T T '■1* 'm/} LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 7^5^^^ ©I^Hji, -1-— ©opjjrJj]^! ^n. Shelf ;M.(o.3 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. / -S)g*- MILLER'S Painter's Receipt CONTAINING Valuable Receipts aud Information for the Practical Painter- i'KACTICAL PAINTKK. XEMA, OHIO, Toreliliirlit I'rintinc C.omi ISSl. St MILLER'S li!!}?iiK«|M$i^ ^i^AINTER'S CONTAIN'IN'G T Valuable Receipts and Information for the Practical Painter. J3y K. c?, »(i:iijij:E5:Er, I'UACTICAI, TA 1 NTKK. /MSi h XKNIA, OHIO, Tortliliplit I'riiiliuK Couiinny, IKS I. Entered accord'uKj io tin act of Congress, in the ye.'tr 1881, ft.y R. C. MILLlUi, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, * at Washinyton. 4' P REFA CE. TliC followiiif^ pages, prepared by the author from his own experience, have been condensed and again condensed, until no furtlier "boiling down'' could be done. The reader has here a complete compen- dium of the wliole work, excepting the key. He can in a little while become familiar with it, and know exactly where to turn to when in need oi ad\ice. The work was intended to be more elab- orate and beautifully bound for the parlor or library, but upon a more thorough in- vestigation the author came to the conclu- si(^n that tliat was not what painters want- ed, and has accordingly left out everything except PRACTICAL receipts. Read the re- ceij:)ts carefully, and then try them, and you Vvill find that they will work to your a Ivantagc. Xi:nia, ()., Sept. 80, 1881. MILLERS "BOSS PAINTER. RECEIPTS DON'T UNDERRATE YOUR CALLING. It is a trite saying that "lamiliarity breeds contempt,", but whether it be true or not socially, it certainly is true in regard to any occupation followed for a liveliliood, the most lucrative positions being no excep- tion. The merchant grows weary of watching the markets and buying and sell- ing, and probably looks with envious eyes at the manufacturer. In turn the manufac- turer would prefer to exchange places with the merchant. Physicians repeatedly are heard to ex- claim "our's is a dog's life, for we must ever be ready, in season and out of season," at a moment's call, to attend the sick. The blacksmith thinks his calling too laborious and grimy ; the wood worker would prefer a trade free from dust, and MILLER S "boss PAINTER. that dispensed with the racking labor of drawino^ the knife; and as for the house painter, he sets his trade down as the sum of all villainies." Each one wearies with the dull routine of his every day work, althoug-h each step in the completion of it requires skill and dexterity that is amazing to those who for the first time witness it. Painters are specially given to abuse ot their trade. They say it is filthy ; is full of perplexities that cannot be overcome, and is withal very unhealthy. Now, the last named charges are true to some extent, but painting in any of its branches will compare favorably with many other trades in point of hoalthfulness and remuneration, and ranks above them in the estimation of many persons. Why, almost every human being desires to paint ! Even the little creeping, babe crows at the sight of bright Colors, and children at an early age prize a box of toy water colors above almost anything they 6 miu.^.r's "boss" paintkr. may receive as presents. Just now while it is fashionable to paint on jxanels and ])laques, ladies of wealth and .eisure are spendinn^ happy hours in the study of color and color effects. Therefore, be satisfied with your lot, and try to make everything- around you beau- tihil. EULES OF PAINTma. The following- general rules in painting- may be followed with advantage : a. Let the ground of your work be ])roperly cleaned, prepared aiid dry. b. See that your colors are equally well ground and duly mixed, c. Do not mix much more nor any less than is 'necessary for the pres- ent work. d. Keep the paint well mixed while, the work is going on. e. Have your paint of due thickness, and lay it on equally and evenly. /". Do not apply a succeeding coat of paint before the pre- vious one is entirely dry. g. Do not use a lighter color over a darker one. h. Do not mjller's "uoss" painter. 7 iu.kl (li'3 crs to colors lony; bclorc they are used. /. Avoid using- any excels of dryer or a mixture of different sorts. /. Do not overcharge your brush with paint, nor re- plenish it before it is sufficiently exhausted. k. Begin with tne highest part and proceed downwards with your work. MILLERS "boss PAINTER. OILS. E Xj-A. 3TXC lo gallons B, 5 gallons RO, 2 pounds RN, I lb. R, 5 lbs. BX, 5 gals. SW, and dissolve the RN and R in i gal. of the RO, over a slow fire, the R having pre- viously been cut in small pieces. Allow it to stand until it becomes thoroughly dis- solved. Also dissolve the BX in the SW ; then mix all together, and it will be ready for use. The BX and SW can be left out if de- hired. Combination Oils for Mixing Paints. First Kind. — Twelve gals., or one hun- dred pounds of melted RN, three gallons of crude petroleum oil, fifteen gallons of B. Second Kind. — Twelve gallons, or one MILLERS 'BOSS PAINTER. Q ■ ' ■ — « • hundred pounds of melted RN, three gal- lons of crude oil, fifteen gallons of petrol- eum naptha, ten gallons of RO. Third Kind — For reducing RO or Mixing Paint — one hundred pounds of No. 2 RN, eighteen gallons best B (or enough to make it woik with a brush), two gallons of crude petroleum oil, two gallons of re-run paraffine oil, four gallons of RN oil, or fish oil if RN oil cannot be ob- tained ; can mix one gallon of this No. 3 kind with one gallon of RO, and it is better than all linseed for outside work. You can depend on the above. Composition Oil for Mineral Paint. ^aLXXi.9s, ^Feaacec, Spoofs, Xrcaa. ■';X7"or^, etc. I bbl. CT, I bbl. PT, i bbl. B, 50 lbs. ASL, 10 gals. AS ; mix cold. In cold weather it will be necessary to use more B than in warm. SW may be added in place of the mineral, which will give a gray. FO or CSO can be use" a botde of oil on tlie window sash, where it will get the sunlight. By artificial methods the oil is subjected to heat, treated with acid, and afterwards washed with steam. mii.i.i-.r's "i;<')ss" rAixri-.R. 1 1 PAINTS. Substitute tor "White Lead. WZ 75 lbs. dry, IVI R 30 lbs. Mix well to- _!j;'ethcr, run it throu^-'i tlic mill, or, ifyouhavc: no mill, a iinc stniinvr. It you want a clear white or tint job use RO and TT, hall" and half. For jjlastercd walls (inside) you will fmd that you will have a much better job than you would by using pure lead, as the work stands out better, and finishes like varnished work. If you wish a rough, che ip job use the elastic oil for first and second coats. 'J he MR can be left out, and PW or BT substituted. Do not put any dryer in until you are ready to use the paint. Subsfiiiitc for IV/iile Lead. — Nati\-e barytcs, or barium eulphate, is mixed with l)uiverized stone coal and tar, and exposed to an inttnse heat, i^o as to convert it into 12 MILLERS BOSS PAINTER. barium sulphide. The latter being soluble can be dissolved out, and to the clear solu- tion is added a corresponding quantity of zinc chloride in solution. To the solution of barium chloride is added white vitriol (zinc sulphate), when a precipitate of bar- ium sulphate will be formed, and zinc chlo- ride lett in solution, which latter can be fil- tered and ^ain employed to precipitate the barium sulphide. The two precipitates obtained as above, namely, zinc sulphide and barium sulphate, are well washed, mixed, dried, heated to a cherry red, then thrown into cold water, and finally ground in water and dried. The white pigment thus obtained covers well, and is well suited to mix with oil, as a substitute for lead, especially where sulphur compounds exist or may be generated. Adultration for White Lead. To 50 lbs. white lead add 25 lbs. WZ dry, and 25 lbs. PW or BT. You will find that the paint will still have a §ood body MILLERS BOFS PAINTER. 13 and reach as far as 300 lbs. of all pure lead. Mix the WZ and PW (orBT) first and run through the mill or strainer, then put the lead in after breaking it up ; use pure RO and TT for inside work half and half. Patent Ready Mixed Paints. The ready mixed paints that are now to be seen in the stores, for sale, with (lashy labels lauding their good qualities, do not contain an ounce of lead and but very little linseed oil. Lead, as all painters know, would go to the bottom, and there form a hard cake in course of time. The principal pigment used in nine-tenths of the so-called patent paints is WZ and PVV with umber — black, red, yellow, (S:c., to give them the proper shade. The vehicle used is the elas- tic oil. Any practical painter can make this paint at a costof about thirty-fi ye cents pcv gallon. A Cheap Paint for Rough Work. 50 Ibb. Mineral Paint — ocher, brown or 14 >ill.I.i:i bushel of ASL, and thinning with half oil and half sweet milk, you will still have a cheaper paint. How to Make Oil-Cloth. Dissolve GL over tlie hre in BO till thoroughly dissolved and the BO is brought to the thickness of a balsam. Spread this upon canvas or any other cloth, so as to drench it and entirely glaze it over. Thus a material will be formed im{)enetrable by water. The preparation may be used by itself or jthe different coloring tints added as desired. A better grade, however, can be made by the following method : First cover the cloth with a paste as follows : Take SW which has been completely cleaned, and MILLERS "boss PAINTER. 15 mix to a consistency of paste, add dryers enough to dry it, spread over the cloth by means of a spatula. When the first coat is dry a second is applied. The unevenness occasioned by the coarsness of the cloth or the unequal application, are cut down with PS, and when cut down, wash off well with water, and arteritis dried, a varnish com- posed of GL dissolved in BO. It will dis- solve quicker by heating it. Tliin with TT and it is ready to apply and the process is complete. Add any color that you wish, or you can grain it if you choose. The above may be used for a table clotli. Waterproof Cloth— Elastic. 3 lbs. RN, I lb. R, 4 gals. BO, h gal. W N, dissolve the RN in the BO, and the R after being cut in small pieces in the WN, add Japan enough to dry it. The cloth should previously be soaked in a solution of alum water. If the mixture becomes thick, heat it in a sand bath. It should be applied while warm. i6 miller's "boss" painter. Fire Proof Paint. 70 lbs. WZ, 30 lbs. ASL, 50 lbs WL, 10 lbs. ZS. Mix the WZ and ASL together and grind in the elastic oil, then add i gal- 35 <^leg. SG, then the WL and ZS. Stir well. This will make a whire paint, and if you wish the color changed, add any pig- ment that you wish to get the shade you desire. You have enough paint in the above, to go about as far as 500 lbs. of pure white lead, at a cost of about one-third. Luminous Paint. Sulphide of calcium (Cantons Phospho- rus) mixed with any varnish will produce, what is known as luminous paint. Metalic Enamel Coating. To make a paint for covering bodies, such as stove pipes, ranges, and other heated surfaces, to produce good work it will be required, tirst, to coat the object wnth a MILLERS BOSS PAINTER. 17 covering" of the common graphite or black lead. Only such colors can be used as are unaffected by heat, such as burnt umber, burnt sienna, burnt ocher, green earth, and red or violet oxide of iron, best sort of arti- ficial UB, pure chrome red, chrome green, burnt egg-shell WZ, and the French bronze* All the above can be used, any tint pro- duced by combining them with SO diluted one-half with SW. Bear in mind that it will be necessary to keep stirring them while applying, as they set very quick in the pot, being of a nature similar to Plaster Paris in this respect. The iron should be a litde warm so that evaporation may take place at once. Soluble Glass for Painting. Heretofore this substance has been but little used for painting purposes, for the reason that when combined with the earth and mineral paints silica is formed, a sub- stance which is almost entirely insoluble* I have been able to prevent this change i8 miller's ''hoss" painter. from taking place by the following process, and it will give you a paint of stony hard- ness, of great durability, possessing many good qualities in general. 1 have used suc- cessfully upon mantels. The dry paints should be ground in a size made of starch, (sufficient quantity of the starch being used to prevent its rubbing up.) SP or I-'W may be used in place of dry WL and give equally as good results. First coat the w^ork with 35 per cent. SG, thinned down with warm water, let stand one hour or till dry. Then ]:)ut coat over the work with the water color (previously described) until you have a good body, then rub down well with fine sand-paper, then put on a coat of the SG ; then the work is complete. Bear in mind the first and last coat must be the SG. You can put up a first-class job in one-half day. Give this a fair trial and I am confident you will use it continually. The SG will cost you about 50c. per gal- lon, then thinned down one-half with water MILLERS BOSS PAINTER. 19 would make the cost 25c. per <^-d\. for your material. Heat will not blister work coated with this preparation. Waterproof Oil Rubber Paint. Dissolves lbs. of India rubber in i gallon of BO, by boiling-. If tliis is too thick re- duce with BO ; if too thin use more rubber. Especially aplicable to cloth, but valuable ior any other material. Green Paint. I. 5 lbs. VO, dry ; ilb. Orange Chrome, dry; 4 oz. Prussian Blue ; giind in oil. II. 5 lbs. YO, dry; 2 lbs. Canary Chrome; 5 lbs. MR; 6 oz. Prussian Blue; grind in oil. III. 5 lbs. VO, dry; 4 lbs, Orange Chrome ;*3 oz. Antwerp Blue ; grind in oil. This makes a very clear color, which you can make either light or dark at pleasure. If you wish to make it lighter add more chrome or YO ; if darker add more blue. 20 MILLERS This receipt is worth its weight in gold, you will find after using it. 5 lbs. YO 15c 4 lbs. chrome 60c 3 oz. blue 5c I gal. linseed oil 75c Total $1.55 16 lbs. emerald green $4.00 Receipt above 1.55 Difference in cost $2.45 Use, No. I for first and second coats, or No. 2 for first and second coat and finish with No. 3. If you hav^e no mill get the colors ready ground in the same proportion as the dry. How to Mix Water with Paint. ' Take SA 3 oz-, caustic lime 3 oz., dissolve in one gallon of SW ; then stir in gradual- ly \ gal. RO; let stand for 3 or 4 days. Take one part of this mixture and mix with 2 parts of RO. It io now ready for use. MILLERS BOSS PAINTER. 21 Adulterations that may be Used in Mixing Paints. In case that you have a rough job and ;vant to get a good body upon it at a small cost, use for the first coat LW, or the con- tents of the dissolvent keg, adding a little SP, or anything that you may have in the way of a pigment to fill the pores. Dust of the roacl is very good after it has been well cleaned. You can carry it right through the ist, 2d and 3d coats. To clean the road dust, first get a large tub, fill it with water, then put the dust into it making it about as thick as second coat- ing. Let it stand for a day or two until it is settled. Drain the water ofif the top and you will find that the coarse sand is at the bottom and the fine on top, which, after drying, will be ready for use. This has a good body and makes a durable pigment. It cpn be used to adulterate any dark color. Dissolvent for Paint Skinp. 2 lbs. concentrated lye, 5 lbs. unslacked 22 miller's "boss" PAINTER. iiinc to 15 gal. water. Put in the old skins and all the dirty buckets, stir them up oc- ciisionally. When the skins are dissolved pour off the lye-water and the paint in the bottom will do for priming rc^igh weather- boarding or brick walls. Do not throw the water away as it will do for another time by adding more lye to it. To Soften Putty and Remove Paint. To destroy paint on old doors, etc., and to soften putty in window frames, so that the glass may be taken out without break- age or cutting, take equal portions of 80 and quick lime, and with water mix them into thick paste. Coat the work with this, allowing it to stand about an hour, when it must be thoroughly washed oft with water. This is a speedy method of removing old paint, but it must be used with caution. That is to say, the coating must be re- moved at the instant that solution has taken place, otherwise the wood will be furred up, and alkali deposited in itb fibers to the suL- miller's "boss" painter. • 23 sequent detriment of the painting. Glass Frosting or Crystallizing. Dissolve RS in gum-arabic water, let stand over night, and after cleaning, the glass off well, How the solution on so that it will not run, lay the glass flat if conven- ient, and when it commences to set take a pointed stick and dot it in rows to suit the taste ; put the dots about i } inches apart. If you wish it colored use annalines — red, blue, green and gambuge for yellow or gold color ; then flow on a thin coat of Demar Varnish and it is finished. To Pearl or Crystallize Tin. Take sulphuric acid, 4 ozs. ; soft water, 2 or 3 ozs., according to the strength of the acid; salt, i oz. Mix. Heat the tin quite hot over a stove or heater ; then with a sponge wet it with the mixture, washing oft' directly with clean water. Dry the tin ; then varnish with Demar Varnish . 24 miller's "boss" painter. Permanent Size for Calscmine, &c. Dissolve in 20 galls, of boiling water 3 lbs. SA, together with i lb. of BX ; then add to it, stirring well at the time, 5 lbs. RN having been previously mixed with 2 lbs. B, the whole kept boiling continually till the RN is dissolved. This composition dissolved in the proportion of i pound to 30 of water, is to be mixed together with a G solution — made by dissolving 10 lbs. of G in 30 lbs. of SW, — then boil both solu- tions together for about 10 minutes, then run through the strainer. The above will do for plastered walls that you intend to paint or calsomine. Permanent Size for Wall Paper or Wood that is to be Varnished. I lb. white G,let soak 24 hours in enough SW to cover it, then add 2 gals, boiling SW, I pt. WN. Mix well together. This can be relied upon to keep without souring. Com- mon G will do for rough work. miller's "boss" painter. 25 Common starch is a good size for wall paper. Permanent Paste for Paper Hangers, &c. Dissolve I oz. of AN in i qt. warm SW, when cold add FR to make it about the consistency of cream, then add half thimble of RN, halt oz. of SL. The above is the preparation for a bucket of paste. Glue, Waterproof. Take of gum sandarac and mastic, and white turpentine, of each, i oz., alcohol, i pint. Dissolve the gums in the alcohol, using heat if necessary, then add the tur- pentine, and have ready a very thick glue, I pint, in which there has been added ^ oz. of isinglass, dissolved. Make the. alcoholic solution boiling hot by having it in a pan inside of a kettle, or another pan of water, then slowly add the hot glue, stirring con- stantly until thoroughly mixed. Strain tinough a cloth. It is to be applied hot. It dries quickly and becomes very hard, MILLERS "j'.OSS PAINTAR. and surfaces of wood united with it do not separate when immersed in water. This will do to size wood that is to be varnished, but will require thinino- down when used for that purpc^se. ■ Lime tor Calcimining. ^ bushel of CC, i lb. SC, =] lb. ZS, i i^al. SiM. For brickwork exposed to damp, the following' will be found to work well : •] pk. of fresh well burnt CC with SW sufficient to. make thin paste, run through strainer, add I lb. vSO, which has been dissolved in boil- ing water, make a thin paste o( i lb. of RK, 1 lb. G, mix with the compound while hot, and add l lb. SA, dissolve in water, stir all together and let stand for one week, or longer. Warm before using. The following can be nwre easily pre- pared, and is very good : Take •] bushel of CC,and i)ut it in a kel- tle, put water enougii in to make a tliick j)aste, add i gal. RO, boil well for one hour, MILLERS "boss' PAIN rp.R. 27 then let it stand over night, or the longer it stands the better. When 3'ou wish to use it, take out enough for your job, add glue size enough to give it a body and also col- oring matter to give it any desired tint, ap- ply with calcimine brush. Calsomiae- Whiting, 4 lbs. ; glue, 2 oz. Stand the glue in water over night, mix the whiting with cold water and heat the glue till dis- solved and pour it into the other, hot. Make of proper consistence to apply v/ith a com- mon whitewash brush. Whitewash that Will Not Rub Off. To every pail of whitewash prepared in the ordinary way add a pint of flour made into starch or paste.. To whitewash for the licn-house add gas tar, i gill to each pailful. This will prevent or disperse lice. Graining. Rosewood Ground. — Do not use lead 28 culler's "boss" painter. for priming, use ochre. Second coat, use Venitian red with a Httle chrome yellow in it and tolerable flat. Use for last coat, American vermillion with a little chrome yellow in it. Work it almost dead flat. In preparing your ground, see that your work is well rubbed and puttied before graining. Van Dyke brown thinned with lager beer should be used for the over grain. Some use vinegar, but it does not work as well as the beer, and it should be diluted with su- gar and water. The growths should be put in with the brown in oil, which, after it is dry thin down and put on a glaze over all. Shade as you go. Black Walnut Ground. — Mix as near a dove color as you can as follows : White lead, chrome yellow, Venetian red, burnt umber and very litde black. Stipple with burnt umber, 3 parts ; raw sienna, i part ; thin with beer. A common duster will do to slipple with. Work in the growths with burnt umber in oil, with pencil blend them out well, and when dry put on thin MILLERS "boss PAINTER. 29 glaze in oil, add a little raw sienna to the umber. White Walnut Ground. — Dark buff or rusi^et color. Stipple with raw umber in beer. Put in growths with raw umber, 3 parts; burnt umber and raw sienna, i part in oil, and when dry thin down, glaze and shade. In graining walnut woods, use the flat over-grainer brush and pencils. English Walnut Ground.- — Light buff. Stipple with burnt umber in beer. Over-grain with Van Dyke brown in oil. Thin down, glaze and shade, with the same. Oak Ground. — Light huff. White lead, chrome yellow and very little Venitian red. Grain with burnt umber, raw sienna and very little burnt sienna in oil and turpen- tine, half and half; add a little beeswax dfs- solved in oil. Use the steel comb and also get a piece of rubber about 4 inches long, 2 inches wide and l inch thick, and cut notches in it about i inch apart. Use the rubber for the heavy growths. 30 MILLERS "I'.OSS TAINTER. After useing the rubber, draw the steel comb diaoonally across the work. Use soft canton flannel over the thumb nail to wipe out the lights, hearts, &c. Pine Ground. — Light buff. Grain with burnt sienna in* oil. Maple Ground. — Same as oak. Grain with raw umber in beer. Use the ])oints of of your lingers to make the bird eyes, and a flat varnish brush to make the curls, 6v:c., also over-grainer to make the growths. Stain Graiaing. In addition to the art of imitating the graining of woods, marbles, e!c., by oil col- ors, there are methods of bringing out with effect and beauty as well as of preserving the natural graining of woods, etc., and also of iiuitating, heightenin.g and improving them artificially, which though less prac- ticed is not less ingenious or worthy of at- tention from the grainer, it being as desir- able to heighten and preserv^e the natural MILLERS "f)OSS PAINTER. beauty of wood-work as by artificial paint- ing to imitate them or hide tlieir defects. For bringing out the natural grain of wood- work where it is of sufficient beauty, it is enough to apply successive coats of drying oil or to varnish the naked work till it bears out, which is sufficient for ordinary joiner's work, but for the nicer cabinet work in which the choice ornamental woods arc em- ployed, French polishing is necessary, which is performed with a spirit varnish containing lac, applied by rubbers with lin- seed oil, and is now so common as to have become a distinct business. In other cases graining may be performed on the naked wood with transparent colors in turpentine or water, which when dry may be varnished or French polished, or the same may be done on the ordinary woods previously stained of the colors of the more valuable sorts. A beautiful variety of graining may be executed with strong acids on plain wood brought out by heat, in which way the nitrous acids or aqua fortih applied afibrds 32 MILLERS "boss PAINTER. amber and yellow shacks and the sulphuric acid yields shades of a dusky and darker hue, so as together to imitate the various hues of the tortoise shell, etc., after which the work is to be cleaned off and varnished or polished. MILLERS "BOSS PAINTER. STAII^S. To Make Red Sanders Stain. Fill a bottle of any size a little more than one-quarter full of red sanders, then fill the botde up with AC. The AC extracts the color from the sanders, and the liquid is called sanders stain, or red sanders stain. The more red sanders you put into the bot. tie the stronger will be the stain, while it can a at any time be diluted with AC to make lighter shades. The longer it remains in the bottle the more color will be extracted. Always strani it through a piece of thin muslin before throwing the groirnds away. Ask for RED SANDERS at any drug store. It is a red wood dust. Ten cents per pound is what I have been paying at all wholesale druggists. Do not ask for less than half a pound, or you may be charged at a high rate. To Mix Sanders Stain with Asplialtum Var- nish. If you pour red sanders stain in with as- phaltum they will not mix of themselves, 34 miller's ''boss" painter. but by adding TT sufticient to thin to a proper consistency, the TT will cause both stains to unite. The sanders ^'wes the red shade, and the asphaltum gives the dark — more or less of either will give the required shade according to the strength. N. B. — The stronger the red sanders stair is made the less of it will be required to giv siiflicient red, and of course the less AC wil be used. It rec^uires very little sanders to get red enough. It is the liquid, not tha grounds of the red sui lers you mix with the asphaltum. The grounds are, as stated ic making sanders stain, thrown away. Aftei mixing these two stains you had better strain it to take the dross from the asphaltum. On Mixing Ag in. Red sanders stain can be mixed with um^ ber ground in oil or turpentine. TT will mix it with all other colors, -and it is better and more of a mahogany or rosewood red than all other stains. TT will also mix as- phaltum with umber, and make it adhere to MILLERS "POSS PAINTER. the wood better. In fact, a number of practical experiments can be made with San- ders and asphaltum mixed with many other colors, turpentine mixing them either with oils or alcohol colors, and of course with tur" })cntine colors. Wood Stains. Light Woods to Mahogany. — Mix red Sanders stain and asphaltum stain (see mix- ing stains), and when it is the desired color apply with a brush. Do not have the stain too thick. If the wood is not stained sufficiently red to suit your fancy, you may put red Sanders stain into the varnish, and every coat of the stained varnish will make the wood more red. N. B.^The stronger the red sanders stain is made the less it takes to color the varnish. And thus you use less AL which is at present i)rices the most expensive article you have to get. Thin the varnish when you mix stain with it for first coat ; by so doing you can spread the color more evenly (in mixing stains and varnishes). 36 miller's "boss" painter. Walnut to Light Mahogany.— With either a rag or brush rub over the wood a coloring of red Sanders stain, and you have a perfect mahogany. And by either oilfinish- ing or varnishing, the color will be brought out. Red Sanders stain dries almost im- mediately, and can be finished right off. N. B. — Some walnut wood is light, some dark, consequently make the stain strong or weak to suit the wood. You can at any time give more coloring to the wood if neces- sary by mixing stain with the varnish, even after varnish has been applied to the wood. Walnut to Dark Mahogany. — First go over the work with asphaltum stain then with the Sanders, be sure you do not have the asphaltum too thick or the work will be too dark. Another Mahogany Stain. — Dragon's blood used the same as red sanders, but it is too expensive and does not stand so well. MILLER S "BOSS PAINTER. }^ Again. — By applying aquafortis diluted with water to dark new woods will make a mahogany, but I don't recomend it, as aqua- fortis is expensive and dangerous. To Darken Mahogany. — Use sal soda or lye, but do not have it too strong ; dilute it with water. This is to make light mahoga- ny into dark Spanish. Mixing Staius w\th Varnisli'' s. Red Sanders stain and asphaltum stain can be mixed with the varnish. If the varnish is made from turpentine they will mix read- ily. If made from oil or alcohol, turpentine will cause the asphaltum to mix. Knoty Pine Mahogany. — Mix whiting with warm water to consistency of thick whitewash, put in as much Venetian red as will gi\e it a red appearance; now mix in sufficiend dissolved glue as will make the mixture adhere to the wood. By giving the T.'ood two coats of this mixture the flaws* knots, etc' will be hidden, and when well dry 38 miller's "boss" painter. rub off the loose sizing, then varnish with red Sanders stain in the varnish, and you have a very good appearing stain. Brown umber or any colors may be used in the above sizing to suit the fancy for colors, or to darken the mahogany. Walnut for White Wood. — A solution of equal parts of permanganate of potash and sulphate of magnesia applied to white wood by means of a brush will produce an excellent brown color resembling walnut. A second coat may be required after the first coat is dry. Walnut Again. — Burned umber, burned sienna and boiled linseed oil ground fme. This is not durable, as the oil or varnish is required to protect it from coming off. Walnut Again. — One ounce gum asphal- tum, three or four ounces of turpentine, one ounce boiled linseed oil, and Venetian red to color red — an old way. MILLER S "boss PAINTER. 39 Imitation Black Walnut. — Popular or White wood treated as follows will assume the appearance of the finest black walnut. The wood must be dry and warm, and then coated once or twice with a strong aqueous solution of extract of walnut peel. When half dried the wood is brushed with a solution compounded of i part by weight of bichro- mate of potassa in 5 parts of boiling water, and after drying thoroughly is rubbed and polished. The stain penetrates to the depth of from one-twelfth to one-sixth of an inch. For Rosewood. — Disssolve two ounces pulverized extract of logwood in one pint of boiling water (better let it boil till dissolved). Apply two coats to the wood while hot, and, to make the rosewood grain, stripe it accord - i:ig to fancy, when dry rub oif all the black you can with a rough cloth. Rosewood Again. — Half pound ofredsan- ders and half pound logwood, boiled in one gallon of water for one hour ; strain and add 40 miller's "b(^ss" painter. half and ounce of powdered AM ; go over the wood with this while hot, and when dry; form dark streaks with logwood without red Sanders, boiled in the same proportions- The dark streaks can be made black by add- ing one-quarter of an ounce of green cop- peras to the gallon of a pure logwood stain. You can shade the first mixture by propor- tioning the red sanders and logwood in first stain. Beautiful Shades on Ligtt Colored Woods Can be made by holding a flat piece of red hot iron close to the wood so as to scortch it irregularly; also by heating sand as hot as you can and throwing it on the work in un- even thickness. This will bring out very beau- tiful shades. Cherry. — Rub over the light wood the red sanders stain and it will be a good cherry, but do not have the stain too strong or it will be too red. Cherry Again. — Boil one ounce onnotto in twelve ounces rain-water ; when the color MILLERS "boss PAINTER. 4I is well extracted put in a bit of potash the size of two peas, and keep it on the fire a half hour or longer. This raises the grain. Satin ^^'ooD — Can be obtained with very light red sanders stains on light woods. It must only be tinged. Stains for Veneers. Red. — Brazil wood, fourteen parts ; alum four parts ; water, eighty-five parts. Boil. Blue. — Logwood, seven parts ; blue vitriol, one part; water, twenty-five parts. Boil. Green. — Verdigris, one part; vinegar, three parts. Dissolve. Yellow. — French berries, seven parts ; water, ten parts; alum, one part. Boil. Purple. — Logwood, eleven parts ; al um three parts ; water, twenty-nine parts. Boil. Apply the above with a rag, hot (except the green). These stains will raise the grain and must of course be rubbed down before MILLER S 'BOSS PAINTER. varnishing. They will not be suitable to go over old varnish, but are good for new ve- neers. Remember This. — It is impossible to give the quantities in many receipts. Some times you purchase things with more coloring mat- ter, and less would be required. The liquids are sometimes of a higher proof, and in a thousand and one ways you may go wrong if exact quantities were given. Experiment with a very little, and not spoil or waste any large quantity. This refers to shades of stains mostly. Staining Floors, Old or New. — To half a pint of asphaltum varnish, add two table- 5i)oonsful of umber (ground in oil); thin this with boiled oil and tuq^entine (half as much oil as turpentine); then shade with red Sand- ers stain, and by mixing a little turpentine varnish it will wear better. Ap])ly with a brush, not too thick, and mix in a little Japan dryer to dry the varnish. Orange Stain. — Use vermillion op-K5a> MILLER S "boss PAINTER. 43 mine mixed with chrome yellow, and be sure and have a good full yellow, or it will look poor or watery. Salmon Stain. — Dutch pink and red Sanders stain. Flesh Color. — Can be made by using different quantities of Dutch pink and red Sanders stain. Purple Siain. — Lake united with Prus- sian blue or carmine. Purple. — To a pound of good chip log- wood put three quarts of water, boil for an hour, then add four ounces of pearlash and two ounces of indigo pounded. 44 MILLERS "boss PAINTER. VAR NIS HES. Gloss Vanish. Take i gall. RO. boil for one hour, then add 4 lbs. RN. stir till dissolved, add i gall. TT. I oz. GC. I pt. SH. Copal Varnish. 5 lbs. pulverized RN dissolved in i gall. R. O. I pt. Japan, 2 galls, B, : gall, TT. i qt WN. It will not be necessary to heat the RO to dissolve the RN. An elastic varnish can be had by adding 3 oz of R cut in small pieces and dissolved in RO, by warming. See that it is well dissolved then strain and add to the above. Common Vainish. 6 lbs pulverized RN, '}lb Beeswax, i^ gall RO, I lb M. Boil for one hour, thin with TT or B until warm. Damar Vamisli. One of the difficulties to overcome in MILLER S "boss PAINTER. 45 making a clear colorless varnish, is the milky opacity usually present when dissolving the gum in the oil of turpentine. This opacity is owing to moisture being present in the gum and not certain parts of the gum remainiug undissolved, as is commonly supposed. The moisture having first been driven off, a clear colorless solution results. Many of the other imperfections of a poor article is owing to the presence of this same moisture. The crack- ing is largely owing to this, as little bubbles are often formed, hence the uneven surface. They also cause the varnish to spring. To prove this it is only necessary to procure a small quantity of the best Damar the market affords ; add to it one drop of water and it is at once changed to one of the inferior grades. The varnish manufactured by the following process the author found to be colorless, pefectly transparent, dries quick- ly, a high gloss, and will not crack, peel or become tacky. The main object is to re- move the moisture. This can be done by eraporating a solution of the gum, or dry- 46 miller's "boss" painter. ing it first. To do this, a porcelain-lined kettle is necesary, in which place the gum and heat over a slow fire. Great care must be taken to keep the gum from taking fire. The author,s plan has been to have a cover loosely fitting the kettle, its edges or rim covered with cotton having been saturate d to a slight degree with water, and the cove r suspended by a cord over the kettle. In case of fire it can be lowered at once and the flame extinguished immediately. In making the varnish, five parts of the gum should be taken to four parts of the oil of tpn., or 85 oz. of the gum to every 4 gals, of the tpn. Mixture of Varnishes. When different varnishes are mixed, they should always be allowed to stand for sev- eral days before useing, in order to give them time to assimilate. Good White Hard Varnish. One quart of good AL, ten ounces MILLERS BOSS PAINTER. 47 gum sandarac, two ounces gum mastic, half an ounce of gum anime ; dissolve in a clean can or bottle by shaking often till dis- solved, and strain. WLite Hard Varnish. Dissolve gum anime in nut oil, boil it gently as the gum is added, giving it as iiiuch gum as the oil will take up, and while cooling dilute it with pure turpentine ; this will do for the ground, also fur the japan- ning for white. It takea some time to hard- en, but it is durable. Body Varnish for Coach Painters. Eight pounds of fme gum anime, two gallons of clarified oil, three gallons of good turpentine, boil slowly for four hours. 48 miller's "eoss" painter. DRYERS, How to Mate and Use Th'in. With respect to drying the well-known additions of sugar of lead, litharge and sue- phate of zinc, either mechanically ground or in solution for light colors, and Jappan- ner's gold size or oils boiled upon litharge for lakes, or in some cases verdigris and manganese for dark colors, may be resorted to when the colors or vehicles are not of themselves sufficiently good dryers alone, but it requires attention as an excess of dryers renders oils saponaceous, is inimical to drying and injures the permanent tex- ture of the work. Some colors, however, dry badly from not being sufficiently edul- corated or washed, and many are improved in drying by passing through the fire or by age. Sulphate of zinc as a dryer is less efficient than the acetate of zinc, but is to be prefc'Tcd with some colors. It is sup- posed erroneously to set the colors running. MILLER S BOSS PAINTER. 49 which is positively not the case, though it will not retain those disposed to it because it Incks the property which the acetate possesses of gelatinizing- the mixture of oil and varnish. These two dryers should not be employed together as frequently direct- ed, as chemical action takes place and two new substances are formed, one of which is perfectly insoluble, and the other poor in its drying properties. The state of the weather and atmosphere exert a great influence upon the drying of paints, oils, etc. The oxygenating power of the direct rays of the sun renders them peculiarly active in drying oils and colors, and was probably resorted to before dryers were thought of. The atmosphere, too, is im- bued with the active matter of light, to which its drying power may be attributed. The ground may also advance or retard drying, because some pigments, united either by mixing or glazing, are cither pro- moted or obstructed by their conjunction. Artificial heat also plays an important part. so riLLFRS 'BOSS PAINTER. The various affinities of pigments oc- casion each to have its more or less appro- l^riate dryer, and it would be a matter of useful experience if the ha''- its of every pioment in this respect were ascertained. Dryers of less power than the above, such as the acetate of copper, viassicot, red lead and the oxidis ofmaganese, to which um- ber and the cappagh browns owe their drying quality, and others might come into use in particular cases. Many other acci- dental circumstances may also affect dry- ing. Dryers should be added to pigments only at the time of using them, because they exercise their drying properties while chemically coml>ining with the oils em- ployed, during which the latter becomes thick or fatten and render additional oil and diyer necessary when again used. Acetate of lead dissolved in water, S]:)irit or turpen- tine may he used as a diyer of oil paints with cnnvenitnce nnd ac]\antage in some cases. In the employment of dryers it will be necessary to guard against the follow- ing : miller's "boss" PAINTER. 5 1 (A.) Not to add dryers to those pig- ments which dry well of themselves. (B.) Not employ them in excess, which only retards the dryino^. ( C.) Not to add them till the color is to be used. (D.) Make use of only one kind at a time. (E.) Impurity of the pigments some- times retards drying, in which case it should be washed. Another point should be ob- served, ^nd that is that one coat of paint should be thoroughly dry before another is applied ; tor if the upper surface of paint dry before the surface beneath, it will shrivel by the expansion and contraction of the under surface as the oil evaporates and dries. Overloading with paint will be at- tended with the same evil, and if the upper surface be of hard or brittle varnish, crack- ing of the paint will be the result. Always avoid using old fat paint that is to be var- nished over, and always put your dryer into your paint before breaking up or thining. 52 MILLER S BOSS PAINTER. Dryiug Property of Linseed Oil. The activity (dryincr power) of pure lin- seed oil is represented — according to M^ Chevreul — by 1,985, and oil treated by manganese with an activity of 4,719, yet when they are mixed the sum of the activ- ities (drying powers) will be 30,828. There are substances which increase the drying property of pure linseed oil, and others which seem to retard the drying. Experi- ments made by M. Chevreul elicited the following facts, namely : " Linseed oil with one coat applied upon glass was dry after 17 days. "The same oil, mixed with oxide ot An- timony, took 26 days to dry. In this case, the oxide of Antimony was an anti-dry cr. "Linseed oil, mixed with oxide of Anti- mony, and applied upon a cloth painted with white lead, was dry after 14 days. " The same oil mixed with the Arseniate of protoxide of tin, was not hard after 60 days. " Oak wood appears to possess the anti- miller's 'ross" painter. 53 drying property to a high degree ; Poplar to be less anti- drying than oak, and Nor- way Fir less than Poplar. " Experiments proved that a first coat of linseed oil on oak was dry, only on the surface after 32 days ; and three coats took 159 days to dry. " Three coats on poplar wood dried in 27 days, and on Norway fir in 23 days. " One coat of linseed oil given upon surfaces of copper, brass, zinc, iron, por- celain and glass, was dry in every case, after 48 hours." M. Chevreul believed that a substance may be drying, or anti-dr^^ing, under dif- ferent circumstances. He claims that metallic lead is drying toward pure linseed oil ; and white lead, which is well known as possessing drying properties, is anti- drying towards linseed oil applied upon metallic lead. Japan Dryer— Best Quality. RO I gal., and put into it i lb. SH, i lb. LRG, •] lb LR, 6 oz. SL. Boil in the RO 54 miller's "boss" painter. unil all are dissolved, which will require about 4 hours ; remove from the hre, and when very near cool add i gal. TT, and stir it uj:> well ; then it is done. B can be substituted for TT, if you wish. Japan Dryer. RO I gal., .1 lb SH, 2 lbs M, i lb ZS. Boil about 4 hours, and when very near cool add i^ gal. B. Japan Dryer. 9 gals, of RO, lolbsLRG. lolbs LR, 7 lbs of Black oxide of M. Boil all together ; then add 30 lbs of Kowery Gum and when near cool add 35 gals. TT. This a good dryer and can be depended upon. Japan Flow, for Tin and Iron. Take gum sandarach, i lb.; balsam of fir, balsam 01 tolu, and acetate of lead, of each 2 07S., and linseed oil, 2 pint. Put these into a suitable kettle, over a slow fire at first, then raise to a higher heat until all are melted ; now take from the fire, and MILLER'S "boss PAINTER. 55 when a little cool, stir in spirits of turpen- tine, 2 qts., and strain through a fine cloth. This is transparent ; but by the following modiffcations any or all the various colors are made from it. Hlack. — Melt asphaltum, 2 ozs., in spir- its of turpentine, i pint ; then rub up Prussian blue, ■] oz., with a little of it, mix all well, and strain; then add the whole to one pint o/lhe first, above. Blue. — Take indigo and Prussian blue, both finely ])ulvcrized, of each, '. oz.; spirits or turpentine, i pint. Mix well and strain. Add of this to i pint of the first until the color suits. Red. — Take spirits of turpentine, -] pint ; add cochineal, •] oz.; let sta.nd 15 hours, and strain. Add of this the first to suit the fancy. Y F.I. LOW. — Take i oz. of ]nilverized loot of curcuma and stir of it into i pint of the first, until the color suits ; let stand a few hours and strain. Green. — Mix equal parts of the blue and 56 miller's "boss" painter. yellow together, then mix v/ith the first until it suits. Orange. — Mix a little of the red with more of the yellow, and then with the first, as here- tofore, until suited. In this simple \vay you get all the various colors. Apply with a brush. Varnish for Grate Fronts, &•;. Asphaltum varnish with enough Ivory Black in it so that it will cover well. Do not mix more than you wish to use at one time, for when it stands long it does not do so well. miller's ''boss" painter. 57 FILLERS. Wood Filling. I lb CS, ^ pt. BO, -3 pt. Japan, i lb TS, i gill SH varnish, mix well together; for dark wood add very little burnt umber ; thin with B or TT ; apply with stiff brush ; let it stand till it sets ; rub off with Excelsior shavings or rags; get all out of the corners with sticks or putty knife. I have used this filler for a number of years and can recommend it to the trade. For light woods use more SH varnish and less Japan, unless your Japan is very good. A Filler for Porous Hard Woods. Use good BO and CS stirred into a very thick paste, add a little Japan, then reduce 58 miller's "boss" PAIxNTAR. with TT. For dark ash and chestnut, use a httle raw sienna; for wahiut, burnt umber and a sHght amount of Venetian red ; for bay wood, burnt sienna. In no case use more color than is required to overcome the white appearance of the starch, unless you wish to stain the wood. This filler is worked with brush and rags in the usual manner. Let it dry 48 hours, or until it is in condi- tion to rub down with No. o sandpaper, with- out much gumming up, and if an extra fine finish is desired, fill again with same ma- terials, using less oil but more of Japan and TT. The second coat will not shrink, it being supported by the first coat. When the second coat is hard, the wood is ready for finishing up in any desired style or to any degree of nicety by following u]) the usual methods. This formula is not intended for rosewood-and will not be satisfactory if used therefor. A Cheap Filler. If you have a job that you have to })ut miller's "boss" painter. 59 through in a short time, make a strong size out of common G, and common starch, half and half; dust off the work well and size, and when dry rub down with sandpaper, dust off again, and it is ready for either varnish or paint. A Good Filler. 2 qts. 'FT, I qt. BO, !, pt. Japan, i ] lbs PS pulverized, 3 lbs PW, i 11) French yellow, 2 Jbs plaster paris, i It) LRG. This filler is worked with brush, rags, and Excelsior shav- ings in the usual manner. It must be worked quick, as it sets fast. For dark woods add a small quantity of burnt umber and B sienna. Putty for Work that is to be VarnislTed. For puttying inside work, take one-half SW, one-fourth bees- wax, one-fourth RN; powder the RN very fine, mix it with the SW, then melt the bees- wax in one-half oil and one-half TT, put all together in an old sauce jjan and heat gradually, stirring and mix in color ; for walnut, match with burnt umber, 00 MILLERS "boss PAINTER. and burnt seinna, or Venetian red; for light woods, but little if any coloring but the in- gredients. After thoroughly heated and mixed, take off and let cool, enough to thicken up for working on a board ^oiled or covered with whiting, work it into rolls about an inch in diameter ; in using have a candle or lamp and round-pointed knife ; heat the knife and fill the holes quickly leaving hole round-full ; rub off with a bit of sand-paper. After an hour or two, this putty will match the wood perfectly and will never swell nor shrink, and after a little practice, the worlv can be done just as quick as with ordinary putty. If you are hurried for time and are obliged to use shellac, use white shellac ; this leaves the wood clear and don't have that nasty sickly look as when brown shel- lac is used. Hard Oil. In I gal. RO put in 4 ozs. of SH and 2 oz. of beeswax. Boil slow for about four hours, then let it settle. I sometimes add ^ miller's "doss" painter. 6r \\\ of RN, which makes it as heavy as var- nish, and if loo heavy thin with TT. Work it the same as you would varnish. Hard Oil Finish. There are a number of ways of putting up this kind of work. In the first place fill the wood with the filler, then rub down and putty up, wilh dust off wel', then flow on the. hard oil, and when dry cut it down wilh No. o sand-paper and flow on another coat. When dry cut it down with pulverized PS and sweet oil. If you wish a polished job How on another coat, making one of filler and one of hard oil. This last coat must get hard, then polish with rotten-stone and BO with woolen rag, and chamois-skin to do tlic cleaning with. Another Way. — Get a good body with rubbing varnish or common copal ; then cut the gloss off w^ith BO and PS. This is the usual way furniture is finished, and is a very cheap way. miller's "boss" painter. Hard Wcod Finish and Filling. Very few persons desire a hi.c^h gloss on inside work, so there is very little need of varnish for this purpose, still, a high gloss may be used sparingly with a most happy effect, — especially in large rooms, on raised mouldings, &c. The finisher, himself, must always be the judge how the work must be done. In kitchens, pantries, &c , where it has to be cleaned often, especial pains should be taken that it be done well, that it may stand the wear. The oil will have to be used principally. Chambers, &c., where greater care is usually taken in the selection of wood, and the surface less exposed to friction, we can leave it, as far as the color is concerned, the same as it is left by the carpenter. The first thing, of course, is the proper preparation of the surface. The surface may be rough and the ^rain raised by moisture. If such is the case, go over i^ carefully with No. 1 1> or 2 sand-paper, taking care always to sand-paper in the direction of the grain. Hammer-marks, if found. miller's "boss" painter. 63 should be touched a few times v\idi a moist spong-e until they come up even with the other surface. Oil Polish on Wood. Fill the grain with SH varnish or wood filling- ; give two or more coats, sand down antl apply two or three coats of oil polish ; when thoroughly dry rub with tripoli and water unlil a polish is secured. Again cut the polish with fine PS and water and pol- ish with sweet oil and rotten-stone. The French method is to use powdered tri[)oli and BO to bring up the polish. Slating for Blackboards. There are quite a number of ways of do- ing this class of work. I find that the great secret in jHitti ng up a good blackboard is to use no oil of any description in any of the coats. If it is a plastered or papered wall you wish to slate first give it a coat of G. size ; then rub it down lightly with fine sand-paper; then give it a coat of SI I var- nish and LP enoucrh to <'ivc it a fair bodv. 64 miller's "boss" painter. If on wood omit the sizing. Then give two coats of either of the following: I. — 2 qts. AC, -2 lb. SH, 12 drachms LP, 20 drachms UB, 4 oz. powdered RS, 6 oz. powdered PS. 2.— I gal. AC, I lb. SH, h lb. IB, 5 oz. o^ EP^ 4 oz. of UB. 3. — Take equal parts of PS and LR and grind them in a mixture of TT and best VS ; add enough LP to make a dark color, tlien thin with TT until it is perfectly flat. Ap- ply with a brush and blend over. 4.— I gal. WN, I lb. SH, 4 oz. LP, 4 oz. UB, 1 2 lb. SW, 2 oz. PS and powdered em- ery. The WN is cheaper than AC and does as well. 5. — I gal. SH varnish, 4 lb. black M. 2 lb. SW. All the above must be kept well stirred while using them, and when you are through put what you have left in a bottle and cork it up and it will keep for a long time. If at any time the slating is too thick, thin with AC. miller's ''boss" painter. 65 Sign Painters' Department. To Gild on Glass. Size : Take a piece of isinglass about the size of a twenty-five cent piece, and put in a pint of rain water scalding hot, stir until tlie isinglass is dissolved, then filter through filter paper ; then add one tablespoonful of good whisky ; let stand i day before using. This size will keep a year in a bottle corked ui). It will work much better when it has stood two or three weeks. Good, clear white G will answer if vou have no isinglass. It is sometimes very convenient for the house painter to know how to do a job ol glass gilding, and after a little practice it can be done very successfully by following 66 miller's "boss" painter. the directions here given. In the first place good work cannot be done on poor glass. If plate glass cannot be had, then the best French glass should take its place, for to the purity of the glass do we owe the greater part of the briliancy of the work. Having secured the glass, proceed to clean it per- fectly with whiting and water, polishing the work-side with tissue paper. Apply the size plentifully to the glass with a clean camels hair spalter, and with a tip throw on leaf somewhat in excess to the space needed for the work, and when this is done let the whole dry, setting it up edgewise. When dry, take refined cotton and rub briskly un- til the desired lustre is obtained. If most of the leaf has been rubbed away, no mat- ter, the lustre is there. Now lay a second coat in the same manner as the first. When dry go over it again with cotton, lightly, then wash it with sizing repeatedly if a spotless surface is desired. When done it is ready for the design, which must be drawn on paper, pricked and pounced on the gold miller's "boss" painter. 67 in a reverse position, for the same is to show from the opposite side of the glass. Hav- ing pounced it, proceed to paint out the whole design with drop black in japan, ex- cept such places as may need coloring or to be flatted. Then wash off the surplus gold with water. If the sizing is a little too strong, add a trifle of naphtha to the water when washing. Such places as are to be colored can now be attended to. If flat gold is to form any part, the space left for it is to be laid with ordinary varnish-size and leaf laid in the ordinary manner, which on the opposite side in contrast with that which is burnished will be very dead or flat Do all shading backwards, and when this is dry all is done and if glass, tools, water and room are clean, a fine job may be ex- pected. Silver leaf is worked the same way. To Gild on Wood, &c. First get a good body with flat paint, not less than three coats on wood, or two on tin or iron, rubbed down smooth. If it is a 68 mii.lkr's "boss" painter. sign you wish to gild, avoid laying off with lead pencil; use soft chalk, then brush off with duster. For size : use old fat linseed oil, the older the better, mixed with orange chrome yel- low, put a very little best Japan in it, thin with TT. Let stand lo hours, or until it is tackey, then gild. There are various methods practised by painters in laying gold-leaf. The old meth- od, required the use of a " Tip, " Cushion, and gold -knife. Tlie tip is a cam els -hair brush or lifter, made from two Inyers of pasteboard, between which a small quantity of camels-hair is laid flat and the parts glued together. The cushion is simi)ly a })iece of chamois skin stretched tigh'dy over one side ol an oblong piece of wood six by eight inches, a layer or two of woolen cloth or of cotton is, however, first fastened to the board. The gold-knife has a long narrow and flexible blade with wooden handle and is worthless for any other, than the purpose Intended. The gold book is held in the miller's "boss" painter. 69 left hand, and a leaf of the book carefully turned back which exposes a leaf of gold, which is pressed upon the cushion by a dexterous reversal ot the hands. Should the leaf wrinkle, a puff of the breath direct- ly from above it, will usually straiMiten it. Next, with the gold-knife, cut the leaf into the widths required for th-e work, and by means of the tip, lift so much as the hairs will cover, and apply to the "size" beginning at theouterend of the hair. ' ■-' "" '■-' The tip must be drawn over the hair or beard occasionally in order to cleanse it from small particles of gold, and to slightly grease it. Ornaments, letters, and scrolls are usually gilt from the book direct. An- other mode is to remove the gold-leaf to an empty book the leaves of which have been- slightly greased with soap or beeswax, aAer which the book is cut up into the required widths, and the gold is laid on by exposing and applying it from the cut-pieces. Gilding Frames. This class of work requires more appli- 70 MILLLRS "BOSS PAINTER. ances than the general run of house paint- ers have. I use gold lacquor and sometimes good coach varnish for size. Bronze may be used with good success by coating over it with clear white SH varnish. Flock and Bmalt. If it is a gold sign you wish to flock or smalt use slow drying colors and very thick taking care that the color is not fat or greasy, or it. will spread and show a rough edge. ?To flock or smalt other work see that the work is flat where you do not want the flock or smalt to stick. I would recommend you to make your own smaltsi You can do it at a cost of about one cent a pound. Any good, fine s md will do- See that it is clem, put i gal- lon sand in a kettle, heat it hot ; keep stir- ring until it is dry, then put in about 2 oz. of mixed color — the color that you wish, (the color should be mixed in good BO,) keep stirring until all the sand is colored even, then spread it out in the sun to dry, MILLERS "boss PAINTER. 7 I Stir it up occasionally and it is ready for use. If you wish you can add a smair quantity of pulverized glass or glass frost- ing. To Silver on Glass. 1. Dissolve 12 grains of RS in boiling water ; then add, while boiling, i6 grains of NS, having been previously disj^olved in one ounce of water ; continue the boiling for ten minutes ; then add water to make 12 ounces. 2. Dissolve I ounce of NS in lo ounces of water ; then add liquor ammonia until the brown precipitate is nearly, but not quite, dissolved ; then add i ounce alcohol and sufficient water to make 12 ounces. To silver, take equal parts of Nos. i and 2, mix thoroughly, then pour upon the glass in the same manner the photographer- applies his solutions, or it may be applied with a brush. It should be applied to thi glass while its surface is wet, and should previously be carefully cleaned with soda 72 MILLERS "BOSS PAINTER. 1 and rinsed with clean water. Distilled wa- ter should be used lor makinsf the solutions. About two drachms of each will silver a plate two inches square. The solution should stand and settle for two or three days before being used ; it will keep a long time. * The Method of Lettering. This anal3^sisis that of the Roman alpha- bet proper, usually denominated tlie Ful Roman. It is the most perfectly formed of all the alphabets, making no departure from strictly geometric rules, but adhering in every particular to lines which are either perfect curves or straight lines- Many Roman alphabets — so called — such as the Straight Roman ; the New York Roman, etc., are not correctly speaking, the true Roman, from the fact that the curves arc not perfectly constructed, varying from a true circle. In this analysis we have adopt- ed a method in very general use by the best authorities on this subject, each letter MILLERS "boss PAlNfER. 73 being placed upon a frame work of five spaces in heij^ht and five spaces in width, .thus chiving to the student a just proportion -Of the letters as compared one with another, and also enabling him to increase or dimin- ish the size of the letters simply by enlarg- ing or diminishing the size of the squares ; by this method the letters can be extended or contracted by changing the proportion of the width of the squares, as compared with their height, and the letters can also be placed at any angle. The working scale or size of square should always be equal to the width of the body or stem of the letter. It will be seen that the letters differ very materially in width, as for instance, A, C, D, G, K, M, O, O, R, T, Y, Y, Z and the character &, are all full width letters, that IS, the height and width correspond ; while in B, F, H, L, N, P, S, Uand X, the breadth is 4-5 of the height, and in the W, the breadth is greater by 2-5 than the height. The V»ody of the letter should be 1-5 ot its height, except in the curved letters, wlien. 74 MILLERS "boss PAINTER. it should be widened a trifle, as otherwise it would have the appearance of being thin- ner, owing to the fact, that the space be- tween the curved lines always appears less than that between straight lines. The fine lines should be hair lines, and when a scale of one inch is used, that is, in five inch let- ters, this line should not be over one line, or J of an inch in size. The width, or spread of the small curves, (sometimes called grace lines ) should be i the width of the body of the letter, and the spurs should project as much farther, thus together equal- ing 1-5 of the height of the letter. In some cases it is necessary to make the curves and spurs at the bottom of the letter a little Ion ger than at the top. The A is a full letter, the outside oblique lines should be drawn from a point, i-io of the width of the letter, to the right of the center, upon the upper line ; the cross line should be a little below the center of the letter ; the grace lines and spurs upon the hair line should be made heavier than miller's "boss ' PAINTER. 75 those upon the body. The B is a four-fifths letter; the cross Hne should be placed a trifle above the center, thus making the lower curve a little longer than the upper, and giving the letter stability of form ; the curves can be made with compasses, by using the points marked with crosses, as centers ; the width of the body of the curves should be a trifle more than one-fifth of the height of the letter. The C is a full letter ; the outside line is the circumference ol a perfect circle; the inside curve can also be drawn with com- passes by changing the center as shown in diagram of this article, illustrating a cres- cent. The body of the letter should be a little more than one-fifth of the height, and the heaviest part should be below the cen- ter ; the perpendicular line on the head should be a litde within the circle, so that the lower part of the letter will appear broader than the upper part. The D is a little less than a full letter ; ■jd iMILLER's "boss" rAlNTER. the larger curve is a perfect arc ; the inner curve can be made by changing- the center and using the same radius as for tlie out- side curve ; the body of tlie curve' should be a trifle wider than the upright l^ody. The E is a four-fifths letter; the lower should be a little longer than the ujjper ; the grace lines of tlie heads should be long and made with perfect curves; the perpen- dicular of the lov/er head should be ex- tended a little longer than the upper ; the center piece should project just one-half of the distance to the outside of letter, an