Richard Bitmead - French Polishing and Enamelling
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Richard Bitmead >> French Polishing and Enamelling
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=The Polishing Shop.=--A few words as to the polishing shop may be
acceptable to those who possess ample room and desire the best results.
First in order is the location and arrangement of the finishing rooms.
Preference is to be given to the upper rooms of a building for several
reasons, among which may be named the securing of better light, greater
freedom from dust, and superior ventilation.
A good light in this, as in many other arts, is a very important matter,
and by a good light we mean all the light that can be obtained without
the glare of the direct rays of the sun. Light from side windows is
preferable to that from skylights for three reasons: (1) Skylights are
very liable to leakage; (2) they are frequently, for greater or less
periods, covered with snow in winter; (3) the rays of the sun
transmitted by them in summer are frequently so powerful as to blister
shellac or varnish.
Good ventilation is at all times of importance, and especially so in
summer, both as tending to dry the varnish or shellac more evenly and
rapidly, and as contributing to the comfort of the workmen. The latter
consideration is of importance even as a matter of economy, as men in a
room the atmosphere of which is pleasant and wholesome will feel better
and accomplish more than they could do in the close and forbidding
apartments in which they sometimes work.
Any suggestion in reference to freedom from dust, as a matter to be
considered in locating rooms for this business, would seem to be
entirely superfluous, as it is clear that there is hardly any
department of mechanical work which is so susceptible to injury from
dust as the finishing of furniture, including varnishing and polishing.
Finishing rooms may be arranged in three departments. The first should
include the room devoted to sand-papering and filling. These processes,
much more than any other part of furniture polishing, produce dirt and
dust, and it is plain that the room devoted to them should be so far
isolated from the varnishing room as not to introduce into it these
injurious elements.
Another room should be appropriated to the bodying-in, smoothing and
rubbing-down processes. The third room is for spiriting and varnishing,
or the application of the final coats of varnish, which is the most
important of all the processes in finishing. It requires a very light
and clean room, and a greater degree of heat than a general workroom. It
should, as nearly as possible, be uniform, and kept up to _summer heat_;
in no case ought the temperature to fall below fifty nor rise higher
than eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit while the varnishing process is
going on. Varnishing performed under these circumstances will be more
thorough in result, have a brighter appearance and better polish, than
if the drying is slow and under irregular temperature. For drying work,
the best kind of heat is that from a stove or furnace.
Steam heat is not so good for two reasons: (1), it is too moist and
soft, causing the work to sweat rather than to dry hard, and (2), the
temperature of a room heated by steam is liable to considerable
variation, and especially to becoming lower in the night. This _fire
heat_ is as necessary for the varnishing room in damp and cloudy weather
in summer as it is in winter. At all seasons, and by night as well as by
day, the heat should be as dry as possible, and kept uniformly up to
summer heat, by whatever means this result is secured. Varnished work,
after receiving the last coat, should be allowed to remain one day in
the varnishing room. It may then be removed into the general workroom.
A remark may be proper here, viz., that there is sometimes a failure to
secure the best and most permanent results from not allowing sufficient
time for and between the several processes. An order is perhaps to be
filled, or for some other reason the goods are "rushed through" at the
cost of thoroughness and excellence of finish.
The following suggestion is made by way of caution in reference to the
disposal of oily rags and waste made in the various processes of
finishing. These articles are regarded as very dangerous, and are
frequently the cause of much controversy between insurance companies and
parties who are insured. The best way to dispose of this waste is to put
it into the stove and burn it as fast as it is produced. If this rule
is strictly adhered to there will be no danger of fire from this source.
All liquid stock should be kept in close cans or barrels, and as far
from the fire as possible.
CHAPTER VIII.
_ENAMELLING._
The process of enamelling in oil varnishes as applied to furniture must
be understood as a smooth, glossy surface of various colours produced by
bodies of paint and varnish skilfully rubbed down, and prepared in a
peculiar way so as to produce a surface equal to French polish. Ornament
can be added by gilding, etc., after the polished surface is finished.
We will begin with the white or light-tinted enamel. The same process
must be pursued for any colour, the only difference being in the
selection of the materials for the tint required to be produced.
It should be observed that enamelling requires the exercise of the
greatest care, and will not bear hurrying. Each coat must be allowed
sufficient time for the hardening, and the rubbing down must be
patiently and gently done; heavy pressure will completely spoil the
work.
=Materials.=--The materials used for the purpose above named are: white
lead ground in turpentine and the best white lead in oil; a clear,
quick, and hard-drying varnish, such as the best copal, or the varnishes
for enamel manufactured by Mr. W. Urquhart, 327, Edgware Road, W.; or
white coburg and white enamel varnish, ground and lump pumice-stone, or
putty-powder, great care being taken in the selection of the
pumice-stone, as the slightest particle of grit will spoil the surface;
and rotten-stone, used either with water or oil.
=Tools.=--The tools required are several flat wooden blocks, of various
sizes and forms, suitable for inserting into corners and for
mouldings--these must be covered with felt on the side you intend to
use, the felt best adapted for the purpose being the white felt, from a
quarter to half an inch in thickness, which can be obtained of Messrs.
Thomas Wallis & Co., Holborn Circus, or at the woollen warehouses; two
or three bosses (made similar to polish rubbers) of cotton-wool, and
covered with silk (an old silk handkerchief makes capital coverings);
wash or chamois leather, and a good sponge.
=Mode of Operation.=--If the wood is soft and porous it is best to
commence with a coating of size and whiting applied in a warm state,
which is allowed to dry; it is then rubbed down with glass-paper, and
two coats of common paint given, mixed in the usual way and of the same
colour as you intend to finish with. In practice this is found to be
best; after these two coats are thoroughly dry, mix the white-lead
ground in turps, with only a sufficient quantity of varnish to bind it,
thinning to a proper consistency with turps. It is as well to add a
little of the ordinary white-lead ground in oil, as it helps to prevent
cracking. Give the work four or five coats of this, and allow each coat
to dry thoroughly. When it is hard and ready for rubbing down, commence
with a soft piece of pumice-stone and water, and rub just sufficient to
take off the roughness. Now use the felt-covered rubbers and ground
pumice-stone, and cut it down, working in a circular manner. The
greatest care is required to obtain a level surface free from scratches.
After the work is well rubbed down, if it should appear to be
insufficiently filled up, or if scratched, give it two more coats, laid
on very smoothly, and rub down as before. If properly done, it will be
perfectly smooth and free from scratches. Wash it well down, and be
careful to clean off all the loose pumice-stone. Then mix flake-white
from the tube with either of the above-named varnishes, till it is of
the consistency of cream. Give one coat of this, and when dry give it
another, adding more varnish. Let this dry hard, the time taken for
which will of course depend upon the drying qualities of the varnish;
some will polish in eight or nine days, but it is much the best to let
it stand as long as you possibly can, as the harder it is, the brighter
and more enduring will be the polish. When sufficiently hard, use the
felt, and very finely-ground pumice-stone and water; with this cut down
till it is perfectly smooth; then let it stand for a couple of days, to
harden the surface.
=Polishing.=--In commencing to bring up a polish, first take
rotten-stone, either in oil or water; use this with the felt rubber for
a little while, then put some upon the surface of the silk-covered boss,
and commence to rub very gently in circular strokes; continue this till
there is a fine equal surface all over. The polish will begin to appear
as you proceed, but it will be of a dull sort. Clean off: if the
rotten-stone is in oil, clean off with dry flour; if in water, wash off
with sponge and leather, taking care that you wash it perfectly clean
and do not scratch.
You will now, after having washed your hands, use a clean damp chamois
leather, holding it in the left hand, and using the right to polish
with, keeping it clean by frequently drawing it over the damp leather.
With the ball of the right hand press gently upon the work, and draw
your hand sharply, forward or towards you; this will produce a bright
polish, and every time you bring your hand forward a sharp shrill sound
will be heard similar to rubbing on glass. Continue this till the whole
surface is one bright even polish. It will be some time before you will
be able to do this perfectly, especially if the skin is dry or hard, as
it is then liable to scratch the work. A smooth, soft skin will produce
the best polish.
For the interior of houses, the "Albarine" enamel manufactured by the
Yorkshire Varnish Company, of Ripon, is recommended. This article
combines in itself a perfectly hard solid enamel of the purest possible
colour; and for all interior decorations, where purity of colour and
brilliancy of finish are desired, it is universally admitted to be the
most perfect article of the kind hitherto introduced to the trade. It is
applied in the same manner as ordinary varnish.
_Another Process._--The preceding section describes the process of
enamelling by oil varnishes, and the directions referring to the
polishing will be found of value for the "polishing up" on painted
imitations of woods or marbles. There is another process whereby an
enamel can be produced upon furniture at a much cheaper rate than the
preceding, and one too, perhaps, in which a polisher may feel more "at
home." The work should first have a coating of size and whiting (well
strained); this will act as a pore-filler. When dry, rub down with fine
paper, after which use the felt-covered rubber and powdered
pumice-stone, to remove all the scratches caused by the glass-paper and
to obtain a smooth and good surface. Then proceed to make a solution for
the enamel: first procure two ounces of common isinglass from the
druggist's, and thoroughly dissolve it in about a pint of boiling water;
when dissolved, stir in two ounces and a-half of subnitrate of
bismuth--this will be found to be about the right quantity for most
woods, but it can be varied to suit the requirements. With this give the
work one coat, boiling hot; apply it with a soft piece of Turkey sponge,
or a broad camel's-hair brush, and when dry cut down with powdered
pumice-stone; if a second coat is required, serve in precisely the same
manner. Then proceed to polish in the ordinary way with white polish.
After wetting the rubber, sprinkle a small quantity of the subnitrate of
bismuth upon it; then put on the cover, and work in the usual manner;
continue this till a sufficient body is obtained, and after allowing a
sufficient time for the sinking and hardening it can be spirited off.
Enamelled furniture has had, comparatively speaking, rather a dull sale,
but there is no class of furniture more susceptible of being made to
please the fancy of the many than this. It can be made in any tint that
may be required by the application of Judson's dyes, and the exercise of
a little skill in the decoration will produce very pleasing effects.
=Decorations.=--The decorations are usually ornaments drawn in gold. A
cut-out stencil pattern is generally used, and the surface brushed over
with a camel's-hair pencil and japanner's gold size, which can be
obtained at the artist's colourman's, or, if preferred, can be made by
boiling 4 ozs. of linseed-oil with 1 oz. of gum anime and a little
vermilion. When the size is tacky, or nearly dry, gold powder or gold
leaf is applied. The gold is gently pressed down with a piece of
wadding, and when dry the surplus can be removed with a round
camel's-hair tool. In all cases where gold has been fixed by this
process it will bear washing without coming off, which is a great
advantage.
CHAPTER IX.
_AMERICAN POLISHING PROCESSES_
The method of polishing furniture practised by the American
manufacturers differs considerably from the French polishing processes
adopted by manufacturers in most European countries. This difference,
however, is mostly compulsory, and is attributable to the climate. The
intense heat of summer and the extreme cold of winter will soon render a
French polish useless, and as a consequence numerous experiments have
been tried to obtain a polish for furniture that will resist heat or
cold. The writer has extracted from two American cabinet-trade journals,
_The Cabinet-maker_ and _The Trade Bureau_, descriptions of the various
processes now used in the States, which descriptions were evidently
contributed by practical workmen. The following pages are not, strictly
speaking, a mere reprint from the above-named journals, the articles
having been carefully revised and re-written after having been
practically tested; attention to them is, therefore, strongly
recommended.
In these processes the work is first filled in with a "putty filler,"
and after the surface has been thoroughly cleaned it is ready for
shellac or varnish. Second, a coating of shellac is next applied with a
brush or a soft piece of Turkey sponge. This mixture is composed of two
parts (by weight) of shellac to one of methylated spirits, but what is
called "thin shellac" is composed of one part shellac to two of spirits.
After the coating is laid on and allowed to dry, which it does very
soon, it is rubbed carefully with fine flour glass-paper, or powdered
pumice-stone--about four coats are usually given, each one rubbed down
as directed. Third, when the surface has received a sufficient body, get
a felt-covered rubber and apply rotten-stone and sweet oil in the same
manner as you would clean brass; with this give the work a good rubbing,
so as to produce a polish. Fourth, clean off with a rag and sweet oil,
and rub dry; then take a soft rag with a few drops of spirit upon it,
and vapour up to a fine polish. With these few preliminary remarks, the
following will be easily understood.
=Use Of Fillers.=--The cost of a putty filler consists chiefly in the
time consumed in applying it. In the matter of walnut-filling much
expense is saved in the processes of coating and rubbing if the pores of
the wood be filled to the surface with a substance that will not shrink,
and will harden quickly. The time occupied in spreading and cleaning a
thin or fatty mixture of filler, or a stiff and brittle putty made fresh
every day, is about the same, and while the thin mixture will be subject
to a great shrinkage, the putty filler will hold its own. It will thus
be seen that a proper regard to the materials used in making fillers,
and the consistency and freshness of the same, form an important element
in the economy of filling.
A principal cause of poor filling is the use of thin material. By some a
putty-knife is used, and the filling rubbed into the surfaces of
mouldings with tow, while others use only the tow for all surfaces,
mostly, however, in cases of dry filling. In the use of the wet filler,
either with a knife or with tow, workmen are prone to spread it too thin
because it requires less effort, but experience shows that the greatest
care should always be taken to spread the putty stiff and thick,
notwithstanding the complaints of workmen. In fact, this class of work
does not bring into play so much muscle as to warrant complaints on
account of it. Nor can there be any reasonable excuse for taking a
longer time to spread a stiff filler than a thin filler.
Good results are not always obtained by the use of thick fillers,
because the putty is spread too soon after the application of the first
coat of oil, which liquid should be quite thin, and reduced either with
benzine or turpentine, so that when the putty is forced into the pores
the oil already in them will have the effect of thinning it. As an
illustration of the idea meant here to be conveyed, we will suppose a
quantity of thick mud or peat dumped into a cavity containing water, and
a similar quantity of the same material dumped into another cavity
having no water; the one fills the bottom of the cavity solid, while the
other becomes partly liquid at the bottom, and must of necessity shrink
before it assumes the solidity of the former. Hence it appears that work
to be filled should be oiled and allowed to stand some time before
receiving the filler, or until the oil has been absorbed into the pores.
The preparatory coating should not be mixed so as to dry too quickly,
nor allowed to stand too long before introducing the putty, for in this
case the putty when forced along by the knife will not slip so easily as
it should.
The cost of rubbing and sand-papering in the finishing process is very
much lessened if the cleaning be thorough, and if all the corners and
mouldings be scraped out, so that pieces of putty do not remain to work
up into the first coat of shellac, or whatever finish may be used as a
substitute for shellac.
Another important feature in hard filling is to let the work be well
dried before applying the first coat of finish. One day is not
sufficient for the proper drying of putty fillers, and if in consequence
of insufficient drying a part of the filling washes out, it is so much
labour lost. As a safeguard against washing out, these fillers should be
mixed with as much dryer or japan as the case warrants, for it
frequently occurs that work must be finished, or go into finish, the day
following the filling, whether it be dry or not.
By observing the main facts here alluded to, good filling may always be
obtained, and at a cost not exceeding that of poor work.
For the light woods, including ash, chestnut, and oak, the filling is
similar to that used in walnut, except the colouring material, which, of
course, must be slight, or just enough to prevent the whiting and
plaster from showing white in the pores. This colouring may consist of
raw sienna, burnt sienna, or a trifle raw, or umber; one of these
ingredients separate, or all three combined, mixed so as to please the
fancy and suit the prevailing style. The colouring may be used with a
dry filling, although a wet filling is more likely to give a smooth
finish and greater satisfaction, and the colour of the filler can be
seen better in the putty than in the dry powder.
Upon cheap work a filler should be used that requires the least amount
of labour in its application. For this purpose liquid fillers, like
japan, are suitable. If, however, a fine finish on fine goods is
required, the putty compositions of various mixtures are the more
appropriate. The secret of the process of filling consists in the
mixing of the compounds and the method of using them. A liquid filler
or a japan simply spread over the work in one or two coats can hardly be
called filling, yet this will serve the purpose very well for cheap
furniture.
Thick compositions or putty fillers are composed of whiting and plaster,
or similar powders having little or no colour. This material is mixed
with oil, japan, and benzine, with a sufficient quantity of colouring
matter to please the fancy. The value of these fillers is in proportion
to their brittleness or "shortness," as it is termed, and, to give them
this quality, plaster is used and as much benzine or turpentine as the
mixture will bear without being too stiff or too hard to clean off.
Sometimes a little dissolved shellac is used to produce "shortness."
This desirable feature of a filler is best effected by mixing a small
quantity of the material at a time. Many workmen mistakenly mix large
batches at a time with a view of securing uniformity of colour, and this
is one cause why such fillers work tough and produce a poor surface. An
oil mixture soon becomes fatty and tough, and must be reduced in
consistency when used, as it is apt when old to "drag" and leave the
pores only partly filled. These fillers should be mixed fresh every day,
and allowed to stiffen and solidify in the wood rather than out of it.
The surface of a pore is the largest part of it, and it is desirable to
fill it to a level as nearly as possible. This is done by using the
filler thick or stiff.
=Making Fillers.=--In making "fillers," a quantity of the japan which is
used in the ingredients can be made at one time, and used from as
occasion may require. It is made in the following manner:
_Japan of the Best Quality._--Put 3/4 lb. gum shellac into 1 gall.
linseed-oil; take 1/2 lb. each of litharge, burnt umber, and red-lead,
also 6 oz. sugar of lead. Boil in the mixture of shellac and oil until
all are dissolved; this will require about four hours. Remove from the
fire, and stir in 1 gall. of spirits of turpentine, and the work is
finished.
_Fillings for Light Woods._--Take 5 lb. of whiting, 3 lb. calcined
plaster (plaster of Paris), 1/2 gall. of raw linseed-oil, 1 qt. of
spirits of turpentine, 1 qt. of brown japan, and a little French yellow
to tinge the white. Mix well, and apply with a brush; rub it well with
excelsior or tow, and clean off with rags. This thoroughly fills the
pores of the wood and preserves its natural colour.
_Another for Light Woods._--Take 10 lb. of whiting, 5 lb. of calcined
plaster, 1 lb. of corn starch, 3 oz. calcined magnesia, 1 gall. of raw
linseed-oil, 1/2 gall. spirits of turpentine, 1 qt. of brown japan, 2
oz. French yellow. Mix well, and apply with brush; rub in well with
excelsior or tow, and clean off with rags.
_For Mahogany or Cherry Wood._--Take 5 lb. of whiting, 2 lb. of calcined
plaster, 11/2 oz. dry burnt sienna, 1 oz. Venetian red, 1 qt. of boiled
linseed-oil, 1 pt. of spirits of turpentine, and 1 pt. of brown japan.
Mix well, apply with brush, and rub well in with excelsior or tow. Clean
off with rags dry.
_For Oak Wood._--Take 5 lb. of whiting, 2 lb. calcined plaster, 1 oz.
dry burnt sienna, 1/2 oz. of dry French yellow, 1 qt. raw linseed-oil, 1
pt. benzine spirits, and 1/2 pt. white shellac. Mix well, apply with
brush, rub in with excelsior or tow, and clean off with rags.
_For Rosewood._--Take 6 lb. of fine whiting, 2 lb. of calcined plaster,
1 lb. of rose-pink, 2 oz. of Venetian red, 1/2 lb. of Vandyke brown, 1/2
lb. of Brandon red, 1 gall. of boiled linseed-oil, 1/2 gall. of spirits
of turpentine, 1 qt. of black japan. Mix well together, apply with
brush, rub well in with tow, and clean off with rags.
_For Black Walnut_ (1).--For medium and cheap work. Take 10 lb. of
whiting, 3 lb. dry burnt umber, 4 lb. of Vandyke brown, 3 lb. of
calcined plaster, 1/2 lb. of Venetian red, 1 gall. of boiled
linseed-oil, 1/2 gall. of spirits of turpentine, 1 qt. of black japan.
Mix well and apply with brush; rub well with excelsior or tow, and clean
off with rags.
_For Black Walnut_ (2).--An improved filling, producing a fine
imitation of wax finish, may be effected by taking 5 lb. of whiting,
with 1 lb. of calcined plaster, 6 oz. of calcined magnesia, 1 oz. of dry
burnt umber, 1 oz. of French yellow to tinge the white. Add 1 qt. of raw
linseed-oil, 1 qt. of benzine spirits, 1/2 pt. of very thin white
shellac. Mix well, and apply with a brush; rub well in, and clean off
with rags.
_An Oil-Colour for Black Walnut_ (3), to be used only on first-class and
custom work.--Take 3 lb. of burnt umber ground in oil, 1 lb. of burnt
sienna ground in oil, 1 qt. of spirits of turpentine, 1 pt. of brown
japan. Mix well and apply with a brush. Sand-paper well; clean off with
tow and rags. This gives a beautiful chocolate colour to the wood.
Numerous compositions are in the market for filling the pores of wood,
and in this connection particular attention has been given to walnut,
for the reason that this wood is used in large quantities in the
furniture industry, and is nearly, if not quite, as porous as any other
of the woods used.
A variety of walnut fillings have been recommended to the trade in order
to meet the demand consequent upon the different grades of finish and
the method of obtaining the finish, so that it would be difficult to
pronounce as to the superiority of any one filling for general purposes.
In treating this subject, attention should be given to the necessities
for the use of filling, so that each one may determine for himself the
kind of composition best adapted for the work in hand, and the best
method of applying it.
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