Or this mixture may be evaporated with gentle heat to the consistency of paint, and used to retouch plated ar ticles where the plate has been worn off. Apply it by means of a camel's hair brush, and at the same moment touch the spot with the bright edge of a zinc shaving freshly cut.
Or mix equal parts by weight of cream of tartar and nitrate of silver. Moisten with water and rub on the surface to be plated.
Or mix 1 ounce of chloride of sil ver, 3 ounces of pearlash, 1 ounces of common salt, and 1 ounce of whit ing. Apply this mixture to the metal with chamois or a piece of cork mois tened with water and dipped in the powder. Apply all that will stay on. Then dip the articles in hot water con taining a little borax, and wipe' dry.
Or dissolve 20 grains of silver in nitric acid, and insert a piece of cop per to cause the silver to be thrown down. Mix this powdered silver with 2 drams of tartar, 2 drams of com mon salt, and dram of alum. Mois ten a cork or piece of chamois, dip in this mixture, and rub over the ar ticles to be silvered.
To Silver Cloth. — To silver silk, woolen, cotton, or other fabrics, wash the articles and rinse in clean water. Dip them in a saturated solution of gallic acid. Remove and dip quickly in a solution of 1 part of nitric acid to 50 parts of distilled water. Dip alternately in the two solutions until the articles instead of being dark in color take on a brilliant hue. Then pour the two solutions together and immerse the articles until they are completely silvered. Remove and boil in a solution of salts of tartar in water, rinse, and dry.
To Silver Shells.—Grind silver leaf into a solution of gum arabic in water, and apply with a brush.
To Silver Glass Globes.—Melt to gether equal parts of tin and lead, and while melted add 2 parts bismuth and 2 parts mercury. Remove from the fire, and when cool enough not to break the glass pour the mixture into the globe, and move it slowly about so that the amalgam will pass over every part of its interior. This will leave a thin film wherever it touches the glass.
Or melt 1 part tin, 1 part lead, 1 part bismuth, and 3 parts mercury.
Or to pure mercury add tin foil as long as the mercury remains liquid.
Or melt together 1 part lead and 1 part tin; add 1 part bismuth and 10 parts mercury. The more mercury is added the more brilliant will be the silvering.
To Silver Ivory. — Prepare sepa rately a saturated solution of gallic acid and a solution of 1 part of ni trate of silver to 50 parts of soft water. Apply these two solutions al ternately to articles of ivory, paper, and other materials to be silvered, until the proper coating is secured. Rinse with clear water, and dry witb gentle heat.
Or prepare a weak solution of ni trate of silver, and in this immerse the ivory until it takes on a deep-yel low color. Remove and place it in clear water and let it stand in direct sunshine for three or four hours, or until it turns completely black. Pol ish briskly with dry chamois, and a bright-silver color will appear.