Important: Safety Warning
This page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
In addition, this page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Liquid Colors
To Dye Silk Blue with Aniline
Silk is steeped first for an hour in lukewarm Liquid iquid Colors for Various clude the preparation and appliance of such Purposes. These…
Soluble Prussian Blue
Add a solution of protosulphate of iron to a solution of prussiate of potash, and expose the precipitate to the air till it becomes blue…
Chemique, or Chemic Blue
vitriol, in a glass or earthen vessel, placed in Sulphate of Indigo. To 7 or 8 parts of oil of 2612. Jacobson's Method of Combining Fat and…
Solvents for Indigo
Indigo will ish red. Paraffine appears to act as a reduc- dissolve in Venice turpentine heated to its ing agent with the compounds of fatty…
Bluing for Clothes
Take 1 and add + ounce of oxalic acid. A tea-spoonful in a bottle with 1 quart of clear rain water, is sufficient for a large washing.
Purified Annotto
To a boiling 2613. Dyeing with Fuchsine on Wool or Silk. Fuchsine (the crystals of acetate of rosaniline), or the solution, is mixed with…
Solution of Annotto
Boil equal 84 pounds brown glycerine. When thoroughly weights of annotto and peartash with water, and dilute to the required color.
Cochineal Coloring (Take ounce each powered)
Take 1 ounce each powered cochineal, carbonate of potash, bitartrate of potash, and alum; boil these in a glazed vessel with 7 ounces water…
Dickson's Cochineal Coloring
Mix together 2 ounces spirit of wine and 6 ounces water. In 3 ounces of this mixture infuse 1 ounce powdered cochineal for 15 minutes, in a…
Carmine Purple
The dye recently invented, and known as carmine purple, is obtained by the solution of uric acid in nitric acid, care being taken to…
Cochineal Coloring (Macerate ing point ounce best)
Macerate ing point. 1 ounce best carmine in 6 ounces strong solu- 2630. Το Color with Alkanet Root. tion of ammonia, until it is dissolved…
To Purify Caramel
The caramel of commerce is spirit coloring, or a soluthus far tried to give a lively yellow color to soap, sulphide of cadmium (cadmium…
Liquid Colors
The following, when thickened with a little gum, are used as inks for writing, as colors to tint maps, foils, paper, artificial flowers…
Blue Dye from Molybdenum
must be observed, however, that those made According to late experiments by Professor with strong spirit do not mix well with gum…
Liquid Purple
Steep litmus in water, and strain. Or, add a little alum to a strained decoction of logwood. Or, add a solution of carmine (red) to a…
Mordants
Substances employed to fix the coloring matters of dye-stuffs on organic fibres, and to give them brilliancy and permanency. This they…
Liquid Green
Dissolve crystallized verdigris in water. Or, dissolve sap green in water, and add a little alum. Or, add tion of litmus, till it turns…
Liquid Yellow
Dissolve gamboge in water, and add a little gum-arabic and
To Color Butter
Pure annotto, when properly prepared, is very successfully alum. Used for ink, to stain paper, color used for imparting a good color to…
Liquid Red
Macerate ground Brazil in vinegar, boil a few minutes, strain, and add a little alum and gum. Or, add vinegar to an infusion of litmus till…
Chameleon Mineral
Mix equal weights of black oxide of manganese and pure potash, and heat them in a crucible. Keep the compound in closely-stoppered bot- 2…
Red (Dissolve carmine in aqua)
Dissolve carmine in aqua ammonia and dilute with water to the desired shade; filter as in No. 2648. Or: Dissolve 2647. Sizing for Prints or…
Druggists' Show Colors
These are bright and perfectly transparent liquid colors, employed by druggists in ornamental bottles for purposes of display, forming an…
Violet (Dissolve nitrate of cobalt)
Dissolve nitrate of cobalt in a solution of sesquicarbonate of ammonia; add sufficient ammonio-sulphate of copper to produce the color…
Yellow (Dissolve pound sesquioxide)
Dissolve pound sesquioxide of iron (rust of iron), in 1 quart muriatic (hydrochloric) acid; dilute with water, and filter. (See No. 2648.)…
Green (Dissolve ounces blue vitriol)
Dissolve 2 ounces blue vitriol (sulphate of copper) in 1 pint water; add sufficient bichromate of potassa to turn discovered to obviate…
Lilac (Dissolve crude oxide of light)
Dissolve crude oxide of light; as any addition of water after filtra- cobalt in nitric or muriatic (hydrochloric) tion, to make up the…
Amber
Digest 1 part dragon's blood, coarsely powdered, in 4 parts oil of vitriol; when completely dissolved, dilute with distilled or soft water…
Indigo Blue
Dissolve indigo in sulphuric acid, and dilute with pure water to the required shade of color; filter as directed in No. 2648.
Blue (Dissolve ounces sulphate)
Dissolve 2 ounces sulphate of copper in 1/28 ounce oil of vitriol and 1 pint of pure water; filter as in No. 2648.
Prussian Blue (Dissolve pure Prussian blue)
Dissolve pure Prussian blue in slightly diluted oxalic or muriatic (hydrochloric) acid; add water to bring the color to the desired shade…
Pink (To a solution of chloride)
To a solution of chloride or nitrate of cobalt in water, add sufficient sesquicarbonate of ammonia to dissolve the precipitate at first…
Olive (Dissolve equal parts by weight)
Dissolve equal parts by weight of sulphate of iron, and oil of vitriol, in water; add sufficient nitrate of copper to produce the color…
Orange (Solution of bichromate)
A solution of bichromate of potassa in water, either with or with-. out the addition of some hydrochloric or sulphuric acid. Or: Dissolve…
Sea Green
To 1 gallon water add acetate of copper, 4 drachms; and acetic acid, 4 ounces.
Pea Green (To gallon water add nickel)
To 1 gallon water add nickel, 2 drachms; acetic acid, 1 ounce; and bichromate of potash, 1/2 drachm. Or: To 1 gallon diluted alcohol, add…
Light Blue
To 1 gallon of water add sulphate of copper, 16 ounces.
Light Green
Sulphate of copper (re-crystallized), muriatic acid (free from iron), water, alcohol, of each a sufficient quantity.
Violet to Purple
To the green acid solution of sulphate of chromium add strong solution of ammonia, and filter as directed in No. 2648.
Purple (To an infusion of logwood add)
To an infusion of logwood, add sufficient carbonate of ammonia or muriatic acid, water, of each a sufficient of potassa to make the color…
Bright Red
Cochineal, ground, 1 ounce. Boil with 1 pint of water, replacing that which evaporates. Towards the close add cream tartar, 1/2 ounce alum…