A Select Collection of Valuable and Curious Arts and Interesting Experiments


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.2 stars; 2 reviews)

This collection of projects and experiments was submitted by Rufus Tuttle, following an Act of Congress promoting education and learning. The projects were designed to be entertaining and educational, at a relatively low cost. - Summary by Lynne T (3 hr 3 min)

Chapters

Water-proof gilding and silvering, The art of burnish gilding, Ornamental bronz… 8:20 Read by Lynne T
To enamel picture glasses with gold, To wash iron or steel with gold, To wash b… 6:09 Read by prajak
To dye silk a brilliant gold colour, To dye silk a brilliant silver colour, 3:18 Read by prajak
To silver looking glasses,To write on paper with gold or silver, 4:03 Read by Adam Starks
To make good shining black ink, Blue ink, Red ink, Yellow ink, Green ink, Purpl… 6:27 Read by prajak
Sympathetic inks for secret correspondence 2:27 Read by Availle
Luminous ink that will shine in the dark, To make a writing appear and disappea… 3:00 Read by BettyB
To paint a picture that will appear and disappear, Landscape painting on walls … 9:54 Read by BettyB
Best method of polishing steel, To make letters of blue on polished steel, To p… 6:05 Read by prajak
To wash iron or steel with copper, To give iron the whiteness of silver, To was… 5:15 Read by prajak
To give tin the whiteness and brilliancy of silver, To crystallize tin, To make… 4:30 Read by prajak
To make shellac varnish for japanning, To make the best copal varnish, To make… 6:46 Read by prajak
To make brunswick blacking, To make a print appear on a gold ground, Best metho… 9:57 Read by prajak
Copper plate engraving, Etching on copper plates, Engraving and scraping in mez… 15:03 Read by prajak
Etching letters and flowers on glass, To print figures with a smooth stone, To … 4:38 Read by BettyB
Best cement for joining glass, Best cement for joining china or crockery, To ma… 3:40 Read by Agnes Robert Behr
The art of moulding figures in relief, To cast images in plaster, 2:48 Read by Romeo J.
To produce embossed letters on marble, To soften stone, 2:14 Read by Romeo J.
To change wood, apparently, to stone, To render wood, cloth or paper, fire proof 2:38 Read by twomustangs
To produce fire readily, To make super-combustible matches, To make gun powder,… 6:53 Read by Agnes Robert Behr
To kindle a fire under water, To light a candle by application of ice, To form … 4:29 Read by EmilyCripps
To make sky rockets and fire wheels, To produce detonating balloons, To prepare… 6:20 Read by EmilyCripps
To freeze water in warm weather, To change the colours of animals, To give leat… 3:52 Read by Stacey Malcolm
An easy method of extracting the essence of roses, To prepare various kinds of … 4:29 Read by jenno
To produce metallic trees, To tin copper by boiling, A metal that will melt in … 2:18 Read by twomustangs
Illustration of calico printing, To prepare an imitation of gold bronze, 5:00 Read by jenno
To procure the exhilarating gas, Construction of the galvanic pile or battery, … 7:49 Read by Larry Wilson
To make a beautiful soft glass for jewelry, Composition of various kinds of gla… 5:19 Read by jenno
To produce various kinds of gas, Various chemical tests, To produce a picture i… 5:27 Read by twomustangs
A cheap imitation of silver bronze, To make crayons of various colours, To make… 12:36 Read by BettyB
Appendix 12:06 Read by Larry Wilson

Reviews

Don't Try This At Home...


(3.5 stars)

...until you've set up your chemistry lab complete with beakers , flasks, proper ventilation, and a small charcoal forge. Most of this book is about changing ink colors, invisible inks, fooling around with black powder, making fireworks at home, phosphorus (eep!), but there are a few art projects that won't blow up the neighborhood or destroy your lungs. Well narrated, but scary.