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Bright Polish

1 pint spirits of This is a process for creating an artifiwine to 2 ounces gum benzoin and ounce cial, glossy surface of any color on wood, very gumsandarach, put in a glass bottle corked, durable, and highly ornamental. It consists and placed in a sand-bath or hot water until of three distinct, successive operations; first, you find all the gum dissolved, will make a the colored coating or surface; next, the beautiful clear polish for Tunbridgeware preparation of the surface for polishing; and goods, tea-caddies, &c. It must be shaken from time to time, and, when all dissolved, strained through a fine muslin sieve, and bottled for use. 3006. Prepared Spirits for Finishing Polish. This preparation is usefal for finishing after any of the foregoing receipts, as it adds to the lustre and durability, as well as removing every defect, of the other polishes; and it gives the surface a most brilliant apfinally, polishing. 3011. To Prepare the Filling-up Color for Enameling Wood. The fillingup color, which forms the body of the enamel, is of the greatest importance to the ultimate success of the work. Of this material there are several kinds manufactured-black, brown, and yellow, for coach painters, japanners, and others; but for use in interior decoration it is preferable to use the white lead filling, ar, pearance. Take pint best rectified spirits by adding the necessary staining colors (which of wine, 2 drachms shellac, and 2 drachms do not affect the properties of the enamel), gum-benzoin.

Put these ingredients in a a solid body of color is formed, of the same bottle, and keep it in a warm place till the tint, or nearly so, as that with which the gum is all dissolved, shaking it frequently; work is required to be finished, thus doing when cold, add 2 tea-spoonfuls of the best away with the objections which may be urged clear white poppy oil; shake them well to- against the black or dark-colored filling. It gether, and it is fit for use. This preparation is evident that if work which has to be is used in the same manner as the foregoing finished white, or with very light tints of polishes ; but, in order to remove all dull color, be filled up with dark-colored filling, / TO ENAMEL WOOD-WORK. the number of coats of paint required to ob- in this matter, and, when working, set down scure or kill the dark color will be so many the felt on the step-ladder or floor, thus allowthat there will be danger of the work becoming particles of sand or grit to get upon it.

ing rough and uneven in parts. The white 3015. To Cut Down or Prepare the lead should be ground stiff in turpentine, and Surface for Polishing. In cutting down, about one-fourth part of the ordinary white it is best to use a piece of soft lump pumice lead, ground in oil added to it, in order to stone to take off the rough parts. The work prevent the enamel cracking, which it has a should then be wet with a sponge; the felt tendency to do, except there be some little oil must first be soaked in water, then dipped mixed with it. A sufficient quantity of into the powdered pumice, and the work polishing copal or best carriage varnish should rubbed with it, keeping it moderately wet, now be added to bind it so that it will rub and rubbing with a circular motion, not down easily, which fact cannot be properly straight up and down and across, and with a ascertained except by actual trial, inasmuch light touch, using only just as much pressure as the drying properties of varnishes vary, as will cause the pumice to bite, which will and other causes influence the matter. If be very clearly felt while the hand is in mothere be too much varnish in the stuff the tion. Care and patience are required to do work will be exceedingly difficult to cut this properly, for if the pressure be too great down, and if too little, it is apt to break up it forces the pumice into the body of the filling in rubbing, so that it is always the safest color, and scratches it instead of cutting or plan to try the enamel color before commenc- grinding it fairly down. No hurry will avail ing anything important.

A in doing this work, it must have its time; 3012. To Lay the Color on Enameled hurry only defeats the end in view, and Wood. The color, being properly mixed, often causes much unnecessary labor. should be laid on the work in the ordinary scratch, caused by want of care and too much manner, using it rather freely. It may be as haste, will often throw the work back for well to state here that no filling should be days, and involve the cost and labor of refillput upon new work without the same having ing. In practice the purpose is best answered had 2 or 3 coats of ordinary oil paint, nor on by using the pumice stone, the coarser kind old work without its having one coat. This first, then the medium, and finishing with the gives a foundation for the filling. Successive finest last. It will be found advantageous to coats of the filling should now be laid on the let a day clapse between the rulling, for work until there is a sufficient thickness to when the surface is cut down the filling will çut down to a level surface. One day should in all cases be softer underneath, and if it be intervene between cach coat, in order to allow it to harden in some degree. When a sufficient number of coats are put on (which number will, of course, depend upon the state of the work to be filled up), it should stand for 2 or 3 weeks, until it is thoroughly hard; it will then be ready for cutting down, which is to be done with a felt rubber, ground pumice stone, and water. allowed to stand for a day, the newly exposed surface gets harder, and of course rubs down better. The pumice stone should be well washed off the work occasionally, in order to see what progress is being made, and if it require more rubbing or not. If, after the first rubbing, the surface be found not sufficiently filled up, it may have one or more additional coats of filling before much labor has been spent upon it.

3013. To Prepare the Rubber for Enameling Wood. The felt used should 3016. Το Polish the Filling. When be such as the sculptors use for polishing sufficiently rubbed down with the pumice marble, which varies in thickness from to stone that is to say, when it has been cut an inch, and about 3 inches square. This down to a fine, level, and uniform surface, should be fastened with resinous gum to (see No. 3015), the work should stand for a square pieces of wood of the same size, but 1 day or two to harden. It will now depend en. inch thick, so as to give a good hold for the tirely upon the work, as to whether it must hand in using. These pieces of wood, covered be polished upon the filling, or whether it will with felt, may be made of any size or shape have to be varnished and polished. If the to fit molded surfaces or other inequalities. filling be of the right color, and of one uni-

3014. To Prepare the Pumice Stone form tint, it is best to be finished in this state, for Enameling Wood. The pumice stone because it will have a surface and texture to be used should be of different degrees of which cannot be got by any other means. fineness, and should be carefully selected, so Finished in this state it has all the uniformity as to be sure that it is free from any gritty of surface and evidence of finish, without substance. It is sold ready ground, but in that appearance of varnish which is so obsituations where it cannot be conveniently jectionable. After it has stood a day or two, got, it may be prepared from the lump, by the work must be polished in this way: grinding or crushing with a stone and muller, Take a clean felt and rotten stone, either in and then passed through fine sieves or mus- oil or water, and with this rub the work as lin; by using these of different degrees of before, until the polish begins to appear; then texture the ground pumice may be produced take a boss (i. e. a ball of cotton wool inof different degrees of fineness. Unless great closed in fine silk), put the rotten stone upon care be exercised in this matter, it will be this and keep rubbing with the circular mofound that particles of grit will be mixed with tion until the polish is uniform and equal all it, which make deep scratches on the work, over. The rotten stone must now be carefully thus causing endless trouble and annoyance, cleaned off; if it be in oil, clean off with fine besides spoiling the work. The greatest care flour; if in water, with sponge and washis also required in keeping the felt clean and leather and water, taking care not to scratch free from grit. Many workmen are careless A clean damp chamois or wash-leather will JAPANNING. now be required, which must be held in the store, and any cracks or other imperfections, left hand, leaving the right perfectly at liberty. that may be thus rendered apparent, are care- Now use the ball of the right hand, press gently upon the panel, and draw it forwards or towards you. If this be done properly, it will bring up a clear polish upon the work.

The hand should be kept slightly damp by drawing it across the leather almost every time the hand is drawn forward. If this be done effectually, a rustling sound will be produced while the hand is in motion; if this be so, the polish will be sure to follow. The polish thus produced on the filling alone will have a beautiful soft appearance; but if the work has to be finished with a brilliant lustre, and to a high degree of polish, proceed as follows: 3017. To Finish Wood with a Brilliant Polish. After being cut down with the pumice and felt as directed in No 3015, fully stopped with putty or white lead before the japanning is commenced. 3021. To Prepare the Ground for Japanning. For black japanned work, the ground is first prepared with a coating of black, made by mixing dross ivory black to a proper consistence with dark colored anime varnish, as this gives a blacker surface than could be produced by japan alone. If the surface is required to be polished, five or six coats of japan are necessary to give sufficient body to prevent the japan from being rubbed through in polishing.