44 R. Pumpelly on Japanese Alloys, 
jects made from this composition, after being polished, are boiled 
rs a solution of sulphate of copper, alum and verdigris, by which 
they receive a beautiful bluish- black sate I can explain this 
color only by supposing that the superficial removal of the cop- 
per exposes a thin film of gold, and that the blue color produced 
18 in some manner due to the action of light on this film of gold. 
The intensity of the color, and to a certain extent, the color 
~ are proportionate to the amount of gold, one or two per 
of this metal producing only a rich bronze color. Pure 
pti treated in the above solution received the appearance of 
an enamelled surface with a rich reddish tint, and brass a simi- 
lar surface with a darker shade. Shakdo is used for a great’ va- 
riety of ornaments, as sword-guards, pipes, clasps, etc. 
n shi bu ichi (# sechen silver”) is is an alloy of copper and 
silver, in which the amount of silver varies between 30 and 50 
r cent. Ornamental objects made from this composition take, 
en subjected to He action of the above solution, a rich gray 
color much liked e Japanese. Iti = used for sword orna- 
ments, 4 and a Ay variety of obje 
I ume ; several alloys and fei of different colors as- 
sociated in such a manner as to produce an ornamental effect. 
Beautiful damask work is produced by soldering together, one 
over the other in alternate order, thirty or forty sheets of gold, 
shakdo, silver, rose copper, and gin shz bu zchi, and then cutting 
deep into the thick plate thus formed with conical reamers, to 
produce concentric circles, and making troughs of triangular 
tured into the desired shape, scoured with ashes, polished, and 
boiled in the solution already mentioned. The boilin ng. brings 
out the colors of the shakdo, ginshibuich?, and rose co 
IV. Brasses (Sin chu). —The pees quality of brass is > faxtoed 
of 10 parts of eae nae 5 of zinc. <A lower quality, of 10 
parts copper and 2 
x: fase kane (ball mactaly —First quality—copper 10, tin 4, 
iron 4, zine 1b. 
Second quality—eopper 10, tin 24, lead 14, zine 4. 
Third quality—copper 10, tin 8, lead 2, iron 4, zinc 1. 
Fourth quality—copper 10, tin 2, lead 2. 
In seaiug the bell-metals the copper is first melted and the 
other metals added in the order given above, The best small 
bells are made from the first quality. Large bells are generally 
made fgom the third quality. The kara kane has a wide range 
of use in Japan. 
Solders.—For bell-metal—brass 20, copper 10, tin 15. 
For brass—first quality brass 10, 2 sag th = 6. 
For silver—silver 10, first quality brass 5 
ee 
eae aa 
