Preservative Preparation For Wood

Mix 40 parts chalk, 50 resin, 4 linseed-oil, melting them together in an iron pot; then add 1 part of native oxide of copper, and afterward 1 part of sulphuric acid. Apply with a brush. When dry, this varnish is as hard as stone.

How To Ebonize Wood

Collect lampblack from a lamp or candle on a piece of slate. Scrape off the deposit, mix with French polish, and apply to the object in the ordiuary way.

How To Fire-Proof Wood

Paint twice over with a hot saturated solution of 1 part green vitriol and 3 parts alum. After drying, paint again with a weak solution of green vitriol in which pipe-clay has been mixed to the consistence of paint.

Preserving Anatomical Specimens

Glycerine will preserve the natural colors of marine animals kept immersed in it.

Dyeing Skins Of Small Animals

The green hull of the European walnut is turned to account in Europe for dyeing furs black, and the hull of our black walnut could probably be similarly employed. The walnut hull is crushed and the juice squeezed out from the pulp, with the addition of a little water. A small quantity of lime is added, and the dye is ready for use. The color is extremely difficult of extraction, and attaches itself very readily to any kind of hair, and it is used extensively as a hair-dye.

Gold Bronzb For Furniture

Gold bronze for furniture is a mixture of copal varnish mixed with gold-colored bronze-powder. The last is bisulphate of tin.

Gilding Without A Battery

Dissolve 20 grains chloride of gold in a solution of cyanide of potassium, 1 oz. to 1 pint pure water. Put the solution of cyanide of gold in a glass or porce lain jar; place in it the articles to be gilded in contact with a piece of bright zinc, in the solution near them; the process will be hastened by a gentle warmth. If the gold is deposited on the zinc, rub a little shellac-varnish on it. The chloride of gold may be prepared by dissolving gold in aqua regia in the proportions of 16 grains gold to 1 oz. acid, and evaporating to dryness.

Gilding On Glass

Mix powdered gold with thick gum-arabic and powdered borax; with this trace the design on the glass, and then bake it in a hot oven. The gum is thus burned and the borax vitrified, and at the same time the gold is fixed on the glass. to make powdered gold, rub down gold-leaf with pure honey on a marble slab. Wash the mixture, and the precipitate is the gold used.

Black And Flexible Japan

Take burnt umber 4 ozs., asphal-tum 2 ozs., boiled oil 2 qts.; dissolve the asphaltum first in a little oil, using moderate heat; then add the umber (ground in oil), and lastly the rest of the oil, and incorporate thoroughly. Thin with turpentine.

Loom-Harness, Varnish for.-Mix linseed-oil 2 gals., gum-shellac 21/2 lbs., litharge 2 lbs., red-lead 1 lb., umber 1-1/2 lbs., sugar of lead 1-1/2 lbs.