Scientific American 26, 24.12.1859
To Dye Straw Bonnets Black.
Suppose there are two bonnets to dye, one leghorn and one straw. Put an ounce of sulphate of iron into a vessel with two gallons of water; make the liquor boil; then put in the bonnets, and let them boil for one hour. Then take out the bonnets, and hang them on a peg to dry. When dry, rince them in cold water. This portion of the process of dyeing is called mordanting, the liquor being termed the mordant. After the bonnets are thus mordanted, the mordant must be poured out of the boiling vessel, and two gallons of clean water made to boil in its place; into that liquor put half a pound of gall nuts (broken) and half a pound of logwood, together with the bonnets, and allow the whole again to boil for one hour. Then take them out of the hot liquor, and hang them to dry as before, when they will be of dusky brown-black color. Chip bonnets as a rule do not require so long as straw, because the chip takes the dye easier. The final process is to size or stiffen the bonnets, and put them into shape. This operation requires two ounces of best glue, put into two quarts of cold water overnight, and next day completely dissolved by boiling. When the glue is melted, strain the liquor (then called size) into an earthen vessel. Into this put the bonnets one at a time, till thoroughly soaked. When the bonnets are taken out of the liquor all superfluous site must be sponged off. They are then brought into shape as they get gradually dry, or they may be dried on a block. After this sizing process the color of the dye is improved, and becomes black as jet.
To Clean and Re-Dip Black Feathers.
Feathers that have become rusty in color may thus be restored: First, well wash the feathers in soap and water, using the best mottled soap, and the water scalding hot for the purpose; then thorougly rinse them in clean water and dry them. Next, take half an ounce of logwood, and boil in a quart of water. When scalding hot, put in the feathers, and there let them remain till the liquor is cold, after which rinse them in cold clean water, and put them to dry. Finally, rub or brush over the feathers the smallest portion of oil, which simple operation brings out the glistening jet appearance in a remarkable manner. If you draw a long strip of paper between the thumb and a blunt pen-knife blade, the paper will curl up. Feathers may be treated in the same way, using only such tender care as may be expected to be required in "touching a feather."
- Septimus Piesse
Ei kommentteja :
Lähetä kommentti