So I’ve decided to make Ink, I’m kinda proud about my previous chemistry efforts with Shellac. Now to take the next steps, push that up a notch with some work on a Shellac + Iron Gall + Carbon Black. I’m focusing on the archival aspects, while Iron Gall is nice, it tends to eat away at paper over time becoming more acidic. The hope is that the Shellac will stop that process before it starts.
**India Style Shellac Ink **
3g - Tannic Acid
2g - Iron(II) Sulfate
3g - Carbon Black PBk7
5g - Shellac
30 mL Ethanol
60 mL Distilled Water
3 drops of Tea Tree Oil
If that doesn’t work, I’ll go with a different approach and use the Shellac as an overcoat with some calcium carbonate (chalk) in the solution.
**Shellac Overcoat **
5 g shellac flakes
30 mL 95% ethanol
~0.2-0.3 g ultrafine calcium carbonate
1-2 drops melted beeswax