Workshop receipts. 4th ser / by C.G. Warnford Lock.

  • Lock, Charles G. Warnford (Charles George Warnford), 1853-1909.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Workshop receipts. 4th ser / by C.G. Warnford Lock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/564 (page 19)
    1 lb. tallow, J lb. rosin, previously melted together. Boil and stir occ<a- sionally for | hour, then introduce 3 oz. glue (previously softened), 3 oz. linseed oil, and continue the boiling and stirring for another ^ hour. In waterproofing, i oz. of this soap is mixed with 1 gal. hot water, and in this the goods are soaked for about 24 hours, according to thickness and character. The pieces are allowed to drain until partly dried, then soaked for 6 hours or more in a solution prepared as follows: 1 lb. aluminium sulphate, ^ lb. lead acetate, 8 gal. water. Shake together, allow to settle, and draw off the clear liquid. Wring out after rinsing, and dry at a temperature of 80° F. (27° C). (3) Bienvaux uses, instead of glue and oil as above, the gelatinous portion of sea-wrack grass, with a small quantity of a drying oil and common rosin-soda soap. (4) In Reimanu's process, the cloth is passed slowly by machinery through a tank divided into 3 compartments, the first containing a warm solution of alum, the second a warm solution of lead acetate, and the third pure water, which is constantly renewed. The cloth on passing from the latter is brushed and beaten to remove the salt adhering to the surface, and finally hot-pressed and brushed. In this case, lead sulphate is deposited in the fibres. (5) In Townsend's process, 2 solutions are used as follows: 20 lb. dextrine, 10 lb, white soap, 16 gal. water. The solution is boiled for some minutes, and if colour is required, 1 pint logwood liquor is added. The second solution consists of a saturated solution of alum in water, or 6 lb. zinc sulphate, 9 gal. water. _ (6) Bullard's process is somewhat similar to Reimann's. In this, strong aqueous solutions of aluminium sul- phate and lead acetate are used alter- nately. (7) Berlin waterproof cloth is said to be prepared by saturating the cloth in a solution of aluminium and copper acetate, then dipping it successively in water-glass and rosin-soap; (8) A bath heated to 194° F. (90° C.) is made of 13^ lb. liquid Bordeaux tur- pentine, 31 lb. tallow, 1 lb. wax, and g- lb. storax ; the articles are immersed for a few minutes, then passed between heated rollers to remove excess, (9) For some time past the Belgian War Department has conducted a series of experiments at Valvorde, on the waterproofing of soldiers' uniforms by means of liquid alumina. With respect to the hygienic side of the question, the medical authorities have satisfied them- selves that the articles of dress thus treated permit the perspiration to pass off freely, and chemical analysis has proved that the preparation used in no 'way injures the materials, or destroys their colour. More than 10,000 yd. of materials, re-dressed 2 or 3 times over, notwithstanding the rinsing and wash- ing to which they have been subjected after having been soiled, and after con- stant wear, remained perfectly water- proof. The only drawback to the pro- cess appears to be that it is not very economical, and, to ensure the desired re- sult, must be conducted on a large scale, which requires a considerable amount of plant. The following is the process employed :—Alumina acetate is obtained by making solutions of equal parts of alum and lead acetate in separate ves- sels, and then mixing them together. Lead sulphate will be thrown down, leaving alumina acetate in solution, which must be decanted. The materials to be waterproofed are soaked in this solution, and then withdrawn without being wrung, and dried in the air. (10) Bellefroid produces an imper- meable coating, which consists firstly of a solution of stearine pitch, one of the by-products of candle-making, which pitch, in order to be used in the fabri- cation of the compound, is previously completely oxidised by exposure to the air. In order to complete this oxidisa- tion, the pitch is spread out in very thin layers, and exposed to the outer atmosphere for a period of at least 2 years. This exposure is absolutely Jf necessary, judging from experiments repeatedly made; The solution is after- 0 2