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.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Silver
To Obtain Pure Silver
Pure silver is obtained by placing a copper rod in a solution of nitrate of silver, digesting the precipitate in caustic ammonia, and…
Solvent for Silver
Nitroparts oil of vitriol. Used for dissolving the silver from plated goods, &c. It dissolves silver at a temperature below 200°, and…
To Purify and Reduce Silver (As used in the arts)
Silver, as used in the arts and coinage, is alloyed with a portion of copper. To purify it, dissolve the metal in nitric acid slightly…
To Oxidize Silver
A very beautiful effect is produced upon the surface which gives the surface an appearance of polished steel. This can be easily effected…
To Purify and Reduce Silver (Proceed as above and digest)
Proceed as above, and digest the washed chloride with pure copper and ammonia. The quantity of ammonia need not be sufficient to dissolve…
Belgian Burnishing Powder
3229. Plate Cleaning Powder. For A burnishing powder in use in Belgium is cleaning silver and plated articles, &c. Mix 1 burnishing powder…
To Clean Silver Plate
Fill a large saucepan with water; put into it 1 discolored with ink, which is difficult to rechloride of lime into a paste with water, and…
Plate Boiling Powder
Mix equal parts of cream of tartar, common salt, and alum. A little of this powder. added to the water in which silver-plate is boiled…
To Separate Zinc from Copper
Copper may be separated from zinc by sulphuretted hydrogen, which will throw down a sulphuret of copper, which may be dissolved
To Separate Tin from Copper
may also be used for cleaning fine copper coins, but care must be taken not to use the Digest in nitric acid; the copper will be dismixture…
Feather-Shot Copper
Melted copper, poured in a small stream into cold water. It forms small pieces, with a feathered edge, hence the name. It is used to make…
To Clean Coppers and Tins
the remainder with distilled water. These are cleaned with a mixture of rotten add dilute hydrochloric acid, by drops, as stone, soft soap…
Brown Tint for Iron and Steel
The properties and uses of iron are too well Dissolve in 4 parts of water, 2 parts crystalknown to require description. Its applica- . Its…
To Blue Gun Barrels
Apply net; by being dissolved by dilute muriatic nitric acid and let it eat into the iron a little; and sulphuric acids, with solution of…
Iron Filings
The only way to Iron Filings. The only way to obtain them pure, is to act on a piece of soft iron with a file. 3266. Το…