Primary Source Information About 18th Century Craft Techniques


Secrets Relative to the Making of Curious and Useful Sorts of Ink.


 

 

Main Title, Index and Introduction

Secrets relative to the Art of Engraving

Secrets relative to Metals

Secrets for the Composition of Varnishes, etc.

Secrets of Mastichs, Cements, Sealing-wax, etc.

Secrets of Glass Manufactory - Compositions to Imitate Precious Stones, called French Paste

Secrets Concerning Colors and Painting
§ I.  Paint In Varnish On Wood
§ 2. Paint On Paper
§ 3. Compositions For Limners
§ 4. Make Transparent Color
§ 5. Compositions to Dye Leather
§ 6. Color or Varnish Copperplate Prints
§ 7. For Painting on Glass
§ 8. Color Preparation for Oil, Water, and Crayon
       Marble and Jasper Paper
       Methods to Clean Paintings
       Making Good Crayons
       Directions for Coloring Prints
       Directions for Painting in Oil
§ 9.  Preparation of Lapis Lazuli to Make Ultramarine

Secrets of the Art of Gilding

The Art of Dying Woods, Bones, etc.

Of Casting in Moulds

Making curious and useful sorts of Ink
    Ink Stone
    Invisible Ink

 

Some Obscure Terms Defined


Links

 

Ink Stone


 

III.  An ink-stone, with which ink-stands may be made, and with which you may write without ink.

    1.  Take gum arabic, fourteen ounces; lamp black, thirteen; and burnt willow wood coals, three.  Pound the gum into an impalpable powder, and dissolve it into a pint of common water.  This done, knead you abovementioned powders with part of this gum water, so as to make a paste or dough of them, as it were for bread.  With this dough form ink-stands, while the composition is still soft, you may stamp a few small holes.
    2.  This done, dry these stands in an ardent furnace for four hours, or in the shade, a sufficient time.  When dry, brush them over with your afore mentioned gum-water, till they appear as black and shiny as jet, and as hard as marble.
    3.  When you want to use them, put a few drops of water in one of the holes, and put a pen to soak in it at the same time.  If the water be but just put in, the ink will not be quite so black; but if it have remained a little while, it will be as black as the blackest of any inks.

XXXV.  The preparation of the ink which serves to write inscriptions, epitaphs, etc. on stones, marbles, etc.

    This ink is made with nothing else but a mixture of linseed oil black, and black pitch dissolver over a small fire.  They call this also stucco.

 


 
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18th Century Primary Source Information - An original work of 1809, transcribed by Anne Post, © 2006, all rights reserved