Richard Bitmead - French Polishing and Enamelling

R >> Richard Bitmead >> French Polishing and Enamelling

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=Finishing.=--Having described the methods of making and applying the
"fillings," we will now describe the mode of finishing, and begin with
the "dead-oil finish." We can remember when a satisfactory oil-finish
was produced either with a good quality of japan or a fair quality of
spirits. These materials are recommended to be used by inexperienced
workmen and those not familiar with the mixing of the various grades of
japan and varnish with oil, turpentine, benzine, etc. This method of
oil-finish, too, is scarcely inferior to the shellac or spirit-varnish
method, and it is cheaper. When the best finish is desired, a sufficient
number of coats to fill the pores of wood to a level are required, and
then the whole surface should be subjected to the rubbing process. The
use of these fillers provides an oil-finish in a simplified form for
those who are not aware of the difference between hard and soft gum
compositions as a base for rubbing. In fact, the rubbing process
constitutes a fine oil-finish, and requires a hard gum, whether it be of
japan, varnish, or shellac.

The use of varnish or its substitute as a filler and finish is more
frequent than the use of shellac, and for cheap work it is equally good.
The surface produced by a hard gum composition must be smooth and dead,
or but slightly glossed, so as to admit of the pores being filled full
or to a level. It may be added that a coat or any number of coats of the
composition referred to above is substantially a filling, and the
quality of finish depends upon the number of coats, together with the
amount of rubbing applied.

Thus far we have simply called attention to the best quality of
oil-finish and the manner of producing it. Possibly three-fourths of all
wood-finishing, particularly walnut-finishing, is several degrees below
the best quality. In fact, oil-finish may imply only one coat of any
composition that will dry, while two coats may be regarded as fair, and
three coats a very good quality of finish. For the class of finish not
rubbed down with pumice-stone and water, oil-varnish would be out of
place on account of its gloss; hence shellac, being in composition
similar to japan, is the better material, because of its dull appearance
or lack of gloss as compared with shellac.

In addition to the liquid fillers already mentioned, there is a putty or
powder filling used for cross-grained woods, or such woods as have a
deep pore. This filling is forced into the wood previous to the
application of the other finishing compounds, with the use of which it
in no way interferes. On the contrary, it economises the use of the
liquid fillers, and, while constituting a part of an oil-finish, is also
a finish wholly independent of the other methods mentioned--that is to
say, the same results can be obtained by the use of either one, although
the putty or powder filling is attended with greater expense both as to
time and material. The hard filling is generally used on walnut, ash,
and all coarse-grained woods.

With regard to oil-finishes, viz., spirit-varnish or oil-varnish,
shellac is thought by many to be the best for fine work; but others
think differently. We may say of shellac that it will finish up into any
degree of polish, and while it will not retain a French polish long in
this climate, it will replenish easier and cheaper than any other
finish, and continue to improve under each application. For a common
finish, however, oil preparation is as good as shellac, and even for a
fine finish it is only second to shellac, if made of a hard gum. On
common finish, too, the oil will wear better than shellac in stock or on
storage, so far as preserving its freshness is concerned.

The cost of oil-finish is governed chiefly by the amount of labour
expended on it. A suite of walnut furniture can be well rubbed with
sand-paper in two hours, or even less; while two weeks could be
profitably employed in rubbing another suite with pumice and water.

=Black Walnut Finishing.=--The fashionable finish for black walnut work,
particularly chamber sets, is what is known to the trade as the
"dead-oil finish." It is admired, perhaps, because it has a gloss,
rather than a shine of the varnish stamp. There is no more labour
required upon it than upon a bright finish, but the process of
manipulation is different, and harder to the fingers.

It should be premised that the walnut work of the day bears upon its
surface, to a greater or less extent, raised panels covered with French
burl veneer. And upon this fact largely depends the beauty of the
production. And the endeavour is to so finish the article that there
shall be a contrast between the panel and the groundwork on which it is
placed. In other words, the former should be of a light colour, while
the latter is of a darker shade. In that view the palest shellac should
be used on the panels, and darker pieces, liver coloured, etc., on the
body of the work. The darker grades of shellac are the cheaper, and will
answer for the bulk of the work, but the clearest only for the panels.

In commencing to finish a job direct from the cabinet-maker's hand,
rough and innocent of sand-paper, first cover the panels with a coat of
shellac to prevent the oil in the filling from colouring them dark.
Next, cover the body of the work with a wood filling composed of whiting
and plaster of Paris, mixed with japan, benzine, and raw linseed-oil, or
the lubricating oil made from petroleum; the whole covered with umber,
to which, in the rare cases when a reddish shade is wanted, Venetian
red is also added. This filling is then rubbed off with cloths, and by
this process tends to close up the grain of the wood and produce an even
surface. More or less time should be allowed after each of the several
steps in the finishing process for the work to dry and harden, though
much less is required in working with shellac than with varnishes
composed of turpentine, oil, and gums. But the time that should be
allowed is often lessened by the desire to get the work through as soon
as possible, so that no standard can be set up as to the number of hours
required between each of the several processes. It would be well if
twelve hours intervened, but if work to which ten days could well be
devoted must be hurried through in three, obviously the processes must
follow each other in a corresponding haste.

A coating of shellac is then given the whole work, light on the panels
and dark on the body work, and when it has dried and hardened, which it
does very soon, it may be rubbed down. This process of "rubbing down"
should be done evenly and carefully, so as not to rub through the
shellac at any point, and be done with the finer grades of sand-paper
for the cheaper class of work, particularly at first, but at a later
period of the process, and for the better class of articles in all
cases, hair-cloth should be used, the material for the "rubbing down"
being pumice-stone moistened with raw linseed-oil for the best work, and
the lubricating oil, before mentioned, for cheaper work, or the covered
parts of the better grades. This rubbing down involves labour, wear of
fingers and finger-nails, and is carried on with an ordinary bit of
hair-cloth, the smooth surface next the wood, and not made in any
particular shape, but as a wad, ball, or otherwise. In the corners and
crevices where the hair-cloth will not enter it will be necessary to use
sand-paper of the finest grades, and worn pieces only.

Three coats of shellac are put on, followed each time by this
rubbing-down process, each one giving the work a smoother feeling and a
more perfect appearance. Afterwards, to complete the whole, a coating of
japan thinned with benzine is applied, which gives to the work a clean
appearance and the dead glossy finish.

There is this objection to the above style of finish, that the japan
catches all the dust which touches it, and holds it permanently, so that
many of the best workmen will not have work finished in this way for
their own private houses, preferring the brighter look given by shellac
and varnish without rubbing down the last coat, believing that the work
can be kept much cleaner.

=Finishing Veneered Panels, etc.=--The large oval panels of desks, etc.,
covered with French veneer, are generally taken out and finished by
themselves. The process is similar to that above given, with successive
coats of shellac and varnish, and the oil and pumice-stone rubbing down;
but the final part of this latter process is a rubbing down with
rotten-stone; then the merest trifle of sweet-oil is applied all over
the surface and wiped off. (See Rosewood, etc., farther on.)

_For Light Woods (Dead Finish)._--Apply two or three coats of white
shellac; rub down with pumice and raw linseed-oil, and clean off well
with rags; use varnish-polish on the panels.

_Another._--Finish as in the previous recipe. For a flowing coat of
varnish-finish apply one flowing coat of light amber varnish. If a
varnish-polish is desired, apply three coats of Zanzibar polishing
varnish. Rub down and polish, and the result will be a splendid finish.

_Mahogany or Cherry Wood._--For shellac _dead finish_ apply two coats of
yellow shellac. Rub down with pumice and raw linseed-oil. If a
varnish-finish is desired, apply a flowing coat of light amber varnish
or shellac thus rubbed. The panels should receive two coats of Zanzibar
polishing varnish.

_Oak._--For a _dead finish_ give three coats of shellac, two-thirds of
white and one-third of yellow, mixed. Rub down with pumice and raw
linseed-oil. For a cheap varnish-finish give one flowing coat of light
amber varnish in the shellac, rubbed as directed. Varnish-polish the
panels.

_Rosewood, Coromandel, or Kingwood (a Bright Finish)._--Apply two thin
coats of shellac, sand-papering each coat; then apply three or four
coats of Zanzibar polishing varnish, laying it on thin, and giving it
sufficient time to dry thoroughly. When it is perfectly hard, rub down
with pumice and water. Polish with rotten-stone to a fine lustre, clean
up with sweet-oil, and vapour up the oil with a damp alcohol rag. The
result is a splendid mirror-like polish. This is the method employed in
polishing pianofortes in America.

_Walnut._--For a cheap finish, apply one coat of yellow shellac. When
dry, sand-paper down. Apply with brush; rub in well; clean off with
rags. This gives a very fair finish.

For a medium _dead finish_ apply two or three coats of yellow shellac.
When dry, rub down with pumice and raw linseed-oil; clean up well;
varnish-polish the panels.

For _finish._ Before using the above filling, give the work one coat of
white shellac. When dry, sand-paper down, and apply the above filling.
Give two coats of white shellac; rub down with pumice and raw
linseed-oil; clean up well with brown japan and spirits of turpentine,
mixed. Wipe off. This is a good imitation of wax-finish; it is
waterproof, and will not spot as wax-finish does. The panels are to be
varnished-polished. This is to be used with the improved filling No. 2.

For _finish._ Apply three coats of yellow shellac; rub down with pumice
and raw linseed-oil; clean off well. Varnish-polish the panels. Use this
with the oil colour No. 3.

=Finishing Cheap Work.=--_With One Coat of Varnish._--Give the work a
coat of boiled linseed-oil; immediately sprinkle dry whiting upon it,
and rub it well in with tow all over the surface. The whiting absorbs
the oil and completely fills the pores of the wood. For black walnut add
a little dry burnt umber. For mahogany or cherry add a little Venetian
red, according to the colour of the wood. The application can be made to
turned work while in motion in the lathe. Clean off well with rags. The
work can then be finished with a single coat of varnish, and for cheap
work makes a very good finish.

For varnishing large surfaces, a two-inch oval varnish brush is to be
used first to lay out the varnish, and then a two-inch flat badger
flowing-brush for a softener. The latter lays down moats and bubbles
left by the large brush. A perfectly smooth glass-like surface is thus
obtained. When not in use, these tools should be put into a pot
containing raw linseed-oil and spirits of turpentine. This keeps them in
a better working condition than if they are kept in varnish, making them
clean and soft. Standing in varnish they congeal and become hard as the
spirit evaporates from the varnish. For shellacing a large surface use a
two-inch bristle brush; for small work, such as carvings and mouldings,
use a one-and-a-half inch flat brush. These brushes when not in use
should be taken from the various pots and deposited in an earthen pot
sufficiently large to hold all the shellac brushes used in the shop. Put
in enough of raw linseed-oil and thin shellac to cover the bristles of
the brushes. Kept in this manner, they will remain clean and elastic,
and will wear much longer.

_Wax Finishing._--Take 1/2 gall. of turpentine, 11/2 lb. yellow
beeswax, 1 lb. white beeswax, 1/2 lb. white rosin. Pulverise the rosin,
and shave the wax into fine shavings. Put the whole into the turpentine,
and dissolve it cold. If dissolved by a fire-heat, the vitality of the
wax is destroyed. When it is thoroughly dissolved, mix well and apply
with a stiff brush. Rub well in, and clean off with rags. When dry, it
is ready for shellac or varnish as may be desired.

_A Varnish Polish._--Take 10 oz. gum shellac, 1 oz. gum sandarach, 1
drachm Venice turpentine, 1 gall. alcohol. Put the mixture into a jug
for a day or two, shaking occasionally. When dissolved it is ready for
use. Apply a few coats. Polish by rubbing smooth.

For the commonest kind of work in black walnut a very cheap polish can
be made in the following manner: Take 1 gall. of turpentine, 2 lb.
pulverised asphaltum, 1 qt. boiled linseed-oil, 2 oz. Venetian red. Put
the mixture in a warm place and shake occasionally. When it is
dissolved, strain and apply to the wood with a stiff brush. Rub well
with cloth when dry. Then take 1 pt. of thin shellac, 1/2 pt. boiled
linseed-oil. Shake it well before using. Apply with cloth, rubbing
briskly, and you will have a fine polish.

_With Copal or Zanzibar Varnish._--As a substitute for filling, the wood
may receive one coat of native coal-oil, thinned with benzine-spirits;
then apply one coat of shellac, and follow with varnish, as desired. The
time is not far distant when manufacturers must and will use varnish for
the finishing of all kinds of furniture on account of the high price of
shellac. Furniture finished in the last-named method may be rubbed with
either water or oil. Water has a tendency to harden varnish, while oil
softens it. If water is used there will be a saving of oil and rags. In
the other case shellac, when rubbed with oil, should be cleaned with
japan. This removes the greasy and cloudy appearance which is left after
the rubbing with oil, and the work will have a clean, dry, and brighter
appearance than otherwise.

We suggest another idea for finishing black walnut for a cheap or a
medium class of work. In the first place, fill the pores of the wood,
and apply one thin coat of shellac to hold the filling in the pores of
the wood. Let this stand one day; sand-paper down with fine paper, then
with a brush apply a coat of coach japan. Rub well, and clean off with
rags. Let this stand one day to dry, then, with some sand-paper that has
been used before, take off the moats from the japan. Go over the whole
surface with a soft rag saturated with japan; wipe and clean off
carefully, and the job is finished. This, though a cheap finish, is a
good one for this class of work.

We give one more method of finishing black walnut, that is, with boiled
linseed-oil only, and there is no other way of obtaining a genuine
oil-finish. Sand-paper the wood down smoothly; apply a coat of boiled
linseed-oil over the whole surface; sand-paper well, and clean up dry
with rags; let it stand one day to dry, then apply one more coat of oil;
rub well in with rags, but do not use sand-paper on this coat. Apply
three, four, or more coats in the same way. When the work has received
the last coat of oil and is dry, sand-paper down with old paper. Then
clean up with the best coach japan with rags, and let the work stand one
day to dry. The panels are to be varnish-polished the same as other
wood. The work is then finished, and ready for the warerooms.

This method takes a longer time than finishing with either varnish or
shellac; but the cost is less both for materials and for labour, the
workman being able to go over a greater surface in the same time. The
work will stand longer, and the method gives a rich and close finish,
bringing out the figure and rich colour of the wood better than in any
other method of finishing. It does not cost so much as shellac finish;
it only requires a little more time for drying between the coats of oil.
In finishing in varnish or shellac, to get the body or surface for
polishing three or four coats are frequently applied, which is liable to
produce a dull cloudy appearance. For this reason, and having in view
the high and increasing price of stock, it seems to us that this really
superior method of finishing in oil must take the place of shellac and
varnish-finish in good work.

=Polishing Varnish.=--This is certainly a tedious process, and
considered by many a matter of difficulty. The following is the mode of
procedure: Put two ounces of powdered tripoli into an earthen pot or
basin, with water sufficient to cover it; then, with a piece of fine
flannel four times doubled, laid over a piece of cork rubber, proceed to
polish your varnish, always wetting it well with the tripoli and water.
You will know 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 mutton suet and fine flour. Be careful not to
rub the work too hard, or longer than is necessary to make the face
perfectly smooth and even. Some workmen polish with rotten-stone, others
with putty-powder, and others with common whiting and water; but
tripoli, we think, will be found to answer best.

=An American Polish Reviver.=--Take of olive-oil 1 lb., of rectified oil
of amber 1 lb., spirits of turpentine 1 lb., oil of lavender 1 oz.,
tincture of alkanet-root 1/2 oz. Saturate a piece of cotton batting with
this polish, and apply it to the wood; then, with soft and dry cotton
rags, rub well and wipe off dry. This will make old furniture in private
dwellings, or that which has been shop-worn in warerooms, look as well
as when first finished. The articles should be put into a jar or jug,
well mixed, and afterwards kept tightly corked.

This is a valuable recipe, and is not known, the writer believes,
outside of his practice.

CHAPTER X.

_MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES._

=Oil Polish.=--One quart of cold-drawn linseed-oil to be simmered (not
boiled) for ten minutes, and strained through flannel; then add
one-eighth part of spirits of turpentine: to be applied daily with soft
linen rags, and rubbed off lightly; each time the oil is applied the
surface should be previously washed with cold water, so as to remove any
dirt or dust. This method of polishing is particularly useful for
dining-table tops; it will in about six weeks produce a polish so
durable as to resist boiling water or hot dishes, and be like a mirror
for brilliancy.

=Wax Polish.=--Eight ounces of beeswax, 2 oz. of resin, and 1/2 oz. of
Venetian turpentine, to be melted over a slow fire; the mass, when quite
melted, is poured into a sufficiently large stone-ware pot, and while it
is still warm 6 oz. of rectified turpentine are stirred in. After the
lapse of twenty-four hours the mass will have assumed the consistency
of soft butter, and is ready for use. A small portion of the polish is
taken up with a woollen rag and rubbed over the surface of the work--at
first gently, then more strongly. When the polish is uniformly laid on,
the surface is once more rubbed lightly and quickly with a fresh clean
rag to produce a gloss.

=Waterproof French Polish.=--Take 2 oz. gum benjamin, 1/2 oz. gum
sandarach, 1/2 oz. gum anime, 11/2 oz. gum benzoin, and 1 pt. alcohol.
Mix in a closely-stoppered bottle, and put in a warm place till the gums
are well dissolved. Then strain off, and add 1/4 gill of poppy-oil.
Shake well together, and it is ready for use.

=A Varnish for Musical Instruments.=--Take one gallon of alcohol, 1 lb.
gum sandarach, 1/2 lb. gum mastic, 2 lbs. best white resin, 3 lbs. gum
benzoin; cut the gums cold. When they are thoroughly dissolved, strain
the mixture through fine muslin, and bottle for use; keep the bottle
tightly corked. This is a beautiful varnish for violins and other
musical instruments of wood, and for fancy articles, such as those of
inlaid work. It is also well adapted for panel-work, and all kinds of
cabinet furniture. There is required only one flowing coat, and it
produces a very fine mirror-like surface. Apply this varnish with a
flat camel's-hair or sable brush. In an hour after application the
surface is perfectly dry.

=French Varnish for Cabinet-work.=--Take of shellac 11/2 oz. gum mastic
and gum sandarach, of each 1/2 oz., spirit of wine by weight 20 oz. The
gums to be first dissolved in the spirit, and lastly the shellac. This
may be best effected by means of the water-bath. Place a loosely-corked
bottle containing the mixture in a vessel of warm water of a temperature
below the boiling point, and let it remain until the gums are dissolved.
Should evaporation take place, an equal quantity to the spirit of wine
so lost must be replaced till the mixture settles, then pour off the
clear liquid for use, leaving the impurities behind; but do not filter
it. Greater hardness may be given to the varnish by increasing the
quantity of shellac, which may be done to the amount of one-twelfth of
the lac to eleven-twelfths of spirit. But in this latter proportion the
varnish loses its transparency in some degree, and must be laid on in
very small quantities at a time.

=Mastic Varnish.=--Mastic should be dissolved in oil of turpentine, in
close glass vessels, by means of a gentle heat. This varnish is
extensively used in transparencies, etc.

=Cabinet-maker's Varnish.=--Take 5 lbs. very pale gum shellac, 7 oz. gum
mastic, 1 gallon alcohol. Dissolve in a cold atmosphere with frequent
stirring.

=Amber Varnish.=--This is a most difficult varnish to make. It is
usually prepared by roasting the amber and adding hot linseed-oil, after
which turpentine can be mixed if required. But for a small quantity,
dissolve the broken amber, without heat, in the smallest possible
quantity of chloroform or pure benzine. Heat the linseed-oil, remove it
from the fire, and pour in the amber solution, stirring all the time.
Then add the turpentine. If not quite clear, heat again, using the
utmost caution.

=Colourless Varnish with Copal.=--To prepare this varnish the copal must
be picked; each piece is broken, and a drop of rosemary-oil poured on
it. Those pieces which, on contact with the oil, become soft are the
ones used. The pieces being selected, they are ground and passed through
a sieve, being reduced to a fine powder. It is then placed in a glass,
and a corresponding volume of rosemary-oil poured over it; the mixture
is then stirred for a few minutes until it is transformed into a thick
liquor. It is then left to rest for two hours, when a few drops of
rectified alcohol are added, and intimately mixed. Repeat the operation
until the varnish is of a sufficient consistency; leave the rest for a
few days, and decant the clear. This varnish can be applied to wood and
metals (_Journal of Applied Chemistry_).

=Seedlac Varnish.=--Wash 3 oz. of seedlac in several waters; dry it and
powder it coarsely. Dissolve it in one pint of rectified spirits of
wine; submit it to gentle heat, shaking it as often as convenient, until
it appears dissolved. Pour off the clear part, and strain the remainder.

=Patent Varnish for Wood or Canvas.=--Take 1 gallon spirits of
turpentine, 21/4 lbs. asphaltum. Put them into an iron kettle on a
stove, and dissolve the gum by heat. When it is dissolved and a little
cool, add 1 pint copal varnish and 1 pint boiled linseed-oil. When
entirely cool it is ready for use. For a perfect black add a little
lamp-black.

=Copal Varnish.=--Dissolve the copal, broken in pieces, in linseed-oil,
by digestion, the heat being almost sufficient to boil the oil. The oil
should be made drying by the addition of quick-lime. This makes a
beautiful transparent varnish. It should be diluted with oil of
turpentine; a very small quantity of copal, in proportion to the oil,
will be found sufficient.

=Carriage Varnish.=--Take 19 oz. gum sandarach, 91/2 oz. orange
shellac, 121/2 oz. white resin, 18 oz. turpentine, 5 pints alcohol.
Dissolve and strain. Use for the internal parts of carriages and similar
purposes. This varnish dries in ten minutes.

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