Level Bubble Repair?

White stuff

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>This is the cement or mastic that was used to fix the whiskey stick to the wood, brass or iron. There are two basic types one is a thermoplastic (softened with heat) and the other is a chemical cement.

Given that there are dozens of recipes for each type. If it has not failed and the glass vial is out of level it might be mastic which can be softened with gentle heat, be careful.

If it is hard and doesn't become pliable with heat it is a chemical cement. These consisted of plaster of paris, whiting, alum and hide glue. There are variations on the theme but for the most part glass cements had these basic ingredients.

Here is a recipe you will enjoy.

Turkish cement for joining metals, glass, &c.

Dissolve mastich in as much spirit of wine as will suffice to render it liquid; in another vessel dissolve as much isinglass (which has been previously soaked in water till it is swollen and soft, in brandy, as will make 2 ounces by measure of strong glue, and add two small bits of gum galbanum, or ammoniacum, which must be rubbed or ground till they are dissolved; then mix the whole with a sufficient heat; keep it in a phial stopt, and when it is to be used set it in hot water.

From an 1824 recipe book. I have more.

Stephen

Re: Level Bubble Repair?

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Tony,the old stanley levels I have seen use plaster of paris to hold in the bubble.I'm not sure but I think newer levels use epoxy.---Jack

Re: Level Bubble Repair?

Tony - Memphis

>Thanks! Interesting stuff there Stephen! I hope its just plain old plaster!

Tony

Plaster of Paris

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>The plaster of paris can be mixed up with hide glue size and alum to make it waterproof.

Stephen

How can that work?

John in New Mexico

>Plaster of paris and alum are both hydrous sulfates and fairly water soluble as minerals go. Hide glue is soluble as well. Where does the water proofness come from? I'm not trying to be difficult Stephen, just genuinely curious how it could work. There's a similar question of lime plaster and soap, that apparently does work, but little explaination that I've ever seen.

John

Re: How can that work?

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>Mixing alum with hide glue makes it waterproof. If you mix it up hot make sure you clean out all glue from the pot before it dries or it will not come out. The alum renders the dried collegen from becoming soluable with water.

Mixing skim milk in will also help hide glue become water resistant. This can be done hot or add non-fat dry milk to liquid hide glue for the same results.

Stephen

Hmmmm....

John in New Mexico

>Doesn't say a whole lot more than the first time, but I'll take your word for it. I suspect that water resistent would be a more accurate description though. I also wonder if this practice would have a tendency to denature the proteins in the glue over time.

John

Re: Hmmmm....

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>John,

What is happening with the addition of alum as well as other substances such as pyroxylin actually tan the hide glue in the same way they tan hides.

Water will make rawhide gelatinous and it will only make leather soft.

Stephen

Re: How can that work?

MikeW

>So Stephen--I am (actually we are) enjoying the heck out of your book.

I think you mentioned you are writing a book of recipes (receipts) as well, yet to be published? Will it contain these recipes/tips?

And on another note, have you made/tested them (or a significant number of them) for actually working?

Looking forward to it...Mike

back to the shop--to earn my $2 today...

Interesting....

John in New Mexico

>So the waterproofed glue is really acting more as a stabilizing matrix to the plaster? Or when you refer to sizing, is the glue and alum applied like a clearcoat? I wonder if this method would stand up to the kind of exposure you'd get on a shower wall, like the lime and soap method is touted for (terrible sentence! probably should have made two).

John

Re: How can that work?

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>Mike,

Thanks.

I am just publishing the recipe book 1824 volume. I have written a book on hide glue but it has not been published yet. It goes into more detail that anyone can possibly stomach. I got a real education in the research on this book.

I have tested several of these methods and currently have some controlled test pieces I have glued and are being exposed to weather.

Stephen

Re: Interesting...

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>John,

The alum and glue size are used to wet the plaster of paris. So it becomes the hydrating agent and the fibril matrix for the plaster. The alum renders the glue waterproof and the only worry then is mechanical wear or physical fracture.

If the joint is good and the ground is prepared should hold in the a wet environment.

Stephen

I was wondering more about as a substitute

John in New Mexico

>for tadelakt plastering in an un-tiled shower, or more specifically, if the two mechanisms of water repelling were related - it does not appear that they are.

John

You probably want Wyeth's stucco

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>or one of the waterproof plasters for this applications

Stephen

Never heard of it....

John in New Mexico

>Current plan about to be tested is lime plaster and soap. In theory the hygroscopic end of the soap bonds to the plaster, and the hydrophobic end of the soap repells water. Lime plasters are reputed to breathe very well, allowing water vapor to escape if any liquid finds a crack - something that portland cement stuccos are not known for. Sadly, I've never found an actual scientific study of this stuff, not being conveniently near a good library, so I'm going on anecdotal information and thus tend to latch on to anything that could help my understanding - like the waterproof hide glue.

John

What kind of soap are you using?

Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret

>I would imagine any soap would effect the sutface tension, lye soap would be the historically accurate choice.

I will dig up that recipe and post it.

Stephen

Plain old ivory is the plan...

John in New Mexico

>The method is supposed to use "black olive soap", along with lime from a particular deposit in Morocco. I'm betting same effect can be acheived with Type-S lime and bar soap. Figure we can do without all the honey-almond-whatever flavoring though. Last time I made any soap was in 8th grade chem class. I think ivory is pretty close to a lye soap? I made the Dial type (yellow), 'cause everyone else was making white, and now can't remember what makes the yellow soap different than the white. Maybe it uses oil rather than fat? Might have to resort to a visit to Smackipedia, a soap article ought to be safe from the usual POV wars, no?

My plan is to plaster up a spare straw bale or two, leave one out in the rain, etc. Just haven't quite gotten my act together yet :)

John