Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes

How to silver a mirror, brew ginger beer, kill moths, make fireworks, tan a hide, bronze iron, cure a ham and clean a straw hat: William B. Dick's numbered encyclopedia answered the questions a nineteenth-century household actually had.

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To Varnish Furniture

When the varnish; after which they may be washed the work is quite clean, fill up all knots or out with hot water and soap, when they will blemishes with cement of the same color. be as good as new, and last a great while See that the brush is clean, and free from with care. The spirits that are used for loose hairs; then dip it in the varnish, stroke cleaning may be used to mix with varnish for it along the wire raised across the top of the the more common purposes, or the brushes varnish pot, and give the work a thin and may be cleaned merely with boiling water POLISHING. containing a little washing soda, and strong stone, free from stony particles, and cut the yellow soap. 2978. Το Restore Furniture. An tion of the grain, keeping it moist with water. way of the fibres , rub the wood in the direcexperienced cabinet-maker inforins us that the best preparation for cleaning picture frames frames and restoring furniture, especially that or scratched, is a mixture of three parts of linseed oil and one part spirits of turpentine. It not only covers the surface, but restores wood to its original color, and leaves a lustre upon the surface. Put on with a woolen cloth, and when dry , rub with woolen.

Polishing Let the work dry; then wet it again, and the grain will be much smoother, and will not raise so much . Repeat the process, and the surface will become perfectly smooth, and the texture of the wood much hardened. If this does not succeed to satisfaction, the surface may be improved by using the pumice-stone with colddrawn linseed oil, proceeding in the same manner as with water. This will be found to give a most beautiful as well as a durable face to the work, which may then be polished or varnished. 2984. To Clean and Finish Mahogolishing. The beauty of cabinet- as smooth as possible; go over every part with any Work. Scrape and sand-paper the work work depends upon the care with a brush dipped in furniture oil, and let it rowhich it is finished. Some clean off with main all night; have ready the powder of the scraping and rubbing with glass paper. This finest red brick, which tie up in a cotton should be done in all cases; but it is not stocking, and sift equally over the work the enough, particularly where the grain is at next morning, and, with a leaden or iron all soft. A good glass-paper also is essen- weight in a piece of carpet, rub it well the tial. (See No. 1933.) A polish should then way of the grain, backward and forward, till be added. But, unless the varnish for cab- it has a good gloss. If not sufficient, or if the inet-work be very clear and bright, it will grain appears at all rough, repeat the progive a dingy shade to all light-colored woods. cess. This should, therefore, be a previous care. brick-dust, as it should not be rubbed dry, Be careful not to put too much of the Again, some workmen polish with rotten but rather as a paste upon the cloth. When stone, others with putty-powder, and others the surface is perfectly smooth, clean it off with common whiting and water; but Tripoli will be found to answer the best. 2980. To Polish Varnish is certainly a tedious process, and considered by many as a matter of difficulty . Put 2 ounces powdered with a rubber of carpet and fine mahogany gloss, and make a surface that will improve saw-dust.

This process will give a good by wear.

Tripoli into an earthen pot or basin, with niture. Take a quart of stale beer or vine- 2985. Το Clean and Polish Old Furwater sufficient to cover it; then, with a piece gar, put a handful of common salt and a of fine flannel four times doubled, laid over a table-spoonful of muriatic acid into it, and piece of cork rubber, proceed to polish the boil it for 15 minutes; it may be kept in a varnish, always wetting it well with the bottle, and warmed when wanted for use.

Tripoli and water. It will be known when the process is complete by wiping a part of the work with a sponge, and observing whether there is a fair and even gloss. Clean off with a bit of muttona bit of mutton-suet and fine flour. Be carethe work too hard, or longer than is necessary to make the face perfectly smooth and even.

Having previously washed the furniture with soft hot water, to get the dirt off, wash it carefully with the above mixture; then polish, according to the directions, with any of the foregoing polishes. ture. Cold-drawn linseed oil, 1 quart; spirit 2986. Mixture for Cleaning Furniof wine, and vinegar, pint each; butter 2981. The French Method of Polish- (terchloride) of antimony, 2 ounces; spirit of ing. With a piece of fine pumice-stone, and turpentine, 1/22 pint. This mixture requires to . With a piece of fine pumice-stone, and turpentine, & pint. This mixture requires to water, pass regularly over the work with the be well shaken before it is used. A little of grain until the rising of the grain is down; it is then to be poured upon a rubber, which then , with powdered Tripoli and boiled lin- must be well applied to the surface of the furseveral applications will be necessary This will be a very superior polish, but it re- for new furniture, or for such as had previousquires considerable time. ly been French polished or rubbed with bees'

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