Platers, Polishers ——AND — - Painters Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 A https://archive.org/details/bronzersgilderspOOcurt POLISHING- LATHE. These Lathes have been designed to supply a want, where economy of space and good work- manship were desirable in a foot-power Lathe. By means of the Patent Y Belt we have been able to place a Counter- shaft under the table, which can only be done successfully by means of this belt. The table of this machine is 20 in. by 34 inches, with two drawers, and is zinc lined. The frame is of iron and well braced, and has a strong jointed treadle and turned pul- leys. Price, - - $40.00 No. 3, LIGHT BUFFING LATHE. These Lathes stand 12 inches high, and have spindles 2 feet 9 inches long, inch diameter, and weigh 49 lbs. They are made with coliars on each end of the spindle, one collar and one screw, and two screws, also with fast and loose pulleys, and with one wide and fast pulley. The spindle between the collars is % inch in di- ameter. Unless otherwise stated orders will be filled with tight and loose pulleys 3 in. diameter and 2 in. wide, and with one collar and one screw as shown in the cut. Price, - - - - $16.00 E. LYON & CO., 470K GRAND STREET, N. Y. THE GUIDE BOOK. BY MORGAN L. CURTIS. J'Jew Jork : John P. Peall, Printer by Steam, No. 9 Spruce Street. i 88 1. REFERENCES. Arnold, Constable & Co., 19th Street and Broadway, New York. Singer Manufacturing Co., Union Square, “ Park Bank, “ Academy of Design, “ U. S. Custom House, Wall Street, “ Wilcox & Gibbs, Broadway and Bond, Mary Mason Jones, House 67th Street and oth Avenue, ... “ North Wing, U. S. Treasury .Washington, D. C. Peal Bronze Work, East Front Capitol, Bronze Lamp Posts, etc. * Galt Brothers, Jewelers, Newark Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Co Newark, N. J. Mechanics’ Bank, “ State Bank, Newark Banking Co Newark Dime Savings Bank, North Dutch Church “ And many hundred other buildings. PREFACE. In preparing the twenty-five receipts for doing as many different kinds and styles of Bronzing, Dipping, Lacquering, Polishing, Nickel and Silver Plating, House Painting, etc. it has been the intention to furnish within a small compass and at a low price, a Pocket Guide Book, containing the most recent discoveries in the art and science of finishing metals, painting, etc. Care has been taken to avoid as much as pos- sible the difficult technical terms and to simplify the language, that the general reader shall not be embarrassed by expressions unfamiliar to him. If the rules and general directions herein given be followed with care, the desired result will be pro- duced. It has been the intention to put only such receipts and general directions in this book as have been practically applied with success in the general prosecution of my busi- ness, which has been the manufacturing of gas fixtures and bronze work, in the city of New York, for the past twenty-five years ; and herein refer to a few of the many places I have furnished with gas fixtures and bronze work of my own design and manufacture, and is thus presented in the hope that it may prove as intended, a practical pocket guide book. MORGAN L. CURTIS. BRONZING. CONTENTS. Preface . 3 Heal Bronze and its Origin 9 French Bronze Powder 11 French Bronze in Belief II Bronze for Tin or Soft Metal 12 Liquid Paint Bronze 13 Artistic Bronze 13 Yerd- Antique for Soft Metal, 14 Yerd- Antique for Brass or Beal Bronze 15 Blue Bronze for Church' Work 16 Copper Bronze for Burnishing 17 Damascus Bronze for Gun Barrels, &c. 17 Japanese Bronze for Brass or Beal Bronze 18 Dark Green for Medals and Coins 19 Bronze for Wood or Plaster 19 Bronze for Zinc or Soft Metals 19 Paladium Bronze for Brass 20 Finish for Beal Bronze or Brass 21 Bronze to Imitate Brass 21 Chestnut Brown for Brass 22 Chinese Bronze for Copper 2 Bronze for Badiators 13 To Clean Polished Biass 24 Bright Dipping- Acid 24 Burnishing Brass 25 Bright Gilt Lacquer, and how to Apply 26 Gold Body Lacquer 27 Coloring Materials for Lacquer 28 Cleaning or Boiling Off 29 Nickel and Silver Plating. 29 Solution for Silver Plating 31 Polishing Metals . 32 OF PAINTING. « CONTENTS. Peiming Outside. page Blisters • . 66 Blocking and veining 51 Boiled Oil 61 Brick- work 48 Brushes, and preservation of 35 Carts, wagons, etc 60 Cheap oils 62 Cleet-spots, ladders 57 Coloring materials 38. Commencing repaint 54 Compositions 62 Consistency of paint Consistency of paint, directions, etc. . 45 Crawling 48 Disposition of colors for blinds 55 Disposition of Colors 54 Dust on houses 53 Economy of application 36 Fatty paint : 58 Finishing outside 43 Flashing . 46 Glazing, repairing 64 Green paints 47 Guardiug against damage by rain, etc 45 Lining 50- Materials 34 Of “laps,” etc., and brushing 37 One-coat painting 52 Out-houses, saving time 56 Preparation 34 vm CONTENTS. PAGE Preventing rust 52 Puttying joints, tacking, oil adulterates 53 Putty and puttying, cleaning, etc 44 Quantity and application 35, 36 Removing old paint . . 67 Roof-painting 58 Rubbing down 66 Sanding, Sanders .... 49 Sash and hot-house t 3 Shingle roofs 60 Smoky or greasy paint . 67 Squaring 46 Strainers 45 System of Painting, etc 39 System of painting blinds and fences 39, 40 Time for drying 43 Tin and iron work 52 Zinc driers 60 Priming Inside Wood- work. Cleaning 69 Danger from dampness 68 Drop-cloths 70 Drying-rooms 68 Egg-shell gloss 74 Enamel 75 Einishing inside work 71 Platting 72 Ground colors for graining 76 Old wood-work 70 Preparing 71 Priming 68 Priming for graining 69 Shellacing and shellac . 67, 70 Suitable brushes 70 System 39, 70 Tinting 74 Wet wood 68 White-lead Puttying 69 White shellac 70 BRONZERS’ & GILDERS’ GUIDE BOOK. :o: REAL BRONZE, AND ITS ORIGIN, A combination of metals which has received the name of Bronze was employed by the Ancients in the fabrication of different utensils, and in casting busts, statues, and other objects. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Bomans, used this compound metal in the greater part of the decora- tions of those magnificent temples and palaces, whose ruins have remained to later eras, but amidst the gen- eral wreck, there are some fragments preserved which indicate the perfection which has been attained in the employment of Bronze. The wealth of some ancient cities, was estimated by the number of their brazen statues, and Deephos, Athens, and Rhodes are reported to have each pos- sessed three thousand; some distinguished Romans adorned their city in this manner, and so strong a pro- pensity was exhibited for multiplying works of this kind that an observation became current that in Rome, the People of Brass were not less numerous than tha Roman People. 10 It has been remarked that works which we now ex- ecute in iron and steel were little known to the An- cients. That their arms and armorers were usually of Bronze, now alluded to, and that a set of surgeons’ in- struments, entirely of Bronze, was discovered in Pom- peii. The ancient Bronzes, are of the alloys of copper and tin. Those examined by Klaproth, Davey and others, whether from Greece or Italy, contain from 11 to 13 per cent, of tin. Nearly the same proportions are used in modern Bronzes in casting statues, Steele of Edin- burgh, in his fine statue of Wellington, used 90 copper to 10 of tin — same proportions used by Chantrey and Westmacott. The best gun metal consists of 89 copper to 11 tin. Bronze is extremely hard and more brittle than brass and more fusible than copper, and not liable to tarnish. It is peculiarly adapted to casts and statues. Various nations have compounded the metal, em- ployed in different proportions. According to Pliny, the Bronze of the Grecians was formed in the same way, with the addition of one-tenth part lead and a twentieth of silver, which proportions were adopted by the Romans. The ancient Bronzes, however, present a different appearance from those used by the Moderns ; and the fact is ascertained in respect to the metallic proportions by skilful chemists. An illustration of this fact is sometimes given in the four celebrated horses of Bronze supposed to be the work of Tysippus, a Greek artist, which were brought from Venice, by command of Bonaparte, to the Tuille- 11 ries at Paris, and on the fall of that extraordinary man were restored to their original position. FRENCH BRONZE POWDER. Dust Bronzing is usually applied to plain or smooth work. The work should in all cases be first cleaned and made free from grease. Apply a coat of copal varnish, slightly diluted with turpentine : in the space of eight to twelve minutes it will be sufficiently dry to receive the Bronze. The Bronze is applied by using a camel’s hair brush. The Bronze should be brushed all over the work. In this way the work receives a thin coat of Bronze. After it has become dry wipe off the surplus Bronze and varnish with spirit varnish diluted with alcohol, this will dry in a few minutes. A desirable color can be produced by mixing copper and orange Bronze Powders, two parts copper to one of orange, thoroughly mixed. This is the mixture now used on gas fixtures, clocks, statues, &c.. By adding more orange a lighter color will be produced, and of copper a reddish color. :o: FRENCH BRONZE IN RELIEF. First clean the work, then make black. If the work is composed of any kind of soft metal, vinegar and lamp black, with a little sal amoniac, should be applied 12 after it lias become dry brush off with a stiff brush, and varnish with copal varnish. When it has become quite dry apply the Bronze in the following manner. Take a piece of pine board planed smooth, say ten inches square, place on the board about a half tea- spoonfull of copal yarnish ; take a small quantity of Bronze, same as used in dust Bronze ; use a half inch bristle brush, and thoroughly mix the Bronze on the board and work the Bronze into the brush ; then apply the Bronze to the high or prominent parts of the work. This will produce a very handsome Bronze with a dark ground relief. Cafe should be taken not to get too much Bronze or yarnish in the brush at one time, the Bronze should be mixed as it is used ; if it should stand any length of time it will soon become set, and will not work smoothly ; after a sufficient amount of Bronze is applied to get the desired shade the work should be varnished with spirit yarnish ; if it is a fine piece of work bees wax may be applied by taking a hard brush and rubbing it over a piece of bees wax and then brush the work; this will produce more of a smooth surface on the work ; for ordinary gas fixtures the waxing is unnecessary. :o: BRONZE FOR TIN OR SOFT METAL Take sulphate of iron and sulphate of copper, each one ounce; water one pint; dissolve and wash the surface or dip the article in the solution, then dry and 13 apply a solution of verdigris, two ounces dissolved in half pint strong vinegar ; dry again. Polish with plate brush and plumbago ; this may be varnished or lac- quered. This makes a very rich bronze, and very durable. — — — :o: LIQUID PAINT BRONZE. There are several kinds of liquid paint mixtures in the market. They are made expressly for mixing with Bronze powder; some of them work very well. It should be mixed in small quantities as it dries very quickly ; it may be applied by the brush in the style of painting ; care should be taken to not apply too many coats in rapid succession ; Bronze mixed with copal varnish and applied in the same way, will be found to be cheaper than the liquid size. In either case the article should be finished with spirit varnish . For steam radiators the liquid size only should be used. ARTISTIC BRONZE, This Bronze is made by using two colors of Bronze powders, and is used in the following manner : first apply a coat of copal varnish, after it is slightly dried apply copper bronze powder to the high or prominent parts ; then brush green Bronze powder all over the article. Wherever the copper has been applied, the green 14 will not adhere to the work, as the varnish has been absorbed by the copper bronze ; the copper should then be applied by taking a piece of chamois skin and dipping it into the bronze, rub it over the work. This style of Bronze is particularly applicable to any kind of leaf work, or any highly ornamented work ; it is much used in Paris on small fancy articles. This Bronze may be varnished or not ; it is more brilliant without varnish, but will be less durable. If the work is varnished, shellac varnish should be used, other colors may be applied in the same way. :o: Verd-Antique for Soft Metal. First, prepare and apply the green ground, which is made in the following way : take crystallized verdigris, and compound green and add oxide of lead and copal varnish, mix in such proportions as the case may re- quire ; if a light green ground is required, add the oxide of lead ; this mixture should be thoroughly mixed by grinding on a stone, or in a paint mill ; the mixture may require a small quantity of turpentine to thin it ; apply this with a brush ; after it has become dry, apply the next coat of green in the following way : take half tea cup of permanent or Bronze green ; add a small quantity of water, and stir it well ; then add half table-spoonful of dissolved gum Arabic, and one table-spoon of dry white lead (or oxide of lead), then stir all together and thoroughly mix ; then take a 15 brush and apply this all over the article, as soon as the work is covered, take a wet rag and wipe off the high or prominent parts, this will leave a dry frosty green on the lower parts, and the dark green in the high parts, in this way the two shades become blended to- gether. A rag with a little oil may then be used to rub over the high parts to make it clean. No oil should touch the lower portion of the work. A black may be used with this green, and makes a very fine finish for gas fixtures, &c. :o: Verd-Antique for Brass or Real Bronze. To give the antique appearance to new work, first thoroughly clean the work, and make it free from grease, then make the solution. Take one part sal amoniac, three parts cream tartar, six parts common salt, twelve parts hot water, dissolve all and stir them together. Then add eight parts of a solution of nitrate of copper, specific gravity of 1.160. This compound, when applied repeatedly in a mode- rately damp place, gives the work a durable green coat which becomes by degrees very beautiful. The addition of salt gives the work a yellowish tinge, less salt a bluish cast, an addition of sal amoniac accelerates the mordant, after the desired shade has been produced by the repeated application of the sol- ution, it should then be dried and the prominent parts may then be brushed slightly with a plate brush, or rubbed with a chamois skin ; wherever it is rubbed or 16 brushed it will become darker, thus producing the relief it requires ; no varnish or lacquer should be applied to this style of Bronzing. The finest clocks and statues are bronzed by this process. :o:- Blue Bronze for Church Work, Thoroughly clean the work ; then apply a coat of gum Arabic, let it stand a few minutes, then apply the bronze with a brush. Prepare the Bronze in the following manner : take three quarters of a tea cup of ultra marine blue ; add a little water and stir it, thoroughly ; add one tea- spoonful of gum Arabic, one-half tea-spoon dry white lead, mix all together and dilute with water, until it is thin enough to work smoothly ; two coats are required i let the first coat get dry before the second is applied. The gum Arabic is used to hold the bronze on the work ; no varnish or lacquer should be used. This process produces a very beautiful, soft, velvet-like appearance. The blue is usually applied to the plain parts of gas fixtures, the more ornamental parts are finished in gilt. This style is much used in churches, both in Europe and this country. 17 Copper Bronze for Burnishing. To make a copper solution or dip, take one quart muriatic acid, add sulphate copper one quarter pound, two ounces of arsenic, one table-spoon of wrought iron turnings, add a little water, and dip the work in several times, or until it receives a copper color. It should then be dried out and burnished and lacquered, with shellac lacquer. If the work is burnished before it is dipped in this solution, it will come out bright. This, finish is much used on builders’ hardware, and many kinds of fancy goods. If the bronze or dip, should not work on the metal, after it has been made for several days, it should be heated over a slow fire or a steam kettle ; it should also be kept covered in a stone pot, when not in use. :o:- Damascus Bronze for Gun Barrels, etc. For the bronzing operation known as Damascus Bronze, the process is as follows : first clean the work and make free from grease, the work is then treated to a solution of diluted nitric acid and vinegar, to which a small quantity of sulphate of copper should be added. The result is that metallic copper is deposited irregu- larly over the work, then wash clean and dry ; apply a little sweet oil ; when it is dry, take a plate brush 18 and polish ; if it is a gun barrel it should receive a coat of shellac lacquer, put on quite thin and uniformly, by slightly heating the barrel, then apply the lacquer with a soft camel’s hair brush, this produces a beauti- ful brown color, which is very desirable, as it is less at- tractive to game, and is less conspicuous to the enemy in time of war. :o: Japanese Bronze for Brass or Real Bronze. The work to be bronzed should first be made bright and perfectly clean. Prepare the solution in the following manner; take two ounces verdigris, two ounces cinnebar, five ounces sal ammoniac, five ounces alum, all in powder ; then mix them into a paste with strong vinegar. Then take a brush and spread this quite thickly over the work, hold the article over a clear fire, or heat uniformly over a furnace, or in an oven ; then cool, wash clean and dry. If the first application does not produce the desired color, or is not deep enough, then repeat the operation in the same way. An addition of sulphate of copper makes the color incline more to a chestnut brown, and of borax to a yellow. The last process is to polish with a hand plate brush, and give the work a coat of shellac varnish, put on quite thin with a camel’s hair brush. Waxing may be applied if the work is fine. 19 Dark Green for Medals and Coins. First, thoroughly clean, then prepare the following solution : sal amoniac one part, cream of tartar three, common salt six, hot water twelve, nitrate of copper four ; then dip the work into this solution repeatedly : a copper boiler is the best thing to use for the solution ; if it should not work rapidly the solution may be heated after the desired color has been obtained ; the work should be washed, dried and rubbed with a chamois skin ; lacquer may be applied to prevent tarnishing. :o: Bronze for Wood or Plaster. First, the work should be coated over with a mixture of size and lamp black, and then dried. Then a bronze powder consisting of very finely divided paint, yellow, raw umber, pipe clay, lamp black, and Prussian blue ; this is applied with a brush, then dry again, the article is polished with a cloth, or leather covered with a layer of castile soap ; lastly, clean off with a woolen cloth. :o: Bronze of Zinc or Soft Metal. Make a solution or dip in the following way : take one ounce of sal amoniac, one-half ounce of alum, one 20 half ounce arsenic, dissolve in one-half pint strong vinegar. If the work is small, it may be dipped in the solution, if large, it should be applied with a rag to prevent streaking. The color will depend on the number of times the solution is applied. The work should then be washed, dried, and var- nished with shellac varnish. : -;o: Poladium Bronze, This bronze is for coloring brass, copper, or real bronze, to give it a dark rich color, it works very quick, but it is expensive. This is made of the chloride of poladium, called chemical bronze, make in the following manner : take one quart of muriatic acid, add four ounces arsenic, fifty drops of the chloride of poladium, this should be thoroughly stirred and daubed on with a linen rag to avoid streaking. If the work is large, its effect is very sudden ; after applying, wash off with clean water, and if the desired color is not produced, repeat the application ; after using, it should be put in a tight bottle or stone pot. If the work is small it may be placed on copper wire and dipped in the solution. Long tubes may be bronzed by holding them over the pot in an upright position, and pouring the solution over the work with a pitcher ; it should color in two minutes. After the desired shade has been produced, rinse off with clear 21 water, and dry out with hot water, and rub with paper shavings ; if tubes or small work, it may be lacquered with color to suit. ^ -:o: Finish for Real Bronze or Brass, This is acknowledged to. be the richest bronze finish now used. First clean the article and make free from grease, then take one quart water, add one quart muriatic acid, four ounces arsenic, forty drops chloride of poladium ; if this is found to be too strong, so as to make fumes, when applied to the work, or if it should boil or foam, then dilute with water, apply this to the article to be bronzed, until a dry black is produced, then wash off and dry. Then take sand and water on a rag, and scour the high parts of the work, until the metal shows through the black sufficient to make the relief, then again dry, and varnish with copal varnish made quite thin ; when this has nearly dried, then apply with a chamois skin, a powder known as sanguin, until a clear transparent relief is produced, then again varnish with thin copal varnish. :o: Bronze to Imitate Brass. This preparation is made to imitate brass or to give the article the appearance of being brass. 22 There are two kinds, the real brass or bronze, and the yellow gilt brass ; the latter is only made of copper filings, the finest that can be found ; with the former it is used by mixing some red ochre, finely pulverized and both are used with varnish. In order to make a fine brass that will not take any rust or verdigris, it must be put on with a chafing dish of coals, as it is applied. The finest brass color is made of powdered brass, imported from Germany, mixed with varnish, which is prepared and used thus. The varnish is composed of one pound four ounces of spirits of wine, two ounces gum lac, two ounces sandarach. The last two drugs being pulverized separately, and afterwards dissolved in spirits of wine, care being taken to fill the bottle but half full ; the varnish being made, mix a quantity of it with pulverized brass and apply it with a brush ; too much must not be mixed at once, as the varnish dries very quickly. In this man- ner figures of plaster are made to look almost as though they were of cast brass. :o: Chestnut Brown for Brass. First thoroughly clean the work and make bright, then polish with a plate brush and common crocus powder, jewellers’ rouge, previously made into a smooth paste with water. Then heat the work uniformly over a furnace or a 23 clear fire, and let it cool ; then again polish with the same brush ; if the work does not receive the de- sired shade the first time the process should be repeated. The work may then be lacquered with shellac lacquer, made very thin ; the work should be heated slightly before applying the lacquer, which should be put on evenly and with great care. A much darker and more desirable bronze may be produced by the same process as the last, by substitu- ting finely powdered plumbago for crocus powder ; shellac varnish may be used for this. In either case the work must be handled with care until it gets cold, as the touch of a finger will leave a mark. :o: Chinese Bronze for Copper. First clean the work, then prepare the following solution : take verdigris and vermilion, each two ounces ; alum, five ounces ; sal amoniac, five ounc* s ; all in fine powder ; add vinegar, one pint ; then thor- oughly mix and spread quite thickly over the work ; then uniformly heat the work over a clear fire ; then cool slowly ; wash and dry. The tint may be deepened by repeating the process. The addition of a small quan- tity of blue vitriol inclines the color to a chestnut brown, and a little borax to a yellowish brown. This bronze is used by the Chinese for coloring their copper tea urns, and other copper articles. 24 To Clean Polished Brass. To dean brass that lias not been lacquered or var- nished : rotten stone, four ounces ; oxalic acid in fine powder, one ounce ; sweet oil, one and a half ounces ; one ounce turpentine and a little water ; and rub with a piece of leather ; a strong lye of rock-alum and water is also used ; in all cases where acid is used the article should be well washed and dried. Dry rotten stone on a chamois skin for the final finish is used. — :o : — • Bright Dipping Acid. Take two quarts of aqua fortis, two of sulphuric acid, mixed in a stone pot. It can be used as soon as mixed, but it will work much better if it is allowed to stand twelve hours before using ; the work should first be dipped in hot potash lye^then into cold water, from the cold water into the acid, from the acid into cold water, from the cold water again into the lye, and again into clean water, then again into the acid ; this should be repeated until the work comes out a clean bright color. The work should be run through the acid as quickly as possible. The last time the work should be run through perfectly clean water, and then into hot water; and then dried out by swinging in the air, or by paper shavings or box-wood sawdust ; clean pine sawdust may be used. Two tubs of water are necessary ; have one perfectly clean and free from 25 acid. The tubs are usually connected together, and the one nearest to the acid is supplied from the other tub ; the second tub should stand under the draw- cock. Care should be used to keep the potash and acid off the hands, as it will make them sore if allowed to remain any length of time. Copper wire should be used to string the work on for dipping. Burnishing Brass cr Silver. Burnishing is usually done with steel burnishers ; blood stone is sometimes used. Burnishers are first made the required shape ; some are made a hook shape ; some of a claw shape. They should be about ten inches long ; in wooden handles. These burnishers are polished very fine with emery and oil, so they will slip over the work without scratching, and give the work a bright color. There is also the double bur- nisher, which is made of half inch round steel, and twelve to fourteen inches long. On one end of each there is a hook formed, into which rings of various sizes are placed ; this is to assist in holding the bur- nishers on the work. By placing one on the lower and one on the upper side of the tube, and rubbing hard, the burnisher takes effect, and the two sides are bur- nished at the same time. The work should be kept wet with sour beer, slightly diluted with water ; common soap boiled down to a pulp is also used. After the work is burnished, it should be run through what is 26 called sharp water, to remove the tarnish ; this is made "by adding about one -half a tea cup of aqua fortis and oil vitriol to one pail of water ; dry out with hot water and paper shavings or sawdust. Lathe burnishers are made an oval shape on the end, and highly polished. To clean burnishers, take a piece of thick leather and nail it to the burnishing bench ; apply to it crocus or rouge, then rub the burnishers hard on the leather. :o: Bright Gold Lacquer, and How to Apply. This is the lacquer used on gas fixtures and all kinds of fine work. It should be applied by heating the work sufficiently hot to evaporate the alcohol as fast as it is applied ; but a small quantity of lacquer should be taken into the brush at one time. The lac- quer should be applied evenly over the surface of the work ; a camel’s hair brush should be used ; care must be taken not to over-heat the work, as it will cause the work to turn black ; the work should be made clean and bright by dipping, before the lacquer is applied. To make two gallons — Prepare the lacquer in the fol- lowing manner: first, deposit two gallons of proof alcohol in a three-gallon demijohn, then pulverize and add one and a half pounds shellac and one pound pul- verized seed-lac ; then thoroughly shake once a day for ten days ; then decant into a small demijohn, through a funnel with filtering paper. Coloring ma- terials may be added to suit the case ; if found too thick to work smoothly, dilute with alcohol : lacquer 27 should be placed in a bottle at night, or when not in use, as it will evaporate fast and will not work smoothly. Lacquers that have had coloring materials added, should not be put back in the original bottles. Gold Body Lacquer. This lacquer is used for philosophical and tele- graphic instruments, ship fixtures, and many kinds of brass goods, where a heavy body of lacquer is required. It should be applied by heating the work, and keeping it hot during the process of lacquering. If the work should become too cold while the lacquer is being applied, whatever is deposited while hot will come off with the fresh lacquer, when it gets partially cold ; but is very firm when entirely cold. Several coats should be applied in rapid succession ; in all cases a cold coat should be applied before the work is heated. This receipt is for making two gallons of lacquer in the fol- lowing manner : Place two gallons of proof alcohol in a three-gallon demijohn ; add to it one and a half pounds pulverized shellac, one pound pulverized gum sandarach, one pounds pulverized gum mastic, one and a half ounces gamboge, one half pound coarsely pulverized glass, one quart best turpentine varnish ; then thoroughly agitate or shake once a day for two weeks ; then decant and strain, with compression, into another demijohn. What is meant by compression is to place a piece of muslin over a funnel and pour some of the lacquer into 28 it, then close tlie muslin and hold fast with the left hand and squeeze with the right, or bj the aid of two pieces of wood fastened together at one end. It should again be allowed to settle, and then it is ready for use. More coloring matter may be added, as the case may require. If the lacquer is found to be too thick to work well, more alcohol may be added. For . very fine work, the lacquer may again be filtered through filtering paper. :o: Coloring Materials for Lacquer, To make four hinds of coloring materials. Take four one-quart bottles, and place in each one half pint proof alcohol ; to the first, add one quarter pound pulverized dragon’s blood, to the second, add one-quarter pound red sanders, to third, one quarter pound tumeric, to the fourth, add one-quarter pound gamboge ; a small quan- tity of alcohol may be added in a few days. All these should be shaken once or twice a day for a week or more. From these almost any shade can be produced. Filtering will improve all the above coloring matter. A few drops of either of the above will change the color of a half-pint of lacquer. Some judgment should be used in adding the colors. In some cases two or three may be used to advantage in the same pot of lacquer. 29 Cleaning or Boiling Off. Make potash lye in the following manner : to four gallons hot water, add one pound stone potash, or one half pound Babbitt’s concentrated lye ; dip the w r ork into this, and agitate, and brush the work with the aid of a little sand, if the work is old. If new work, the sand may not be necessary. In boiling off old gilt work, the work should not be kept in the potash lye too long, and should be dipped immediately in clear, cold water, and finally run through sharp water, or water that has a very little acid in it. The acid im- mediately destroys the potash. It should then be dried out with hot water and sawdust, or paper shavings. In all cases the potash should be thorough- ly removed. Care should be taken to keep potash from the hands and clothing. :o: Nickel and Silver Plating. In consequence of the great and constantly increas- ing demand for articles in the line of nickel plated goods, no brass finishing shop is complete without the necessary outfit to do nickel plating. It has been demonstrated that nickel plate, for a great variety of articles,* is far superior to silver, for the following reasons : first, that nickel is a very much harder metal than silver, consequently, will wear much longer ; second, it is very much cheaper, and can be deposited 30 with great rapidity, and will not tarnish as quick as silver. Nickel plate is now being done with such skill, that the work is brought out so white or so near the color of silver, that many do not notice the difference unless they make a critical examination. To do either nickel or silver plating with success, great care should be taken to have the article to be plated absolutely clean and free from grease or finger marks. The article should be smooth and free from file scratches or any corrosive matter. If the article be new work it should first be finished on the emery wheels of such grade as the case may require. After the work has been ad“ vanced by the emery wheel, it should next be applied to the brush wheel, first charging the brush with composition rouge ; from the brush wheel it should be finely finished on the cotton wheel, with the rouge or a composition made expressly for such work. After the work is thus finished it should be run through hot potash lye. If the article be brass, copper, or real bronze, it should then be dipped in the regular bright dipping acid, which is made by mixing equal parts of sulphuric and nitric acids. It should be run through the acid quickly, and thoroughly washed off with clean water. If the article to be plated is iron, it should be run through what is known as sharp water, which is made by mixing six parts water with one part sulphuric acid. If the work does not come out clean and bright, take a woolen rag and common white sand and scour it ; then again wash off in clean water ; it is then ready for the solution. If the battery is in order, and the solution properly made, from ten to fifteen minutes is 31 sufficient to deposit nickel sufficient to polish nicely with the use of the cotton wheel and the nickel finish- ing rouge made expressly for the purpose. The lathe used for this work is what is known in the trade as the polishing lathe ; the arbor is from thirty to thirty- six inches long ; on one end is a course taper thread, for the brush or felt wheels, on the other is the nut and two flanges for holding the cotton and other wheels. All supplies for this work may be readily ob- tained by applying to Zucker & Levett, 540 West 16th Street, New York. See card in this book. Batteries, Groves’ nitro cromic or the Smee batteries may be used with one or more cells, as the case may require. If a large number of cells are required to do the work, they may be replaced by the American Dyn- amo Electric Machine, which is now in use in many large establishments, and is highly recommended by platers and others. :o: Solution for Silver Plating. How to make six gallons silver solution : take 5 oz. fine grain silver, place it in a large earthen bowl ; then pour on to it about one half pint nitric acid ; it will immediately commence to dissolve ; when it is dissolved add to the acid in the bowl about three quarts water* then dissolve 1 pound cynide potassium in a separate dish with a little warm water ; after it is dissolved, add this to the water and silver ; this precipitates the silver 32 to the bottom of the dish in a white, pulpy form ; then pour off the water from the silver ; take the silver and add to it six gallons clean soft water, to this add about two pounds dissolved cynide potassium ; the solution is then ready to use as soon as it becomes settled. The work should be prepared the same as for nickel plating. Silver plated work should be bur- nished instead of polished unless the deposit is very thick. Polishing Metals, The demand for polished bronze and brass work is very great and constantly increasing, especially for gas fixtures, mantel ornaments, and a great variety of ar- ticles in metal. I will, therefore, give the general rules to be observed in metal finishing or polishing. If the article be new castings, brass or zinc, the emery grinder with wooden wheels, covered with leather or walrus hide, then covered with emery, should be used, as my experience has proved that wooden wheels are best for such work. The wheels should be made by placing together two or more thicknesses with the grain crossing each other, to prevent warping or get- ting out of true, they should be either pinned or screwed together with a coat of glue between each. They should then be placed on the iron collars and screwed fast ; then place the wheel on the arbor and turn it off true both on the face and sides ; then glue and peg on the leather, and when dry again turn off 33 true ; then apply the glue, so as to prevent its running; then roll the wheel with compression in the box of emery. The box should be about four feet long by five inches wide and high. Wheels should stand six or eight hours before using ; it is the best way to renew the wheels at night, so they may be ready for use in the morning. The grade of emery to be used should be determined by the condition of the article to be finished ; if a large surface is to be nut off, coarse emery and large wheels should be first used, then finer; after the emery wheels have cut off the rough surface , and the deep scratches have been removed, it should then go to the polishing lathe, which is usually made with a three feet arbor. The bristle brush should first be used, charged with the hard composition rouge ; after the smooth surface has been obtained the cotton wheel should be used with the fine finishing rouge ; after the article has received a high polish, it should be run through hot potash lye, and then through sharp water, and dried out with hot water and sawdust or paper shavings. Felt wheels are also much used for flat work. Lastly, the article should be neatly lac- quered. :o: THE <-/iOT 0F pagE PflI]MJ46> :o: OUTSIDE PAINTING. PRIMING NEW WOOD WORK. Preparations. — : First, let the wood get perfectly dry from rains, storms or dampness, tlien cover all the knots and pitchy places with a varnish made of gum- shellac dissolved in alcohol to about the thickness of molasses. Apply the varnish with a small brush. It dries very quick, and the paint may then be put on. Materials. — The paint should be the best white lead mixed in pure raw linseed oil. Turpentine may be used in winter to make the paint work easy, as the oil is apt to chill and the paint become thick and work tough under the brush ; but in summer it should not be used in priming but in places where the sun does not reach. In winter, it will be necessary to put in litharge, or some other drier; but in summer, drier is not much needed for priming, for good oil will dry of itself in a day or two, and if the wood is seasoned , and as dry as it should be, there is not much danger of showers or storms washing off the paint, as it will mostly be absorbed in the surface. Mixing. — The lead or zinc paint thus mixed may be colored by the addition of ochre, Spanish brown, etc., 35 directions for which will be given nnder its proper head. Priming outside should always be made as light-colored as possible. If the house or building is to be finished white, of course the priming should be white ; but if it is to be finished a brown, the priming should be a light brown. The same in regard to any other color intended to be the finish, because, if this rule is adhered to, the first colors will not show through so soon by wear, or in joints which may partially open by the weather ; besides, a less quantity of paint is re- quired to finish and cover ; and it is well to have it understood at the beginning, that too much paint can be put on outside wood-work — that is, it can be put on too thick in any one application. Brushes. — The priming color should be applied with a good brush of the largest 6 O size, bridled, if a new one, about one-thircl the length of the bristles, with good twine, and as the brush wears, the binding or bridle to be taken off. Care should be taken to use or wear the brush flat or wedge-shape with a straight tip. This can be done by holding it always in one position in the hand. If it is suffered to turn round, it will wear stubby and be unfit to do good or smooth work. As brushes cost a good deal of money, it is essential that great care should be taken in their use and in pre- serving them. Preserving Brushes. — If they are in every-day use, they should be put every night in water, standing them very carefully in a tub or other vessel, and not let the water reach more than half way the length of the bristles. But if the painting is all done, and the 36 brushes are yet good, they may be preserved for a long time by washing them out clean in warm water and soap, and laying them away in a moist place. Care should be taken, however, to have all the paint taken entirely out of them by first washing them thoroughly with turpentine. Consistency of Paint. — The paint should be thin enough for priming to work easy under the brush, and not run or drip on the surface, as it will if too thin. It should not be thick enough to cover the grain of the wood, for it would be apt to blister after a time, and would work very tough and hard while being put on, Care should be taken that every potful of paint used should be of the same consistency, for if one part is painted or primed with thick paint and the other with thin, it will not be long before it will show in patches and spots, which spoil the looks of the building. Application. — Apply the paint on about a square yard or more, without regard to smoothing it off, or a much larger space, according to circumstances, or as far as a man can well reach from a ladder. Get the paint on evenly, and then commence to smooth or lay it off, drawing the brush evenly and straightly across the surface covered. Economy of Application. — It is notorious that many good painters lose one-quarter of their time in laying or smoothing off small parts of their work. Instead of covering a large surface as convenient evenly first, as stated above, and then smoothing it, they actually, as a necessary consequence of their mode of working, smooth or lay off their work many times over, because 37 if they paint one board, for instance, and smooth it off, as I have seen many continually do, in covering the next board they rough up the paint on the first, which has to be smoothed again. And so they do their work over and over, and make less headway than would one who understood the economy of the method of apply- ing paint. 1 mention this because I have suffered losses on contract painting from this cause, and be- cause it is proper that journeymen should be reminded of these things, and also that all men employing workmen should be able to judge of their work. Laps. — Laps are the joinings of two applications, or the edges of the stretch coming together and forming two coats wherever the lap is made. They should be avoided, because they present a very great disfigure- ment to the eye, and will remain a long time, even showing after the building is several times painted. It is the best to prime but a few boards, or a narrow space across the building at a time, or, if working on ladders and not being easy to move often, by care in rubbing out properly at the edges the lap may be avoided. In the joining of two stretches, much care and skill is required, or defects will show when the paint is dry which did not appear at the time of apply- ing it. The brush must be drawn straight and even, and lifted gradually and finely as it reaches the extent of the stretch, or the place of joining. This is, how- ever, more particular in second coating, or in finishing. Bbushing. — Priming should be rubbed out consider- ably, not flowed on loosely, as it will blister and run. The brush should work easy, at the same time a pres- 38 sure be exerted as if to rub the paint into the wood. The only exception to this latter rule is in priming over spots which are very open and discolored ; then the painter should lay on more paint and rub it out less ; because such spots cannot be touched up after the work is second-coated or finished without a positive disfigurement, particularly on all colors except white. Coloring Materials. — The best coloring in mixing paint for priming, or for any other painting, is pure, dry French ochre, Spanish brown, Venetian red, and lampblack ; with these almost any desired color can be made with white lead or zinc. Umber, terra sienna Indian red, etc., are sometimes used, but they are more expensive than durable ; although a richer color may be obtained with them, yet in ordinary house -painting the richness is scarcely distinguishable from work done with the first-named ingredients, and, besides, it is not by any means so durable. The colors should first be broken or mixed up each by itself, and added to the principal ingredient in such proportions as will pro- duce the color desired. First make a trial with a very small quantity, in order to get at the color wanted, as well as to estimate the proportion of each color to make it. Pure Paints. — The colors are better for being ground in a paint-mill. They can be bought already ground, but there is a great deal of adulteration in the manufacture of such paints, there being only a few in the business who can be relied upon to furnish them perfectly pure ; and as the prevailing fashion of tints in house-painting is such as to require the principal 39 ingredient to be of such coloring, it is essential that they should be pure, or the work will not endure, but fade and discolor very quickly. The advantage of the best and purest materials for painting is not only in its durability, but also in its economy. The highest price and the best article is the cheapest to the painter and his employer in all cases. Zinc Paint. — White lead, however, I should recom- mend as the foundation and principle of all exterior painting. System. — In the application of paint in priming, as well as finishing, it is essential that the workman should observe a system in order to accomplish as much work as possible in a given time with the usual amount of labor. Some men will work very hard with- out a system, and do a small day’s work ; others work easily along, systematically, and do a much greater quantity of work, and do it well. In painting fences, railings, lattices, or blinds, and other similar work, a system is absolutely necessary. A half-hour’s experi- ence of the workman will teach him the proper mode on most of such work ; but on blinds and picket or baluster fence a few directions may not be out of place here. Blinds. — Lay the blind on trestles or on two barrels, with the stick or inside up. Paint all that can be painted from this side by turning the slats to and fro, but not necessarily reaching the brush through to cover all the slat. Paint the edges of the blind, and then smooth off only the stiles and stick ; then turn over and cover what remains of the slats and stiles. See 40 that the inside edges are covered by running the brush in between the slats, also the ends of the slats both before and after turning, as well also as the edges of the slats ; thus the blind will be covered. Now pro- ceed to smooth off by reaching the brush carefully through to the lower edge of the slat and drawing it evenly from end to end ; first taking one side of the slats, then turning them down, holding them a little open and smoothing off the other side ; then smooth off the stiles, and the blind is done. Stand it up with the inside out, in order to touch up where it rested on the trestles. Fences. — First paint the edges, both of the pickets or balusters and the rails, as well as the edges of the ribbon-strips and bottom-board, from the outside for six or seven feet. Thus the paint which gets on the faces, in doing the edges, is so much gain, and the piece of fence so begun is more than half done, and the faces may then be covered and smoothed off by one stroke of the brush. The inside should be done last with the posts. No piece of fence should be left unfinished over night, as the runs will dry and look bad when completed. Lattices. — Take a large half worn brush, fill it full of paint, and lodge it on the work over as much space as the brushful will cover ; then briskly rub it out over the same, covering the outside edges, and if the inside cannot be done, cover the inside edges by running the brush through. If the inside is to be done, leave the outside without smoothing off until the inside is done 41 the same as the outside ; the a smooth off first the in- side and then the outside. Advantages of System. — System is essential in all work, and in every part. There is a certain place to begin, and a place to finish. On doors, architraves, panels, cornices, etc. ; the mouldings, beads and edges are first to be filled and covered ; next, the stiles and surrounding work over a considerable surface, say the whole side of a door or architrave, without laying off until well covered. In painting first the mouldings, etc., the other parts get nearly half covered; and if this system is well and continually carried out, as all good workmen do, the result is rapid and good work. A systematic workman will also complete his work as he goes along, and not paint a patch here and a patch there, as if he had no particular design. Drying Oil. — Sometimes it is necessary to prime window frames and doors before they are set in the building, and in some cases the paint is required to be dry soon, that they may be handled by the carpenters or masons. In such cases the priming phould be mix- ed with boiled oil and raw, in equal proportions, with a little turpentine. In any other case where the prim- ing is required to dry quickly, the paint may be mixed in the same manner. Dry Wood. — There is no particular advantage gain- ed in priming directly after the carpenters — that is, priming as fast as the work is put up, unless it might be in very hot weather. It is best to let the work sea- son or dry out free from all dampness : and let it check and shrink if it will, so that some of the paint may be 42 absorbed in the surface, and the checks and joints put- tied up, so that they will not appear after the work has been finished, and thus render it necessary to putty and touch up again, to the injury of the work as regards its looks. In priming up to the carpenters, the work is liable to get full of sawdust and be otherwise dis- figured ; besides, the painter will necessarily lose much time in waiting and in not having a straightfor- ward job to keep him for any particular portion of a day. If a small house, it is better that the carpenter were entirely finished and away, as regards the outside; then the priming can be done quickly and cleanly. On a large house, it is economy for all parties, as well as for the good of the work, for the painter to have two or three days’ work ahead of him until the priming is completed. Some may say that wood should be prim- ed as soon as put up in a building — that is, outside — to prevent it from shrinking and checking. My expe- rience has proved abundantly to me, that the wood will check and shrink by the action of the sun’s rays just as much in that case, and that it is far better, for the durability of both wood and paint, to let it get air and sun dried first. Frequent wetting by rains will not much, if any, retard the process of seasoning. For the same reasons, very little, if any work should be primed in the carpenter-shop. In our day, there is little lumber that is well seasoned ; and however well seasoned it may be, all builders know that it is still lia- able to shrink and check. The manner in which lum- ber for outside work is generally kept is not such as to render it very dry for use. In finishing outside work, use white lead and good French zinc in equal parts ; or, for white finish, zinc alone. OUTSIDE PAINTING. Drying. — In summer, priming coats will be sufficient- ly dry for second coating in two or three days ; but in winter, a week at least is required to dry it hard enough to apply another coat. Best Time to Paint. — As finishing coats will not dry readily in winter if mixed with good oil and with- out much turpentine, though with plenty of drier, I would advise that it be left over January, February and March. In all other months, my experience has determined that it is safe to apply finishing coats ; but the best months for outside finishing and painting are September, October and November. In our latitude* it frequently occurs that December is a very good month for it. Painting well done with proper material, in those months, will endure longer than if done in any other ; because the coats will have all the winter to harden without being subject to the heat of the sun and the warm showers of summer, which wear and injure paint more than anything else. Although convinced of the above fact, yet the difference in durability of good paint, well applied in any summer month, is, as far as I have been able to investigate, not of sufficient impor- tance to cause a delay in finishing work as soon as it is fully completed for painting. Nail-Holes, etc. — Previous to applying the second 44 coat, the nail-holes, joints and checks should be well puttied with putty colored, if the work is to be finished with this coat, or any fancy color ; but if the third coat is to be put on, then the putty may be as made, only a little hardened with whiting in either case — presuming that the putty is soft as for glazing, in which state it should generally be kept for sale or use. Most paint- ers now-a-days putty before priming ; this is just as well for ordinary work or for white work ; but in the best buildings, and where fancy colors are to be em- ployed', it is best to prime first, on account of the ten- dency of such colors to absorb heat from the sun and open the joints and checks, if any ; as well as to pre- vent the necessity of puttying over twice, which is fre- quently apt to occur if puttied before priming. Sand-Papering and Cleaning. — Sand-papering the work before painting is requisite, particularly the rough places, in order to make it smooth and cleanly when done. The dust should be cleaned from the work and swept some disfance away, so that any little gust of wind should not blow it in the paint. In windy weath- er, sprinkling, when there is plenty of water on hand, is very serviceable. In painting a nice front in a vil- lage where the roads are most dusty, and the wind is apt to send the dust directly into the paint from every wagon that passes, it would be well to employ the vil- lage sprinkling cart, as it often happens that there is one in use ; or a little expense in wetting the road in front of the premises will not be thrown away if no such convenience is to be found. Painters may say that this is a little too nice, “ too particular but I 45 have always found my account in it, not so much for the “pay” as the satisfaction of having a job done as well as 'possible. It is very seldom, however, that this sprinkling operation is necessary, though workmen can- not be too particular in dusting and cleaning their work generally. Consistency, Straining, etc. — The paint for second coating or for finishing should be thicker than for pinn- ing, and should be strained. The best strainers are of tin, made somewhat like a wash-basin, with the bottom of manufactured perforated tin, which can be procured of different grades of fineness for the purpose. Applications, Rains, Dews, etc. — More care is re- quired in applying these coats than in priming ; other- wise the same directions may be followed generally ; and to save a repetition, I refer to those respecting priming on pages 34, 35 and 36. More drier is also required in finishing, because there is less absorption of paint in the wood, and more danger of injury by sud- den showers or storms. Sometimes a heavy dew will injure fresh paint if not set ; therefore, in painting in such places on a building as the dew is likely to hurt, it is prudent to do ib only in the forepart of the day whenever it may be convenient, according to the extent of the job, etc. ; for instance, always begin to paint a piazza floor, a roof, or anything similarly ex- posed, in the morning, and commence at that place which gets the least sun upon it. This is a very im- portant rule, and I have seen much damage which could never be repaired result from its neglect, by rains and dews falling in the night upon that part which was 46 last done and which had no snn upon it all day ; where- as, if the painting had progressed round with the snn, it is almost certain that all w~ould have been set, and thns free from danger of being spoiled. Squaring. — Every part or portion of a building must be finished, or, as the term is “ squared,” on the sama day that it is commenced ; for if it is left not squared over night, or even for one hour, while taking dinner, as it may occur in warm weather, it will show very bad laps, which it is difficult if not impossible to remedy. Reference may be made again to page 37, where laps are particularly described, and how to avoid them. The same directions will apply here, though it is easier to avoid them in the last coats. Mixing. — Directions for mixing and coloring paint will be found on pages 34 and 38 ; those directions apply equally to finishing as to priming — the use of turpen- tine, oils, and driers also included ; only it must be remembered that the paint must be a little thicker, as before mentioned. If a third coat is intended, it is absolutely necessary to mix the second coating with a good proportion of turpentine : in summer, it should be about one-third ; in winter, one-half. In repainting old work, sometimes more than this proportion may be used. Flashing. — The object of this use of turpentine in the second coat when a third is intended, and only in such a case, is to prevent what is called “ flashing ,’ 7 or a deadening of the intended gloss of the third coat, which totally spoils the looks of the work for a long time, though it does not materially injure the paint or 47 render it less durable. The last coat should be mixed with raw linseed-oil alone. Blinds, etc. — The same directions given for painting blinds, fences, lattices, etc., on pages 39 and 40, will be observed here ; as well as other directions elsewhere in regard to painting on buildings. Of Greens. — Green paints require to be ground very fine in a good mill ; they must be ground in raw linseed-oil only, and as thick as possible, and kept in closed vessels. In using, they require more carefulness of the workman than the common paints. On blinds and lattices, green should be rubbed out well so as not to run or drip, and ought never to be mixed with white lead or other paint where a good green is desired. To mix a bronze green, add a little umber ground in oil. or simple black , also ground. Bronze color may be varied by the addition of ochre, lead, or other colors. A rich dark bronze can be made by the addition of Prussian blue ground in oil. "Where a very light green is wanted, and where it will not be exposed to the weather, then white lead or zinc may be used with it. Paris or Prench green is very difficult to use ; it should be mixed, for the first two coats, with one-third turpentine and two-thirds boiled linseed oil, and in applying should be rubbed out harder than any other paint, as it is more liable to drip or run. Three coats of it are necessary to a good finish, as it is a very transparent paint, without body, and con- sequently will not cover well ; the third coat must be 48 all oil — that is, mixed with oil alone, boiled and raw. Priming for Paris green finish must be a light green. Crawling. — Painters sometimes experience a diffi- culty called “ crawling,'’ particularly in winter months, in coating over a cold and glossy surface. It is a tendency of the paint to shrink or run away in all directions, leaving numerous little round openings, through to the old coat, which, if left to dry in that condition, presents a very great disfiguration of the work. To avoid this, a slight rubbing with a cloth or the hand will sometimes do; but generally it is effected by hard rubbing with the brush. To guard against it, the same precautions to prevent flashing may be resorted to — that is, the use of plenty of turpentine in the previous coat ; which is another case where it may be freely employed in mixing paint. In fact, turpen- tine in considerable quantities may be used in many parts of outside work, such as ceilings, under portions of cornices, and such like places, but should not be put in paint designed for parts that are exposed to the snn or weather. Brick-work. — In the painting of brick-work, the same general rules and directions are to be observed. Bricks, however, absorb more paint in the first and second coats than wood, and, in finishing, more care is required to prevent laps and runs. The practice of oiling brick buildings with linseed-oil by means of a sponge or brush, is good if plenty of oil is absorbed in the surface, as it has a tendency to shed the rain and dews ; but painting is preferable for the same end, even 49 if few coats are applied, as it fills the pores of the brick. Sanding and Sanders. — Sanding, which is generally done for the purpose of imitation of stone of various colors, is a matter of great utility and beauty in house- painting. If well done, it will last many years, and need not be repainted except to freshen the color or change it, or for the purpose of cleaning off the stains from dust which may accumulate. The sand should be not of the finest nor the coarsest ; well dried, and sifted into the third coat, if a new building, with a sander ; the best are made like a grocer’s scoop, with the bev- elled part of perforated tin, the holes about one-six- teenth part of an inch in size, and should be made so as: to contain, when full, about four pounds of sand. They are filled through the handle, which is stopped with a plug or cork while using. Considerable skill is required to perform this part of the work, which can be readily acquired by a little practice in the use of the sander. Machines have been used for sanding to a good advan- tage, but I prefer the more laborious mode of the sander, as I think the work will be better done by it,, besides the machines are very inconvenient for much of the work generally sanded. The paint into which the sand is to be sifted should be mixed with nearly all oil, and put on as carefully as if for finishing-coats, and the sand must be applied while it is fresh and sifted against the surface as long- as any appearance of the oil remains. The workman should examine carefully for any greasy spots, and dash on the sand again before allowing the paint to* 50 dry or set, even. Care must be observed to keep the painting stretch, or the edge, always beyond or out of the way of the dashing or falling of the sand, for if the brush comes in contact with the sanded part, the work will be unavoidably disfigured or spoiled. One sanding is seldom sufficient for a good solid look of the work ; a second sanding in the same man- ner, after the first is thoroughly dry, is more easily accomplished, though the application of the paint is more difficult. For the second sanding, the paint should be a little thinner than for the first. These directions apply as well for wood as for brick-work. Lining. — Lining in imitation of brick is done with white, by means of flat brushes made expressly for that purpose, called “trenches” or “liners.” Where the joints are even and smooth, the lining may be done by an experienced, workman without a straight-edge or rule ; but for rough work those aids are quite neces- sary. Lining in imitation of stone i? done in the same manner with sometimes white, at others of various colors, according to taste, etc. The size of the block represented varies also according to the taste or gen- eral design. Small buildings or small portions of the same should be lined to represent small blocks, say from ten to twelve inches wide and from twenty-five to thirty-five inches in length. If the building or space be larger, the blocks may be increased in size ; but the smaller will answer for most work. In lining, great be of a shade between the trimming and the body, and may be improved by having the panels light and stiles dark. For those of the Italian and other similar styles, particularly when highly ornamental, or having high towers, the same colors must be used. Some- times those styles of building, particularly if extensive and imposing, look best of one color only ; it should not be, however, a very dark one, and in that case the blinds should be of the same. In some circumstances, the Gothic looks well painted a dark stone color ; for instance, when surrounded with large trees, or in a city or town. Small cottage buildings of either of the above-named styles, in whatever location or circum- stances, look as well with green blinds ; and it is the best color for blinds of almost all other styles of houses. The green should be kept as pure and rich as possible ; light for white and light-colored houses,, and darker for houses of a more sombre color. A heavy dark-green on a white or light-colored house, I think , looks bad. At a distance, one thinks they are painted black, as if the house were in mourning. Blinds painted any other colors than green or the color of the house, as directed above, never have a pleasing 56