Show uses of steatite or soapstone having recently alluded to the new employment I 1 of the above named material for alding purposes I 1 we have no DO doubt but it bill interest many of our readers to know something of the other for which it hu been employed fw for umber of beirs years ste alite or so call it by its more mare familiar name soapstone is ft kind of soapy marl or tale talc sometimes white at others green or gray and more rarely red and yellow it is composed of sites silex magnesia esia oxy ooyd afi of iron ron and water but it ft varies n different d localities As it requires a very high heat for f fusion and iscum is cut and aad wrought with great f facility very good crucibles cruci bles can caa be made I 1 ot of it which fire hardens and penetrates rotes very easily it is employed for wolds molds in castings it is ia used in england in manufacture the aube of porcelain it has been into cameos to which has be beon been on afine aane brili anoy by bv heat beat and such a degree of hardness as to ove give sparks wi with steel having a great affinity for glass steatite reduced to very fine powder answers ve when mixed with other colors for painting jt it is used also as a kind of sympathetic pencil pen oil for writing w u glass jeanng io no trace when the glass is a rubbed with woolen ol offa hut axt becoming again agaba visible by breathing breaching freely upon it and disa disappearing i pe again as the ilass glass becomes dry mid hud embroiderers embroider ers of silk prefer it gochalk to chalk for foi tracing because it is more in durable and does not affect the col ol 01 j ors of the stuff As has the property of uniting ting with oils and fatty substances it enters principally into the composition of ofa the balls used for cleaning silk and woollen we ollin stuffs at is is also the basis of fit some pigments I 1 it gives a fine brilliancy to in marble arble to serpentine gentl ine and stones mixed with oil i it is ip used to td poua polish glass and metallic I 1 mirrow jf f newly ewlys repaired prepared leq leather ther bd powdered with h it and allowed to dry it gives it when rubbed with horna very fine lustre steatite is empl employed eyed for glazing papers paper by being i spread over it t in very fine powder bowder or better by being mixed with the coloring matter and then than glazing by rubbing with a brush flie power of steatite from its osk i ty is one ole of the substances which gives the easiest play to vises aises and screws and dim dinishes friction in wheels mixed with tala tal low it f furnishes it a very favorable material I 1 for preserving machinery steatite is easily cut with a saw turned in in a lathe bathe and smoothed with a plane it maj may therefore be worked into aej any shape and afterwards te ter wards if neo necessary essaiy be rendered very hard when he e artist has ha finished his design lie he places it in in a a covered cra crucible cible surrounds the ta crucible with charcoal in a fur furnace nAoe raises thereat gradually gradual ry keeps it for two or three hours in nearly a white heat and allows it to cool slowly when it comes out oat it is ver very y hard I 1 I 1 bome some specimens of steatite acquire a milk white appearance by exposure ex to neat eat those which are colored assume gray or reddish tint but they may be variously colored b by T the aidon aid of oily alcoholic acid or alkali alkaline ipe blui solutions fans dolors colors that diso dissolve lie jin n am amber bet lisuch as verdi vardi grise ochre achre aop color bolor steatite when by charcoal I 1 colors dissolved in points brits of turpentine are the most lively solutions solutions of oa thamus saffora forn bower gamboge camp campese campea esy phy wood dragons wood blood ao acin in marits of bf wine 11 olor color steatite by steeping peping si it in them several hours solution I 1 of jold gold in cua regia gia gives a purple color af pf i 4 shade depending depend g on its strength th Mil oVa of silver ilver colors it black when aided by sulphur ii acids acid sulphate n lp h ate of indi indigo 90 a grayish vay ish blue if steatite beati te colo colored f e d b by nitro muri ir me ate of go goldor idor of sil sll verL verbe edrow exposed to a br bright ht fiame I 1 it ass assum esthe abe metal metaldo io mor color of g gold 6 or 0 r silver I 1 when n theston the stone els is befitted colors dissolved in ac acids ds are afe rapidly and finely attached to it and b hence encee a cameo ground and of any particular color i is easily basit y obtained when whan the stone is baked it is usual with emery tripoli or tin putty gitty it acquires quires touch much brill lidy aate e ts casper per cal chalcedony calce dony bip it is easy f from boiu the these i facts acts to infer that tl the engraved engra aver vei may avail himself 0 of this substance on of its softness since ince be may perform upon it one I 1 day as much inu chit he could do upon h hard stones in ie a week and when it has cassea aels through daril the th fire 1 his acquires a bid ess and durability ty almost unlimited as ei entzi i eam erigan I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 |