A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MIXING AND PREPARING OIL PAINTS, WHEREBY A SAVING OF IN- GREDIENTS COMMONLY USED WILL BE EFFECTED
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, NATHANIEL
PARTRIDGE, of Elm Cottage, near Stroud, in the County of Gloucester,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth
did, His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eighth day of December in the sixth year of His
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty six,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Nathaniel Partridge, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and au-
thority, that I, the said Nathaniel Partridge, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Nathaniel Partridge, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should.
and lawfully might make, use, exercise and vend, within England, Wales,.
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies-
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MIXING AND PREPARING OIL PAINTS, WHEREBY A SAVING OF IN-
GREDIENTS COMMONLY USED WILL BE EFFECTED;" in which said Letters Patent is.
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Nathaniel Partridge, by an instru-.
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High

page_text: Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters-Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Nathaniel Partridge, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, (that is to say):-—
My Invention of a certain improvement or certain improvements in mixing
and preparing oil paints whereby a saving of ingredients commonly used will
be effected, consists in the application and use of solutions of lime in water in
the mixture and preparing of oil paints for the purpose of thickening or pre-
paring the oils used in the same, and forming a better. vehicle for the various
pigments or paints, and at the same time producing economy in the various ingre-
dients commonly used in the mixing and proparing such paints (that is to say): -
Instead of using oil only in the customary manner as a vehicle for the various
pigments or paints, I first saturate rain; soft, or distilled water with lime, and
when in a pure state of solution, that is, after that portion of lime which the
water will not take up has subsided and the water remains clear, it will
be fit for use for preparing paint for the useful arts. I first mix the said
lime water with oil in about equal parts or proportiouis, by placing the sanic in
a proper vessel and agitating them until they are mixed or commixed, in which
state the combined oil and limo water will resemble thick cream in consist-
ency. To about two parts of this composition of lime water and oil I add
about four parts of ground white lead, by mixing and preparing them in the
usual manner. Should the paint made with this proportion of the composition
be found too thick, it may be reduced or thinned by adding small portions of
oil when spirit of turpentine is not mixed therewith, as in paint used for
out-door_work; but when turpentine is used as for in-door work, the paint
may be thinned or reduced with turpentine only without the addition of
any further quantity of oil. For what is called by painters flatting the
works, or for the last coat put on, I mix about four or five parts of the
composition of oil and lime water with about eight parts of spirits of túr-
pentine, and add thereto as much ground white lead as the workman niay
think necessary in order to make the paint for the last or flatting coat of
the proper consistency. I may here remark that this flatting coat will not
only be put on with less trouble, but will also be found more perfect and
durable than when turpentine alone is used. Should the workman wish to
lay on a thicker coat of paint he may add more white lead.
painting the walls should be oiled over before the paint is put on.
For wall.
It may be

page_text: observed generally, that in all cases where turpentine and dryers are used with
this composition of lime water and oil a less proportion of them is necessary
than when oil alone is used, and that if sugar of lead be used as a dryer it
may be dissolved in the lime water before being mixed with oil, when, being, in
a state of pure solution, it will be found advantageous to the colors. It is
proper
to notice that prussian blue and some of the dry absorbent earths, such
as ochres, umbers, or any other color that may be found not to grind well in
the composition, ought to be first ground in equal parts of raw and boiled
linseed oil, or boiled linseed oil only as may be required, to about the thickness
of white lead as usually prepared, and then to be mixed up for painting with
the composition. And further, that I have found the following to be a
convenient manner of preparing the solution of lime water (that is to say) :—
To about twenty gallons of cold soft water, or .if distilled the better, apply
three or four pounds of fresh burnt lime, put them into a cask, stir it well
about, and let it stand about twenty-four hours, or until the water is quite
clear, when it may be drawn off as wanted. It should be stirred up every
six or seven days that the water may be kept fully impregnated with the lime,
and that a convenient mode of mixing the lime water with the oil is by placing
the proper proportions in an open vessel, as a tub or bucket, and whisking or
beating them well together, or placo the same in a bottle or jar and shake
them together until completely blended; and further, I would remark that the
mixture of lime water and oil should always be well shaken before mixed with
the pigments. The lime water should be kept from the air and as cool
as possible. For preparing my improved paints for the fine arts, the colors
should be ground in such proportions of oil and lime water as may be found
requisite, as the exact proportions cannot be stated, as they vary according to
the nature and quality of the materials used, but it is desirable to incorporate
as much lime water as possible in order to render the paints crisp or short to
the touch, and transparent. When sugar of lead is used as a dryer, I dissolve
it in the lime water, which I consider an improvement. For preparing a
composition, or what is called by artists "magnelph," for the purpose of
thinning the paints or colors on the pallet, I mix the lime water and oil
together, and then add a little mastick varnish; the more lime water which
can be incorporated, the thicker and crisper or shorter will be the composition.
Having now fully and particularly described the nature of my said improve-
ments, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that what I claim as my Invention and secured to me by the above in
part recited Letters Patent is, the application and use of solutions of lime in
water, or a composition of lime water and oil in the mixing and preparing of

page_text: oil paints for the useful and fine arts severally, such Invention being new and
never before used within these kingdoms to my knowledge or belief.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Partridge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-six.