one-half pounds cyanide of potash, five ounces carbonate of potash and two
ounces cyanate of potass, the whole diluted in five pints of water,
containing in solution one-fourth ounce chloride of gold. The mixture must
be used at boiling heat, and, after it has been applied, the gilt surface
must be varnished over.
HOW TO CLEAN A CHAMOIS SKIN.
When a chamois skin gets into a dirty condition, rub plenty of soft soap
into it, and allow it to soak for a couple of hours in a weak solution of
soda and water. Then rub it until it appears quite clean. Now take a weak
solution of warm water, soda and yellow soap, and rinse the leather in
this liquor, afterward wringing it in a rough towel, and drying it as
quickly as possible. Do not use water alone, as that would harden the
leather and make it useless. When dry brush it well and pull it about; the
result will be that the leather will become almost as soft as fine silk,
and will be, to all intents and purposes, far superior to most new
leathers.
HINTS ON DRESSING THE STORE WINDOWS.
In dressing store windows avoid as far as possible placing cards or note
sheets flat; endeavor in some manner to have them erect, leaning against a
box or placed upon a small easel. Neither crowd your window nor place
things in exact rows. Give each article plenty of space in your window;
then you do not need so much to fill up, and on the following week put in
the pieces you might have displayed the previous week had you crowded your
window.
A VARNISH FOR PAPER.
A varnish for paper which produces no stains, may be prepared as
follows:--Clear damar resin is covered in a flask, with four and a half to
six times its weight of acetone, and allowed to stand for fourteen days at
a moderate temperature, after which the clear solution is poured off.
Three parts of this solution are mixed with four parts of thick collodian,
and the mixture allowed to become clear by standing. It is applied with a
soft hair brush in vertical strokes. At first the coating looks like a
thin, white film, but on complete drying it becomes transparent and
shining. It should be laid on two or three times. It retains its
elasticity under all circumstances, and remains glossy in every kind of
weather.
TO REMOVE GREASE SPOTS FROM PAPER.
The following is a recipe for removing grease spots from paper:--Scrape
finely some pipe clay on the sheet of paper which is to be cleaned. Let it
completely cover it, then lay a thin piece of paper over it, and pass a
heated iron on it for a few seconds. Then take a perfectly clean piece of
India rubber and rub off the pipe clay. In most cases one application will
be found sufficient, but if it is not, repeat it.
PAPER FOR TAKING OUT INK STAINS.
Thick blotting paper is soaked in a concentrated solution of oxalic acid
and dried. Laid immediately on a blot it takes it out without leaving a
trace behind.
QUALITIES OF GOOD PAPER.
A good paper ought to feel tight and healthy, not clammy and soft, as if a
little muscle were required. Paper-makers say that a good paper has
"plenty of guts" in it, a forcible if not extremely polite expression. In
buying a good paper always look out for the "guts." Clay gives paper a
soft feel. Perhaps the first qualification about a good writing paper is
its cleanliness and freedom from specks of all kinds. A dirty paper is
never salable except to dirty people and firms who don't mind using dirty
materials.
PASTE FOR LABELS.
For adhesive labels dissolve 1-1/2 ozs. common glue, which has laid a day
in cold water, with some candy sugar, and 3/4 oz. gum arabic, in 6 ounces
hot water, stirring constantly till the whole is homogeneous. If this
paste is applied to labels with a brush and allowed to dry, they will then
be ready for use by merely moistening with the tongue.
HOW TO PRODUCE ENGRAVINGS OR TYPES FOR PRINTING BY PHOTOGRAPHY
The process of producing engravings or types for printing by photography
consists first, in making a sharp negative of the picture to be engraved;
second, in the photographic printing of a sheet of sensitized gelatine by
means of the negative; third, the development of the printed lines upon
the surface of the gelatine by water; and fourth, the casting of a copy of
the developed gelatine sheet in metal, the metal so produced being used
for printing on the press in the ordinary manner. All this is very simple,
and in the hands of experienced and skilled persons very beautiful
examples of printing plates, having all the fineness and artistic effect
of superior hand engraved work, may be produced.
HOW TO SPLIT A SHEET OF PAPER.
Get a piece of plate glass and place on it a sheet of paper; then let the
paper be thoroughly soaked. With care and a little dexterity the sheet can
be split by the top surface being removed. But the best plan is to paste a
piece of cloth or strong paper on each side of the sheet to be split. When
dry, violently and without hesitation pull the two pieces asunder, when
part of the sheet will be found to have adhered to one and part to the
other. Soften the paste in water and the pieces can be easily removed
from the cloth. The process is generally demonstrated as a matter of
curiosity, yet it can be utilized in various ways. If we want to paste in
a scrap book a newspaper article printed on both sides of the paper, and
possess only one copy, it is very convenient to know how to detach the one
side from the other. The paper, when split, as may be imagined, is more
transparent than it was before being subjected to the operation, and the
printing ink is somewhat duller; otherwise the two pieces present the
appearance of the original if again brought together.
ANILINE INK PAPER.
To make aniline ink paper thick filtering paper is soaked in a very
concentrated solution of an aniline dye and allowed to dry; it may then be
soaked again to make it absorb more color. With a little attention it will
not be difficult to prepare the paper so as to have a known quantity of
coloring matter in a square of a given size. Paper prepared as above is
very convenient to have when traveling; when one wishes to write, it is
only necessary to tear off a small piece of the paper and let it soak in a
little water. Aniline blue paper may also be employed conveniently for
bluing in washing.
TO MAKE INCOMBUSTIBLE WRITING AND PRINTING PAPER.
To make incombustible writing and printing paper, asbestos of the best
quality is treated with potassium permanganate and then with sulphuric
acid. About ninety-five per cent of such asbestos is mixed with five per
cent of wood pulp in water containing borax and glue. A fire proof ink is
made of platinous chloride and oil of lavender, mixed for writing with
India ink and gum, and for printing with lampblack and varnish.
HOW TO TAKE PRINTERS' INK OUT OF SILK.
To take printer's ink out of silk without damaging the goods:--Put the
stained parts of the fabric into a quantity of benzine, then use a fine,
rather stiff brush, with fresh benzine. Dry and rub bright with warm water
and curd soap. The benzine will not injure the fabric or dye.
TO REMOVE RULING INK STAINS FROM FINGERS.
Wash in chloride of lime and then rinse hands in a spoonful of alcohol.
The operation should be done quickly, as the lime, of course, eats into
the flesh. The alcohol renders the hands smooth again, and takes away the
disagreeable odor.
TO PREVENT WINDOW STEAMING.
A remedy against window steaming is composed of methylated spirit at about
63 per cent over-proof, glycerine and any of the essential oils, and in
some cases amber dissolved in spirit, according to the state of the
atmosphere.
About eight ounces of glycerine to about one gallon of spirit, the
quantity of essential oil depending upon the nature of the same; but it
will be understood that these proportions may be varied. Instead of
methylated spirit, spirit of wine may be employed, but methylated spirit
is preferable as being the cheaper. In combining the above-named
ingredients, the essential is destroyed by being mixed with the methylated
spirit or with the spirit of wine, and the liquid is then incorporated
with the glycerine. The combination is affected at the ordinary
temperature, the employment of heat being unnecessary. This liquid
composition is applied to the internal surface of the pane of glass or the
lens, either by rubbing it on with felt or with cotton-waste, or by
spreading it thereon with a camel's hair brush, or with other suitable
appliances, and thus the dull and dimmed appearance of glass usually
produced by condensation--known as steaming or sweating--is avoided.
TO RENDER PAPER SOFT AND FLEXIBLE.
To render paper soft and flexible, heat it with a solution of acetate of
soda, or of potash dissolved in four to ten times its weight of water. For
permanent paper, to twenty parts of this solution one part of starch or
dextrine is added. If the paper has to be made transparent, a little of a
solution containing one part soluble glass in four to eight parts water is
added. To render the paper fit for copying without being made wet, to the
acetate solution chromic acid or ferro-cyanide of potassium is added.
TO REMOVE INK SPOTS.
First moisten the blots with a strong solution of oxalic acid, then with a
clear saturated aqueous solution of fresh chloride of lime--bleaching
powder. Absorb excess of the liquids from the paper as quickly as possible
with a clean piece of blotting paper. Repeat the treatment if necessary,
and dry thoroughly between blotting pads under pressure.
ELECTRO GILDING IN COLORS.
Electro-gilding in various colors may be readily effected by adding to the
gold bath small quantities of copper or silver solution until the desired
tint is obtained. A little silver solution added to the gilding bath
causes the deposit to assume a pale yellow tint. By increasing the dose of
silver solution a pale greenish tint is obtained. Copper solution added to
the gold bath yields a warm, red gold tint. It is best to use a current of
rather high tension, such as that of the Bunsen battery, for depositing
the alloy of gold and copper.
TO REMOVE OIL MARKS FROM PAPER.
Oil marks on wall paper, where careless persons have rested their heads,
may be removed by making a paste of cold water and pipe clay or fuller's
earth, and laying it on the stains without rubbing it in; leave it on all
night, and in the morning it can be brushed off, and the spot, unless it
be a very old one, will have disappeared. If old, renew the application.
TO REMOVE INK STAINS FROM MAHOGANY.
To remove ink stains from mahogany apply carefully with a feather a
mixture of a teaspoonful of water and a few drops of nitre, and rub
quickly with a damp cloth.
SOLID POCKET GLUE.
Is made from 600 grams of glue and 250 grams of sugar. The glue is at
first completely dissolved by boiling with water; the sugar is then
introduced into the hot solution, and the mixture evaporated until it
becomes solid on cooling. The hard mass dissolves very rapidly in lukewarm
water, and then gives a paste which is especially adapted for paper.
TO TEST GLUE.
An article of glue which will stand damp atmosphere is a desideratum among
mechanics. Few know how to judge of quality except by the price they pay
for it. But price is no criterion; neither is color, upon which so many
depend. Its adhesive and lasting properties depend more upon the material
from which it is made, and the method of securing purity in the raw
material, for if that is inferior and not well cleansed, the product will
have to be unduly charged with alum or some other antiseptic, to make it
keep during the drying process. Weathered glue is that which has
experienced unfavorable weather while drying, at which time it is rather a
delicate substance. To resist damp atmosphere well, it should contain as
little saline matter as possible. When buying the article, venture to
apply your tongue to it, and if it tastes salt or acid, reject it for
anything but the commonest purpose. The same operation will also bring out
any bad smell the glue may have. These are simple and ready tests and are
the ones usually adopted by dealers and large consumers. Another good
test is to soak a weighed portion of dry glue in cold water for
twenty-four hours, then dry again and weigh. The nearer it approaches to
its original weight the better glue it is, thereby showing its degree of
insolubility.
BOOK-BINDERS' GLUE.
To prevent book-binders glue from turning sour, add enough of the raw
salicylic acid in boiling water to keep it soluble. It is also commended
never to keep glue in open pots, but in cylindrical shaped vessels that
admit of tight corking.
HOW TO MAKE A CEMENT FOR GLASS THAT WILL RESIST ACIDS.
To make a cement for glass that will resist acids, the following has been
recommended:--Take 10-1/2 pounds of pulverized stone and glass, and mix
with it 4-3/4 pounds of sulphur. Subject the mixture to such a moderate
degree of heat that the sulphur melts. Stir until the whole becomes
homogeneous, and then run it into molds. When required for use it is to be
heated to 248 deg., degrees, at which temperature it melts, and may be
employed in the usual manner. This, it is said, resists the action of
acids, never changes in the air, and is not affected in boiling water. At
230 deg. it is said to be as hard as stone.
CEMENT FOR LABELS.
1. Macerate 5 parts of glue in 18 parts of water. Boil and add 9 parts
rock candy and 5 parts gum arabic. 2. Mix dextrine with water and add a
drop or two of glycerine. 3. A mixture of one part of dry chloride of
calcium, or 2 parts of the same salt in the crystallized form, and 36
parts of gum arabic, dissolved in water to a proper consistency, forms a
mucilage which holds well, does not crack by drying, and yet does not
attract sufficient moisture from the air to become wet in damp weather. 4.
For attaching labels to tin and other bright metallic surfaces, first rub
the surface with a mixture of muriatic acid and alcohol, then apply the
label with a very thin coating of the paste, and it will adhere almost as
well as on glass. 5. To make cement for attaching labels to metals, take
10 parts tragacanth mucilage, 10 parts of honey, and 1 part flour. The
flour appears to hasten the drying, and renders it less susceptible to
damp.
A COLORLESS CEMENT FOR JOINING SHEETS OF MICA.
A colorless cement for joining sheets of mica is prepared as
follows:--Clear gelatine softened by soaking it in a little cold water,
and the excess of water pressed out by gently squeezing it in a cloth. It
is then heated over a water bath until it begins to melt, and just enough
hot proof spirit (not in excess) stirred in to make it fluid. To each pint
of this solution is gradually added, while stirring, one-fourth ounce of
sal-ammoniac and one and one-third ounces of gum mastic, previously
dissolved in four ounces of rectified spirits. It must be warmed to
liquefy it for use, and kept in stoppered bottles when not required. This
cement, when properly prepared, resists cold water.
A CEMENT THAT WILL RESIST THE DAMP.
A cement that will resist the damp, but will not adhere if the surface is
greasy, is made by boiling together 2 parts shellac, 1 part borax, and 16
parts water.
TO MAKE GLUE WATERPROOF.
The best substance is bichromate of potash. Add about one part of it,
first dissolved in water, to every thirty or forty parts of glue; but you
must keep the mixture in the dark, as light makes it insoluble. When you
have glued your substances together, expose the joint to the light, and
every part of the glue thus exposed will become insoluble, and therefore
waterproof. If the substances glued together are translucent like paper,
all will become waterproof; if opaque like wood, only the exposed edges
will become so, but they also protect the interior--not exposed
parts--against the penetration of moisture.
TWO GLUE RECIPES.
A glue ready for use is made by adding to any quantity of glue, common
whisky, instead of water. Put both together in a bottle, cork it tight and
set it for three or four days, when it will be fit for use without the
application of heat. Glue thus prepared will keep for years, and is at all
times fit for use, except in very cold weather, when it should be set in
warm water before using. To obviate the difficulty of the stopper getting
tight by the glue drying in the mouth of the vessel, use a tin vessel with
the cover fitting tight on the outside to prevent the escape of the spirit
by evaporization. A strong solution of isinglass made in the same manner
is an excellent cement for leather.
A valuable glue is made by an admixture with common glue of one part of
acid chromate of lime in solution to five parts of gelatine. The glue made
in this manner, after exposure, is insoluble in water, and can be used for
mending glass objects likely to be exposed to hot water. It can also be
made available for waterproofing articles such as sails or awnings, but
for flexible fabrics it is not suitable. A few immersions will be found
sufficient to render the article impervious to wet. It is necessary that
fractured articles should be exposed to the light after being mended, and
then warm water will have no effect on them, the chromate of lime being
better than the more generally used bichromate of potash.
POSTAGE STAMP MUCILAGE.
Postage stamp mucilage can be made by dissolving an ounce of dextrine in
five ounces of hot water, and adding one ounce of acetic acid and one
ounce of alcohol. The dextrine should be dissolved in water in a glue pot,
or some similar vessel, which will prevent burning. The quantities in this
recipe may be varied by taking any required weights in the proportions
mentioned. Dr. Phin says that dextrine mixed with water makes a good label
mucilage if a drop or two of glycerine be added to it. Too much glycerine
will prevent the mucilage drying; with too little it will be likely to
crack.
HOW TO KEEP MUCILAGE FRESH.
To keep mucilage fresh, and prevent the formation of mould, drop into the
bottle a few crystals of thymol, which is a strong and harmless
antiseptic.
MUCILAGE IN A SOLID FORM WHICH WILL DISSOLVE IN WATER.
Mucilage in a convenient solid form, and which will readily dissolve in
water, for fastening paper, prints, etc., may be made as follows:--Boil
one pound of the best white glue, and strain very clear; boil also four
ounces of isinglass, and mix the two together; place them in a water
bath--a glue pot will do--with one-half pound of white sugar, and
evaporate till the liquid is quite thick, when it is to be poured into
molds, dried, and cut into pieces of convenient size.
MUCILAGE FOR PASTEBOARD.
Persons are often at a loss for a very strong mucilage having sufficient
power of tenacity to fasten sheets of pasteboard together. The following
cement is recommended by a scientific authority. It has the additional
advantage of being waterproof. Melt together equal parts of pitch and
gutta-percha. To nine parts of this add three parts of boiled oil, and
one-fifth part of litharge. Continue the heat with stirring until a
thorough union of the ingredients is effected. Apply the mixture hot or
somewhat cooled, and thinned with a small quantity of benzole or
turpentine oil.
A PORTABLE INK.
The aniline colors, which possess great tinctorial powers, can be
conveniently used in the preparation of a portable ink. Saturate white
tissue paper with an aniline violet, or with aniline black, by dipping the
sheets into a saturated alcoholic solution of these colors; then dry and
pack them in suitable parcels, and you will have a portable ink, either
violet or black.
INDELIBLE INDIA INK.
Draughtsmen are aware that lines drawn on paper with good India ink well
prepared cannot be washed out by mere sponging or washing. Now, however,
it is proposed to take advantage of the fact that glue or gelatine, when
mixed with bichromate of potassa, and exposed to the light, becomes
insoluble, and thus renders India ink, which always contains a little
gelatine, indelible. Reisenbichler, the discoverer, calls this kind of ink
"Harttusche," or "hard India ink." It is made by adding to the common
India ink of commerce about one per cent, in a very fine powder, of
bichromate of potash. This must be mixed with the ink in a dry state;
otherwise, it is said, the ink could not be easily ground in water. Those
who cannot provide themselves with ink prepared as above in a cake, can
use a dilute solution of bichromate of potash in rubbing up the ink. It
answers the same purpose, though the ink should be used thick, so that the
yellow salt will not spread.
TO MAKE COPYING INKS.
Dissolve in a pint and a half of writing ink (violet or any other color)
an ounce of lump sugar or sugar candy. A copying ink, so slow drying that
writing in it can be copied by the use of no greater pressure than the
hand can produce when passed over a sheet of paper, may be made by boiling
away nearly half of some ordinary writing fluid and then adding as much
glycerine.
A GOOD PASTER.
Let a little starch lie in vinegar over night. Pour in boiling water,
stirring briskly till it thickens. It will keep better if a few drops of
carbolic acid are added. A very little corrosive sublimate will keep out
insects. A little glue dissolved in the vinegar will make it stronger. It
leaves the pasted scrap-page flexible, adheres firmly, dries quickly, and
does not give a varnishy look to even the thinnest print paper.
A PASTE WHICH WILL NOT SPOIL.
A paste that will not spoil is made by dissolving a piece of alum the size
of a walnut in one pint of water. Add to this two tablespoonfuls flour
made smooth with a little cold water, and a few drops of oil of cloves,
putting the whole to a boil. Put up in a glass canning-jar.
ELECTRIC PAPER.
Electric paper may be made thus:--Tissue paper or filtering paper is
soaked in a mixture consisting of equal quantities of saltpetre and
sulphuric acid. It is afterwards exposed to dry, when a pyroxyline (a
substance resembling gun-cotton) forms. This is in the highest degree
electrical.
A SILVER SOLDER.
To make silver solder melt together 34 parts, by weight, silver coin, and
five parts copper; after cooling a little, drop into the mixture 4 parts
zinc, then heat again.
AN ALLOY FOR GLASS OR METAL.
The following alloy, it is said, will attach itself firmly to glass,
porcelain or metal.--Twenty to thirty parts of finely pulverulent copper,
prepared by precipitation or reduction with the battery, are made into a
paste with oil of vitriol. To this seventy parts of mercury are added, and
well triturated. The acid is then washed out with boiling water and the
compound allowed to cool. In ten or twelve hours it becomes sufficiently
hard to receive a brilliant polish, and to scratch the surface of tin or
gold. When heated it is plastic, but does not contract on cooling.
AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF PHOTO-ENGRAVING.
The metal plate, of copper or zinc, is coated with a very thin layer of
bitumen of Judaea, and when this coat has become perfectly dry, a film of
bichromatized albumen is flowed over the plate. It is next exposed in the
camera, and afterwards washed with water, in order to dissolve all the
albumen which has not been rendered insoluble by the luminous action; it
is then treated with spirit of turpentine, which dissolves all those parts
of the layer of bitumen that have become exposed. The plate can now be
attacked directly by water acidulated with from four to six per cent of
nitric acid. The great advantage of this method consists in the high
sensitiveness of the bichromatized albumen, at the same time preserving
the solid reserve produced by the bitumen of Judaea on a metallic surface.
TO MAKE NEW A CORRODED PEN.
When a pen has become so corroded as to be useless, it can be made good as
new by holding it in the flame of a gas jet for half a minute; then drop
in cold water, take out, wipe clean, and it will be ready for use again.
ENAMEL FOR FINE CARDS.
For the brilliant enamel now often generally applied to fine cards and
other purposes, the following formula is given:--For white and for all
pale and delicate shades, take twenty-four parts, by weight, of paraffine;
add thereto 100 parts of pure kaolin (China clay), very dry and reduced to
a fine powder. Before mixing with the kaolin, the paraffine must be heated
to fusing point. Let the mixture cool, and it will form a homogeneous
mass, which is to be reduced to powder, and worked into paste in a
paint-mill, with warm water. This is the enamel ready for application. It
can be tinted according to fancy.
ELECTROTYPING HANDWRITING.
To produce electrotypes or stereotypes of letters, signatures, ordinary
written matter, drawings or sketches, coat a smooth surface of glass or
metal with a smooth, thin layer of gelatine, and let it dry. Then write or
draw upon it with an ink containing chrome alum, allow it to dry exposed
to light, and immerse the plate in water. Those parts of the surface which
have not been written upon will swell up and form a relief plate, while
those parts which have been written upon with the chrome ink have become
insoluble in water, after exposure to light. The relief may be transferred
to plaster of Paris, and from this may be made a plate in type metal.
BLACK PAINT FOR BLACKBOARDS.
Take shellac varnish, one-half gallon; lampblack, five ounces; powdered
iron ore or emery in fine powder, three ounces. If too thick, thin down
with alcohol. Give the wood three coats of the composition, allowing each
to dry before putting on the next. The first coat may be of shellac and
lampblack alone.
TO CLEAN STEEL PENS.
Potato is used to clean steel pens, and generally act as a pen-wiper. It
removes all ink crust, and gives a peculiarly smooth flow to the ink. Pass
new pens two or three times through a gas flame, and then the ink will
flow freely.
STATIONERS' WINDOWS.
It is important that strangers should get a good impression with a tasty
window, or a polite reception when entering the store. Remember that first
impressions go a great way, and when once formed, good or bad, are very
hard to get rid of. Make it a special point to clean the window once a
week, put in different stock every time, and do not be afraid to display
goods because the dust will spoil them. If the article in question is
delicate and easily ruined, leave it in the window only a few days;
display samples of the latest goods, and, if necessary, buy some article
that is showy, and which you think will attract people, especially for the
window, even though the amount expended is "sunk." It will certainly pay
in the end. If your stock of a certain article or class of goods is large,
devote the whole window to it for a week.
It is impossible to give rules for the arrangement, which, of course,
depends on the goods to be shown and the taste of the person dressing the
window. Stamped papers and visiting cards can be shown effectively in the
following manner:--Have a number of wooden blocks made the size of a
quarter of a ream of paper and a package of visiting cards; wrap these
neatly with a sample sheet of paper or cards on the outside, tied with
ribbon. Another way to show printed visiting cards is to make a small
pyramid of them by taking three small square boxes of different sizes,
which, when placed one on top of the other, will form a small pyramid.
Cover these entirely with samples of visiting cards, and place in the
center of the window.
PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIC TRANSFER PAPER.
Photo-lithographic transfer paper and ink are prepared in the following
manner:--The paper is treated with a solution of a hundred parts of
gelatine and one part of chrome alum in 2,400 parts of water. After
drying, it is treated with the white of egg. It is made sensitive with a
bath consisting of one part of chrome alum, 14 parts of water and 4 parts
of alcohol. The latter ingredient prevents the white of egg from
dissolving. On the dark places the white of egg, together with the ink
with which the exposed paper has been coated, separates in water. The
transfer ink consists of 20 parts of printing ink, 50 parts of wax, 40
parts of tallow, 35 parts of colophony, 210 parts of oil of turpentine, 30
parts of Berlin blue. It is found that a varnish formed of Canadian
balsam, dissolved in turpentine, supplies a most valuable means of making
paper transparent. The mode by which this is most satisfactorily
accomplished is by applying a thin coating of this varnish to the paper,
so as to permeate it thoroughly, after which it is to be coated on both
sides with a much thicker mixture. The paper is kept warm by performing
the operation before a hot fire, and a third and even a fourth coating may
be applied until the texture of the paper is seen to merge into
homogeneous translucency. Paper prepared according to this process is
said to come nearer than any other to the highest standard of perfection
in transparent paper. Care must be used in making, as the materials are
highly inflammable.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF ENGRAVING.
"Line" engraving is of the highest order. All engravings are done in
"line"--simply straight lines. Next comes "line" and "stiple." "Stiple"
means dots--small dots like this:--....--.... These small dots are used to
lighten up the high parts of the face or drapery. It is very hard to
engrave a face in lines, simply, and only master engravers have ever
undertaken it. The masters understand and practice both in "line" and
"stiple." Claude Mellan engraved, in 1700, a full head of Christ, with one
unbroken line. This line commenced at the apex of the nose, and wound out
and out like a watch spring. Mezzotint engravings are produced thus:--The
steel or copper is made rough like fine sand paper. To produce soft
effects, this rough surface is scraped off. If you want a high place or
"high light" in your engraving, scrape the surface smooth, then the ink
will not touch it. If you want faint color, scrape off a little. Such
engravings look like lithographs. Etching is adapted to homely and
familiar-sketches. Etching is done thus:--The copper or steel plate is
heated and covered with black varnish. The engraver scratches off this
varnish with sharp needles, working on the surface as he would on paper
with a pencil. Nitric acid is then passed over the plate, and it eats away
at the steel and copper wherever the needle has scraped off the varnish.
When the varnish is removed with spirits of turpentine, the engraving is
seen in sunken lines on the plate.
HOW TO PRESERVE PENCIL SKETCHES.