Chapter II: Part 2

Other metals can also be employed for plating, in the form of tartrates. Instead of tartrates, phosphates, oxalates, citrates, acetates and borates of metals can be used; so that it seems possible to entirely dispense with the use of cyanide baths.

TO TRANSFER ENGRAVINGS TO MOTHER-OF-PEARL.

To transfer engravings to mother-of-pearl, coat the shell with thin white copal varnish. As soon as the varnish becomes sticky, place the engraving face down on it, and press it well into the varnish. After the varnish becomes thoroughly dry, moisten the back of the engraving and remove the paper very carefully by rubbing. When the paper is all removed and the surface becomes dry, varnish lightly with copal.

METAL FOR STEREOTYPING.

For every six pounds of lead add one pound of antimony. The antimony should be broken into very small pieces, and thrown on the top of the lead when it is at red heat. It is a white metal, and so brittle that it may be reduced to powder; it melts when heated to redness; at a higher heat it evaporates.

The cheapest and most simple mode of making a stereotype metal is to melt old type, and to every fourteen pounds add about six pounds of grocer's tea-chest lead. To prevent any smoke arising from the melting of tea-chest lead it is necessary to melt it over an ordinary fire-place, for the purpose of cleansing it, which can be done by throwing in a small piece of tallow about the size of a nut, and stir it briskly with the ladle, when the impurities will rise to the surface, and can be skimmed off.

In the mixing of lead and type-metal see that there are no pieces of zinc among it, the least portion of which will spoil the whole of the other metal that is mixed with it. Zinc is of a bluish white color; its hue is intermediate between that of lead and tin. It takes about eighty degrees more heat than lead to bring it into fusion; therefore, should any metal float on the top of the lead, do not try to mix it, but immediately take it off with the ladle.

HOW TO FIX PENCIL MARKS SO THEY WILL NOT RUB.

To fix pencil marks so they will not rub, take well skimmed milk and dilute with an equal bulk of water. Wash the pencil marks (whether writing or drawing) with this liquid, using a soft camel-hair brush, and avoid all rubbing. Place upon a flat board to dry.

HOW TO OBTAIN A BRIGHT AND LASTING RED EDGE.

A bright and lasting red edge may be obtained by the following process:--Take the best vermillion and add a pinch of carmine; mix this with glaire, slightly diluted. Take the book and bend over the edge so as to allow the color to slightly permeate it; then apply the color with a bit of fine Turkey sponge, bend over the edge in the opposite direction, and color again. When the three edges have been done in this manner, allow them to dry. Next screw the book tightly up in the cutting press, and after wiping the edge with a waxed rag, burnish well with a flat agate burnisher.

TO RESTORE THE LUSTRE OF MOROCCO LEATHER.

The lustre of morocco leather is restored by varnishing with white of egg.

TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL WHITENESS OF COPPER-PLATE, WOOD ENGRAVING, ETC.

The following process will restore the original whiteness of copper-plate, wood-engraving or printed matter:--Place a piece of phosphorus in a large glass vessel; pour in water of 30 deg. centigrade (that is 86 deg. Fahrenheit) temperature until the phosphorus is half covered. Cork up, but not tightly, the glass vessel, and lay it in a moderately warm place for fourteen hours. Damp the paper that is to be bleached, with distilled water; fasten it to a piece of platinum wire and hang it up inside the glass vessel. The faded paper after a short time will regain its original white color. It should then be taken out and washed in water; next drawn through a weak solution of soda, and finally dipped in pure water and laid on a glass table, and thus made dry and smooth.

FOR ELECTROTYPING ON CHINA.

For electrotyping on China and similar non-conducting materials:--Sulphur is dissolved in oil of spike lavender to a syrupy consistence; then chloride of gold or chloride of platinum is dissolved in ether, and the two solutions mixed under a gentle heat. The compound is next evaporated until the thickness of ordinary paint, in which condition it is applied with a brush to such portions of the china, glass or other fabric as it is desired to cover, according to the design or pattern, with the electrometallic deposit. The objects are baked in the usual way before they are immersed in the bath.

PAINTING ON EBONIZED WOOD.

The great difficulty to be overcome in painting on ebonized wood, is the non-absorbent character of the surface, which will not allow the paint to sink in. Washing the panel over with onion juice enables the paint to adhere more easily. The paint, whether oil or water color, must be laid on thickly. In order that the painting, whether of flowers or figures, shall prove a decoration, the black space between the painted figures must be graceful in shape. Water color paintings on such panels require to be varnished. Oil color does not need the varnish.

HOW GILDING IS DONE.

Letters written on vellum or paper are gilded in three ways. In the first a little size is mixed with the ink, and the letters are written as usual; when they are dry a slight degree of stickiness is produced by breathing on them, upon which the gold leaf is immediately applied, and by a little pressure may be made to adhere with sufficient firmness. In the second method some white lead or chalk is ground up with strong size, and the letters are made with this by means of a brush; when the mixture is almost dry, the gold leaf may be laid on and afterward burnished. The best method is to mix up some gold powder with size, and make the letters of this by means of a brush.

The edges of the leaves of books are gilded while in the binders' press, by first applying a composition formed of four parts of Armenian bole and one of sugar candy, ground together to a proper consistence; it is laid on by a brush with white of egg; this coating, when nearly dry, is smoothed by the burnisher; it is then slightly moistened with clear water, the gold leaf applied, and afterwards burnished.

In order to impress the gilt figures on the leather covers of books, the leather is first dusted over with very fine powdered resin or mastic; then the iron tool by which the figure is made is moderately heated and pressed down upon a piece of leaf gold which slightly adheres to it, being then immediately applied to the surface of the leather with a certain force; the tool at the same time makes an impression, and melts the mastic which lies between the heated iron and the leather; in consequence of this, the gold with which the face of the tool is covered is made to adhere to the leather, so that on removing the tool a gilded impression of it remains behind.

PRINCIPAL COLORS OF GOLD FOR GRINDING.

The principal colors of gold for grinding are red, green, yellow. These should be kept in different amalgams. The part which is to remain of the first color is to be stopped off with a composition of chalk and glue; the variety required is produced by gilding the unstopped parts with the proper amalgam, according to the usual mode of gilding. Sometimes the amalgam is applied to the surface to be gilt, without any quicking, by spreading it with aquafortis; but this depends on the same principle as a previous quicking.

WRITING ON METALS.

To write on metals, take half a pound of nitric acid and one ounce muriatic acid. Mix and shake well together, and then it is ready for use. Cover the plate you wish to mark with melted beeswax; when cold, write your inscription plainly in the wax clear to the metal with a sharp instrument. Then apply the mixed acids with a feather, carefully filling each letter. Let it remain from one to ten hours, according to the appearance desired, throw on water, which stops the process, and remove the wax.

HOW TO TRANSFER A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT TO GLASS.

To transfer a photographic print to glass for painting or for other purposes, separate the paper print from the background by steaming it; dry thoroughly, and having given the warmed glass an even coating of clean balsam or negative varnish, place the face of the print on the surface thus prepared, smooth it out and let it stand in a cool place until the varnish has hardened. Then apply water, and with a soft piece of gum-rubber rub off the paper so as to leave the photographic image on the varnished glass.

STEREOTYPING WOODCUTS.

In stereotyping woodcuts, care should be taken that they are thoroughly dry before being sent to the foundry, as the intense heat to which they are subjected frequently causes them to warp and split, especially if pierced.

TO GILD WITH GOLD LEAF.

Bookbinders use gold leaf in two ways--to gild on the edge, and to place gold letters on the binding. To gild on the edge, the edge is smoothly cut, put in a strong press, scraped so as to make it solid, and the well-beaten white of an egg, or albumen, put on thinly; the gold leaf is then put on before the albumen is dry; it is pressed down with cotton, and when dry polished with an agate polisher. To put on the lettering, the place where the letters are to appear is coated with albumen, and after it is dry, the type to be used is heated to about the boiling point of water, the gold leaf is put on, either on the book or on the type, and then placed on the spot where the lettering is desired, when the gold leaf will adhere by the heat of the type, while the excess of gold leaf loosely around is rubbed off with a tuft of cotton.

GILDING ON WOOD.

To gild in oil, the wood, after being properly smoothed, is covered with a coat of gold size, made of drying linseed oil mixed with yellow ochre. When this has become so dry as to adhere to the fingers without soiling them, the gold leaf is laid on with great care and dexterity, and pressed down with cotton wool. Places that have been missed are covered with small pieces of gold leaf, and when the whole is dry the ragged bits are rubbed off with cotton. This is by far the easiest mode of gilding. Any other metallic leaves may be applied in a similar manner. Pale leaf gold has a greenish-yellow color, and is an alloy of gold with silver. Dutch gold leaf is only copper colored with the fumes of zinc. Being much cheaper than gold leaf, it is very useful when large quantities of gilding are required in places where it can be defended from the weather, as it changes color if exposed to moisture; and it should be covered with varnish. Silver leaf is prepared like gold leaf, but when applied should be kept well covered with varnish, as otherwise it will tarnish. A transparent yellow varnish will give it the appearance of gold.

GILDING IN OIL.

In order to make good work in oil gilding there are several indispensable conditions which must be observed. First, a smooth ground. Second, gold size free from grit or skins. Third, in putting oil gold size on the work it must be dross black, ground in turpentine, and mixed with boiled linseed oil and a small piece of dryers; well sand-paper again, when this coat is dry. And now for the finishing coat of color, which should be flat, _i. e._, mixed with turpentine and a few drops of japanner's gold-size, but no oil. The dross black should be first ground in turpentine and the gold-size added after. When this has dried, varnish with hard drying oak varnish, leave for a day or two, and then rub down with pumice-stone powder, sifted through muslin; use a piece of cloth or felt wrapped on a small block of wood, and first wet the surface to be rubbed with water; dry with a wash-leather, and re-varnish. The ornaments are usually done with stencil patterns, and the lines are done with straight edges and lining fitches. Stencil patterns can be cut out of card paper. Before using, give a coat or two of patent knotting. For gilding panels, give a coat of buff first, then a coat of gold-size, in oil. When this has dried just sticky, press the gold leaf upon it with a ball of wadding, and leave for five or six hours, then rub over with a piece of soft wadding, and wash well with a sponge and cold water. The gold will not need any preparation before painting on, but if varnished afterward use pale varnish. Screens should be painted in colors to match the rooms they are intended to be used in. Birds, flowers and animals are the subjects generally introduced for this purpose. Birds should be painted toward the top of the screen, animals, flowers, etc., in the centre or at the bottom.

GLOSS PRINTING.

Gloss printing is done in two ways; one by using the gloss inks specially prepared for the purpose, the other by printing the gloss preparation on over the finished job, or over that portion of it required to be glossed. To the inexperienced this is a difficult operation, attended by many failures. It is accomplished as follows:--Prepare a tint block the exact size and shape to cover the printing to be glossed. The block should be of boxwood or hard metal--soft metal will not do. Fix it on the press and make it ready as for ordinary work, with a good, even impression. Wash up the ink table, the rollers and the block itself thoroughly, removing the least trace of ink. Replace the rollers and distributors. Now, with a clean palette knife put a little of the gloss preparation on the ink cylinder or table, let it distribute for about a minute, and then pull an impression; if it comes up perfectly clean, the work may proceed, but if there are any signs of dirt, it is best to wash up again at once. While working the gloss, keep the machine in motion, and should the gloss become too sticky (which it is apt to do) sprinkle a very little turpentine on the rollers. It is best to have a separate hand to put on the gloss, so as not to delay the feeder, and the sheets should be taken away at once and laid out singly to dry. The two most important points are to have the machine clean and keep it in motion. After printing, wash up the gloss quickly with benzine.

TO BLEACH SHEEPSKIN PARCHMENT WHITE.

To bleach sheepskin parchment white, expose the pieces to strong sunlight under glass, in a moist atmosphere.

COLORS FOR PRINTING.

For a black color for printing, 25 parts paraffine oil and 45 parts resin are mixed, either by melting at 80 deg.C., or by mechanical means at the ordinary temperature. To this mass 15 parts of black are added. For printing machines, the mixture is composed of 40 parts of resin only, instead of 45. Resin can, in some cases, be replaced by dammar. Other colors are mixed by substituting the equivalent of the color to the black. When cheapness has to be considered, paraffine oil can be substituted by resinous oil, and resin by Burgundy resin, etc.

HOW TO DYE PARCHMENT BLUE OR RED.

Parchment can be dyed green, blue or red. To dye it blue, use the following process:--Dissolve verdigris in vinegar; heat the solution, and apply it by means of a brush on the parchment, till it takes a nice green color. The blue color is then obtained by applying on the parchment thus prepared a solution of carbonate of potash. Use two ounces for one gallon of water. Another method is to cover it by means of a brush with aquafortis, in which copper dust has been dissolved. The potash solution is then applied as before, till the required shade is obtained. Another method is by using the following solution:--Indigo, 5 ozs.; white wood, 10 ozs.; alum, 1 oz.; water, 50 ozs. Red:--The parchment is dyed red by applying with a brush a cold logwood solution, and then using a 3 per cent potash solution.

TO MAKE PAPER FIRE AND WATER-PROOF.

To make paper fire and water-proof, mix two-thirds ordinary paper-pulp with one-third asbestos. Steep in a solution of common salt and alum, and after being made into paper coat with an alcoholic solution of shellac. By plunging a sheet of paper into an ammoniacal solution of copper for an instant, then passing it between the cylinders and drying it, it is rendered entirely impermeable to water, and may even be boiled without disintegrating. Two, three, or any number of sheets rolled together become permanently adherent, and form a material having the strength of wood. By the interposition of cloth or any kind of fiber between the layers, the strength is greatly increased.

A NEW BLOTTING PAPER.

A blotting paper that will not only dry the blot, but bleach the remainder of it can be made by passing ordinary blotting paper or card through a concentrated solution of oxalic acid. Care must be taken that no crystals appear, which would injure the porosity of the paper.

IMPERMEABLE PAPER.

To make impermeable paper, prepare the two following baths: (1) alum, 25 ozs.; white soap, 12-1/2 ozs.; water, 100 ozs. (2) gum arabic, 6 ozs.; Colle de Flandre, 18 ozs.; water, 100 ozs. Place the sheet of paper in the first bath to be well impregnated. In this bath the paper is left only for a short time. It is then dried and dipped in the second bath, the same precautions being used as for the first bath. When dry, the paper is hot-pressed in order to render it uniform.

TO MOUNT CHROMOS FOR FRAMING.

To mount chromos for framing, first soak for fifteen minutes in a shallow dish, or lay between two newspapers that have been thoroughly saturated with water; then paste to the panel of the wood or canvas which has been prepared to receive them. Care must be taken that there are no lumps in the paste.

A VARNISH FOR MAKING PAPER TRANSPARENT.

A varnish formed of Canada balsam, dissolved in turpentine, supplies a most valuable means of making paper transparent. The mode by which this is most satisfactorily accomplished is by applying a pretty thin coating of this varnish to the paper, so as to permeate it thoroughly, after which it is to be coated on both sides with a much thicker sample. The paper is kept warm by performing the operation before a hot fire, and a third, or even a fourth, coating may be applied, until the texture of the paper is seen to merge into a homogeneous translucency. Paper prepared according to this process is said to come nearer than any other to the highest standard of perfection in transparent paper. Care must be used in making, as the materials are highly inflammable.

CARBON PAPER.

To make carbon paper:--Take of clear lard, five oz.; beeswax, one oz.; Canada balsam, one-tenth oz.; lampblack, q. s. Melt by aid of heat, and mix. Apply with a flannel dauber, removing as much as possible with clean woolen rags.

LUMINOUS PAPER.

To make paper which shall be luminous in the dark, it is sufficient to mingle with the pulp the following ingredients in their proportions:--Water, ten parts; pulp, forty parts; phosphorescent powder, ten parts; gelatine, one part; bichromate of potash, one part. The paper will also be waterproof.

SIZES AND WEIGHTS OF DRAWING PAPERS.

The following are the sizes and weights of drawing papers:

Inches. Lbs.

Emperor, 72 x 48 620
Antiquarian, 53 x 31 250
Double Elephant, 40 x 26-3/4 136
Atlas, 34 x 26 98
Columbier, 34-1/2 x 23-1/2 102
Imperial, 30 x 22 72
Elephant, 28 x 23 72
Super Royal, 27 x 19 54
Royal, 24 x 19 44
Medium, 22 x 17-1/2 34
Demy, 20 x 15-1/2 25
Large Post, 20-3/4 x 16-3/4 23
Post, 19 x 15-1/4 20
Foolscap, 17 x 13-1/2 15
Pott, 15 x 12-1/2 10
Copy, 20 x 16 20

TO MAKE BRONZED PAPER.

Dissolve gum lac in four parts by volume of pure alcohol, and then add bronze or other metal powder in the proportion of one part to every three of the solution. A smooth paper must be chosen, and the mixture applied with a fine brush. The coating is not dull, and may be highly burnished.

Another process consists in first applying a coat of copal or other varnish, and when this has become of a tacky dryness, dusting bronze powder over it. After remaining a few hours, this bronzed surface should be burnished with an agate or steel burnisher.

TO MAKE DRAWING-PAPER TRANSPARENT.

Drawing paper of any thickness may be made perfectly transparent by damping it with benzine. India ink and water colors can be used on this paper. The paper resumes its opacity as the benzine evaporates, so that any place that has not been duly traced requires to be redamped with the benzine for that purpose. A sponge should be used for the application.

TO MAKE PAPER WATER-PROOF.

The following is a recipe for making paper water-proof:--Add a little acetic acid to a weak solution of carpenters' glue. Dissolve also a small quantity of bichromate of potash in distilled water, and mix both solutions together. The sheets of paper are drawn separately through the solution, and hung up to dry.

HOW TO SIZE POOR DRAWING PAPER.

To size poor drawing paper, take one oz. of white glue, one oz. of white soap, and one-half oz. of alum. Soak the glue and soap in water until they appear like jelly, then simmer in one quart of water until the whole is melted. Add the alum, simmer again and filter. To be applied hot.

TO PREVENT ALTERATIONS IN WRITING.

The following process of preparing paper will prevent alterations in writing:--Add to the sizing 5 per cent of cyanide of potassium and sulphide of antimony, and run the sized paper through a thin solution of sulphate of manganese or copper. Any writing on this paper with ink made from nutgalls and sulphate of iron, can neither be removed with acids nor erased mechanically. Any acid will change immediately the writing from black to blue or red. Any alkali will change the paper to brown. Any erasure will remove the layer of color, and the white ground of the paper will be exposed, since the color of the paper is only fixed to the outside of the paper without penetrating it.

TO PREVENT GUMMED PAPER FROM COCKLING.

It is well known that paper, when gummed, often cockles. To remedy this a little glycerine or sugar should be added to the gum.

COPYING DRAWING IN COLOR.

The paper on which the copy is to appear is first dipped in a bath consisting of thirty parts of white soap, thirty parts of alum, forty parts of English glue, ten parts of albumen, two parts of glacial acetic acid, ten parts of alcohol of 60 deg., and 500 parts of water. It is afterwards put into a second bath, which contains fifty parts of burnt umber ground in alcohol, twenty parts of lampblack, ten parts of English glue, and ten parts of bichromate of potash in 500 parts of water. They are now sensitive to light, and must, therefore, be preserved in the dark. In preparing paper to make the positive print, another bath is made just like the first one, except that lampblack is substituted for the burnt umber. To obtain colored positives the black is replaced by some red, blue, or other pigment.

In making the copy, the drawing to be copied is put in a photographic printing frame, and the negative paper laid on it, and then exposed in the usual manner. In clear weather an illumination of two minutes will suffice. After the exposure the negative is put in water to develop it, and the drawing will appear in white on a dark ground; in other words, it is a negative or reversed picture. The paper is then dried and a positive made from it by placing it on the glass of a printing frame, and laying the positive paper upon it, and exposing as before. After placing the frame in the sun for two minutes, the positive is taken out and put in water. The black dissolves off without the necessity of moving back and forth.

WASHING FORMS.

Forms sent down to machine ought not to be wet too much with lye or with water, otherwise it becomes necessary to dry them before working, which takes time and often much trouble. The wet works up little by little to the face of the letter, and then the form becomes unworkable. It has often to be taken off the coffin, the feet of the types have to be thoroughly dried, then some sheets of unsized paper have to be placed under the form; it has also to be unlocked, shaken, locked up again, the sheets removed with the moisture they have imbibed, and then it is to be hoped the form will be workable. If not there is nothing to be done but to lift it and dry it by heat.

Lye is generally used for washing forms which do not contain wood blocks; turpentine where wood-cuts or wood-letters are to be found in them. The bristles of the lye-brush should be longer than those of the turpentine-brush, and, in order to preserve it, each brush should be properly washed with water after using, and shaken and stood up to dry. If this is not done the brush will last but a short time.

There is no good in taking up with the brush a large quantity of lye or turps, and to shed it at once. Yet this is too commonly done, regardless of waste. In order to wash a form well the brush should be passed lightly over all the pages, in order to wet them uniformly. Then they should be rubbed round and round, and finally lengthwise and crosswise. Leaning on the brush not only wears away the bristles, but sometimes injures the face of the type, too. It is a bad practice.

After washing, before printing, a sponge with pure water should be passed lightly over the form, and then the form should be dried with a cloth. Care should be taken not to use a woolen cloth, which is liable to leave little pieces on the face of the types, and to see that there are no hard substances in it. After printing it is always best to wash with turpentine. Lye induces oxidation of the types, while turps leave an oily film on them, which preserves them from the action of the atmosphere.

HOW TO PREVENT OFF-SETTING.

A practical pressman says that a sheet of paper wet with glycerine and used as a tympan-sheet will prevent off-setting. This will be found better than using oiled sheets.

PRINTING ENVELOPES.

To prevent the lumpy particles of mucilage on gummed envelopes from "battering" the type, use a heavy piece of blotting paper as a tympan, and when beaten down, touch the injured part with a drop of water, which will bring up the impression again.

TO PREVENT SET-OFF ON WRITING PAPERS PRINTED ON ONE SIDE.

To prevent set-off on writing papers printed on one side, do not lay the sheets straight as they leave the press or machine; this will enable the air to get between them, and wonderfully expedite the drying of the ink. Do not allow the heap to become too heavy.

A QUICK DRYER.

A quick dryer:--Japanese gold size, 2 parts; copal varnish, 1 part; elber powder (radix carlinae, carline thistle), 2 parts. Incorporate well together with a small spatula, and use in quantities to suit the consistency of the ink employed and the rapidity with which it is desired to dry. The usual proportion is a small teaspoonful of the dryer to about one ounce of average good ink.

TO PREVENT WARPING IN BLOCKS AND WOOD.

To prevent warping in blocks and wood-letter used in large bills, a French printer advises that they should be placed in a zinc basin, provided with an air-tight lid; they should then be thoroughly saturated with paraffine oil, and left thus for about four days, when they should be wiped with a clean dry rag. Prepared in this way when new, wood-letter resists the effects of lye, petroleum, turpentine, and atmospheric changes.

HOW TO KEEP ROLLERS WHEN OUT OF USE.

It is a good plan, when rollers are to be kept out of use for any particular time, to put them away with the ink on them. It protects their surface from the hardening effects of the atmosphere, and causes them to retain those properties which give them the much desired "tackiness." But about half an hour before using them, remove the ink and see that they are really in condition again.

PRESERVATIVE OF ROLLERS WHEN NOT IN USE.

The following preservative of rollers when not in use is often applied:--Corrosive sublimate, 1 drachm; fine table salt, 2 ozs.; put together in 1/2 gallon of soft water. It is allowed to stand 24 hours, and is to be well shaken before using. Sponge the rollers with the mixture after washing.

OILS FOR LUBRICATING ROLLER MOLDS.

Sperm and lard oils are the best for lubricating roller molds. If they are properly used, no trouble will be experienced in drawing the rollers.

CARE OF ROLLERS IN THE SUMMER TIME.

In hot, sultry weather rollers will not need sponging, as some of the materials used in their manufacture, having an affinity for moisture, will absorb enough humidity from the atmosphere to keep the surface soft. Indeed, too much moisture is absorbed in close and sultry weather. Cover the rollers while not in use with tallow (in damp weather); this will prevent the absorbtion of moisture and keep the roller dry. When starting up put a little tallow on the distributor. This will prevent the rollers from sticking, and keep them cool.

The safest thing for the pressman is to have on hand, as a reserve, a set of old, hard rollers.

Remember, it is not dry, hot weather that causes trouble so much as it is hot moist weather. When the weather is dry, soft rollers can be used, but when dampness comes on, take out the soft and put in the old hard rollers that have become rejuvenated by the absorption of moisture.

TO KEEP GREEN MOULD FROM ROLLERS.

Nothing destroys the surface of a roller so much as green mould. It takes all the life out of them. Green mould results from a damp place and a careless pressman, and is always a disgrace to all concerned.

TREATMENT OF OLD ROLLERS.

When rollers have been lying for weeks with a coating of ink dried on to the surface--a circumstance that often occurs, more especially when colored inks have been used--get an ordinary red paving brick (an old one with the edges worn away will be the best), place the roller on a board, then dip the brick in a trough of cold water, and work it gently to and fro on the surface from end to end, taking care to apply plenty of water, dipping the brick in repeatedly; and in a short time the ink will disappear. Nor is this all; for if a little care and patience is exercised, it will put a new face to the roller, making it almost equal to new; the coating of ink having, by keeping the air from the surface, tended to preserve the roller from perishing. Sponge off clean.

A RECIPE FOR PRINTERS' ROLLERS.

Best white glue, one pound; concentrated glycerine, one pound. Soak the glue over night in just enough cold soft water to cover it. Put the softened glue in a fine cloth bag, gently press out excess of water, and melt the glue by heating it over a salt water bath. Then gradually stir in the glycerine and continue the heating, with occasional stirring, for several hours, or until as much of the water is expelled as possible. Cast in oiled brass molds, and give the composition plenty of time to cool and harden properly before removing from the mold and inking. See that the ink is well spread before bringing the roller in contact with type.

TEMPERATURE OF THE PRESS ROOM.

The temperature of the press or machine room ought to be as near as possible the same as that at which the ink is manufactured--_viz._, 16 deg. of Reamur (68 deg. Fahrenheit). If the temperature of the room, and consequently, of the iron receptacles the ink is kept in, be considerably less, the varnish of the ink will stiffen, the paper will adhere to the type and peel off, or, if this does not occur, there will at least be too little varnish in the ink remaining on the type, and too much carbon, which, of course, will not sufficiently adhere to the paper, and may be wiped off even when the paint is perfectly dry. But if the temperature of the work-room be too high, the varnish becomes too thin, the ink loses its power of covering well all parts of the types, which then look as if they had been printed with lamp-oil. Colors of different hues require generally a somewhat higher temperature than black, say 70 deg. to 75 deg. Fahrenheit, but any printer who wants to see a clear and sharp impression of his types on the paper should not neglect to look sometimes to the thermometer, too low or too high a temperature being much oftener the cause of unsatisfactory printing than the ink we use.

WHEN TO WASH ROLLERS.

The press or machine man must be guided by the condition of the face of the roller, and the eyes and fingers will be the best guides. Where machine rollers are required for a weekly newspaper, they should be washed ready for the first set of forms, and when the number is long, a second set should be got ready and inked to work the second side, as the paper throws off a quantity of cotton waste, and powder, and neutralizes the tack so necessary to the face of a good roller and a clear impression. Should a roller require cleaning for a hurried work, the old ink may be removed with turpentine, but must be done quickly, and immediately distributed on the ink table, or the face will harden.

IMPROVED DRYER FOR PRINTING INK.

A small quantity of perfectly dry acetate of lead or borate of manganese in impalpable powder will hasten the drying of the ink. It is essential that it be thoroughly incorporated with the ink by trituration in a mortar.

HOW TO BEND A RULE.

To bend a rule, get it thoroughly hot and let it cool slowly; this will take the spring out, and it will stay in the shape it is bent to.

TO CLEAN GILT FRAMES.

Use a soft sponge moderately moistened with spirits of wine; allow to dry by evaporation. Do not use a cloth, and avoid friction. Another way is to use a very soft shaving brush, and to gently rub backward and forward a lather of curd soap. Rinse with water at about blood heat. This applied morning after morning to old and dirt-covered oil paintings will greatly restore them. In adopting this plan with regard to gilt frames around water colors or prints, be sure that not enough moisture is used to run off the frame, or the paper will be stained. The cleaning applies to gold frames only. Dutch metal will bear no cleaning, but a new material, not absolutely gold, but very like it, will stand any amount of soap and water.

CLEANING NEW MACHINERY.

As presses and machinery have their bright work covered with a compound to keep it from rusting while shipping, parties who receive the machinery will find benzine or kerosene oil the best articles to clean off the compound with.

TO MAKE INVISIBLE WRITING.

To make secret or invisible writing, procure some very thin starch, with which write with a quill pen (which should be a soft one) anything that fancy may dictate. Suffer it to dry perfectly; examine the paper upon which you have written, and not one letter can be distinguished by the naked eye. Procure a little iodine, which is an elementary body, dissolve it in water, and with a camel's hair pencil, a quill, or any other convenient article, dipped in the solution, slightly rub the paper on the side which has been written upon; the writing will instantly appear as distinctly visible as if written with the finest ink ever invented.

RED PRINTING INK.

Red printing ink may be made in this way:--Boil linseed oil until smoke is given off. Set the oil then on fire, and allow it to burn until it can be drawn out into strings half an inch long. Add one pound of resin for each quart of oil, and one-half pound of dry, brown soap cut into slices. The soap must be put in cautiously, as the water in the soap causes a violent commotion. Lastly, the oil is ground with a sufficient pigment on a stone by means of a muller. Vermilion, red lead, carmine, Indian red, Venetian red, and the lakes are all suitable for printing inks.

TO PREVENT ELECTROTYPE BLOCKS FROM WARPING.

To prevent electrotype blocks from warping, shrinking or swelling, place them in a shallow pan or dish, cover with kerosene oil and let them soak as long as possible, say three or four days. Then wipe dry and place in the form. After the first two or three washings they may swell a little; if so, have them carefully dressed down, and after that you will have little or no trouble with them, and can leave them in the form just as you would were they solid.

BLACK PRINTING INK.

To make a good, permanent black printing ink, take

Balsam copaiva 9 oz.
Best lampblack 3 oz.
Prussian blue 1-1/2 oz.
Indian red 0-3/4 oz.
Turpentine soap, dried 3 oz.

Grind on a stone until extreme fineness has been obtained. This ink will work clear and sharp, and can easily be removed from the type.

SEALING WAX.

Following are formulas for making sealing wax:--Fine red sealing wax--Pale shellac, 4 oz.; Venice turpentine, 10 drachms; English vermilion, 2 oz. Ordinary red sealing wax--Shellac, 2 oz.; resin, 4 oz.; Venice turpentine, 12 drachms; chrome red, 12 drachms. Cheap red bottle wax--Resin, 10 oz.; turpentine, 1 oz.; beeswax, 1-1/2 oz.; tallow, 1 oz.; red lead or red ochre, 3 oz. The manipulation is about the same for the three kinds. First, the resins are melted with as low a heat as will suffice, then the turpentine, previously warmed, is to be added, and lastly the coloring material. The first quality is only used in sticks, and the third, when melted, for dipping bottles in. The second can be employed for either purpose. When the wax is used for dipping it should be kept at a temperature just sufficient to render it liquid, as too much heat causes it to foam and to rapidly become brittle. Even with this precaution, it is necessary to add a little turpentine, from time to time, to replace the essential oil lost by evaporation.

FOR MAKING DEXTRINE.

Five hundred parts of potato starch are mixed with 1,500 parts of cold distilled water and eight parts of pure oxalic acid. This mixture is placed in a suitable vessel on a water-bath, and heated until a small sample tested with iodine solution does not produce the reaction of starch. When this is found to be the case the vessel is immediately removed from the water-bath, and the liquid neutralized with pure carbonate of lime. After having been left standing for two days, the liquor is filtered, and the clear filtrate evaporated upon a water-bath until the mass has become quite a paste, which is removed by a spatula, and having been made into thin cakes is placed upon paper and further dried in a warm situation; 220 parts of pure dextrine are thus obtained. When needed for making mucilage, the solution has only to be evaporated to the proper thickness.

COLORS FOR PRINTING INKS.

The different colors, and the inks which may be made from them, are as follows:

For Red.--Orange lead, vermilion, burnt sienna, Venetian red, Indian red, lake vermilion, orange mineral, rose pink and red lead.

Yellow.--Yellow ochre, gamboge, and chromate of lead.

Blue.--Cobalt, Prussian blue, indigo, Antwerp blue, Chinese blue, French ultramarine, and German ultramarine.

Green.--Verdigris, green verditer, and mixtures of blue and yellow.

Purple.--A mixture of those used for red and blue.

Deep Brown.--Burnt umber, with a little scarlet lake.

Pale Brown.--Burnt sienna; a rich shade is obtained by using a little scarlet lake.

Lilac.--Cobalt blue, with a little carmine added.

Pale Lilac.--Carmine, with a little cobalt blue.

Amber.--Pale chrome, with a little carmine.

Pink.--Carmine or crimson lake.

Shades and Tints.--A bright red is best got from pale vermilion, with a little carmine added; dark vermilion, when mixed with the varnish, produces a dull color. Orange lead and vermilion ground together also produce a very bright tint, and one that is more permanent than an entire vermilion color. The pigments are dear; when a cheap job is in hand, orange mineral, rose pink and red lead may be used.

Yellow.--Of the materials named, the chromate of lead makes the brightest color. If a dull yellow be wanted, yellow ochre may be used; it grinds easily and is very cheap.

Blue.--Indigo is excessively dark, and requires a good deal of trouble to lighten it. It makes a fine, showy color where brightness is not required. Prussian blue is useful, but it must be thoroughly ground. It dries very quickly, hence the roller must be frequently cleaned. Antwerp blue is very light and easily worked. Chinese blue is also available. As already said, the shade may be varied with flake white. There is this objection to Prussian, Antwerp, and Chinese blues, that they are hard to grind, and likely to turn greenish with varnish when used thin. A bright blue is also to be got from cobalt, or French or German ultramarine. This is cheap, easily ground, and works freely. Lime blue may also be used.

Green.--Any of the yellows and blues may be mixed. Gamboge, a transparent color, is very useful in mixture with Prussian blue; or chromate of lead and Prussian blue may be used. The varnish, having a yellow tinge, has an effect upon the mixture, and should be taken into account. With a slight quantity of Antwerp blue, varnish in itself will produce a decidedly greenish tint. Verdigris and green verditer also give greens. If Chinese blue be added to pale chrome, it gives a good green, and any shade can be obtained by increasing or diminishing either color. Emerald green is got by mixing pale chrome with a little Chinese blue, and then adding the emerald until the tint is satisfactory.

Brown.--Sepia gives a nice tint, and burnt umber a very hot tint. Raw umber gives a brighter brown, bistre a brighter still.

Neutral tints are obtained by mixing Prussian blue, lake and gamboge.

In using painters' colors, it is advisable to avoid, as much as possible, the heavy ones.

Tints of any desired depth may be made by using a finely-ground white ink as a basis, and toning it with the color desired.

Varnish tints are made by adding color to full-bodied, well-boiled printers' varnish, using a little soap and drying preparation to make them work smoothly and dry quickly.

In mixing tints to print with, the muller should be used to rub in the colors thoroughly, otherwise the work is liable to be streaky. It is advisable to mix no more of a tint than is needed for the work in hand. Most colored inks work best if applied to the rollers a little at a time, until the depth of color desired is reached, as colored inks distribute slower than black, and are more liable to thicken upon and clog the type when too much is taken at once.

HINTS ON "CASTING UP."

The most simple and effective contrivance for casting-up work is, for every printer to set up, in vertical parallel lines, the m's of each font in his office, with figures in succession beside them, and work them upon good hard paper, but little wet or pressed, which ought to be dried very gradually. If the cast-up work printed with the same type as these measures very little variation will be found; for if the measure and the measured page do vary from the measurement, the one is compensated by the other. But even this method can scarcely be trusted in setting the price with the compositor, since the difference between a thin and thick space will carry an en quadrat, and thus may give the turn in the 500 letters, so as to make 1,000 difference.

HOW TO ASCERTAIN THE QUANTITY OF PLAIN TYPE REQUIRED FOR NEWSPAPER.

To ascertain the quantity of plain type required for a newspaper, magazine, and other work, find the number of square inches and divide the same by four; the quotient will be the approximate weight of the matter. As it is impossible to set the cases entirely clear, it is necessary to add 25 per cent to large fonts, and 33 per cent to small, to allow for dead letter. This, of course, is only approximate, but will be found sufficiently close for all practical purposes.

CARE OF WOOD-CUTS.

Care should be taken that wood-cuts are thoroughly dry before being sent to the foundry, as the intense heat to which they are subjected frequently causes them to warp and split, especially if pierced.

REMEDY FOR TYPE THAT STICKS IN DISTRIBUTING.

Great difficulty is sometimes experienced in distributing type which has been allowed to remain in form for any length of time. Prevention, of course, is better than cure; but where the remedy is required, the following may be tried with advantage:--Pour boiling water over the type, and allow it to stand for about half an hour. Repeat, if necessary, until the desired effect has been obtained.

LAYING TYPE.

The page as received from the founder, should be carefully unwrapped, and, after having been placed on a galley, soaked thoroughly with thin soap water, to prevent adhesion after the types have been used a short time; then, with a firm rule or reglet, as many lines should be lifted as will make about an inch in thickness, and, placing the rule close upon one side of the bottom of the proper box, slide off the lines gently, taking care not to rub the face against the side of the box. Proceed then with successive lines till the box is filled. Careless compositors are prone to huddle new type together, and grasping them by handfulls plunge them pell-mell into the box, rudely shaking them down to crowd in more. This should never be allowed, as shaking does more injury to type than press wear. The type left over should be kept standing on galleys in regular order till the cases need to be again filled or sorted.

TO FIX BRONZE COLORS ON GLASS.

Bronze colors can be fixed upon glass or porcelain by painting the articles with a concentrated solution of potash water glass of 30 deg. B., and dusting them with the bronze powder. The latter adheres so firmly that it will not be affected by water, and may be polished with steel or agate.

TO DESTROY BOOK WORMS.

For the destruction of book worms, put the books into a case which closes pretty well, and keep a saucer supplied with benzine within it for some few weeks. Worms, larvae, eggs--all are said to be got rid of.

TINNING PAPER AND CLOTH.

The following is a method of tinning paper and cloth:--Zinc powder is ground with an albumen solution, the boiling mixture is then spread over the tissue by means of a brush, when dry, the layer is fixed by dry steam, which coagulates the albumen, and the tissue is then taken through a solution of tin. Metallic tin is reduced, and sets in a very thin layer. The tissues of paper are then washed, dried and hot pressed.

CARE OF BOOKS.

Books should be shelved in the coolest part of the room, and where the air is never likely to be overheated, which is near the floor, where we ourselves live and move. In the private libraries of our residences a mistake is often made in carrying the shelving of our book-cases so high that they enter the upper and overheated stratum of air. If anyone be skeptical on this point, let him test, by means of a step-ladder, the condition of the air near the ceiling of his common sitting-room on a Winter evening, when the gas is burning freely. The heat is simply insufferable.

HOW TO PREVENT MILDEW ON BOOKS.

To prevent mildew on books, lightly wash over the backs and covers with spirits of wine, using as a brush the feather of a goose quill.

A CHEAP LYE.

Boil six gallons of water and add while boiling one pound of unslacked lime and four pounds of common soda. When cold, it should be carefully dipped out, leaving the dregs of the lime at the bottom of the vessel, and it is then fit for immediate application. Cost, about two cents per gallon.

A GOOD DRYER.

A good dryer for printers' use is made by taking a small quantity of perfectly dry acetate of lead or borate of manganese in impalpable powder will hasten the drying of the ink. It is essential that it should be thoroughly incorporated with the ink by trituration in a mortar.

A STRONG LYE.

A very strong printers' lye may be made as follows:--Take of table salt, 2 oz.; unslacked lime, 2 lb., and bruised Scotch washing soda, 2 lb. Mix together in three gallons of water, stirring frequently until the ingredients are dissolved, when the lye will be ready for use. This is a powerful mixture, and will wash off almost any color.

EFFECT OF PETROLEUM OIL ON WOOD TYPE.

Although petroleum oil is a highly useful fluid for cleansing wood letter or wood-cuts, the printer should be cautioned that it is highly detrimental to type and stereoplate. While it has no effect in opening the pores of the wood, but on the contrary, hardens the surface, rendering the face peculiarly smooth, it corrodes or rots the metal, and leaves a white powder on the face, which, although it may be removed with a brush, shows that the type has been injured. Besides this, petroleum is highly dangerous on account of its inflammability. It cannot be extinguished by water.

A BRONZE OR CHANGEABLE HUE.

A bronze or changeable hue may be given to inks with the following mixture:--Gum shellac, 1-1/2 lb., dissolved in one gallon of 95 per cent alcohol or Cologne spirits for 24 hours. Then add fourteen ounces aniline red. Let it stand for a few hours longer, when it will be ready for use. When added to a good blue, black, or other dark inks, it gives them a rich hue. The quantity used must be very carefully apportioned.

In mixing the materials, add the dark color sparingly at first, for it is easier to add more, if necessary, than to take away, as in making a dark color lighter, you increase its bulk considerably.

GOLD LEAF PRINTING.

Gold leaf printing requires much more care than bronze printing, but if properly managed will be found to be a great improvement. Ink should be made of chrome yellow, mixed with Venice turpentine, virgin wax and varnish. Cut the gold leaf into slips a shade wider than the lines it is to cover, ink the form in the usual way, and pull a sheet; then lay on the gold leaf with no great harm. Some colors will not keep at all, and others deposit at the bottom of the can almost all their solid ingredients. It is not easy to alter this, but colza oil will at least prevent the surface skinning over.

TO PREVENT COLORED INKS FROM BECOMING HARD.

Red and some other colored inks are often found to become so hard in a few weeks after the can has been opened that the knife can scarcely be got into them, and they cannot be got to work at all. Oil, varnish and turpentine are of no use in such a case; the remedy is paraffine oil mixed well up with the old ink. Many prefer paraffine oil rather than boiled oil or turps for thinning down both black and colored inks.

TO KEEP COLORED INKS FROM SKINNING.