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Adhesives, Paints, and Varnishes: Wood

Wood Filler. To fill the pores and other rough places as a foundation for varnish or French polish, apply, for cheap work, a thin glue size. Or, for a better grade, apply a thin coat of boiled linseed oil, sprinkle the surface with dry whiting, and rub it in with the palm of the hand, or a short, stiff paint brush. After filling the wood, let dry, give a coating of French polish or varnish, and rub down with very fine glass paper. This gives a foundation on which to lay the varnish or final coats of polish. Thus the whiting is absorbed by the oil, and the pores of the wood are filled with putty, which will last indefinitely and not be affected by damp air or water.

Or, for the best grades, mix plaster of Paris with whiting, and apply with a brush. Follow with a coating of tallow, and color with any desired coloring matter.

Or mix the whiting, tallow, and coloring matter together, and rub them into the work.

Or mix 1 gallon of plaster of Paris with pint of flour, ounce of powdered pumice stone, 1/2 ounce of prepared chalk, 1 quart of boiled linseed oil, and gill of japan dryer. One coat of varnish on such a foundation will give a better and more durable finish than three coats laid directly on the surface of the wood, as in the latter case the varnish enters the pores of the wood and does not dry smoothly.

To Color Wood Filler. - For black walnut, mix burnt umber with whiting; for cherry, Venetian red; for beech or maple, just a suspicion of Venetian red. Stir in just enough coloring matter to imitate the natural colors of the wood.

Or, if tallow is used, it may be colored with dragon's blood, gum gamboge, or otherwise if desired. Fix circular articles in a lathe, and apply the filler with the hands or with a piece of velveteen or other stiff cloth.

To Polish Furniture. - Substances recommended for polishing furniture are kerosene, turpentine, olive oil, linseed oil, and paraffin oil, beeswax, white wax, castile soap, gum copal, gum arabic, shellac, and various combinations of these and similar substances. To keep furniture at a high polish, go over it once a week on cleaning ADHESIVES, PAINTS, AND VARNISHES day with a clean cloth moistened in clear turpentine. This keeps the paint soft so that it will not crack, and it is not sticky after it has been polished.

Or use equal quantities of turpentine and linseed oil, or equal quantities of turpentine, linseed oil, and vinegar. To improve the appearance of linseed oil, add 1 or 2 ounces of alkanet root to 1 pint of oil, boil gently, and strain through cheese cloth.

Or mix equal quantities of linseed oil and turpentine, and to each pint of the mixture add 1 teaspoonful of ammonia.

Or dissolve 1 ounce of hard white soap in pint of water, and add 6 ounces of white wax dissolved in pint of turpentine. Dissolve all with gentle heat, mix, and bottle for use.

Or melt ounce of alkanet root with 8 ounces of beeswax, and simmer with gentle heat. Strain through cheese cloth and add 4 ounces each of linseed oil and spirits of turpentine.

Or melt 4 ounces of beeswax with gentle heat, and add while warm 8 ounces of spirits of turpentine. Stir until the mixture cools.

Or dissolve 1 ounce of beeswax and ounce of castile soap in 1 pint of turpentine. Put in a quart bottle and let stand for a day or two, shaking occasionally. Fill the bottle with water, shake, and let stand for another day, when it should be of the consistency of cream. Apply with a flannel cloth or damp chamois.

Or dissolve ounce each of pulverized rosin and gum shellac in 1 pint of pure alcohol. Add 1 pint of linseed oil, mix, and apply with a soft brush, a sponge, or a piece of flannel.

Polish with moistened chamois or a bunch of tissue paper or soft newspaper.

Or add 1 pint of spirits of turpentine to the above. Or dissolve 2 ounces of gum shellac in 1 pint of alcohol. Add 1 pint of linseed oil and pint of spirits of turpentine. Mix and add 2 ounces of ammonia water and 2 ounces of sulphuric ether. Shake before using. Apply with a brush, sponge, or soft cloth.

Or mix equal quantities of gro shellac, kerosene, linseed oil, and turpentine. Shake before using, and apply with a sponge or brush. Afterwards polish. Or dissolve in 1 pint of alcohol ounce each of gum copal, gum arabic, and shellac. Apply with a sponge or brush. This is known as French polish.

Or paint the surface with a liberal application of olive oil, and let stand to soften the varnish. Then follow with a solution of 2 ounces of gum arabic dissolved in 1 pint of alcohol.

Apply while warm. This is known as Italian polish.

Or mix 1 pound of linseed oil, 2 ounces of wax, 4 ounces of shellac varnish, and 1 ounce of alkanet root to color. Dissolve with gentle heat and stir while dissolving. Take off the fire after 15 or 20 minutes, strain through cheese cloth, and add 2 ounces of turpentine, mix, and let stand a few days, stirring occasionally. Shake well before using. Or dissolve with gentle heat in 1 pound of boiled linseed oil 4 ounces of beeswax and 1 ounce of alkanet root. Strain through cheese cloth, and add 4 ounces of turpentine.

Or mix 4 ounces each of linseed oil and vinegar, add 4 ounce of alcohol, 1 ounce of butter of antimony, and ounce of muriatic acid. Apply with a sponge, rag, or brush, wipe dry, and polish. Shake well before using. Apply this mixture to clean stained, greasy, or waxed substances.

Or mix 8 ounces of linseed oil, 4 ounces of vinegar, 2 ounces of black rosin, 2 ounces of spirits of niter, 1 ounce of spirits of salts, and 2 ounces of butter of antimony. First sponge the furniture with clear water or cold tea. Apply this mixture with a sponge or cloth. Oil, polish, and let dry. Then follow with a cloth slightly moistened in cold vinegar. To Prepare Furniture Polish.

White wax, beeswax, gum copal, shellac, and other solid resinous substances may be cut or dissolved in turpentine, alcohol, or other spirits.

This process may require several days if the ingredients are cold, but is much hastened by the use of heat, and also by pulverizing or shaving the solids as finely as possible. Hence, to prepare furniture polish containing these ingredients, shave or polish them as fine as possible, and pour over them turpentine, alcohol, or other spirits as required. Use for this purpose a glass fruit jar or a wide-mouthed glass bottle. Cork tightly and set the bottle in a warm spot until the solids are dissolved.

Or rest the bottle on straw or a folded cloth and put them in a saucepan. Fill the saucepan partly full of cold water, and bring to a boil with gentle heat. This is the best and quickest way to cut wax, gum, and other resinous substances with spirits, and also to melt glue and the like. The best results may be obtained by applying while warm furniture polish containing such substances; hence, before applying, the bottle may be heated by the method just given.

Gum arabic, on the contrary, cannot be dissolved in alcohol. Henc pulverize gum arabic as fine as possible, and dissolve with a little boiling water before mixing with other ingredients. Furniture polish containing gum arabic gives the best results when applied warm.

To Clean Furniture. - Dissolve 4 ounces of common salt in 1 quart of cold beer or vinegar. Add 1 tablespoonful of muriatic acid. Boil 15 minutes, bottle, and cork tightly.

Warm and shake well before using.

First sponge the furniture with clear water. Apply this mixture with a brush or sponge and polish with any of the above kinds of polish, using a flannel cloth or damp chamois.

Or dissolve in 1 quart of strong beer or vinegar 2 ounces of beeswax and 1 teaspoonful of sugar. First wash the furniture with clear water or cold tea. Apply this mixture with a sponge or brush. Oil, wipe dry, and polish.

To Polish Wood Carving.--The carvings of furniture may be filled, cleaned, and polished by means of brushes, using a stiff brush to clean out the dust, then a soft brush dipped in suitable polish, and finally a clean dry brush with medium hard bristles to give a polish. a Paste for Furniture. -For light wood, cover 8 ounces of beeswax scraped fine with 1 pint of turpentine, cork tightly, and let stand, shaking occasionally until dissolved. Or cover 3 ounces of pearlash with 1 pint of water, and bring to a boil.

Stir in 2 ounces of white wax scraped fine, and simmer with gentle heat 25 minutes. Let cool, and make into a soft paste with a little hot water.

Or mix 2 ounces of beeswax, 2 ounces of rectified turpentine, and 2 ounces of cold-drawn linseed oil.