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Red Lacquer (Spanish annotto pounds)

Spanish annotto, 3 pounds; dragon's blood, 1 pound; gum randarach, 34 pounds; rectified spirit, 2 gallons; turpentine varnish, 1 quart. Dissolve and mix as the last. 3062. Lacquer for Philosophical Instruments. Gamboge, 1½ ounces; gum sandarach, 4 ounces; gum elemi, 4 ounces; best dragon's blood, 2 ounces; terra merita, 14 a coko fire under a well-drawing chimney.

In the beginning the moisture only evaporates, but soon the coking commences, and deep brown vapors escape, which irritate the throat.

When the bottom of the pot has been heated for 15 minutes to a dull red heat, the coal has been mostly converted into coke; the pot is then removed from the fire, and after standing 10 minutes opened for evaporation, all the articles will be found covered with the above described coating. This lacquer is not only a protection against oxidation of metals, but will stand also a considerable heat, only disappearing at beginning redness, and therefore its useful application for ovens and furnaces.

The coating produced is thin, lustrous, and cannot easily be scratched. Fine iron ware articles, such as sieves, are in this manner coated with remarkable evenness, which cannot be accomplished in any other way. Articles made of tin, or soldered, cannot be subjected to this process, as they would fuse. Smaller articles, like hooks and eyes, receive this coating by heating them together with small pieces of bituminous coal in a cylindrical sheet iron drum like that used for roasting coffee, until they present the desired lustrous black appearance.

PRESERVATION OF LEATHER.

The extreme heat to which most men nut, aiding the solution with a gentle heat, solve a piece of paraffine the size of a hickory and women expose boots and shoes during say 130° or 140° Fahr. The readiest way to winter deprives leather of its vitality, render- get pure paraffine is to take a piece of paraffine ing it liable to break and crack. Patent candle. Rub this solution on your boots leather particularly is often destroyed in this about once a month; they can be blacked in manner. When leather becomes so warm the meantime. If the oil should make the as to give off the smell of leather, it is leather too stiff, decrease the proportion of vice versa. A gentleman who heat, is the heat and dampness caused by the has tried this says:-I have used this for 8 covering of rubber. Close rubber shoes destroy the strength of leather. The practice of washing harness in warm water and with soap is very damaging. If a coat of oil is put on immediately after washing, the damage is paration half so good. years past, and boots have lasted me two winters, the uppers always remaining soft, and never cracking. I have tried bees' wax, resin, tar, etc., but never found any other prerepaired. No harness is ever so soiled that a damp sponge will not remove the dirt; but, position for Boots. Dissolve by heat 1 3071. Sportsmen's Waterproof Comeven when the sponge is applied, it is always ounce pure bottle India-rubber shavings in 1 useful to add a slight coat of oil by the use of quart neat's foot oil, and add 2 ounces tallow. another sponge. All varnishes, and all black- This makes a fine waterproof composition ing containing the properties of varnish should for boots, and be avoided. Ignorant and indolent hostlers ing containing the properties of varnish should for boots, and is recommended to sportsmen. are apt to use such substances on their har- Goods. Take pound molasses or sugar, 1 3072. Polish for Patent Leather ness as will give the most immediate effect, ounce gum -arabic, and 2 pounds ivory black; and these, as a general thing, are most de- boil them well together, then let the vessel structive to the leather.

3066. To Restore the Lustre of Leather. When harness loses its lustre and turns brown, which almost any leather will do after long exposure to the air, the harness should be given a new coat of grain black.

Before using this grain black, the grain surface should be well washed with potash water until all the grease is killed, and after the application of the grain black, oil and tallow should be applied to the surface. This will not only fasten the color, but make the leather flexible.

Harness which is grained can be cleaned with kerosene or spirits of turpentine.