which will remain unaltered even when exposed to strong heat.
Bronze Powders:
See also Plating for general methods of bronzing, and Varnishes.
Gold And Silver Bronze Powders.
—Genuine gold bronze is produced from the waste and parings obtained in gold beating. The parings, etc., are ground with honey or a gum solution, upon a glass plate or under hard granite stones, into a very fine powder, which is repeatedly washed out with water and dried. There are various shades of gold bronze, viz., red, reddish, deep yellow, pale yellow, as well as greenish. These tints are caused by the various percentages of gold or the various mixtures of the gold with silver and copper.
By the use of various salt solutions or acidulated substances other shades can be imparted to bronze. In water containing sulphuric acid, nitric acid, or hydrochloric acid, it turns a bright yellow; by treatment with a solution of crystallized verdigris or blue vitriol in water it assumes more of a reddish hue; other tints are obtained with the aid of cooking salt, tartar, green vitriol, or saltpeter in water.
Gold bronze is also obtained by dissolving gold in aqua regia and mixing with a solution of green vitriol in water, whereupon the gold falls down as a metallic powder which may be treated in different ways. The green vitriol, however, must be dissolved in boiling water and mixed in a glass, drop by drop, with sulphuric acid and stirred until the basic iron sulphate separating in flakes has redissolved. Another way of producing gold bronze is by dissolving gold in aqua regia and evaporating the solution in a porcelain dish. When it is almost dry add a little pure hydrochloric acid and repeat this to drive out all the free chlorine and to produce a pure hydrochlorate of gold. The gold salt is dissolved in distilled water, taking 1/2 liter per ducat (3 1/2 grams fine gold); into this solution drop, while stirring by means of a glass rod, an 8° solution (by Beaumé) of antimony chloride, as long as a precipitate forms. This deposit is gold bronze, which, dried after removal of all liquids, is chiefly employed in painting, for bronzing, and for china and glass decoration.
Metallic gold powder is, furthermore, obtained by dissolving pure and alloyed gold in aqua regia and precipitating it again by an electro-positive metal, such as iron or zinc, which is placed in the liquid in the form of rods. The gold is completely separated thereby. The rods must be perfectly clean and polished bright. The color of the gold bronze depends upon the proportions of the gold. In order to further increase the brilliancy the dried substance may still be ground. {140}
Mosaic Gold.
—Mosaic gold, generally a compound of tin, 64.63 parts, and sulphur, 35.37 parts, is odorless and tasteless, and dissolves only in chlorine solution, aqua regia, and boiling potash lye. It is employed principally for bronzing plaster-of-Paris figures, copper, and brass, by mixing it with 6 parts of bone ashes, rubbing it on wet, or applying it with varnish or white of egg in the preparation of gold paper or for gilding cardboard and wood. Mosaic gold of golden-yellow color is produced by heating 6 parts of sulphur and 16 parts of tin amalgam with equal parts of mercury and 4 parts of sulphur; 8 parts of precipitate from stannic muriate (stannic acid) and 4 parts of sulphur also give a handsome mosaic gold.
The handsomest, purest, and most gold-like mosaic gold is obtained by melting 12 parts of pure tin, free from lead, and mixing with 6 parts of mercury to an amalgam. This is mixed with 7 parts of flowers of sulphur and 6 parts of sal ammoniac, whereupon the mass is subjected for several hours to a heat which at first does not attain redness, but eventually when no more fumes are generated is increased to dark-red heat. This operation is conducted either in a glass retort or in an earthenware crucible. The sal ammoniac escapes first on heating, next vermilion sublimates and some stannic chloride, while the mosaic gold remains on the bottom, the upper layer, consisting of lustrous, golden, delicately translucent leaflets, being the handsomest mosaic gold.
Genuine Silver Bronze.
—This is obtained by the finely ground waste from beating leaf silver or by dissolving silver in aqua fortis. This solution is then diluted with water and brightly scoured copper plates are put in, whereby the silver precipitates as a metallic powder.
Imitation Silver Bronze.
—This is obtained through the waste in beating imitation leaf silver, which, finely ground, is then washed and dried. In order to increase the luster it is ground again in a dry condition.
Mosaic Silver.
—Mosaic silver is an amalgam of equal parts of mercury, bismuth, and tin. One may also melt 50 parts of good tin in a crucible, and as soon as it becomes liquid add 50 parts of bismuth, stirring all with an iron wire until the bismuth is fused as well. As soon as this occurs the crucible must be removed from the fire; then stir in, as long as the contents are still liquid, 25 parts of mercury and mix the whole mass evenly until it can be ground on a stone slab.
BRONZE VARNISHES: See Varnishes.
BRONZING SOLUTIONS FOR PAINTS: See Paints.
BRONZING OF WOOD: See Wood.
BROOCHES, PHOTOGRAPHS ON: See Photography.
BROWN OINTMENT: See Ointments.
BROWNING OF STEEL: See Plating.
BROWNSTONE, IMITATION: See Brick Stain.
BRUNETTE POWDER: See Cosmetics.
BRUSHES
How to Take Care of Paint And Varnish Brushes.
It is a good plan to fill the varnish brush before putting it in the keeper.
Whitewash or kalsomine brushes should not be put into newly slaked lime or hot kalsomine.
Cement-set brushes should never be put in any alcohol mixture, such as shelacs and spirit stains.
Varnish brushes should be selected with a view to their possessing the following qualities: 1st, excellence of material; 2d, excellence of make, which includes fullness of hair or bristles and permanency of binding; 3d, life and spring, or elasticity sufficient to enable the varnisher to spread the varnish without reducing it with turpentine; and 4th, springing, when in use, to a true chisel edge.
Temperature For Brushes.
—The bristles of every brush are held in place by the handle. It passes through the shank of the brush and is kiln-dried to fit perfectly. If it shrinks, however, its outward tension is lost and the bristles loosened. For this reason the first principle in brush care is to keep the tool, when it is new or not soaking, in a cool place, out of hot rooms, and any temperature that would tend to shrink the wood of the handle.
Cleaning Paint Brushes.
—No new brush should be dipped in the paint and put to work without first being {141} cleaned. By working it with a brisk movement
