1867 Six Hundred Receipts by John Marquart

600 MISCELLANEOUS VALUABLE RECEIPTS.

117

Oil of Lavender. — Its property of drying more equally and gradually than perhaps any other oil renders it also of service to the varnisher. It is also used by enamellers, to whom it is very valuable. Oil of Poppies is, that of being perfectly colourless. The only objection is of being insufi'erably tedious in drying. Nut and Linseed Oils, — Both in very general use, and rank among the fat-oils. Their fatness, indeed, is so great, that it is mostly found necessary, before employing them in colouring, to give them a drying quality, which may be done in the following man- ner: Take 1 pound white vitriol and 4 pounds litharge, and let them be reduced to as fine a powder as pos- sible ; then mix them with 1 gallon nut or linseed oil, and place the mixture over a fire just brisk enough to keep the oil slightly boiling. Let it con- tinue to boil till the oil entirely ceases to throw up any scum. Then take the vessel oft* the fire, and let it stand in a cool place for about three hours, and a sediment, which contains the fattening part of the oil, will be formed at the bottom. Pour oflf the oil which is above (being careful not to let any of the sediment mix with it) into wide-mouthed bottles. Let it remain a suflicient time to clear itself per- fectly before it is used, and you will find it possessed of the proper drying quality. Oil of Turpentine is more used than any of the pre- ceding oils : the varnisher, indeed, scarcely employs any other. Fat-oils are oftentimes mixed with oil of turpentine, as well as other volatile oils. Drying oils, which are composed of particular substances mixed with some of the oils before mentioned, are