6195. To Transfer Ornaments for Carriages, Wagons, etc.

6195.      To Transfer Ornaments for Carriages, Wagons, etc.. This beautiful art is now practiced by many painters, for the sake of economy of time and labor. De-calcomine pictures expressly designed for carriages are now sold at the leading stationers' stores, and the amateur painter is enabled thereby to finish a job of carriage painting in fine style. These pictures may be stuck on, and the dampened paper carefully removed, leaving the picture intact upon the panel, requiring no touching with the pencil.

6196. To Apply Decalcomine Pictures

6196.    To Apply Decalcomine Pictures. The proper way to put on decalcomine pictures is to varnish the picture carefully with the prepared varnish (which can be obtained with the pictures), with an ornamenting pencil, being sure not to get the varnish on the white paper. In a few minutes the picture will be ready to lay on the panel, and the paper can be removed by wetting it; and when thoroughly dry, it should be varnished like an oil painting. Be particular to purchase only those transfer pictures which are covered with gold leaf on the back, for they will show plainly on any colored surface, while the plain pictures are used only on white or light grounds. They may be procured at any stationery store, and the cost is trifling.

6197. Lead for Pencils

6197.    Lead for Pencils. The easiest way of producing not only black lead, but all sorts of pencils, is by the following process, which combines simplicity, cheapness, and quality. Take white or pipe clay, put it into a tub of clear water, to soak for 12 hours, then agitate the whole until it resembles milk ; let it rest 2 or 3 minutes, and pour off the supernatant milky liquor into a second vessel; then allow it to settle, pour off the clear water, and dry the residue on a filter. Then add black lead in any quantity. Powder it, and calcine it at a white heat in a loosely covered crucible; cool, and most carefully repulverize; then add prepared clay and prepared plumbago, equal parts. Make into a paste with water, and put into oiled moulds of the size required; dry very gradually, and apply sufficient heat to give the required degree of hardness - the pieces to be taken carefully from the moulds and placed in the grooves of the cedar. The more clay and heat employed, the harder the crayon; less clay and heat produce a contrary effect. The moulds must be made of 4 pieces of wood, nicely fitted together.

6198. Artificial Sea Water for Aquaria

6198.    Artificial Sea Water for Aquaria. A rough imitation of sea water is formed by mixing 100 ounces of fresh water with 3 ounces common salt, 1 ounce Epsom salts, 200 grains chloride of magnesium, and 40 grains chloride of potassium. Or, more precisely, the real constitution of sea-water may be imitated in the following manner: Mix with 970,000 grains rain water 27,000 of ft chloride of sodium, 3600 of chloride of magnesium, 750 of chloride of potassium, 29 of bromide of magnesium, 2300 of sulphate of magnesia, 1400 of sulphate of lime, 35 of carbonate of lime, 5 of iodide of sodium. These all being finely powdered and mixed first, are to be stirred into the water, through which a stream of air may be caused to pass from the bottom until the whole is dissolved. On no account is the water to bo boiled, or even heated. Into this water, when clear, the rocks and sea-weed may be introduced. As soon as tho latter are in a flourishing state, the animals may follow. Care must bo taken not to have too many of these, and to remove immediately any that die. Tho loss by evaporation is to be made up by adding clean rain water. Tho aquarium, whether of fresh or of salt water, will require occasionally artificial aeration. This may bo done by simply blowing through a glass tube which reaches to near the bottom, or, better still, in the following way: Take a glass syringe which can be easily worked. Having filled it with water, hold it with tho nozzle about 2 inches from the surface of the water in tho aquarium, into which tho contents are to bo discharged quickly, and with a sort of jerk. By this means a multitude of small bubbles are forced down into tho fluid. This operation should be repeated for a considerable number of times.