The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-03-08
KENOsHA WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, MARCH g. 1866.
The Way Varnishes are Made.

81 Hbe way t0rnHbhch are MHOe.
: In the Scientific american, No 1, curren
volume. saw an article, Solvent for Shell
lac" and a saturated solution of borax, men
2 toned as such This solution is used by
matters. | hereby give you the method o
bleaching shellac (where you will find an
other soIvent), and different kinds of var
nishes, etc. =
For one pound of good shellac take foul
ounces of crystallized carbonate of soda, anG
one gallon and half of water; put the
whole in clean iron or copper vessel Of
double the capacity and under constant STIR
ring bring it to boiling over a slow fire. The
shellac will dissolve, and, fit is intended to
make colorless French polish, the solution
has to be run through a wooden cloth. For
brown ookbinder's varnish, or a colorless
varnish for maps, photographs, etc. the So
luton has to boil for about an hour longer,
but only simmering, and then to cool very
slowl y without stirring better let it stand
over night, and let the fire go out under il.
In the morning you will find wax like
substance on the surface of the solution, and
the other impurities of the shellac as sub
stance on the bottom of the vessel. The
solution is likewise to be run through a
wooden cloth, and then to be filtered. For
the filter, take small wooden keg. re-
move the top and bottom, and fasten to one
side piece of muslin; on the muslin bring
about four inches of fine. washed sand, and
on top of the sand layer of clean staw :;
| then pour the solution into the filter and
let it run through. Should the first portion
run through not be perfectly clear, like red
French wine it has to be brought back to
the filter. When nothing will run through
any more, pour some clean water on the FL
ter to wash the remaining solution out. If
you intend to make transparent brown
varnish-nook binders varnish-this filtered
solution has to be precipitated with diluted
sulphuric acid, Zone part acid to twenty
parts of water), the precipitate collected on
a coarse muslin CLOTH and washed out with
cold clear water till it runs through without
taste. Then fill a stone or wooden vessel
with boiling water and throw the precipi-
tate in it; it will directly soften aud stick
together; this half mass has to be kneaded
in the hands. doubled up melted, and drawn
out till it assumes fine silky luster, then
drawn out to the desired thickness in sticks
like candy, aud it is then ready for solu-
ton
To make white French polish, or transpa-
rent coloress varnish for maps, the solution
has to be bleached The bleaching fluid is
made as follows and the proportions are for
one pound of sheilac: Take one pound of
good English chloride of lime, dissolve it in |
fourteen pounds of cold water, triturating |
the Jumps we'll, let it subside and decant /
the clear fluid add seven pounds of water
to the residue and when subsidized add the
clear liquor to the other precipitats this
liquor with a solution Of carbonate of soda
let the carbonate or lime settle, and decant
the clear chloride of soda; wash the sedi
ment out with water and add the clear IL
quld to the former: put it in high stone
JAR land give 1t rotary motion with wood
en- stick, pouring in at the same time very
diluted sulphurie acid. till it assumes a
greeDish color and a smell of chloride is per-
;eptible. Then add of this liquid to The So
IutIon to be bleached, under constant stir
ring till all the color is gone. French pol
sh will look like milk, colorless varpish like
Whey but more transparent. Then precip- .
tate with dilute sui phuric acid exactly as
The solution for book binders varnish, and
treat the precipitate in the same manner, in !
lot water. All iron must be carefully
avoided as soon as the chloride liquor is '
.dded. Il
10 make different varnishes, it is only ne
'essary to dissolve the different precipitates I
n alcohol. For bookbinder's varnish take !.
me part to two and half parts alcohol; !.
'rench polish, one to three colorless var
'lsh, one to two and half, and add to the s
furnishes (not to the polsh) one and a half I
lrachms OF oil of lavender for one pint For o
this solution is too strong one P
art OF bleached sheIlac to six parts Of aIco- Z
lol will answer. For maps the solution
houd not be applied Immediately to the U
'aper, but the latter should first receive 0
oat of boiled and strained starch {
by dissolving shellac, either in solution a
+ borax or in one of an alkaIi, shelIac acts I
IS an acid-like most other rosins, or like n
tearic or margarine acid, contained in the j
ats combining with alkali and forming a /
ind OF soap easily decomposed by any of a
he common acids. The waxy matter, not
aponifiable, is by slow boiling separated, {.
md lighter than the solution, swirlis on the II
urface, where after cooling, it can be col a
ected. 1t is harder than common wax
made into candles it burns like wax. and .
esenbles the vegetable wax of commerce. !
1t is remarkable fact that all sheIlac
contains small quantity of arsenic. In the t
ortn OF yellow sulphuret; it ia found in the
esldnum, after the solution has cooled and ,
$ decanted off III small golden yellow par d
lcles and out OF solution Of ten or more
pounds, enough can be- picked out to reduce I
t to metallic arsenic.
GUsTAvUs A. SCHMIDT.