For Spanish, French, Italian, West End, and British patterns, there will be required a mixture of gum-tragacanth and the mucilage of flea-seed, in the proportions of one quart of the latter to two gallons of the former. Beat them well up together till they are thoroughly mixed or incorporated with each other, strain it through a fine hair sieve into the trough, and it will be fit for use.
For Dutch, nonpareil, curls, antiques, and, in short, all patterns which require to be formed with any kind of instrument on the preparation in the trough, use nothing but the pure solution of the gum-tragacanth; in fact, you may marble all the patterns on this alone, so that if there be any difficulty in procuring the other articles, and you can procure good gum, you may do any or all of the patterns upon it, although some of them are improved by the addition of the mucilage of the flea-seed.
As some gum is stronger than other, it is hardly prudent or possible to give any exact weight of gum to any certain quantity of water. Practice and your own judgment must determine this. Besides, if the gum be not sufficiently soaked or beaten up, it will not yield so much or so good size as it would were it in its right state. The following will give some idea to guide in the matter:—If, on skimming the surface and sprinkling on the colours, they lose their shape and appear to turn round on the solution, especially in the corners of the trough, it is a sign that it is too thin; if, on the other hand, on skimming there is a great resistance when the skimmer is drawn along, and, upon sprinkling on the colours, they crack, and are a long while spreading out, it is a sign it is too thick; but a little practice will soon enable the learner to form a correct judgment in this matter.
OF GRINDING THE COLOURS.
On this head you must be very particular indeed; for, if the colours are not finely or properly ground, it cannot be expected that the work will look well. When a large quantity is required, a colour-mill is the most advantageous method; but if on a small scale, or for edges, the ordinary stone and muller will be best adapted for the purpose. Indeed, all colours required for edges ought to be most particularly well ground upon a slab, with a muller, the mill not grinding so finely as by this method.
The colours must all be ground with a preparation of beeswax, in the average proportion of one ounce of the prepared beeswax to one pound of colour. Blues and greens require rather more. This will prevent the colour rubbing off on the hand, and will make it burnish or glaze easily.
DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING THE WAX FOR
GRINDING.
To attempt to grind beeswax in its native state would be a fruitless task, as it would stick to the stones and not unite with the other ingredients. To obviate this, prepare it in the following manner: Take of the very best beeswax two pounds, put it in an earthen pipkin, and with it a quarter of a pound of the very best curd-soap cut into small or thin pieces; place it in a moderate heat, and when both soap and wax are quite dissolved, (but be sure they are not boiling,) put the pipkin containing the hot liquid upon a table, take in one hand a pot of cold water, and, gently stirring the melted wax with the other, pour in the water, a little at a time, keeping it constantly stirred, and it will gradually thicken, until at last it can hardly be stirred at all. Care must be taken not to have it too hot when the water is poured in, as there is danger of it flying out of the pipkin and scalding the workman. If properly mixed, when cool, it can be pulverized between the finger and thumb; and in this state it will mix or grind with the colour easily, but ought to be rubbed or worked in with the dry colour before wetting it for grinding.