_Indelible Ink for Marking Clothing._--Nitrate of silver, five scruples;
gum arabic, two drachms; sap green, one scruple; distilled water, one
ounce; mix together. Before writing on the article to be marked, apply a
little of the following: carbonate of soda, one-half ounce; distilled
water, four ounces; let this last, which is the mordant, get dry; then,
with a quill pen, write what you require.
_Imitation Gold._--16 parts platina; 7 parts copper; 1 part zinc. Put in
a covered crucible, with powdered charcoal, and melt together till the
whole forms one mass, and are thoroughly incorporated together. Or, take
4 oz. platina, 3 oz. silver, 1 oz. copper.
_Imitation Silver._--11 oz. refined nickel; 2 oz. metalic bismuth. Melt
the compositions together three times, and pour them out in ley. The
third time, when melting, add 2 oz. pure silver. Or take ¼ oz. copper, 1
oz. bismuth, 2 oz. saltpetre, 2 oz. common salt, 1 oz. arsenic, 1 oz.
potash, 2 oz. brass, and 3 oz. pure silver. Melt all together in a
crucible.
_Recipe for Making Artificial Honey._--To 10 lbs. sugar add 3 lbs.
water, 40 grains cream tartar, 10 drops essence peppermint, and 3 lbs.
strained honey. First dissolve the sugar in water, and take off the
scum; then dissolve the cream of tartar in a little warm water, which
you will add with some little stirring; then add the honey; heat to a
boiling point, and stir for a few minutes.
_Vinegar._--Take forty gallons of soft water, six quarts of cheap
molasses, and six pounds of acetic acid; put them into a barrel (an old
vinegar barrel is best), and let them stand from three to ten weeks,
stirring occasionally. Add a little "mother" of old vinegar if
convenient. Age improves it.
_Soft Soap._--Dissolve fifteen pounds of common cheap hard soap in
fifteen gallons of hot water, and let it cool. Then dissolve fifteen
pounds of sal soda in fifteen gallons of hot water; add six pounds of
unslaked lime, and boil twenty minutes. Let it cool and settle, and then
pour off the clear liquor very carefully and mix it with the soap
solution. It improves it very much to add one quart of alcohol after
mixing the two solutions. Smaller quantities can be made in the same
proportions. If too strong, add water to suit.
_Babbit's Premium Soap._--5 gals, strong ley; 5 gals water; 5 lbs.
tallow; 1 lb. potash; 2 lbs. sal soda; ½ lb. rosin; 1 pt. salt; 1 pt.
washing fluid. Let the water boil; then put in the articles, and boil
half an hour. Stir it well while boiling, and then run into moulds. It
will be ready for use as soon as cold. The above preparations are for
100 pounds of soap.
_Celebrated Recipe for Silver Wash._--One ounce of nitric acid, one
ten-cent piece, and one ounce of quick-silver. Put in an open glass
vessel and let it stand until dissolved; then add one pint of water, and
it is ready for use. Make it into a powder by adding whiting, and it may
be used on brass, copper, German silver, etc.
_Cement for Aquaria._--Many persons have attempted to make aquarium, but
have failed on account of the extreme difficulty in making the tank
resist the action of water for any length of time. Below is a recipe for
a cement that can be relied upon; it is perfectly free from anything
that injures the animals or plants; it sticks to glass, metal, wood,
stone, etc., and hardens under water. A hundred different experiments
with cements have been tried, but there is nothing like it. It is the
same as that used in constructing the tanks of the Zoological Gardens,
London, and is almost unknown in this country. One part, by measure, say
a gill, of litharge; one gill of plaster of Paris; one gill of dry,
white sand, one-third of a gill of finely-powdered resin. Sift and keep
corked tight until required for use, when it is to be made into a putty
by mixing in boiled oil (linseed) with a little patent dryer added.
Never use it after it has been mixed (that is, with the oil) over
fifteen hours. This cement can be used for marine as well as fresh water
aquaria, as it resists the action of salt water. The tank can be used
immediately, but it is best to give it three or four hours to dry.
_Cement for Attaching Metal to Glass._--Take two ounces of a thick
solution of glue, and mix it with one ounce of linseed-oil varnish, and
half an ounce of pure turpentine; the whole are then boiled together in
a close vessel. The two bodies should be clamped and held together for
about two days after they are united, to allow the cement to become
dry. The clamps may then be removed.
_Cement for Mending Broken China._--Stir plaster of Paris into a thick
solution of gum arabic, till it becomes a viscous paste. Apply it with a
brush to the fractured edges, and draw the parts closely together.
_Cement for Mending Steam Boilers._--Mix two parts of finely powdered
litharge with one part of very fine sand, and one part of quicklime
which has been allowed to slack spontaneously by exposure to the air.
This mixture may be kept for any length of time without injury. In using
it a portion is mixed into paste with linseed oil, or, still better,
boiled linseed oil. In this state it must be quickly applied, as it soon
becomes hard.
_Cheap White House Paint._--Take skim milk, two quarts, eight ounces
fresh slaked lime, six ounces linseed oil; two ounces white Burgundy
pitch, three pounds Spanish white. Slake the lime in water, expose it to
the air, and mix in about one-quarter of the milk, the oil, in which the
pitch is previously dissolved, to be added, a little at the time; then
the rest of the milk, and afterwards the Spanish white. This quantity is
sufficient for thirty square yards, two coats, and costs but a few
cents. If the other colors are wanted, use, instead of Spanish white,
other coloring matter.
_Composition for House-Roofs._--Take one measure of fine sand, two of
sifted wood-ashes, and three of lime, ground up with oil. Mix
thoroughly, and lay on with a painter's brush, first a thin coat and
then a thick one. This composition is not only cheap, but it strongly
resists fire.
_Diamond Cement._--Isinglass, one ounce; distilled vinegar, five and a
half ounces; spirits of wine, two ounces; gum ammoniacum, half an ounce;
gum mastic, half an ounce. Mix well.
_French Polish._--To one pint of spirits of wine, add a quarter of an
ounce of gum copal, a quarter of an ounce of gum arabic, and one ounce
of shellac. Let the gums be well bruised, and sifted through a piece of
muslin. Put the spirits and the gums together in a vessel that can be
closely corked; place them near a warm stove, and frequently shake them;
in two or three days they will be dissolved; strain the mixture through
a piece of muslin, and keep it tightly corked for use.
_Furniture Oil for Polishing and Staining Mahogany._--Take of linseed
oil, one gallon; alkanet root, three ounces; rose pink, one ounce. Boil
them together ten minutes, and strain so that the oil be quite clear.
The furniture should be well rubbed with it every day until the polish
is brought up, which will be more durable than any other.
_Glue for ready Use._--To any quantity of glue use common whiskey
instead of water. Put both together in a bottle, cork tight, and set it
away for three or four days, when it will be fit for use without the
application of heat.
_A Quart of Ink, for a Dime._--Buy extract of logwood, which may be had
at three cents an ounce, or cheaper by the quantity. Buy also, for three
cents, an ounce of _bi-chromate of potash_. Do not make a mistake, and
get the simple chromate of potash. The former is orange red, and the
latter clear yellow. Now, take half an ounce of extract of logwood and
ten grains of bi-chromate of potash, and dissolve them in a quart of hot
rain water. When cold, pour it into a glass bottle, and leave it
uncorked for a week or two. Exposure to the air is indispensable. The
ink is then made, and has cost five to ten minutes' labor, and about
three cents, beside the bottle. The ink is at first an intense steel
blue, but becomes quite black.
_An Excellent Substitute for Ink._--Put a couple of iron nails into a
teaspoonful of vinegar. In half an hour pour in a tablespoonful of
strong tea, and then you will have ink enough for a while.
_Ink, First-Rate Black._--Take twelve pounds of bruised galls, five
pounds of gum Senegal, five pounds of green sulphate of iron, and twelve
gallons of rain water. Boil the galls with nine gallons of water for
three hours, adding fresh water to replace what is lost by evaporation.
Let the decoction settle, and draw off the clear liquor; add to it a
strained solution of the gum; dissolve also the sulphate of iron
separately, and mix the whole.
_Ink, Blue._--Chinese blue, three ounces; oxalic acid, (pure,)
three-quarters of an ounce; gum arabic, powdered, one ounce; distilled
water, six pints. Mix.
_Ink, Cheap Printing._--Take equal parts of lampblack and oil; mix and
keep on the fire till reduced to the right consistency. This is a good
ink for common purposes, and is very cheap. We have used it extensively
ourselves.
_Ink, Copying._--Dissolve half an ounce of gum and twenty grains of
Spanish licorice in thirteen drachms of water, and add one drachm of
lampblack, previously mixed with a teaspoonful of sherry.
_Ink, Indelible._--To four drachms of lunar caustic, in four ounces of
water, add 60 drops of nutgalls, made strong by being pulverized and
steeped in soft water. The mordant, which is to be applied to the cloth
before writing, is composed of one ounce of pearlash, dissolved in four
ounces of water, with a little gum arabic dissolved in it. Wet the spot
with this; dry and iron the cloth; then write.
_Ink, Indelible Marking._--One and a half drachms of nitrate of silver,
one ounce of distilled water, half an ounce of strong mucilage of gum
arabic, three-quarters of a drachm of liquid ammonia. Mix the above in a
clean glass bottle, cork tightly, and keep in a dark place till
dissolved, and ever afterwards. Directions for use: Shake the bottle,
then dip a clean quill pen in the ink, and write or draw what you
require on the article; immediately hold it close to the fire (without
scorching), or pass a hot iron over it, and it will become a deep and
indelible black, indestructible by either time or acids of any
description.
_Ink, Indestructible._--On many occasions it is of importance to employ
an ink indestructible by any process, that will not equally destroy the
material on which it is applied. For black ink, twenty-five grains of
copal, in powder, are to be dissolved in two hundred grains of oil of
lavender, by the assistance of a gentle heat, and are then to be mixed
with two and a half grains of lampblack and half a grain of indigo. This
ink is particularly useful for labelling phials, &c., containing
chemical, substances of a corrosive nature.
_Ink for Marking Linen with Type._--Dissolve one part of asphaltum in
four parts of oil of turpentine, and lamp-black or black-lead, in fine
powder, in sufficient quantity to render of proper consistency to print
with type.
_Ink Powder for Immediate Use._--Reduce to powder ten ounces of
gall-nuts, three ounces of green copperas, two ounces each of powdered
alum and gum arabic. Put a little of this mixture into white wine, and
it will be fit for immediate use.
_Ink Stains._--The moment the ink is spilled, take a little milk, and
saturate the stain, soak it up with a rag, and apply a little more milk,
rubbing it well in. In a few minutes the ink will be completely removed.
_Red Ink._--Take of the raspings of Brazil wood, quarter of a pound, and
infuse them two or three days in colorless vinegar. Boil the infusion
one hour and a half over a gentle fire, and afterward filter it while
hot, through paper laid in an earthenware cullender. Put it again over
the fire, and dissolve in it first half an ounce of gum arabic, and
afterward of alum and white sugar each half an ounce. Care should be
taken that the Brazil wood be not adulterated with the Braziletto or
campeachy wood.
_Transfer Ink._--Mastic in tears, four ounces; shellac, six oz.; Venice
turpentine, half an ounce; melt together; add wax, half a pound; tallow,
three ounces. When dissolved, further add hard tallow soap (in
shavings), three ounces; and when the whole is combined, add lampblack,
two ounces. Mix well, cool a little, and then pour it into molds. This
ink is rubbed down with a little water in a cup or saucer, in the same
way as water-color cakes. In winter, the operation should be performed
near the fire.
_Indian Glues._--Take one pound of the best glue, the stronger the
better, boil it and strain it very clear; boil also four ounces of
isinglass; put the mixture into a double glue pot, add half a pound of
brown sugar, and boil the whole until it gets thick; then pour it into
thin plates or molds, and when cold you may cut and dry them in small
pieces for the pocket. The glue is used by merely holding it over steam,
or wetting it with the mouth. This is a most useful and convenient
article, being much stronger than common glue. It is sold under the name
of Indian glue, but is much less expensive in making, and is applicable
to all kinds of small fractures, etc.; answers well on the hardest
woods, and cements china, etc., though, of course, it will not resist
the action of hot water. For parchment and paper, in lieu of gum or
paste, it will be found equally convenient.
_Japanese Cement._--Intimately mix the best powdered rice with a little
cold water, then gradually add boiling water until a proper consistence
is acquired, being particularly careful to keep it well stirred all the
time; lastly, it must be boiled for one minute in a clean saucepan or
earthern pipkin. This glue is beautifully white and almost transparent,
for which reason it is well adapted for fancy paper work, which requires
a strong and colorless cement.
_Liquid Blacking._--Mix a quarter of a pound of ivory-black, six gills
of vinegar, a tablespoonful of sweet oil, and two large spoonfuls of
molasses. Stir the whole well together, and it will then be fit for use.
_Liquid Glue._--Dissolve one part of powdered alum, one hundred and
twenty parts of water; add one hundred and twenty parts of glue, ten of
acetic acid, and forty of alcohol, and digest. Prepared glue is made by
dissolving common glue in warm water, and then adding acetic acid
(strong vinegar) to keep it. Dissolve one pound of best glue in one and
a half pints of water, and add one pint of vinegar. It is then ready for
use.
_Magic Copying Paper._--To make black paper, lampblack mixed with cold
lard; red paper, Venetian red mixed with lard; blue paper, Prussian blue
mixed with lard; green paper, Chrome green mixed with lard. The above
ingredients to be mixed to the consistency of thick paste, and to be
applied to the paper with a rag. Then take a flannel rag, and rub until
all color ceases coming off. Cut your sheets four inches wide and six
inches long; put four sheets together, one of each color, and sell for
twenty-five cents per package. The first cost will not exceed three
cents.
Directions for writing with this paper: Lay down your paper upon which
you wish to write; then lay on the copying paper, and over this lay any
scrap of paper you choose; then take any hard pointed substance and
write as you would with a pen.
_Mahogany Stain._--Break two ounces of dragon's blood in pieces, and put
them in a quart of rectified spirits of wine; let the bottle stand in a
warm place, and shake it frequently. When dissolved, it is fit for use,
and will render common wood an excellent imitation of mahogany.
_Marine Glue._--Dissolve four parts of India-rubber in thirty-four parts
of coal tar naptha, aiding the solution with heat and agitation. The
solution is then thick as cream, and it should be added to sixty-four
parts of powdered shellac, which must be heated in the mixture till all
is dissolved. While the mixture is hot it is poured on plates of metal,
in sheets like leather. It can be kept in that state, and when it is
required to be used, it is put into a pot and heated till it is soft,
and then applied with a brush to the surfaces to be joined. Two pieces
of wood joined with this cement can scarcely be sundered.
_Parchment._--Paper parchment may be produced by immersing paper in a
concentratic solution of chloride of zinc.
_Amalgam of Gold._--Place one part of gold in a small iron saucepan or
ladle, perfectly clean, then add 8 parts of mercury, and apply a gentle
heat, when the gold will dissolve; agitate the mixture for one minute,
and pour it out on a clean plate or stone slab.
For gilding brass, copper etc. The metal to be gilded is first rubbed
over with a solution of nitrate of mercury, and then covered with a very
thin film of the amalgam. On heat being applied the mercury volatilizes,
leaving the gold behind.
A much less proportion of gold is often employed than the above, where a
very thin and cheap gilding is required, as by increasing the quantity
of the mercury, the precious metal may be extended over a much larger
surface. A similar amalgam prepared with silver is used for silvering.
_Amalgam for Mirrors._--Lead and tin, each 1 oz; bismuth, 2 oz; mercury,
4 oz.; melt as before, and add the mercury. These are used to silver
mirrors, glass globes, etc., by warming the glass, melting the amalgam,
and applying it.
_Annealing Steel._--1. For a small quantity. Heat the steel to a cherry
red in a charcoal fire, then bury in sawdust, in an iron box, covering
the sawdust with ashes. Let stay until cold.--2. For a larger quantity,
and when it is required to be very "soft." Pack the steel with cast iron
(lathe or planer) chips in an iron box, as follows: Having at least ½ or
¾ inch in depth of chips in the bottom of the box, put in a layer of
steel, then more chips to fill spaces between the steel, and also the ½
or ¾ inch space between the sides of box and steel, then more steel; and
lastly, at least 1 inch in depth of chips, well rammed down on top of
steel. Heat to and keep at a red heat for from two to four hours. Do not
disturb the box until cold.
_To make Bell Metal._--1. Melt together under powdered charcoal, 100
parts of pure copper, with 20 parts of tin, and unite the two metals by
frequently stirring the mass. Product very fine.--2. Copper 3 parts; tin
1 part; as above. Some of the finest church bells in the world have this
composition.--3. Copper 2 parts: tin 1 part; as above.--4. Copper 72
parts; tin 26½ parts; iron 1½ parts. The bells of small clocks or
pendules are made of this alloy in Paris.
_Brass to Make._ 1. _Fine Brass._--2 parts of copper to 1 part of zinc.
This is nearly one equivalent each of copper and zinc, if the equivalent
of the former metal be taken at 63-2; or 2 equivalents of copper to 1
equivalent of zine, if it be taken with Liebig and Berzelius, at 31-6.