Important: Safety Warning
This page contains instructions involving gunpowder or other explosive or pyrotechnic compositions. Preparing explosives as described has caused severe injuries and deaths, and is illegal in most places.
In addition, this page contains a formula or preparation using substances now known to be dangerously toxic, such as arsenic, mercury, lead, or cyanide compounds. Exposure to these substances can cause severe poisoning, permanent injury, or death.
In addition, 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.
Metallurgy
Another (Write with a solution of sugar)
Write with a solution of sugar of lead or tartar emetic; moisten the writing (or drawing) and expose to a current of sulphuretted hydrogen…
Colored Inks
Gold Ink. Mosaic gold, 2 parts, gum Arabic, 1 part, are rubbed up with water until reduced to a proper condition.
Assaying of Metallic Ores
Before metallic ores are worked upon in the large way, it will be necessary to inquire what sort of metal, and what portion of it, is to be…
Assaying (Geous and consequently still)
geous, and consequently still continues to be mostly used. Assays are made either in crucibles with the blast of the bellows, or in tests…
Assaying (Volumetric Assay of Copper)
Volumetric Assay of Copper Ores. (Percy.) Dissolve 10 grs. of the copper ore finely pulverized and moistened with strong sulphuric acid, in…
Parting (Cupel must be heated red-hot)
The cupel must be heated red-hot for half an hour before any metal is put upon them, by which all moisture is expelled. When the cupel is…
Parting (By this process gold)
By this process gold and silver are separated from each other. These two metals equally resisting the action of fire and lead, must…
Alloys, or Compound Metals
Metals, in general, will unite with each other by fusion or amalgamation, and acquire new properties. Brass is a compound of copper and…
Alloys (Put into a crucible lbs)
Put into a crucible 5 lbs. of copper; when fused add lb. of zinc; these metals will combine, forming an alloy of a reddish color, but…
Another (Melt together lbs of regulus)
Melt together 2 lbs. of regulus of antimony, 8 oz. of brass, and 10 oz. of tin. Common Hard White Metal Melt together 1 lb. of brass, 14…
Another (Melt together oz of zinc oz)
Melt together 1 oz. of zinc, 1 oz. of bismuth, and 1 oz. of lead. This alloy will be found to be remarkably fusible (although each of the…
Alloys (Knife cut the size)
knife cut the size of the required piece on the sil- | times, been generally used in the formation of vering of another glass; a small…
Another (Melt together oz of brass)
Melt together 1 oz. of brass with 1½ or 2 oz. of copper, fused under a coat of charcoaldust. Oréide, a New Brass. M. M. Mourier and…
Another (Melt in a crucible oz)
Melt in a crucible 4 oz. of copper, and when fused, add 2 oz. of zinc; they will combine, and form a very beautiful and useful alloy…
Another (Melt together parts of copper)
Melt together 9 parts of copper and 1 part of tin; the above compounds are those used in the manufacture of small and great brass guns…
Metallurgy (Principal object in fine)
The principal object in fine casting is to have a mould that shall receive a beautiful impression, and at the same time sufficiently…
Another (Melt together oz of antimony)
Melt together 4 oz. of antimony, 1 oz. arsenic, and 2 lbs. tin. This compound is ready for use. The first of these Spanish alloys would be…
Another (Melt together lbs)
Melt together 2 lbs. of plate-brass, 2 lbs. of a mixture of copper and arsenic, either by cementing or melting, 2 lbs. of tin, 2 lbs. of…
Another (Melt together oz Shruff brass)
Melt together 8 oz. Shruff brass, 2 lbs. regulus of antimony and 10 lbs. tin. This is fit for use as Britannia metal.
Foils (It is desired to have)
it is desired to have the appearance more orange or scarlet. has been sometimes used, with which it has been Foils may be made of copper or…
Preparation of Foils
Foils are thin plates or leaves of metal that are put under stones, or compositions in imitation of stones, when they are set. The…
Electro-Metallurgy (Galvanoplasty or Electrotype)
Galvanoplasty or Electrotype, is the art of cold casting of metals by the agency of electricity. Its applications are extensive. It is used…
Electro-Metallurgy (As that to be deposited This)
as that to be deposited. This is gradually eaten | of cyanide of potassium until no further precipiaway while the deposition is going on…
Gilding, Silvering, and Tinning (To Gild Glass and Porcelain)
To Gild Glass and Porcelain. Drinking and other glasses are sometimes gilt on their edges. This is done, either by an adhesive varnish, or…
Gilding, Silvering, and Tinning (Grammes of nitric acid)
grammes of nitric acid and the same weight of ❘ be laid on, and afterwards burnished. The last hydrochloric acid. To the solution are added…
Another (Best method of preparing gold)
The best method of preparing gold in an open clean crucible, and continuing the evaporated; at the same…
Gilding, Silvering and Tinning
a portion of alloy, of the same size as the ingots | of metal, and of suitable thickness. Having placed a piece of gold upon an ingot…
Iron and Steel (Prepare a rod of zinc)
Prepare a rod of zinc with a hammer and file, so that it may be a quarter of an inch thick and 1 inch long, at the same time form notches…
Iron and Steel (Expeditious Mode of Reducing)
Expeditious Mode of Reducing Iron Ore into Malleable Iron. The way of proceeding is by stamping, washing, etc., the calcine and materials…
Steel
powdered charcoal; by which it is converted into | time a small portion of the iron undergoes oxidasteel, and afterwards into crude iron…
Pyrotechny, Matches, Etc
PYROTECHNY, MATCHES, etc. To make Gunpowder.
Colored Fires (Red phur carbonate of strontia)
Red. phur, 23 carbonate of strontia. Sixty-one per cent. chlorate of potash, 16 sul- Purple-red.
Colored Fires (Slowly make the solution)
slowly, make the solution stronger and dip it Ninety-two per cent. chlorate of potash, 14 sul- again. phur, 34 chalk. Yellow.
Common
Saltpetre, 1 lb.; sulphur, 44 oz.; antimony, 4 oz.; isinglass, oz.; camphor, oz.; Fifty-four per cent. chlorate of potash, 14 sul- alcohol…
For Theatrical Illumination
White. Sixty-four per cent. nitre, 21 sulphur, 15 gunpowder. Red.
Red (Saltpetre lb sulphur oz)
Saltpetre, 1 lb.; sulphur, 3 oz.; charcoal, 4 oz.; iron sand, 7 oz. White. Saltpetre, 1 lb.; mealed powder, 12 oz.; charcoal, 7 oz.; iron…
Eight-Ounce
Mealed powder, 1 lb. 1 oz.; saltpetre, 4 oz.; sulphur, 34 oz.; charcoal 1 oz.
One-Pound
Mealed powder, 1 lb.; charcoal, 8 oz.; sulphur, 1 oz. Two-Pound. Mealed powder, 1 lb. 4 oz.; salt- | ture of 140° or 150° Fahr.; add 10…