Before applying paint, the surface to be painted should be carefully cleaned, and all projections of glue, putty, and whiting removed with knife and duster.

Knots should be killed by the application of knotting, which is made with red lead, carefully ground and thinned with boiled oil; another and better plan is to apply a varnish of shellac.

If knots are neglected, they give out turpentine and destroy the paint. Shellac is a gum, in natural state, and can be dissolved in alcohol in the proportion of three pounds of gum to one gallon of spirits; twenty-four hours is sufficient time to dissolve it, when it is known as shellac varnish, and by adding proper coloring matter, it forms an excellent varnish for many purposes. Paint should never be applied to damp or wet surfaces, as it is sure to peel off.

Priming. After the knotting is complete, the priming, or first coat, should be applied. This coat should be composed chiefly of white lead, mixed with a very small quantity of red lead, and should be about the thickness of milk. Eight to twelve gallons of oil to every one hundred pounds of lead, is about the proportion; and one pound should cover fifteen to twenty square yards. It is not necessary that this first or priming coat should be of the color intended for finishing, as the later coats will secure the desired tint. In some cases a second priming coat, thinner than the first, is laid on, in which case two coats more will make an extra good job of painting.

After the priming coat is quite dry, all nail-holes, cracks, and other defects should be filled with putty, smoothing all rough places with fine sand-paper. In priming old walls, remove dirt and decayed wood with sand-paper and pumice-stone; shellac sizing may also be applied if the wood is somewhat porous, and more red lead used than on first coat for new work.

If brick buildings are to be painted, the priming coat should be native minerals, such as ochres, Venetian red, or iron, with a proper amount of raw linseed oil, as these will adhere more permanently and make a good foundation for future coats.

Second Coat

This coat is a color coat, and the tint, if paint is not already prepared with desired color, can be made from the directions previously given for mixing colors. This coat should be a shade darker than the finishing coat.

The paint for this coat should be moderately thick; if applied in cold weather or under unfavorable circumstances, the quantity of driers must be increased. If the work is to be left shining, this coat should be thinned almost entirely with linseed-oil, in which case no driers will be needed.

Finishing Coat

If the work is to be glossy when finished, use more oil than turpentine and no driers; but if the work is not to be glossy, - -fiat, - use turpentine for thinning. Care should be taken to bring this coat to the desired tint, and it should be laid on just as soon as the former coat is dry enough to work over. This coat should be of same consistency of the preceding, and laid on with the utmost care.