Dick's encyclopedia of practical receipts and processes:
containing over 6400 receipts embracing thorough information, in plain language, applicable to almost every possible industrial and domestic requirement
William B. Dick
Dick & Fitzgerald, New York 1884.
233. Preparing and Dyeing Silk.
New silk is banded in the same manner as cotton (see Ho. 122), in quantities convenient for making up into skeins when finished. After banding, it is tied up carefully in fine canvas bags and boiled three or four hours in strong soap-water to remove all the gum. Yellow silk must be first worked on sticks for an hour in a solution of soft soap at a temperature of about 200° Fahr., and then boiled hi bags. It is then washed from the soap and put on sticks for dyeing.
Silk goods to be re-dyed must be steeped in a strong soap solution at nearly boiling point for a few hours, to remove all stains and grease; they are then washed, and if the color on them is light and equal, and they are to be dyed dark, then no further preparation is required; but if the color is unequal, they must be soaked for 15 minutes in a sour (see No. 105), and then washed out.
The quantities given in the following receipts are for five pounds of silk. If the goods are tightly spun, such as ribbons, dress silk, dm., the quantities must be slightly increased.
There must be sufficient water used to cover the goods laying loosely. When goods are washed from the dye, it is always to be in cold water, unless otherwise stated.
234. Black.
Work for an hour in a solution of 8 ounces copperas; wash well out in cold water; then work in a decoction of 4 pounds logwood, adding to it ½ pint chamber lye; lift, and add 2 ounces copperas in solution; work 15 minutes, wash and dry.
This gives a good black, but not very deep.
235. Deep Black.
Work for an hour in a solution of 8 ounces copperas (sulphate of iron), and 2 fluid ounces nitrate of iron; and, after washing out, work in the decoction. of logwood and chamber lye, as in the last receipt, finishing as there directed.
236. Blue Black.
If a blue black is required, follow the same directions, but add a little white soap, instead of the chamber lye, to the logwood decoction, and add no copperas after lifting.
237. Full Deep Black.
Work for 1 hour in a solution of 1 pound copperas and 2 ounces nitrate of iron; wash out, and work for an hour in a decoction of 5 pounds logwood and 1 pound fustic; lift, and add 2 ounces copperas, and work 10 minutes; wash and finish. If the color is not deep enough, add a little more logwood before lifting.
238. French Black.
Work for an hour in a solution of 1 pound copperas and 4 ounces alum; wash out well, then work for an hour in a decoction of 4 pounds logwood, with a little white soap added; wash out and finish.
239. Blue Black by Prussiate.
Dye a deep Prussian blue according to receipt No. 131, and work, from the prussiate, for half an hour, in 8 ounces copperas; wash well, out in cold water, and then work for half an hour in a decoction of 2 pounds logwood; lift, and add a little of the copperas solution first used, then work for 10 minutes more; wash and dry.
240. Deep Bat Black.
Work for 15 minutes in a decoction of 2 pounds fustic and 1 pound bark; lift, and add 6 ounces acetate of copper and 6 ounces copperas in solution; work for 15 minutes more; then sink the silk below the surface and let it steep over night; lift out and wash; then, to a decoction of 5 pounds logwood, add white soap sufficient to make a lather, and work the silk in it for an hour; wash out and dry.
241. Brown.
Dye an annotto orange (see No. 159); then work for 20 minutes in a decoction of 3 pounds fustic, 8 ounces sumach and 8 ounces peachwood; lift, and add 3 ounces copperas in solution, and work for 15 minutes; wash out in two waters, adding ½ pint alum solution in the last water. If the particular tint is not obtained, it may begiven in the last alum-wash by adding as follows: for yellowness, a little fustic; for redness, a little peachwood; for depth or blueness, logwood. A number of different tints of brown may be obtained by varying the proportions of fustic, sumach and peachwood. A great many particular hues of brown may be dyed by this method; for instance, by using only fustic and sumach in the second operation, a California brown is obtained, &e. So that any intelligent person may regulate his colors and tints.
242. Red Brown.
Dye a deep annotto orange (see No. 159); then work for 15 minutes in plumb liquor (see No. 111); wash well and dry. Particular tints can be made by adding fustic, peachwood or logwood to the last washing, as described in the last receipt.
243. Red Brown.
Steep the silk for an hour in a solution of 8 ounces alum to each gallon water, then wash out in warm water; next, work half an hour in a decoction of 1½ pounds fustic, l½ pounds peachwood, and 8 ounces logwood; lift, and add 1 pint of the alum solution; work 10 minutes, wash and dry.
244. Chocolate Brown.
Steep the silk for an hour in a solution of 1 pound alum to each gallon of water; wash once in warm water, and then work for half an hour in a decoction of 3 pounds peachwood and 1 pound logwood; lift, and add 1 pint of the alum solution, work again for 15 minutes; wash out and dry.
For deeper shades use less peachwood and more logwood; for a still deeper tint, add about 4 ounces fustic.
245. Bronze Brown.
Work for half an hour in a decoction of 8 ounces fustic, to which 4 fluid ounces of archil liquor has been added; lift, and add 2 ounces solution of copperas; work 15 minutes, wash and finish.
248. Cochineal Crimson.
To every gallon of water used, add about 2 fluid ounces bichloride (oxychloride) of tin, allow any sediment to settle, and warm the clear solution; work the silk in this for an hour or more. Boil 2 pounds cochineal by suspending it in a bag on the surface of some water; add this to a quantity of water sufficient for working the goods, and bring it to a blood beat. Wring the silk from the tin solution and work it in the cochineal solution for ½ hour; then let it steep for several hours well under the liquor; wash out well in cold water. If the shade is not blue enough, add to the water a little cochineal dissolved in ammonia; work in it for 10 minutes, wring out and dry.
247. Common Red.
Work the goods for 15 minutes in a decoction of 2 pounds peachwood and 1 pound fustic; lift, and add 4 fluid ounces red spirits (see No. 108); work for 15 minutes, wash in cold water and finish.
Different shades are mby varying the proportions, and claret tints are obtained by adding a little logwood. These common dyes are apt to fade.
248. Cochineal Pink.
This is dyed in the same manner as cochineal crimson (see No. 246), using much less cochineal; about half a pound makes a good pink, and intermediate shades are produced by adjusting the proportion of cochineal.
249. Cochineal Scarlet.
First dye a deep annotto orange (see No. 159); then dye a cochineal crimson according to No. 246.
250. Mixture for Dyeing Common Reds.
Make a strong decoction by boiling 1 pound limawood or brazilwood to each gallon of water. Let the wood settle; decant the liquor, and let it stand to cool for 24 hours; decant the clear liquor and add ½ pint plumb spirits (see No. 111) to every gallon of liquor; 1 after standing a few hours it is ready for use.
251. Common Crimson.
Put some of the common red mixture (see No. 250) into a copper or stoneware vessel, and work the goods in it for ½ an hour; then wash out thoroughly, wring and dry.
252. Common Scarlet.
Dye an annotto orange (see No. 159), then dye a common crimson according to the last receipt.
253. Ruby, Maroon, &c.
Take 1 pound cudbear, and boil in a bag for 15 minutes; and work silk in this for ½ an hour.
For a bluish tint, lift, and add 3 fluid ounces liquid ammonia; work 10 minutes, wring and dry.
For a red tint, lift, and instead of the ammonia, add 2 fluid ounces red spirits (see No. 108); work 10 minutes, wring and dry.
For a brownish. hue, make a decoction of 1 pound cudbear and 4 ounces fustic; work for an hour; lift, and add 2 ounces red spirits; work for 10 minutes and finish.
For a deep violet hue, proceed as in the last receipt, using 4 ounces logwood instead of the fustic.
254. Sky Blue.
To 1 pint sulphate of indigo add 2 or 3 gallons boiling water; steep in this a piece of woolen cloth, such as an old blanket, for a day; take it out and wash in cold water.
If the sky blue is required to height, warm some water in a vessel to about 98° Fahr., steep the woolen cloth in it for a few minutes, and wring out; this will leave sufficient blue in the water to dye the silk; add 1 ounce alum in solution, and work the silk in it for 20 minutes; wring out and dry.
255. Dark Blue.
If a deep blue be required, blue the water as before with the woolen cloth, add 1 ounce pearlash; then add 1 ounce alum in solution, with a few drops of sulphuric acid; then work the silk in it as before.
Half an ounce of indigo extract (see No. 99) may be used for bluing the water, instead of using the woolen cloth for that purpose. The exact quantity of indigo extract depends on the shade of blue required.
256. Sky Blue Dye for Silks.
For 5 pounds of silk goods, add to a sufficient quantity of water to work the goods ½ pint of nitrate of iron; work in this for 20 minutes, then wash out in cold water. Into another vessel of cold water add 3 ounces ferrocyanide of potassium in solution, and 1 fluid ounce of strong sulphuric acid; work through this for 10 minutes, then wash in cold water with 1 ounce of alum dissolved in it, and finish.
257. Royal Blue.
Into a vessel of cold water add 2 pints nitrate of iron; then take 1 pint water and ½ pint of hydrochloric acid, and add to it 3 ounces crystals of tin; when dissolved, add this (or 1 pint chloride of tin) to the vessel containing the iron; stir well and work the goods in it immediately for half an hour. Into another tub dissolve 8 ounces of the ferrocyanide, and add to it 2 fluid ounces of sulphuric acid; the goods are wrung out of the iron solution, and put directly into this second vessel, and worked for 15 minutes; then wash out in cold water with 2 ounces of alum dissolved in it, and finish. If the shade is not sufficiently deep, before washing them in the alum water, they may be passed through the iron solution, and the ferrocyanide solution, working in each the same time as at first, only adding 2 ounces more ferrocyanide before passing the goods through the second time then finish as before stated. Deeper shades are obtained by using more iron. and tin, or by repeating the dips. Some wash out the iron solution in water before going into the ferrocyanide, and also wash it again in clean water before putting back into the iron; the shade will not be so deep, but there is less risk of an unequal color.
258. Rich Deep Blue Dye for Silk Goods.
To dye 5 pounds of silk goods add to the water required to work the silk, 2 pints chloride of iron and 1 pint double muriate or chloride of tin; work in this half an hour; lift, and work in a solution of 8 ounces ferrocyanide of potassium; if the color be not deep enough, repeat the operation through both solutions; then wash out in water in which 2 ounces of alum have been dissolved.
