To Restore The Color Of A Gold Or Gilt Dial.
A Bath For Cleaning Clocks.
If the clock is very dirty or much oxidized, immerse the pieces in the bath while warm, and as long as necessary. Take them out with a skimmer or strainer, and pour over them some benzine, letting the liquid fall into an empty vessel. This being decanted and bottled can be used indefinitely for rinsing.
If the bath has too much alkali or is used when too hot, it may affect the polish and render it dull. This may be obviated by trying different strengths of the alkali. Pieces of blued steel are not injured by the alkali, even when pure.
To Remove A Figure Or Name From A Dial.
Cleaning Pearls.
I.—The best process is said to be to put the pearls into a bag with wheat bran and to heat the bag over a coal fire, with constant motion.
II.—Another method is to bring 8 parts each of well-calcined, finely powdered lime and wood charcoal, which has been strained through a gauze sieve, to a boil with 500 parts of pure rain water, suspend the pearls over the steam of the boiling water until they are warmed through, and then boil them in the liquid for 5 minutes, turning frequently. Let them cool in the liquid, take them out, and wash off well with clean water.
III.—Place the pearls in a piece of fine linen, throw salt on them, and tie them up. Next rinse the tied-up pearls in lukewarm water until all the salt has been extracted, and dry them at an ordinary temperature.
IV.—The pearls may also be boiled about 1/4 hour in cow’s milk into which a little cheese or soap has been scraped; take them out, rinse off in fresh water, and dry them with a clean, white cloth.