Chapter XXV

LEATHER BLACKING—STAINS—VARNISHES AND POLISHES.

VINEGAR BLACK.

For giving color to the grain of leather there is no blacking that will at all compare with the well known vinegar black. This may be made in various ways. The simplest, and, without doubt, the best, is to procure shavings from an iron turner and cover them with pure cider vinegar; heat up and set aside for a week or two, then heat again and set in a cool place for two weeks; pour off the vinegar, allow it to stand for a few days, and draw off and cork up in bottles. This will keep for a long time, and, while producing a deep black on leather, will not stain the hands.

Another method is to cover iron scraps with sour beer, and allow them to stand for a month or more; then strain off the beer and bottle as before. A third method is to boil sulphate of iron in vinegar; mix some brewers’ yeast with beer and allow it to stand for twenty-four hours, then skim off the yeast and add the vinegar.

LOGWOOD BLACK.

Boil 1 pound of ground logwood, ½ pound of nut galls, and 1 ounce of verdigris in 1 gallon of water for two hours, then remove from the fire and allow it to stand until it is cold; strain off the liquor, and it will be ready for use.

If to 1 pint of this mixture be added ¼ pound of white wax, ½ pound of brown sugar, and ½ pound of bone black rubbed smooth in turpentine, and the whole heated until thoroughly amalgamated, an excellent wax for finishing edges will be produced.

Another logwood black is made by boiling a quantity of logwood bark in double its bulk of rain water for two or three hours, then straining off and adding ¼ of a pound of potash to 2 gallons of the liquor. This makes a good grain as well as edge black.

HATTERS’ BLACK.

This black is unequaled for finishing. It is made by dissolving 1 pound of extract of logwood, ½ ounce of bichromate of potash, and 1 ounce of copperas in 1 gallon of water.

Another formula, differing from the first in the quantities, is to dissolve 1 pound of extract of logwood, 2 ounces of copperas, and 1½ ounces of bichromate of potash in 1½ gallons of water.

BALL BLACK.

Melt together 8 ounces of beef suet, 2 ounces of neat’s-foot oil, 2 ounces of white wax, and 2 ounces of pulverized gum arabic; add 1 gill of turpentine, and a sufficient quantity of bone black to give the whole a good color; stir until thoroughly mixed, remove from the fire, continue to stir until cold, then roll into balls. To apply, warm the ball, rub it on the leather, and polish with a woolen cloth.

English ball blacking for harness is composed of 1 ounce of lard, 1 ounce of beeswax, 8 ounces of ivory black, 8 ounces of sugar, 4 ounces of linseed oil, and 2 or 3 ounces of water.

Another kind is made of 2 ounces of hog’s lard, 8 ounces of best neat’s-foot oil, 2 ounces of beeswax, 10 ounces of ivory black, and 8 ounces of water. Heat the whole to a boil, remove from the fire, stir until sufficiently cool, and form into balls about two inches in diameter.

A third description is made of 2 ounces each of ivory black, copperas, and neat’s-foot oil, 4 ounces of brown sugar, 4 ounces of soft water, and 1 ounce of gum tragacanth; boil until the water has evaporated, stir until cold, then roll into balls or mould into cakes.

A fourth is made of ½ pound of beeswax, 4 ounces of ivory black, 2 ounces of Prussian blue, 2 ounces of spirits of turpentine, and 1 ounce of copal varnish; melt the wax, stir in the other ingredients, and, when cool, roll into balls.

Still another famous harness and saddlery blacking is made of ¼ of an ounce of isinglass, ¼ of an ounce of indigo, 4 ounces of logwood, 2 ounces of softsoap, 4 ounces of glue, and 1 pint of vinegar; the whole is warmed, mixed, strained, allowed to cool, and is then ready for use.

LIQUID BLACK.

Mix a quantity of bone black with equal parts of neat’s-foot oil and brown sugar, in proportions to produce a thick paste; thin with vinegar and sulphuric acid in proportions of three parts of the former to one of the latter.

A second liquid black is made by mixing 3 ounces of ivory black with 1 tablespoonful of lemon acid, 2 ounces of brown sugar, and a small quantity of vinegar, afterward adding 1 ounce each of sulphuric and muriatic acid; mix the whole together, and add a sufficient quantity of vinegar to make 1 pint in all.

LIEBIG’S BLACK.

Mix bone black in half its weight of molasses and one eighth its weight of olive oil, to which add half its weight of hydrochloric acid and one fourth its weight of strong sulphuric acid, with a sufficient quantity of water to produce a thin paste.

PATENT HARNESS BLACK.

Heat together, over a slow fire, 2 ounces of white wax and 3 ounces of turpentine; when the wax is dissolved add 1 ounce of ivory black and 1 dram of indigo, thoroughly pulverized and mixed; stir the mixture until cold. Apply with a cloth, and polish with a shoe brush.

WATERPROOF PASTE BLACKING.

Melt together 4 ounces of black resin and 6 ounces of beeswax over a slow fire; when thoroughly dissolved, add 1 ounce of lampblack and ¼ pound of finely powdered Prussian blue; stir the mixture well, and add sufficient turpentine to make a thin paste. Apply with a cloth, and polish with a brush.

CROWN SOAP BLACK.

Dissolve, over a slow fire, 1 pound of beeswax, 1 pound of crown soap, 3 ounces of indigo, 4 ounces of ivory black, and ½ pint of oil of turpentine; as soon as dissolved remove from the fire, and stir until cold.

FINISHING BLACK.

Mix together ½ ounce each of gelatin and indigo, 8 ounces of extract of logwood, 2 ounces of crown soap, 8 ounces of softened glue, and 1 quart of vinegar; heat the whole over a slow fire, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Apply with a soft brush, and polish with a woolen cloth.

CORDOVA WAX.

Mix together 1½ pints of red acid (chromic), 1 pint of beer, 1 gill of thick glue, 2 ounces of ivory black, and 1 dram of indigo; boil for half an hour, and apply with a sponge.

GERMAN BLACKING.

Soften 2 pounds of good glue, and melt it in an ordinary glue kettle; then dissolve 2 pounds of castile soap in warm water and pour it into the glue; stir until well mixed, and add ½ pound of yellow wax cut into small pieces; stir well until the wax is melted, then add ½ pint of neat’s-foot oil and enough lampblack to give the desired color. When thoroughly mixed, it is ready for use.

ANILIN BLACK.

Mix 1 dram of fine anilin black with 60 drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 1½ ounces of alcohol. This produces a deep blue liquid, which, when diluted with 1½ ounces of shellac dissolved in alcohol, will produce a beautiful black.

BLACKING FOR RESTORING HARNESS.

Mix 1 ounce of indigo, 1 pound of extract of logwood, 1 ounce of softened glue, and 8 ounces of crown soap (common softsoap can be used if the other kind can not be had) in 2 quarts of vinegar; place the mass over a slow fire, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Apply with a soft brush, and use a harder one for polishing.

BLACKING FOR PATENT OR ENAMELED LEATHER.

Mix together ½ pound each of ivory black, purified lampblack, and pulverized indigo, 3 ounces of dissolved gum arabic, 4 ounces of brown sugar, and ¼ ounce of glue dissolved in 1 pint of water; heat the whole to a boil over a slow fire, then remove and stir until cool, and roll into balls.

BLACKING FOR RESTORING LEATHER COVERED MOUNTINGS.

Melt 3 parts of white wax, then add 1 part gum copal, dissolved in linseed oil, and 1 part of ivory black; allow the mass to boil for five minutes, remove it from the fire and stir until cool, then roll it up into balls.

BLACKING FOR THE FLESH SIDE.

Mix together 1 pound of prime lampblack and 12 pounds of pure neat’s-foot oil; melt 6 pounds of good tallow, and add it while hot to the lampblack and oil. Mix it well, and when cold it will be fit for use.

ANOTHER.

To 1½ pounds of lampblack add 1 gallon of pure neat’s-foot oil and 1 quart of vinegar black; allow it to stand 24 hours, and it will be ready for use.

STAINS.

The use of russet and brown leather for reins, etc., necessitates the employment of stains of various shades in the workshop, in order that the reins or other straps may be of a uniform color after being worked. In most cases rein leather is stained by the currier, but when worked, the freshly cut edges, etc., need to be stained to correspond with the grain. The stains used are generally made of Spanish saffron and anotta, or of saffron alone, made up in various ways, the most common and reliable being the following:

Boil a given amount of saffron in water until the color is extracted; cut a quantity of anotta in urine and mix the two together, the proportions of each determining the shade; the more anotta used the darker is the color.

Another manner of preparing this stain is to boil ½ ounce of Spanish saffron and ¼ ounce of anotta in water until the dye is extracted, to which must be added some alcohol to set the color.

To make a stain of saffron alone, boil a quantity in water until the dye is extracted; strain off, and, when cold, add alcohol in order to set the color. The shade may be changed by adding oxalic acid in varying quantities according to the color required. The proportions can not be given with any degree of accuracy, as the color is a matter of taste, and can be regulated by using greater or less proportions of each article.

Another saffron stain is made by boiling saffron in a small quantity of water until the color is extracted, and reducing with urine.

In using any of these stains, apply them with a cloth, and, when nearly dry, rub with a woolen rag slightly waxed.

A yellow stain is produced by boiling fustic berries in alum water; the shade may be darkened by the addition of a small quantity of powdered Brazilwood boiled with the berries.

Another yellowish red stain is made of Brazilwood and yellow berries in proportion to suit, boiling them in water until the coloring matter is extracted. This can be applied to sides that have not been stained, when intended for flat reins, halters, etc., in the following manner:

Lay the leather upon a table, and rub the flesh side with a warm stretching iron; turn it over and moisten the grain side with water, and rub with a copper stretching iron until the leather is nearly dry; then apply the coloring matter to the grain, and rub with a copper slicker. When the leather is perfectly dry, rub the grain with a glass slicker. An edge stain is made by adding a small quantity of alum to the above mentioned ingredients.

A brown stain is made by boiling equal parts of pine and alder barks in six times their bulk of water until all the coloring matter is extracted, and when cold adding a small quantity of alcohol. Saffron boiled for twelve or fifteen hours gives a good brown stain, to which alcohol must be added to make it set.

Picric acid and water, in proportions of 1 to 10, heated to a blood heat, makes a good yellow stain. Wold boiled in water also makes a yellow stain.

An orange yellow is produced by boiling fustic berries in alum water. This stain may be converted into a rich brown by washing the leather to which it has been applied, before the stain is fairly dry, with an alkali.

A red stain is produced by boiling Brazilwood in lye. If mixed with wold, it produces a brownish yellow, well adapted for use on halters and bridles.

An edge stain for russet leather is made by cutting 4 ounces of anotta in 2 quarts of urine, allowing it to stand for twenty-four hours, then adding 3 quarts of water and boiling until reduced to one half the original quantity.

All stains appear to better advantage and are rendered more durable by being covered with a little shellac varnish, which should be applied after the reins are all dry, and then finished up as previously directed. The shellac should be applied with a sponge.

A bright orange stain is made by mixing yellow anilin with alum water.

One ounce of oxalic acid, 1 ounce of spirits of salts, 1 scruple of bruised cochineal, and 1 pint of boiling water makes a good brown stain.

Another red stain is made by dissolving 1 ounce of cochineal in ½ pint of hot water, and adding 1 gill of spirits of hartshorn.

A bright crimson stain is alum or tin salts and a decoction of cochineal.

VARNISHES.

SHELLAC VARNISH.

Dissolve 6 parts of shellac in alcohol using no more of the latter than is absolutely necessary to dissolve the gum, and mix it with 3 parts of Venetian turpentine, heating the whole until the mixture is complete; when cool, add ½ part of fine bone black and ½ part of oil of lavender (all the parts by weight). Mix the mass in a druggist’s mortar, and rub smooth; then add turpentine enough to reduce it to the proper consistency.

ELASTIC VARNISH.

Dissolve ½ pound of gum caoutchouc in ether, and when thoroughly cut, add ½ pound each of linseed oil and spirits of turpentine; boil over a slow fire until the mixture becomes clear, strain it, and when cold it is ready for use. To harden it and make it dry quicker, use one half the quantity of gum caoutchouc, and substitute the best gum copal for the remainder.

GERMAN LEATHER VARNISH.

Pulverize a quantity of the best copal gum, and add enough turpentine to moisten it; place it in a glazed vessel, and allow it to stand over a moderate fire until the gum is thoroughly dissolved, which will require about ten hours. Next take double the quantity of linseed oil that there is of the gum and turpentine combined, and heat it; when nearly to a boil, pour in the dissolved gum, and allow it to remain over the fire until it has reached as high a degree of temperature as it will bear with safety, stirring it all the while; then remove from the fire, and when it has cooled a little, thin with spirits of turpentine until the proper consistency is reached, strain through a fine cloth, bottle it, and set it in the sun to ripen. This is an excellent varnish for horse collars. If used upon those that have lost their color, a little bone black should be added.

LACK VARNISH BALLS.

Melt together 2 ounces of white wax and 6 ounces of beef tallow; add ½ pint of turpentine, 8 ounces of ivory black, 2 ounces of Prussian blue ground in linseed oil, and allow the mass to boil for about five minutes; then remove it from the fire and add 4 ounces of shellac varnish, stir the mass until cool, and roll into balls.

BLACK VARNISH.

Pulverize and mix together 1½ parts of mastic, 2½ parts of shellac, 2½ parts of dragon’s blood, and 2 parts of the best bone black; heat 1½ parts of turpentine and 10 parts of alcohol, pour them over the gums, place the whole over a moderate fire, and boil until the latter are thoroughly dissolved.

WATERPROOF VARNISH.

Pulverize 1 pound of shellac, and put it into a bottle with a sufficient quantity of alcohol to cover the gum; cork the bottle tightly, and keep it in a warm place until the gum is dissolved. To a quart of the liquid add 1 ounce of ivory black and ½ ounce of gum camphor dissolved in alcohol. Apply with a varnish brush. If too thick to work well, thin with alcohol.

BLACK VARNISH FOR JAPANNED WORK.

Dissolve 2 pounds of asphaltum in 1 pint of boiled linseed oil; heat in an iron pot until thoroughly fused, then remove from the fire, and, when cooled off a little, add 2 quarts of spirits of turpentine, and stir until cold. Apply with a brush. This makes an excellent japan for retouching japanned mountings, seats, etc., that have been injured by the japan scaling off.

CHEAP SHELLAC VARNISH.

Dissolve asphaltum in turpentine, using no more of the latter than is absolutely necessary; add a small quantity of bone black and enough shellac varnish to reduce it so that it can be applied with a brush. Spread it very thinly.

ELASTIC VARNISH.

Equal parts of gum caoutchouc and copal, the former dissolved in ether, heated in a vessel until thoroughly dissolved, with enough linseed oil added while hot to reduce it to the proper consistency, makes an elastic varnish well suited for finishing collars.

POLISHES.

FRENCH POLISH.

Beat 5 pounds of stearin out into thin sheets with a wooden mallet, and mix with 7 pounds of oil of turpentine, after which subject the mass to a water bath, and heat up; when hot, add ½ ounce of ivory or bone black, stirring well to prevent crystallization. To cool it off, it should be emptied into another vessel and stirred until cold. To use, warm it until it is reduced to a liquid state, and apply in small quantities with a cloth; afterward rub it well with a piece of silk or linen cloth to bring up the polish.

POLISH FOR PATENT LEATHER.

Mix together the whites of two eggs, 1 teaspoonful of spirits of wine, 1 ounce of sugar, and as much finely pulverized ivory black as may be required to produce the necessary shade of black. Apply with a sponge, and polish with a piece of silk.

WAX POLISH.

Melt together 1 pound of white wax, 1 pound of crown soap, 5 ounces of ivory black, 1 ounce of indigo, and ½ pint of nut oil; dissolve over a slow fire, stir until cool, and turn into small moulds.

LIQUID POLISH.

Melt 2 pounds of wax, and add ¼ pound of washed and well dried litharge by screening it through a fine sieve; then add 6 ounces of ivory black, and stir until cool, but not cold; add enough turpentine to reduce it to a thin paste, after which add a little birch or other essential oil to prevent it from souring.

GERMAN LEATHER POLISH.

Soften 1 part of white glue in water, add 3 parts of crown soap, and heat the whole over a slow fire until the glue is thoroughly dissolved; moisten 3 parts of bone black with vinegar, and mix it with 1 part of wheat starch beat smooth in cold water; mix the whole, and allow it to stand over a slow fire for half an hour, stirring it all the time, then turn it into another kettle and stir until it is cold. To use, dissolve a small quantity in sour beer or vinegar, and apply with a brush, spreading it as thinly as possible.