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Of plasters, or stuccos, for retaining water
A~tERICAN MECHAN[CS~ MAGAZINEo
.~D,~
might occur in first bringing it hlto practice; and flint, bes~dCsi they would increase their chance of getting a better rent for houses so se~cured ; yet, for many reasons, which 1nust be obvious't9 those who know the habits and other circumstances of master carpenters, and master bricklayers, of which classes a large majority of builders.consists, to attempt to change their methods, in any respect, or even to idersuade them that it was possible they were not the best that could be, would be a task no less hopeless than i r k s o m e . . Sb6uld an act of parliament be passed, compelling, by sufficient penalties, the owners of all houses, the floors of whichwere not laid betbre six months after it had obtained the royal assen% to cover the joists of the ltoors with an adequate coat of plaster, at least as thick as that used for the same purpose in Paris. and prohibitinz the use of boards above that coat df plaster, forbidding the construction of wainscot, or wooden partitions, or those of lath add plaster, and enjoining that the stairs should be made fire-proof in some of the modes menti(med, or in some other manner equally safe, it is almost certain, that in fifty or sixty years afterwards, the conflagration of a house in London would be a much more rare occurrence than even in Paris, where it happens so very seldom~ notwithstanding the much zreater negligence of the people there respecting fire, the greater risk ~ttendiug some of their methods of cookery, anti-the increased danger fi'om their using wood for fuel in their apartments.
( f Ple~'ters, or Sluccos,for retaining i4Zater. By M. ][tASSZ.XYRATZ. As cisterns are intended to contain water,' the principal condition necessary for the mortar with which they are to be plastered, is, ~hat it should be unattackable b y water; it is, therefore; needful, thti~ that these mortars should be good(borons)aquadurant cements: Delafa re proposed to form them of one part of linie, slacked dry, and of two parts of clnppmgs of stone, & c . It ~ould appear, that, n. ]~ointing out this composition, he has reckoned mucn on tae aovantagc which dry slacked lime might produce; but what effect would be caused by this method of slacking on rich lime, has been already explained. For the rest, it is extremely easy, as we have observed in treatln~ of betons, to nrocure in every country, excellent mortar for works~of this nature." For this purpose, it would be necessary to provide a good lime that hardens in water~ either natural or artiiiciaJ, or to make mortar of rich lime with pozzolana, baked clay, cinders of fossil coal, &c., which will render this lime insoluble in water: finally, in mixing and triturating, with the lime which can bc obtained, those substances which wtll form with it excellent betons, it is necessary, farther, to take every precaution, in using these mortars, to favour their setting. For some of these plasters, the cisterns should be speedily filled with water; for some others, it is necessary ~hat ~he mortar, or boron, should be perfectly set, before the in~ro'VoL. I I I , - - ~ o . 5.~M~Y; 18~7o 89
~06
'1'HE F~ANKLIN 3 O U R N A L A N D
duetlon of the water. These last betons, which require a time, ~0r~ or less long, to set, or which harden and set at once easily in theair, ought to be preferred; because it is always essential, t h a t the plaster: in~ should be eompleted~ before the water is a d m i t t e d into the reset. yon', and that this plaster should take a time, m o r e or l e s s long, beforh bein~l finished. W file the plaster is exposed to the air, and has n o t entirely set,it is good to compress, beat, and consolidate it, to p r e v e n t crevices be. ing caused bv it's contraction, and to diminish t h e b u l k caused by its desiccation ;'it is also no less necessary, to c o v e r it~ to preventits drying too speedily. At Paris, for a long time, the lime of Senonches w a s used in the composition of mortars for plastering cisterns, and o t h e r reservoirs for water; at present, the artificial lime of M . de S a i n t Leger,0f which we have before written, is preferred; as it h a r d e n s more in the water, and costs much less. Besides, in ordering it f r o m M.de Skil~t Leger, lime hardening (in water) in several different d egrees, can be obtained. if, however, it should be apprehended, that betons m a d e with arti. ficial hardenin~,~ limes would, not. retain, the water powerfully' enough, herons..yma be comp.osed ~ltb rtch hme, and b a k e d c l a y , m ppr0er propovtmns, and a httle molasses may be also a d d e d t o the ¢omp0. sition.
Of Badlgeon, (wash, or thin plaster.) The name of badigeon, is given to a eomposition~ either white or' coloured, which is applied on the exterior sui'faces of buildings, and in which lime is commonly the principal substance; it is one of those compositions which ar e of~rcat solidity, on which paintings infi'esco, tnore or less valuable, are executed as upon stucco. Freseol~a]ntings on the front of houses, or of other edifces, are v e r y common in Italy; and some are found there, which are very ancient, and of which the badigeon, or stucco, on which they were executed, m u s t have had a great solidity. The most simple badigeon; which is most c o m m o n l y employed, is composed of slaked lime, diluted with water, to w h i c h alum or b~t¢er-milk is added, and wlfich is laid on the w a l l s w i t h a brush: to this wash of lime and alum, different substances are added, according to the colour which it is required to possess; h a l f a oailful of sawin~;s of stone, wi!h a larger or smaller ~)roportion o f stre'et-oehre, are mixed with it, when a stone-colour is desired to b e painted; and charcoal-black, or lamp-black, is added, when it is i n t e n d e d to give to the walls the appearance of antiquity, &c. T h e proportions f~r a stone-colour, are, a pailful of" slaked lime, halfa pailful o f sawink,sot stone, and a pound of alum. In Spain, for a long period, a mixture Of serura of" b l o o d , and slak ed hme, has been employed for colouring the outsides o f editi.ces; this composition adheres firmly, and, when it is dry, r e s i s t s for a long time the action of water; the serum of ox-blood, aIone, decanted immediately after the formation of the coagulum, a n d a p p l i e d on soft
AMERICANMECHANICS'MAG&ZINE.
~07
stone, gives it a yellowish tinge, and resists water, whenitbecomes dry. -The best manner of employing the serum, is to grind, itwith roach lime; when this last is sluiced, it is passed through a sieve~ and a paste is fro'reed with it, which, diluted with serum, Knd immediately after laid on the stone, covers it very equally, and gives it a yellowish colour, according to the greater or less quantity of cotourlug particles, which remain in the serum: two coats of this colouraro often necessary, and sometimes, three. This paint is neither injured by rubbing, nor by washin~ with water. This composition h.ds been for a long time used in Ch'na. The fixedness of this kind of painting depends on the state of the serum. This substance corrupts so readily, that it must., be employed, in a day, or, at most,, in twenty-four hours, after it Is procured; tor as soon as the putrid odour becomes perceptible, the painting obtained fi.om it, either" separates in scales, or falls off in dust. For a long time, a white pigment has been used, composed of the caseous p~rt of milk, and lime. M. Bachelier, the sou, has announced that his late father employed a similar composition fi~r his preservative badigeon; but the analysis made by Vauquelin, of badigeou, taken from columns, to which it was applied by Bachelier, the father: produced the tbllowing result: Carbonate of lime, 63.00 Sulphate of lime, . 7.73 Carbonate of lead, 6.00 Oxide of iron, 4.00 Silex, . . . . . 2.00 Water, . . -. . . . . . ~0.00 10~.75 Organic m a t t e r i . . .... an undetermined quantity, As this'a~iaiysis did not agree With the Baehelier¢ the son, and as i t was possible, Nat iii scraping bh'the badlgeon, some of the substance of the pillars (to which it was attached) migh( have been taken along with it, which would have changed the result that ought to be obtained, M. Guflton collected some badigeon, with which paper was covered, and he lound that this, in a dry state, after calcination in a crucible, where it lost 0.18 of its weight, was composed of Quick lime, . . . . 56. 66 Baked l)laster, (gypsum,) • ~3.34 Ceruse, or carbonate of lead, e0.00 '
c0inp0~ili'onstated-byi'M,
lOO.OO After the great number of researches made on the badigeon of Bachelier, the commissioners named b~r the Institute to examine it, thus directed the composition, which h~ad succeeded best with them. Slake the lime with tlie smallest quantity of water possible; pound it ~long with white cheese, to the consistence of a soft, unjform~ and
$05
T H E FI~.ANKLIN JOURNAL AND
well-united paste ; add to it, baked plaster (gypsum), and ceruse; an~l by a more exact grinding with water, rdduce the whole to the thickhess of soup, rather more thick, than thinner; finally, dilute it witk common water, at the moment of laying it on, which is usually perlbrmed with a varnisher's brush. It may be perceived, after all the foregoing details, how'much there still remains to be done, to obtain exact facts relative to lime stones, their calcination, the goodness and applications of the different species of limes, and, finally, with respect to the~composition of mortars, herons, cements, stnccos, and badigeons. W e shall find ourselves well rewarded, if this work should excite architects, and men of science, to occupy themseh, es with these objects, and if their researches should successfully lead them to useful discoveries. ENGLISH PATENTS. ~?ccification oj" the .Patent granted to J~[¢A~-L~ G~tA.WD,of Le~ot,
street, Goodmaa'sfidds, Middlesex, Vinegar manufaclurer, for certain improvements in ferme~ted liquors and the various products to be obtained therefrom. Partly communicated by a foreig~ter. Dated January 15, 18~4. . THE said improvements in the said fermented liquors, and the various products to be obtained therefi'om, are as tbllows. In order to ~,~ivethose . .wines, . and . vinegars, . . . which are not obtailied frowngrap e%. the quahtms whmh dmtmgmsh those made trom grapes, I employ the ibllowing substances; namely, the tartaric, citric, and oxalic acids, and which I add, either separately~ or together, and either in tim crystallized state, or diluted with water, to all killds of fermented worts, wash, or liquors; and either before, during, or after the vinous or acetous fermentations, I likewise mix the said vegetable acids, either singly or together, with all sorts of spirituous liquors, either pure, or diluted with water, or other liquids, with thedesign of converting, those• sp.irits, by acidification, into. vine~ar,.~ similar., to. that made h-ore the wine of grapes; or, by distfllatmu or rectlficatmni to convert them intobrandy, analogous to that obtained from grapes. I likewise employ the same vegetable acids, by mixing one or more of them with acetic acid, or any kind of vinegar, to increase the strength of those liquids, or to impart to them the qualities of the viu%ar~ obtained fi-om grapes or other fruit. In witness whereof, &c. [Rcp. Pat. Inventions. 7" " C o * Pa~ent granted to JoiIn DAt~KErt, Of Xn%htsbrtdge, Middlesex. Iron, and Wire Fence Manufacturer, for improvements , or addition~, to park, or olher gates. Dated May P.3, 18~26.
T ~ object of Mr. Parker's " additions;' to gates, is ~o cause them to open on the approach of a carriage, and to close again as soon as
.~D,~
might occur in first bringing it hlto practice; and flint, bes~dCsi they would increase their chance of getting a better rent for houses so se~cured ; yet, for many reasons, which 1nust be obvious't9 those who know the habits and other circumstances of master carpenters, and master bricklayers, of which classes a large majority of builders.consists, to attempt to change their methods, in any respect, or even to idersuade them that it was possible they were not the best that could be, would be a task no less hopeless than i r k s o m e . . Sb6uld an act of parliament be passed, compelling, by sufficient penalties, the owners of all houses, the floors of whichwere not laid betbre six months after it had obtained the royal assen% to cover the joists of the ltoors with an adequate coat of plaster, at least as thick as that used for the same purpose in Paris. and prohibitinz the use of boards above that coat df plaster, forbidding the construction of wainscot, or wooden partitions, or those of lath add plaster, and enjoining that the stairs should be made fire-proof in some of the modes menti(med, or in some other manner equally safe, it is almost certain, that in fifty or sixty years afterwards, the conflagration of a house in London would be a much more rare occurrence than even in Paris, where it happens so very seldom~ notwithstanding the much zreater negligence of the people there respecting fire, the greater risk ~ttendiug some of their methods of cookery, anti-the increased danger fi'om their using wood for fuel in their apartments.
( f Ple~'ters, or Sluccos,for retaining i4Zater. By M. ][tASSZ.XYRATZ. As cisterns are intended to contain water,' the principal condition necessary for the mortar with which they are to be plastered, is, ~hat it should be unattackable b y water; it is, therefore; needful, thti~ that these mortars should be good(borons)aquadurant cements: Delafa re proposed to form them of one part of linie, slacked dry, and of two parts of clnppmgs of stone, & c . It ~ould appear, that, n. ]~ointing out this composition, he has reckoned mucn on tae aovantagc which dry slacked lime might produce; but what effect would be caused by this method of slacking on rich lime, has been already explained. For the rest, it is extremely easy, as we have observed in treatln~ of betons, to nrocure in every country, excellent mortar for works~of this nature." For this purpose, it would be necessary to provide a good lime that hardens in water~ either natural or artiiiciaJ, or to make mortar of rich lime with pozzolana, baked clay, cinders of fossil coal, &c., which will render this lime insoluble in water: finally, in mixing and triturating, with the lime which can bc obtained, those substances which wtll form with it excellent betons, it is necessary, farther, to take every precaution, in using these mortars, to favour their setting. For some of these plasters, the cisterns should be speedily filled with water; for some others, it is necessary ~hat ~he mortar, or boron, should be perfectly set, before the in~ro'VoL. I I I , - - ~ o . 5.~M~Y; 18~7o 89
~06
'1'HE F~ANKLIN 3 O U R N A L A N D
duetlon of the water. These last betons, which require a time, ~0r~ or less long, to set, or which harden and set at once easily in theair, ought to be preferred; because it is always essential, t h a t the plaster: in~ should be eompleted~ before the water is a d m i t t e d into the reset. yon', and that this plaster should take a time, m o r e or l e s s long, beforh bein~l finished. W file the plaster is exposed to the air, and has n o t entirely set,it is good to compress, beat, and consolidate it, to p r e v e n t crevices be. ing caused bv it's contraction, and to diminish t h e b u l k caused by its desiccation ;'it is also no less necessary, to c o v e r it~ to preventits drying too speedily. At Paris, for a long time, the lime of Senonches w a s used in the composition of mortars for plastering cisterns, and o t h e r reservoirs for water; at present, the artificial lime of M . de S a i n t Leger,0f which we have before written, is preferred; as it h a r d e n s more in the water, and costs much less. Besides, in ordering it f r o m M.de Skil~t Leger, lime hardening (in water) in several different d egrees, can be obtained. if, however, it should be apprehended, that betons m a d e with arti. ficial hardenin~,~ limes would, not. retain, the water powerfully' enough, herons..yma be comp.osed ~ltb rtch hme, and b a k e d c l a y , m ppr0er propovtmns, and a httle molasses may be also a d d e d t o the ¢omp0. sition.
Of Badlgeon, (wash, or thin plaster.) The name of badigeon, is given to a eomposition~ either white or' coloured, which is applied on the exterior sui'faces of buildings, and in which lime is commonly the principal substance; it is one of those compositions which ar e of~rcat solidity, on which paintings infi'esco, tnore or less valuable, are executed as upon stucco. Freseol~a]ntings on the front of houses, or of other edifces, are v e r y common in Italy; and some are found there, which are very ancient, and of which the badigeon, or stucco, on which they were executed, m u s t have had a great solidity. The most simple badigeon; which is most c o m m o n l y employed, is composed of slaked lime, diluted with water, to w h i c h alum or b~t¢er-milk is added, and wlfich is laid on the w a l l s w i t h a brush: to this wash of lime and alum, different substances are added, according to the colour which it is required to possess; h a l f a oailful of sawin~;s of stone, wi!h a larger or smaller ~)roportion o f stre'et-oehre, are mixed with it, when a stone-colour is desired to b e painted; and charcoal-black, or lamp-black, is added, when it is i n t e n d e d to give to the walls the appearance of antiquity, &c. T h e proportions f~r a stone-colour, are, a pailful of" slaked lime, halfa pailful o f sawink,sot stone, and a pound of alum. In Spain, for a long period, a mixture Of serura of" b l o o d , and slak ed hme, has been employed for colouring the outsides o f editi.ces; this composition adheres firmly, and, when it is dry, r e s i s t s for a long time the action of water; the serum of ox-blood, aIone, decanted immediately after the formation of the coagulum, a n d a p p l i e d on soft
AMERICANMECHANICS'MAG&ZINE.
~07
stone, gives it a yellowish tinge, and resists water, whenitbecomes dry. -The best manner of employing the serum, is to grind, itwith roach lime; when this last is sluiced, it is passed through a sieve~ and a paste is fro'reed with it, which, diluted with serum, Knd immediately after laid on the stone, covers it very equally, and gives it a yellowish colour, according to the greater or less quantity of cotourlug particles, which remain in the serum: two coats of this colouraro often necessary, and sometimes, three. This paint is neither injured by rubbing, nor by washin~ with water. This composition h.ds been for a long time used in Ch'na. The fixedness of this kind of painting depends on the state of the serum. This substance corrupts so readily, that it must., be employed, in a day, or, at most,, in twenty-four hours, after it Is procured; tor as soon as the putrid odour becomes perceptible, the painting obtained fi.om it, either" separates in scales, or falls off in dust. For a long time, a white pigment has been used, composed of the caseous p~rt of milk, and lime. M. Bachelier, the sou, has announced that his late father employed a similar composition fi~r his preservative badigeon; but the analysis made by Vauquelin, of badigeou, taken from columns, to which it was applied by Bachelier, the father: produced the tbllowing result: Carbonate of lime, 63.00 Sulphate of lime, . 7.73 Carbonate of lead, 6.00 Oxide of iron, 4.00 Silex, . . . . . 2.00 Water, . . -. . . . . . ~0.00 10~.75 Organic m a t t e r i . . .... an undetermined quantity, As this'a~iaiysis did not agree With the Baehelier¢ the son, and as i t was possible, Nat iii scraping bh'the badlgeon, some of the substance of the pillars (to which it was attached) migh( have been taken along with it, which would have changed the result that ought to be obtained, M. Guflton collected some badigeon, with which paper was covered, and he lound that this, in a dry state, after calcination in a crucible, where it lost 0.18 of its weight, was composed of Quick lime, . . . . 56. 66 Baked l)laster, (gypsum,) • ~3.34 Ceruse, or carbonate of lead, e0.00 '
c0inp0~ili'onstated-byi'M,
lOO.OO After the great number of researches made on the badigeon of Bachelier, the commissioners named b~r the Institute to examine it, thus directed the composition, which h~ad succeeded best with them. Slake the lime with tlie smallest quantity of water possible; pound it ~long with white cheese, to the consistence of a soft, unjform~ and
$05
T H E FI~.ANKLIN JOURNAL AND
well-united paste ; add to it, baked plaster (gypsum), and ceruse; an~l by a more exact grinding with water, rdduce the whole to the thickhess of soup, rather more thick, than thinner; finally, dilute it witk common water, at the moment of laying it on, which is usually perlbrmed with a varnisher's brush. It may be perceived, after all the foregoing details, how'much there still remains to be done, to obtain exact facts relative to lime stones, their calcination, the goodness and applications of the different species of limes, and, finally, with respect to the~composition of mortars, herons, cements, stnccos, and badigeons. W e shall find ourselves well rewarded, if this work should excite architects, and men of science, to occupy themseh, es with these objects, and if their researches should successfully lead them to useful discoveries. ENGLISH PATENTS. ~?ccification oj" the .Patent granted to J~[¢A~-L~ G~tA.WD,of Le~ot,
street, Goodmaa'sfidds, Middlesex, Vinegar manufaclurer, for certain improvements in ferme~ted liquors and the various products to be obtained therefrom. Partly communicated by a foreig~ter. Dated January 15, 18~4. . THE said improvements in the said fermented liquors, and the various products to be obtained therefi'om, are as tbllows. In order to ~,~ivethose . .wines, . and . vinegars, . . . which are not obtailied frowngrap e%. the quahtms whmh dmtmgmsh those made trom grapes, I employ the ibllowing substances; namely, the tartaric, citric, and oxalic acids, and which I add, either separately~ or together, and either in tim crystallized state, or diluted with water, to all killds of fermented worts, wash, or liquors; and either before, during, or after the vinous or acetous fermentations, I likewise mix the said vegetable acids, either singly or together, with all sorts of spirituous liquors, either pure, or diluted with water, or other liquids, with thedesign of converting, those• sp.irits, by acidification, into. vine~ar,.~ similar., to. that made h-ore the wine of grapes; or, by distfllatmu or rectlficatmni to convert them intobrandy, analogous to that obtained from grapes. I likewise employ the same vegetable acids, by mixing one or more of them with acetic acid, or any kind of vinegar, to increase the strength of those liquids, or to impart to them the qualities of the viu%ar~ obtained fi-om grapes or other fruit. In witness whereof, &c. [Rcp. Pat. Inventions. 7" " C o * Pa~ent granted to JoiIn DAt~KErt, Of Xn%htsbrtdge, Middlesex. Iron, and Wire Fence Manufacturer, for improvements , or addition~, to park, or olher gates. Dated May P.3, 18~26.
T ~ object of Mr. Parker's " additions;' to gates, is ~o cause them to open on the approach of a carriage, and to close again as soon as