Dictionarium Polygraphicum. To dye cloth, &c. Ash Colour.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol I.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735To dye a picee of fifteen ells of cloth, &c. of an Ash Colour, first dye it a sky colour with woad and indigo, then rinse it out clean and dry it, then  apply the following black; take four ounces of beaten galls, one dram of burnt alum, half a pound of vitriol; boil the dye and the stuff in it for half an hour, then pass it through and rinse it; then add to the suds three ounces of brasile, that has been before boil'd in a skillet in part, three quarts of sharp lye, half an ounce of rock salt or sal Gemmae, and you will have a beautiful Ash Colour.

You may also prepare this colour brighter with galls, but if the lustre be not good, when taken out of the woad or indigo copper to try; then add four ounces of sumach, six ounces of vitriol, three ounces of madder, three ounces of salt, half an ounce of burnt alum.

But the first Ash Colour is the more beautiful and lasting.


Another method of dying ASH COLOURS.
Take a sufficient quantity of water, nut galls bruis'd small eight ounces, madder two ounces, put all into the vessel and let them boil; then enter twenty yards of broad cloth and handle it, letting it boil two hours; then cool it and put in copperas two ounces, and then enter the cloth again and handle it; then let it boil a quarter of an hour, and cool it. If you would have it sadder, you must put in more copperas.
Note, That handling of it signifies to roll it on the roller, as it is boiling, and to let it all in again to hinder its spotting, and to make it take colour equally. Cooling it signifies to take it up and air it.

Another Ash Colour. Take of nut galls bruis’d six ounces, red tartar bruis’d four ounces, let them boil well one hour and half in the liquor: then enter twenty yards of broad cloth, and handle it well, and cool it; after which put in two ounces of copperas, and sadden it with copperas as you please.

To dye the best Ash Colour. Take fair water a sufficient quantity, red tartar four ounces, nut galls three ounces, bruise them small and enter twenty yards of cloth, boil it an hour and half; then cool and sadden it as you think fit.

Another way to dye an Ash Colour. Take a sufficient quantity of water, put it into the copper, put into it six ounces of nut galls bruis'd small; let the copper boil and then enter your cloth; and let it boil an hour and half, and then cool the cloth, then put in four ounces of red tartar, which dissolve: then put in the cloth again, and let it boil half an hour; then take it out, cool and air it: Lastly, Put in half an ounce of copperas and let it melt, enter your cloth again, and sadden it as you please. This will dye three pounds weight.

Another Ash Colour. Take a sufficient quantity of water, fix ounces of galls bruis’d small: put them into a caldron and let them boil, then enter the cloth for the space of an hour and a  half, then put in five ounces of red tartar (having first taken out the cloth) which dissolve, and put in the cloth again, and boil it for half an hour, then take it out, cool and air it: Lastly, Put in half an ounce of copperas, and as much white vitriol, dissolve them, then enter your cloth again, and it will be a good colour to dye three or four pound weight.

Another kind of Ash Colour. Take a sufficient quantity of water, and add to it nut galls beaten small four ounces, cochineal half an ounce; boil them together, and enter your cloth and let it boil an hour and a half, and then cool the cloth: then put in four ounces of copperas, and then enter the cloth again and sad den it. This will dye twelve pounds of yarn or cloth.