Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-09-27
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
TO CLEAN A WATCH.

Oenzlne. Alter three hours 1t will be
found that the watch has been thorough
ly cleaned. The vessel should be COW
cred with parchment paper, and the
watch before it is removed should be
slightly agitated. Lastly the watch is
laid in benzine again, but this time
little petroleum oil is added in order to
lubricate the machinery.
PHosPHORESCENT PAINT.
A railway carriage painted inside with
the Balmain phosphorescent paint is in
Guided in one of the trains between Lon
don and Rotherhithe, via the Thames
Tunnel. Although only one half of the
available space of the carriage is paint
ed, the phosphorescent light is quite
sufficient to enable the passengers to
distinguish small objects when passing
through the tunnel; and, moreover, the
light is powerful enough to enable
person to read the indication of an or
binary watch. It is probable that the
railway companies will be enabled to eff
feet a considerable saving in gas and oil
by using the phosphorescent paint.
BIG SUN DIAL.
Mr.. Jardine, M. P, has recently had
erected, III the ground at Castlemilk,
sun dial of extraordinary dimensions. It
consists of a large twenty triangular
sided stone, supported on a pedestal
thirteen feet high, and is after the style
of Queen Mary's dial in Holyrood
grounds. There are altogether fifteen
dials. Two indicate Greenwich time,
two tell the time of night by the moon;
the others indicate the rising and setting
of the sun, the length Of the day; tell
when it is noon at the principal places
over the globe, the suns declina:ion,
etc. Altogether the structure is a
novelty, and has been exciting no little
wonder among the simple folks about
Lockerble. London World.
AN INSULATED BREWERY.
A singular development of electricity
is reported In Berlin brewery. A
malt-cleaning machine is in the upper
part of the building, from which the
malt was taken through an iron shoot to
wagons below, to be distributed through
out the works. After the machine was
in operation for long time, electricity
was developed by the friction of the
malt with the shoot, there being a con-
tlnuous stream of sparks. The malt
cracked, and the workmen thought de-
moniacal agencies were busy. The mat
ter was brought before the Electric
Technical Union. The explanation
agreed upon was this: The building is
of stone and iron, and the floor laid in
asphalt. This floor of asphalt insulated
the malt-room from other parts of the
building, so that the room became a
large Leyden jar.
WOOD STAINING.
A novel system of staining wood has
been introduced that has the merit of
simplicity and cheapness. The wood
having been carefully planed and fin
ished, it is given two thin coats of sizing.
This is prepared by adding to glue
small quantity of albumen and alum.
| When this is dry and hard, the design is
painted or stenciled upon the wood, the
intention being to produce a pattern,
one part of which shall be of the natu-
raj color of the wood, the stencil or the
design selected representing the white
parts only. For instance, If the finished
work is to show white figures on a dark
ground, the white parts only must ap-
pear to the stencil. When the sizing is
dry the pattern is painted OH in Canada
balsam or Brunswick black. When the
balsam is hard and dry the whole sur
face is washed with a sponge and warm
water. This will remove the sizing from
all those parts of the wood not protected
| by the hard balsam, which resists the
warm water. When the wood is dry the
exposed parts are stained In imitation of
walnut or other dark woods. When the
staining is finished, the balsam is re-
moved by brushing it with turpentine,
leaving the pattern or design in the nat
ural color OF the wood on the dark,
stained ground. The finished work is
said to resemble closely inlaid wood.
TANNING SKINS.
The appended recipe for tanning skins
with the wool or fur on-for use i'll
sleighs or wagons, as house rugs, or for
other purposes-is given by City and
Country, and will interest some inquir-
ing friends: II the hides are not fneshly
taken off, soak them in water with lit
tie salt until they are soft as when
green. Then scrape the flesh off with
Heshing knife, or with butchers knife
with smooth round edge, and with
sheepskins the wool should be washed
clean with soft-soap and water, and the
suds thoroughly r1nsed out. For each
skin take four ounces of salt, four ounces
of alum, and one-half ounce of borax.
Dissolve these in one quart of hot water,
and when cool enough to bear the hand
stir III sufficient rye meal to make suf-
fcient paste with half an ounce of Span
ish whiting. This paste is to be
thoroughly spread over every part of the
| flesh side of the skin, which should be
folded together lengthwise, wool side
out, and lefG for two weeks in an airy
place. Then remove the paste, wash
and dry the skin. When not quite dry
ii. must be worked and pulled and
scraped with knife made for the pur-
pose, shaped like chopping knife, or
with piece of hard wood made with a
sharp edge. The more the skin is
worked and scraped, as it dries, the
more pliable it will be.
NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRICITY.
Prof. Akester, of Glasgow, Scotland.
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