This section is from the book "The English And American Mechanic", by B. Frank Van Cleve. Also available from Amazon: The English And American Mechanic.
Copper, 2 parts; zinc, 1 part; mix.
Organ Pipes consist of lead alloyed with about half its quantity of tin to harden it. The mottled or crystalline appearance so much admired shows an abundance of tin.
Baron Wetterstedt's Patent Sheathing for ships consists of lead, with from 2 to 8 per cent, of antimony; about 3 per cent, is the usual quantity. The alloy is rolled into sheets.
Lead Pipes are cast as hollow cylinders, and drawn out upon triblets; they are also cast of any length without drawing.
Lead Shot are cast by letting the metal run through a narrow slit into a species of colander at the top of a lofty tower; the metal escapes in drops, which, for the most part, assume the spherical form before they reach the tank of water into which they fall at the foot of the tower, and this prevents their being bruised. They are afterwards riddled or sifted for size, and afterwards churned" in a barrel with black lead.
Tin. 16.41 parts; lead, 9.27 parts; bismuth, 27.81 parts; mercury. 46.41 parte.
Copper, 32 lbs.; 6 to 7 oz. zinc to every lb. of copper.
Sulphuric acid, 1 gal.; nitric acid, 1 gal.
Sulphuric acid, 12 lbs.; nitric acid, 1 pint; nitre, 4 lbs.; soot) - handfuls; brimstone, 2 oz. Pulverize the brimstoue, and soak it in water an hour. Add the nitric acid last.
Sulphuric acid, 1 qt.; nitre, 1 qt.; water, 1 qt. A little muriatic acid may be added or omitted.
Sulphuric acid, 4 gals.; nitric acid, 2 gals.: saturated solution of sulphate of iron (copperas,) 1 pint; solution of sulphate of copper, 1 qt.
Sulphuric acid, 2 gals.; nitric acid. 1 pt,; muriatic acid, 1 pt.; water, 1 pint.; nitre, 12 lbs. Put in the muriatic acid last, a little at a time, and stir the mixture with a stick.
Sulphuric acid, 1 gal.; sal ammoniac, 1 oz.; sulphur fin flour,) 1 oz.; blue vitriol, 1 oz.; saturated solution of zinc in nitric acid, mixed with an equal quantity of sulphuric acid, 1 gal.
If the work is oily, boil it in lye; and if it is finished work, filed or turned, dip it in old acid, and then it is ready to be ormolued; but if it is unfinished, and free from oil, pickle it in strong sulphuric acid, dip in pure nitric acid, and then in the old acid, after which it will be ready for ormoluing.
If the work after dipping appears course and spotted, add vitriol till it answers the purpose. If the work after dipping appears too smooth, add muriatic acid and nitre till it gives the right appearance.
The other ormolu dips should be repaired according to the receipts, putting in the proper ingredients, to strengthen them. They should not be allowed to settle, but should be stirred often while using.
Tinning Acid, for Brass or Zinc - Muriatic acid, 1 qt.; zinc, 6 oz. To a solution of this, add water, 1 qt; sal ammoniac, 2 oz.
Vinegar, 10 gals.; blue vitriol, 3 lbs.; muriatic acid, 3 lbs.; corrosive sublimate, 4 grs.; sal ammoniac, 2 lbs.; alum, 8 oz.
Mix the ingredients, and let the vessel containing them stand in the sun, or in a place slightly warmed, three or four days, shaking it frequently till the gum is dissolved, after which, let it settle from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, when the clear liquor may be poured off for use. Pulverized glass is sometimes used, in making lacquer, to carry down the impurities.
Alcohol, proof specific gravity not less than 95-100ths, 2 gals.; seed lac, 1 lb.; gum copal 1 oz.; English saffron, 1 oz.; annotto, 1 oz.
To one pint of the above lacquer, add gamboge, 1 OS.; and, after mixing it, add an equal quantity of the first lacquer.
Best alcohol, 40 oz.: Spanish annotto, 8 grs.; turmeric, 2 drs.; shellac, ½ oz.; red sanders, 12 grs.; when dissolved, add spirits of turpentine, 30 drops.
Alcohol, 4 gals.; turmeric, 3 lbs.; gamboge, 3 oz.; gum sanderach, 7 lbs; shellac, 1½ lbs.; turpentine varnish, 1 pint.
Alcohol, 36 oz.; seed lac, 6 oz.; amber, 2 oz.; gum gutta, 2 oz.; red sandal wood, 24 grs.; dragon's blood, 60 grs.; oriental saffron, 36 grs.; pulverized glass, 4 oz.
Seed lac, 6 oz.; amber or copal, 2 oz.; best alcohol, 4 gals.; pulverized glass, 4 oz.; dragon's blood, 40 grs.; extract of red sandal wood obtained by water, 30 grains.
Alcohol, 12 gals.; seed lac, 8 lbs.; turmeric, 1 lb. to a gallon of the above mixture; Spanish saffron, 4 oz. The saffron is to be added for bronze work.
Alcohol, 8 oz.; gamboge, l oz.; shellac, 3 oz.; annotto, l oz.; solution of 3 oz. of seed lac in 1 pint of alcohol; when dissolved, add ½ oz. Venice turpentine, ¼ oz. dragon's blood, will make it dark; keep it in a warm place four or five days.
Cleanse thoroughly, and afterwards immerse in a solution of sulphate of copper, when the castings will acquire a coat of the latter metal. They must be then washed in water.
Sal-ammoniac, 1 oz.; cream tartar, 3 oz.; common salt, 6 oz. Dissolve in 1 pint hot water, then add 2 oz. of nitrate of copper dissolved in ½ pint water, mix well, and apply it repeatedly to the article, in a damp situation, with a brush.
A mixture of putty and black lead is good, but a better method is a metal that expands in cooling : Lead, 9 parts; antimony, 2; and bismuth 1. To be melted and poured in.
Best alcohol, 8 oz.; turmeric, 4 drs.; hay saffron, 2 scs.; dragon blood, 4 scs.; red sanders, 1 sc.; shellac, 1 oz. ; gum sanderach, 2 drs. ; gum mastic, 2 drs. ; Canada balsam, 2 drs.; when dissolved, add spirits of turpentine, 80 drops.
Alcohol, 8 gallons; dragon's blood, 4 lbs.; Spanish annotto, 12 pounds; gum sanderach, 13 pounds; turpentine, 1 gallon.
Alcohol, 2 gals.; Cape aloes, Cut small, 3 oz.; pale shellac, 1 lb.; gamboge, 1 oz.
Sal-ammoniac, 1 oz.; salt of sorrel (binoxolate of potash), ¼ oz. dissolved in vinegar.
Sal-ammoniac, ½ oz.; common salt, ½ oz.; spirits of hartshorn, 1 oz. dissolved in an English quart of vinegar. A good result will be obtained by adding ½ oz. of sal-ammoniac, instead of the spirits of hartshorn. The piece of metal, being well cleaned; is to be rubbed with one of these solutions, then dried by friction with a flesh brush.
Alcohol, 4 gals.; shellac, 2 lbs.; amber gum, 1 lb.; copal, 20 oz.; seed lac, 3 lbs.; saffron, to color; pulverized glass, 8 oz.
Alcohol, 1 qt.; annotto, 4 oz.
Alcohol, 80 oz.; gum gutta, 3oz.; gum gandarac, 8 oz.; gum elemi, 8 oz.; dragon's blood, 4 oz.: Bead lac, 4 oz.; terra merita, 3 oz.; saffron, 8 grs.; pulverized glass, 12 oz.
Iron scales, 1 lb.; arsenic, 1 oz.; muriatic acid, 1 lb.; zinc (solid), 1 oz. Let the zinc be kept in only while it is in use.
Wine vinegar, 2 qts.; verditer green, 2 oz.; sal ammoniac, 1 oz.; salt, 2 oz.; alum, ½ oz. French berries, 8 oz.; boil the ingredients together.
Nitric acid, 8 oz.; muriatic acid, 1 qt.: sal-ammoniac, 2 oz.; alum. 1 oz.; salt, 2 oz.; water, 2 gals. Add the salt after boiling the other ingredients, and use it hot.
Nitric acid, 3 oz.; muriatic acid, 2 oz.; arid titanium or palladium; when the metal is dissolved, add 2 gals. pure soft water to each pint of the solution.
Tincture of steel, 4 oz.; spirits of nitre, 4 oz.; essence of dendi, 4 oz.; blue vitriol, 1 oz.; water, ½ pint. Mix in a bottle; apply it with a fine brush, the vessel being full of boiling water; varnish after the application of the bronze.
Muriate of ammonia (sal-ammoniac), 4 drs.; oxalic acid, 1 dr.; vinegar, 1 pint. Dissolve the oxalic acid first; let the work be clean; put on the bronze with a brush, repeating the operation as many times as may be necessary.
Chrome green, 2 lbs.; ivory black, 1 oz.; chrome yellow, 1 oz.; good Japan, 1 gill: grind all together, and mix with linseed oil.
Water, 2 pails full; cream of tartar, ½ lb.; salt, ½ pint.
Boil the work in the mixture, keeping it in motion during the time of boiling.
Dissolve 1 oz. of silver in nitric acid; add a small quantity of salt; then wash it, and add sal ammoniac, or 6 oz. of salt and white vitriol; also, ¼ oz. of corrosive sublimate; rub them together till they form a paste; rub the piece which is to be silvered with the paste: beat it till the silver runs, after which dip it in a weak vitriol pickle to clean it.
Dissolve 2 oz. of silver with 3 grs. of corrosive sublimate; add tartaric acid, 4 lbs.; salt, 8 qts.
Mix Sulphuric acid, 1 part; nitric acid, 1 part; water, 1 part; boil the metal in the mixture till it is dissolved, and throw in a little salt to cause the silver to subside.
Copper, 40.4; nickel, 31.6; zinc, 25.4; and iron, 2.6 parts.
Brass, 32; and zinc, 9 parts.
Copper, 6; tin, 2; and arsenic, 1 part. Or copper, 7; zinc, 3; and tin, 4 parts.
Brass, 4; tin, 4 parts; when fused, add bismuth, 4; and antimony, 4 parts. This composition is added at discretion to melted tin.
Take alcohol, and add to it all the chloride of zinc it will dissolve, and it is ready for use. A good soft solder for repairing, - equal quantities of tin, and lead from tea-boxes.
Lead, 1; tin, 1 part.
Tin, 2; lead, 1 part.
Tin, 4; lead, 1 part.
Tin, 100; antimony, 17 parts.
Tin, 9; antimony, 1; bismuth, 1; lead. 1 part.
Cleanse the metal to be tinned; and rub with a coarse cloth, previously dipped in hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid,) and then rub on French putty with the same cloth. French putty is made by mixing tin filings with mercury.
1. Plates or vessels of brass or copper boiled with a solution of stannate of potassa, mixed with turnings of tin, become, in the course of a few minutes, covered with a firmly attached layer of pure tin. 2. A similar effect is produced by boiling the articles with tin-filings and caustic alkali, or cream of tartar. In the above way, chemical vessels made of copper or brass may be easily and perfectly tinned.
The articles to be tinned are first covered with dilute sulphuric acid, and, when quite clean, are placed in warm water, then dipped in a solution of muriatic acid, copper, and zinc, and then plunged into a tin bath to which a small quantity of zinc has been added. When the tinning is finished, the articles are taken out and plunged into boiling water. The operation is completed by placing them in a very warm sand-bath. This last process softens the iron.
Malleable iron, 1 lb., heat to whiteness; add 5 oz. regulus of antimony, and Molucca tin, 24 pounds.
Copper, 1 part; zinc, 2 parts.
Copper, 1 part; zinc, 1 part.
Copper, 6 to 7 parts; tin, 1 part; zinc, 1 part.
 
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