Dictionarium polygraphicum. Size. (Gold size. Silver size.)

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
To make gold size.
Take gum animi, asphaltum, of each one ounce, minium, litharge of gold, and umber, of each half an ounce, reduce all into a very fine powder, and add to them of linseed-oil four ounces, of drying oil eight ounces; digest over a gentle fire, that does not flame, so as it may only simmer and bubble up, but not boil (for fear it should run over and set the house on fire) keep it constantly stirring with a stick, 'till all the ingredients are dissolv'd and incorporated, and don't leave off stirring it, 'till it becomes thick and ropy, and is boil'd enough; let it stand 'till it is almost coöd, and then strain it through a coarse linnen-cloth, and keep it for use.

To prepare it for working.
Put according to the quantity you shall use in a horse-muscle shell, and so much oil ot turpentine to it, as shall dissolve it, making it as thin as the bottom of your seed-lac varnish, hold it over a candle to melt, and then strain it through a linnen rag, into another shell; add to these so much vermilion as will make it of a darkish red.

If now it is too thick for drawing, you must thin it with oil of turpentine. The chief use of this size is for laying on of metals.



The best Gold size for burnishing.
Take fine bole what quantity you please, grind it finely on a marble, then scrape into it a little fine beef-suet, grind all well together; after which mix a small proportion of parchment size, with a double proportion of water, and it is done.


To make silver size.
Grind fine tobacco-pipe clay fine, (and if you will, you may add a little lamp-black to turn it of alight ash-colour) scrape into it a little deer's suet, and grind them all extremely fine; then add a mixture of size and water, as before directed.

Another silver size.
Take tobacco-pipe clay in fine powder, scrape some black lead, and a little Genoa soap; and grind them all together with parch ment-size, as above directed.

A size for either silver or Gold.
Take fine bole in fine powder one pound, black lead two ounces, grind them together; then add of oil olive two scruples, and beet-wax one scruple, melted together; grind all these very finely in a mass; and in the last place, grind them together with parchment-size and water.
But remember never to grind more gold and silver size at a time than will serve the present occasion.



To make Parchment-size.
Boil cuttings of clean parchment one pound in two quarts of fair water to a gelly; strain it hot, then let it cool, and it will be a strong size.
This may be us'd, as well as for the former uses, in white japan work instead of ising-glass size.

The way of using this size.
Melt some of it over a gentle fire, and scrape into it as much whiting, as may only colour it: mix and incorporate them well together with a clean pencil; with this you may whiten frames, rubbing it well in with your brush, that it may enter into every hollow place of the carv'd work, &c. letting it dry on.
Then melt the sze again, and put in more whiting, so as to make it somewhat thick, and whiten the frames over again seven or eight times, letting it be thoroughly dry between each time; but after the last gr,ing over, before it is quite dry, you must dip a clean brush pencil in fair water, to wet and smooth it over; and when it is thoroughly dry, brush it over, as the ne cessity of the work shall require.
After this, with a googe or chissel, not half a quarter of an inch broad, open the veins of the carv'd work, which the whiting has choak'd up; then smooth and water plane it all over with a fine rag wetted, and your finger; let it be dry, and then it is fit to receive the former gold size.

To make Gold size in oil.
Take yellow oker in fine powder, what quantity you please, mix it with an indifferent fat linseed-oil a sufficient quantity, grind them well together, and put the mass into a gallipot, upon which put some fat oil, to keep it from skinning over; cover it close with a piece of bladder or paper, and keep it for use.
It will keep good for ten or twelve years, and be the better, and not the worse.
If you would have your work extraordinary well done, prime it over thinly twice, and let it stand to dry for four or five days.

As to ising-glass size, you are to use the following caution.
When you lay blues, whites, or any other colours with it, let it not be too strong, but rather weak, and sufficient to bind the colours, and make them stick on the work; for if it is too strong, it will be apt to crack or fly off. But when you lay or wash with clear ising-glass to keep your varnish from soaking in, or tarnishing your colours, then it most be strong, and of a full body.

To make glove-leather size.
Take half a pound of the cuttings of white gloves, and put them in water, letting them steep for sometime; then boil them in a pot with six quarts of water, 'till it be consumed to one; then strain it through a cloth in a new earthen pan.
To try whether the size is strong enough, when it has stood 'till it is cold, seel it with your fingers, and if it seels firm under your hand, it is done.