Dictionarium polygraphicum. Ty bones, horns, wood, &c.

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.
1735
To dye BONEs GREEN.
Put of filings of copper and verdegrease, of each three ounces, into a quart of white wine vinegar; add a handful of bruised rue, mix them well, and put the bones in this for fifteen days.

To dye BONEs, HORNs, or WOOD red.
First, let them be boil'd in alum water, then put them into a tincture of brazil in alum water for two or three weeks, or else into a tincture of brazil with milk.

To dye them BLUE.
First boil them in alum water, then put them into a dissolution of indigo in urine.

To dye them GREEN like emeralds.
Put as much filings of copper into aqua fortis as it will dissolve; then put in bones, horns, wood, and let them lie for one night.

To dye ELDER, BOX, MULBERRY, PEAR-TREE, NUT-TREE of the colour of EBONY.
Steep the woods in alum water for three or four days, then boil it in common oil, with a little Roman vitriol and sulphur.

Where you are to take notice, that the longer you boil the wood, the blacker it will be; but too long boiling will make it brittle.

To dye Bones green.
First boil the bones in alum water, them take them out, dry them, and scrape them; then boil them in lime water, with a little verdegrease.

To dye wood like ebony.
Distil an aqua fortis of salt petre and vitriol, and besmear the wood with it as oft as you see occasion.

To make Horns black.
This may be done with vitriol dissolved in vinegar and spirit of wine; or with the snow white calx of silver in fair water.

To make Bones white.
Boil them in water and lime, scumming it continually.

To dye Bones black.
Take litharge and quick lime of each two pounds, put it into a sufficient quantity of water; put in the bones, and stir them with a stick till they boil apace. Then take it off the fire, and keep stirring till all is cold, and the bones will be very black.

To soften Bones, Ivory, &c.
Lay them for twelve hours in aqua fortis, then three days in the juice of beets, and they will be tender, and you may make of them what you will. When you would harden them again, lay them in strong white wine vinegar.

To dye Bone, Ivory, Horn, &c. black.
Put brass into aqua fortis, and let it stand till it is turn'd green, with which wash the Bone, Horn, &c. (it having been first polished) three times: then put them into a strong decoction of logwood in fair water whilst hot, letting them lye a little; which done, rush and polish it, and it will be as black, and have as good a gloss as japan or ebony.

To dye Bones, Horn, &c. of a green colour.
First boil them in alum water, then take wine vinegar what quantity you please, spanish green or common verdegrease well ground a sufficient quantity, sal armoniac half the quantity of the verdegrease; then put in the Bones, &c. and keep them gently boiling till they are sufficiently stain'd.

To dye BONEs, &c. of a red.
Mix a sufficient quantity of quick lime with what quantity of water you please, let it stand a night to dissolve, then decant off the clear water, straining it through a cloth. Take of this water eight pounds, put into it four ounces of brazil wood rasp'd, mix and boil them gently; (then having first boil'd the bones in alum water) put them and boil them into the tincture of brazil, till they are thoroughly red.

To make a BLACK of burnt Bones.
Burnt ivory, or for want of that, burnt bones is the blackest black; and if you have not the conveniency of burning them in crucibles as is elsewhere directed, put them into the fire till they be thoroughly burnt; then take it out, and let it cool, and so slit it in the middle, and take out the blackest of it in the middle, and grind it for your use.