"It is the linseed oil that makes the whiting into pliable, sticky, waterproof putty, and causes it to dry and harden quickly."SUMMARY
Putty is made of whiting and linseed oil. Whiting is made from chalk, and chalk is dug out of the ground; it is a mineral. Linseed oil is made from linseed, the seed of the flax plant. Linseed oil makes the putty sticky, pliable, and waterproof.
Gutta-Percha
"What a silly little girl you are, Norah," said Fred one evening. "You should not put your feet on the fender, so close to the fire." Her father had put gutta-percha soles on her boots a few days before, to keep her feet dry in the winter.
Now the boys had just had a lesson on gutta- percha at school. Fred thought this would be a good time to let Norah hear something about it.
"Wait a minute," he said. "I know where I can find some gutta-percha. Father left it when he mended your boots."Fred was soon back with the piece of gutta-percha. He brought with him, too, a basin of hot water.
He put the piece of gutta-percha into the boiling water, and after a few minutes took it out again, just as he had seen teacher do in school.