Balls, Heel

Prep. 1. (Ullathorne’s.) Bees’ wax, 1 lb. ; suet, 4 oz. ; melt together, and stir in of ivory-black (very finely powdered), 4 oz. ; lamp-black (sifted), 3 oz. ; gum arabic and sugar-candy, of each (in very fine powder) 2 oz. ; and, when thoroughly mixed and partly cold, pour the composition into tin or leaden moulds. 2. To the last add of resin, 3 oz. ; oil of turpentine, 2 oz. 3. Hard suet and bees’ wax, of each 4 oz. ; powdered gum, sugar candy, and Venice turpentine, of each 1 oz. ; ivory-black and lamp-black, of each 2 oz. ; as before. 4. Suet and bees’ wax, of each 4 oz. ; lamp-black and brown sugar, of each 8 oz. ; common size, 5 oz. ; melt together and stir until incorporated. Uses, . Employed to black leather, and more especially by shoemakers for the edges of the soles; the ball being first rubbed on, and the part afterwards smoothed over with a burnisher or polished iron tool gently heated. Also used by artists to copy inscriptions, ba o relievos, . To produce a good article, the gum, colouring matter, and sugar, must be in the state of extremely fine powder, and the mixture very carefully made; no lumps being left. Some persons di olve the gum in a little water, and then stir the mixture over the fire until it acquires the proper consistence for moulding (as in No. 4, above ); but the first is accounted the best method.