LACQUERING, 259 



into a proper bottle, with a pint of highly rectified 

 spirits of wine, and place them in a moderate heat, 

 often shaking them for several days. A very 

 strong yellow tincture will then be obtained, 

 which must be strained off from the dregs through 

 a coarse linen cloth ; and then, being put back 

 into the bottle, three ounces of good seed-lac, 

 powdered grossly, must be added, and the mixture 

 placed again in a moderate heat and shaken till 

 the seed-lac be dissolved, or at least such a part of 

 it as may. The lacquer must then be strained, and 

 must be put into a bottle well corked. 



Where it is desired to have the lacquer warmer 

 or redder than this composition, the proportion of 

 the annotto must be increased ; and where it is 

 wanted cooler, or nearer to a true yellow, it must 

 be diminished. 



The above, properly managed, is an extremely 

 good lacquer, and of moderate price ; but the 

 following, which is cheaper, and may be made 

 where the Spanish annotto cannot be procured 

 good, is not greatly inferior to it. 



Take of turmeric root, ground, one ounce, of 

 the best dragon's blood half a drachm. Put them 

 to a pint of spirits of wine, and proceed as above. 

 By diminishing the proportion of dragon's blood, 

 the varnish may be rendered of a redder or truer 

 yellow cast. 



Saffron is sometimes used to form the body of 

 colour in this kind of lacquer, instead of the tur- 

 meric ; but though it makes a warmer yellow, yet 

 the dearness of it, and the advantage which tur- 

 meric has in forming a much stronger tinge in 

 spirits of wine, gives it the preference. Though 

 being a true yellow, and consequently not suffi- 

 ciently warm to overcome the greenish cast of 



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