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.
Home › Contributions From Friends On Household Economy › Papering Whitewashed Walls
Papering Whitewashed Walls
If the walls are covered with thick, scaly whitewash, the result of years of additions, they must be scraped with a thin steel scraper-a hoe will do if carefully used. This will smooth them. Then wash them in weak lye and sweep off thoroughly when dry. Size the walls with glue water, one pound of glue to a pail of water, and the paper will stick and not peel off. The paste should be smooth rye flour paste, rather thin, but perfectly smooth. Starch paste is the next best. -PAINTER-TURNED-FARMER, Lincoln, Neb. XIX. Kalsomining.
THERE are as many ways to kalsomine as there are to whitewash. The simplest mode we know of is to take ten pounds of Paris white, and soak it in cold waterjust enough water to dissolve it well. Take one-eighth of a pound best white glue, soaked in cold water enough to cover. Let it soak three to four hours; or till well swelled. If there is much liquid by the time the glue is well swollen, take the glue out and put it in a saucepan over the fire, with a little water to keep it from burning. Mix the dissolved whitening thoroughly with the hand. Then add the melted glue, mixing well. This mixing needs to be done in a large vessel. Then pour into these ingredients a quarter of a pint of linseed oil, and on top of oil pour sufficient muriatic acid (perhaps ten cents' worth) to cut the oil, stirring it the while. After this is done, add cold water enough to the whole to thin it down to about a pailful of the liquid. Then mix a little ultramarine in a cup of cold water, and add to the whole, so as to remove the yellow tinge, and make it a bluish white. Apply with a clean whitewash brush, one or two coats. So says Mrs. O. A. N., who adds, that her husband does the kalsomining. XX. Painting.