LACQUER FOR METALS Lacquers are of two sorts: (1) spirit varnishes or lac varnishes, composed of the gums copal, san darac, mastic, shellac, or anime in the form of true solutions with al cohol or wood spirits, and the like; and (2) Japanese or Chinese lacquer work, properly called lacquer, but often referred to as " japan." The latter frequently does not contain any lac at all, but is formed of the juice of various nonresinous trees.
The spirit varnishes or lacquers for metals are used to give a gold color to articles of brass or other base met als; hence these varnishes are colored with tinctures of gummigutta, drag on's blood, gamboge, coralline, picric acid, turmeric, Martius yellow, and annotto.
A suitable varnish for this purpose consists of 1 ounce of seed-lac, 2 ounces of sandarac, 2 ounces of elemi, and 20 ounces of alcohol, to be colored as desired.
Or a good gold lacquer for brass work consists of 6 ounces of seed lac, 2 ounces of turmeric, ounce of dragon's blood, and 1 quart of al cohol.
The following proportions are rec ommended: Gold Lacquer.—Mix 8 ounces of turmeric, I ounce of gamboge, pounds of sandarac, and 8 ounces of white lac powdered, and dissolve in 1 gallon of alcohol. Add 1i pints of turpentine varnish, and bottle and cork closely for use.
Or mix seed-lac, 6 ounces; turmeric, 2 ounces; dragon's blood, 1 ounces, and cover with alcohol, 1 quart. Put the mixture in a glass fruit jar, close tightly, and let stand in a warm place, shaking frequently until dissolved.
Heat the mixture, and strain through silk or coarse filter paper.
Or put 1 ounce of oil of lavender in a glass bottle, and add 3 ounces of turpentine and ounce of pulverized gum copal. Cork tightly and let stand in a warm place, shaking occasionally until dissolved.
Or 1 ounce of gum lac, 1 ounce of gamboge, 1 ounce of dragon's blood, 1 ounce of annotto, and, ounce of saffron. Dissolve each separately in 2 ounces of alcohol. Mix the resins, and add slowly the coloring matter until the proper shade is obtained.
Gold Lacquer for Tin. — Put in a glass bottle 8 ounces of alcohol; add 1 ounce of gum shellac, ounce of turmeric, and ounce of red sanders. Cork, set in a warm place, and let stand until dissolved, shaking occa sionally. Heat the mixture, strain through silk, and bottle and cork tightly for use.
Transparent Lacquer. — Dry in an oven 10 or 12 ounces of animal char coal. Put it in a metal boiler and pour over it 5 ounces of shellac dis solved in 1 quart of alcohol, and bring the solution to a boil. Test the mix ture by letting a drop cool on a glass plate. If not perfectly transparent, add more charcoal. When the mix ture is clarified, strain through silk and filter paper.