Page:Violin Varnish and How to Make it.djvu/32

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VIOLIN VARNISH AND HOW TO MAKE IT

Sandarach.—This is a product of Algeria and Morocco. It is quite soluble in alcohol and essence of turpentine and is extensively employed in the composition of spirit varnishes.

Dragon's Blood is procured from India, Ceylon and America. It is soluble in alcohol, ether and oils. It imparts to its solvent a rich blood red colour.

Amber.—This is a resinous fossil and is found in many countries. It is generally understood to be the petrified remains of certain trees that are now extinct.

It is hard, yellow in colour and transparent.

Its composition is complex consisting of three different kinds of rosins, some essential oils and a small quantity of mineral matter.

In its natural state it is not soluble in alcohol nor essence of turpentine nor essential oils.

It can, however, be dissolved by the following process.

Place some in a clean earthenware vessel and heat it gradually, when melted pour on to a marble slab, when it becomes hard again reduce it to powder.

It can then be readily dissolved in spirit,