How To Varnish Furniture

First make the work quite clean; then fill up all knots or blemishes with cement of the same color; see that the brush is clean, and free from loose hairs; then dip the brush in the varnish, stroke it along the wire raised across the top of the varnish pot, and give the work a thin and regular coat; soon after that another, and another, always taking care not to pass the brush twice in the same place; let it stand to dry in a moderately warm place, that the varnish may not chill. When the work has had about six or seven coats, let it get quite hard (which prove by pressing the knuckles on it; if it leaves a mark, it is not hard enough); then with the first three fingers of the hand rub the varnish till it chafes, and proceed over that part of the work intended to be polished, in order to take out all the streaks or partial lumps made by the brush; then give it another coat, and let it stand a day or two to harden. Varnish for Common Work. - This varnish is intended for protecting surfaces against atmospheric exposure. It has been used for coating wood and iron work with great advantage. Take 3 lbs. of resin and powder it, place it in a tin can, and add 2 1/2 pints of spirits of turpentine, shake well, and let it stand, shaking it occasionally for a day or two.

Then add 5 qts. of boiled oil, shake well together, and allow it to stand in a warm room till clear. The clear portion is decanted and used, or reduced with spirits of turpentine until of the proper consistency.

Table Varnish

Oil of turpentine 1 lb., beeswax 2 oz., colophony 1 dr. Or, dammar resin 1 lb., spirits of turpentine 2 lbs., camphor 200 grains. Digest the mixture for twenty-four hours. The decanted portion is fit for immediate use.

Turpentine Varnish

To 1 pt. of spirits of turpentine add 10 oz. clear resin pounded; put it in a tin can on a stove, and let it boil for half an hour. When the resin is all dissolved, let it cool, and it is ready for use.

Varnishes For Furniture

Shellac 1 1/2 lbs., naphtha 1 gal.; dissolve, and it is ready without filtering.

Another recipe is, shellac 12 oz., copal 3 oz. (or an equivalent of varnish); dissolve in 1 gallon of naphtha.

Common Varnish

Digest shellac 1 part, with alcohol 7 or 8 parts.

White Furniture Varnish

White-wax 6 oz., oil of turpentine 1 pint; dissolve by gentle heat, taking care not to set the turpentine on fire. Apply in usual way.

Furniture Polish

Melt three or four pieces of sanda-rach, each of the size of a walnut, add 1 pint of boiled oil, and boil together for 1 hour. While cooling add 1 dr. of Venice turpentine, and if too thick a little oil of turpentine also. Apply this all over the furniture, and after some hours rub it off; rub the furniture daily, without applying fresh varnish, except about once in two months. Water does not injure this polish, and any stain or scratch may be again covered, which cannot be done with French polish.

French Polish

Gum shellac 2 oz., gum arabic 1/2 oz., gum copal 1/2 oz. Powder, and sift through a piece of muslin; put them in a closely corked bottle with 2 pts. spirits of wine, in a very warm situation, shaking every day till the gums are dissolved; then strain through muslin and cork for use.

Varnish For Water-Proof Goods

Let a 1/4 lb. of India-rubber, in small pieces, soften in 1/2 lb. of oil of turpentine, then add 2 lbs. of boiled oil, and boil for 2 hours over a slow fire. When dissolved, add 6 lbs. of boiled linseed oil, and 1 lb. of litharge, and boil until an even liquid is obtained. Apply warm.

Varnish For Boots And Shoes

Take a pint of linseed oil, with 1/2 lb. of mutton suet, the same quantity of bees-wax, and a small piece of resin. Boil all this in a pipkin together, and use it when milk-warm with a hair brush; two applications will make the articles water-proof.

Beautiful Bronze, Applicable to all Metals. - Take 10 parts aniline red (fuchsine), and 5 of aniline purple, and dissolve in 100 parts of 95 per cent alcohol, taking care to help the solution by placing the vessel in a sand or water bath. As soon as the solution is effected, 5 parts of benzoic acid are added, and the whole is boiled from 5 to 10 minutes until the greenish color of the mixture is transformed into a fine light-colored brilliant bronze. Apply with a brush.

Golden Varnish

Pulverize 1 drachm of saffron and 1/2 drachm of dragon's blood, and put them into 1 pint spirits of wine. Add 2 oz. of gum shellac and 5 drachms of soco-trine aloes. Dissolve the whole by gentle heat. Yellow painted work, varnished with this mixture, will appear almost equal to gold.

Varnish For Iron-Work

Dissolve, in about 2 lbs. of tar oil, 1/2 lb. of asphaltum, and a like quantity of pounded resin, mix hot in an iron kettle, care being taken to prevent any contact with the flame. When cold, the varnish is ready for use. This varnish is for out-door wood and iron work.