382 THE YOUNG 
in regard to that, is I lie stretching on the wooden 
frame.— Sadie. 
157. Anxious.— When a canvas is broken, rent, 
or perforated in any part, the piece of canvas 
that is used to repair the damage is dipped into 
melted wax. and applied the moment it is taken 
out, warm as it is, to the part., which has been 
previously brought together as well as possible, 
and also saturated with the wax. With great 
•care you flatten down the piece ; so that as the 
wax chills and concretes, the parts adhere and 
Are kept smooth. The whole being made per- 
fectly level, and the excess of the wax removed, 
a mastic made of white lead mixed with starch is 
applied; for oil-color does not adhere well to 
wax. The white is afterwards colored thin, or 
by washes, according to the tone of the surround- 
ing parts, and repainted.— Neptune. 
158. WiiiLiNG TO Leabn.— Here are a number of 
recipes for ebonizing, all of which are said to be 
good: 
1. Infuse gall-nut in vinegar into which rusty 
nails have been soaked; paint the wood with 
this, and polish and burnish when dry. 2, Wash 
the wood repeatedly with a solution of sulphate 
of iron, made by dissolving 2 oz, of sulphate in a 
pint of hot water. When dry, apply a hot decoc- 
tion of logwood and nut-gall two or three times. 
When dry, clean with a wet sponge and then 
polish. 3. Brush the wood with a strong decoc- 
tion of logwood chips several times. When dry, 
give it a coat of vinegar in which rusty iron has 
been placed. Dissolve beeswax in turpentine by 
setting in a warm place; apply warm with a 
brush, and rub it till it shines. 4, Wash with a 
concentrated aqueous solution of logwood several 
times, and then with a solution of acetate of iron 
of 40 deg. Baume. Repeat till a deep black is 
produced. 5. Put 2 oz. of logwood chips with 1>I 
oz. of copperas in a quart of water, boil, and lay 
on hot. When dry, wet the surface again, with 
2 oz. of steel filings dissolved in half a pint of 
vinegar. When dry again, sand-paper smooth, 
then oil, then fill in with powdered dropblack 
mixed in the filter. Work to be ebonized should 
be smooth and free from holes. Give it a light 
coat of quick drying varnish, then rub with finely 
pulverized pumice-stone and linseed oil until 
very smooth. 6. Boil Yz pound of chip logwood 
in two quarts of water, and add K oz. of verdigris, 
and >2 oz. of copperas, strain, and put in M pound 
of rusty steel filings. With this go over the work 
a second time. 7. A pound of logwood boiled in 
four quarts of water, add two handfuls of walnut 
shells or peel, boil up again, take out the chips, 
add a pint of vinegar, and apply boiling. After- 
wards dissolve l oz. of green copperas in a quart 
of boiling water and apply hot. 8. First sponge 
the wood with a solution of chlorhydrate of 
aniline in water, to which a small quantity of 
copper chloride is added. When dry, go over 
again with a solution of potassium bi-chromate. 
Eepeat this twice or thrice. 9. One gallon of vine- 
gar, Yz pound of green copperas, % pound of 
China blue, 2 oz. nut-gall, 2 pounds extract of log- 
wood. Boil all these over a slow fire, and add 
half a pint of iron-rust. Apply as usual. A good 
varnish for ebonized work is made by dissolving 
in alcohol some black wax.— X. 
159. Sadie.— In answer to Sadie, for instruc- 
tions how to take impressions of ferns, etc., I 
will describe the method I adopt, which is— Pro- 
cure some smooth cartridge paper, then take the 
ferns or leaves and arrange them in position. 
If ferns, they look well put in groups ; if ivy, it 
will look well as a border, but whichever it is, 
put a pin through a leaf here and there, to keep 
the fronds from moving— very fine pins, or the 
holes will show. Then procure a small tooth- 
comb, a stick of India,n ink, and a tooth-brush. 
Dissolve the ink in water— don't get it in lumps- 
••inddip your brush in the ink— do not get too 
nineh oii— and rub in gently along the comb, 
holding it over the group of ferns. If you get 
too much ink on your brush, it will fall in big 
SCIENTIST. 
drops ; the object is to make them as fine as pos- 
sible. Rub more on near the joints of the ferns, 
just as in a photograph, and let the color grad- 
ually die away to the edge. Take the ferns off, 
and you will be surprised at the effect you have 
produced. If done neatly your ferns will bear a 
strong resemblance to a large -sized photograph. 
I shall be happy to supply further instructions if 
these are not sufficient.— Katie V. 
160. Etching.— Etching will find this a ticklish 
job, and great care must be used with the acids 
in working. He can try the following on a piece 
of plain glass first, and if it answers, well and 
good, if not let him write again and I will send 
another: this being a recipe I have by me, so can- 
not speak as to its merits. The glass to be etched 
should first be heated then coated with an even 
film of wax or paraffin, melted ; soon as set, pro- 
ceed to etch the design or pattern through it with 
a fine point or graver. Next obtain or mak« 
yourself a shallow lead tray and put in it some 
floride of calcium (fluor spar), in fine powder 
mix to a thin paste with some strong oil of 
vitriol, and place tray on a warm sand bath, 
which is a box of sand made hot in the oven, 
when hot enough it will keep hot for some time 
after; now place the glass tightly over the tray 
so that the corroding gas comes in contact with 
the surface exposed by the lines etched. In ten 
minutes the design will be etched the lines be- 
ing translucent. If desired to make the etching 
opaque (white), the plate should be wet before 
exposing it, a little benzole will remove the 
superfiuous wax or paraffin from the glass.— Dia- 
mond. 
Queries. 
1. Turnpikes.— Can any one tell me why 
long country roads are sometimes called " Turn- 
pike Roads ? "— CuKious. 
2. Distemper.— Having a fine mastiff dog 
that appears to be suffering with distemper, I 
should be pleased if some fellow reader would 
give me some instruction how I should treat 
him.— Kansas. 
3. Painting Photographs.— What is used as 
a medium for painting photographs ? Any in- 
formation will be appreciated by Young Camera. 
4. Varnishing Papers. Pictures, or Maps.— 
I have a few colored pictures and maps I should 
like varnished, and would like to know how the 
paper should be prepared for receiving the var- 
nish. If some brother amateur who knows all 
about it, will kindly publish the required infor- 
mation in these columns.— Kansas City. 
5. Barber's Poles.— Can anyone tell me why 
barbers always have their signs, or poles, painted 
in stripes? It seems such a curious practice, 
that I would like to know its origin if it is tracea- 
ble .—Simplicity. 
6. Daguerreotypes.— Is it known when like- 
nesses were first taken in this country, by aid of 
a camera ?— Kansas. 
7. Bronze Gilding.— I have tried to gild in 
bronze on several occasions, but, somehow or an- 
other, I never can get the work done sufficiently 
good enough to satisfy my ideas of good work. 
If any reader of the Young Scientist should 
know anything of the process, he or she will have 
my thanks, by publishing it in the Young Scien- 
tist.— Amateur. 
8. Mahogany Stain.— Will some one publish 
a recipe for staining mahogany color?— Neff. 
9. Polishing Scroll- Work.— Having some 
scroll-work to polish or varnish, I would like a 
few hints on the subject, if not asking too 
much.— New Subscriber. 
10 Turning Round Balls.— I want to make 
some roimd balls in the lathe, and would like to 
know what sort of an attachment to use for the 
purpo.se : will some '* expert " amateur " rise and 
explain." and oblige a Nor- Wester ? 
