SEALING-WAX. The best red sealing-wax is composed of shell lac, Venice turpentine, and cinnabar. The shell-lac by itself is rather too brittle, and the turpentine is added to remedy that defect. The proportions are about four parts of lac, one part of turpentine, and three parts of cinnabar, by weight. When the lac and turpentine are melted, the cinnabar is added in powder, and the whole is well mixed by stirring it about. The round sticks of sealing-wax are made by hand on a smooth slab of marble or plate of metal, which is kept at a moderate temperature by a brazier placed beneath it. The liquid sealing-wax having been partially cooled, a quantity sufficient to make about six sticks is rolled out on the slab or plate into one long stick ; which, when of proper diameter, is cut into lengths, and transferred to another workman, by whom the sticks are rolled on a cold slab beneath a smooth piece of wood or metal. The sticks are now polished, which is done by holding them successively between two contiguous charcoal fires till the surface is fused, which produces the polish. One end is then softened by being brought near the flame of a lamp, in order to receive the impression of the maker's name. This manipu
lating process is only applied to the round sticks ; those which are oval and ornamented are formed by pouring the liquid sealing-wax into a mould ; when partly cooled, the sticks are removed to another mould made of steel, out of which they are taken polished and fit for use.
For the best black sealing-wax, the forest ivory-black is substituted for the cinnabar. For sealing-wax of inferior quality, not only the darker-coloured shell-lac is used, but other resins of less value, com mon turpentines, and mixtures of cinnabar and red lead, or sometimes red lead alone; and lampblack is used instead of ivory-black. Other colours are given to sealing-wax by mixing with it, for the most part, different metallic oxides.
The softer wax, which was formerly in general use for sealing letters and legal documents, and which is still occasionally used for the latter purpose, consists of about four parts of bees'-wax, one part of Venice turpentine, and as much cinnabar or other colouring material as is required to give it the tint which is preferred.