Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/113



Staining Floors.—Be sure to have the floor thoroughly clean. Then go over with the hand to find any inequalities, which must be planed carefully and fill up any holes with plaster of Paris or putty. Put the stain on with the grain of the wood. Let it dry thoroughly before sizing. Size twice. A quarter of a pound of bought size should do a large room. If bought size is used be sure it is properly melted before using. Melt a quarter of a pound in one quart of water and apply warm with a brush. Allow two days between sizing and polishing with the bees’ wax and turpentine. To make the mixture for polishing or varnishing—scrape some bees’ wax into an earthenware jar or pot, cover it with spirits of turpentine and let it stand by the fire or in a cool oven till melted. When cold it should be of the consistency of thick cream. Rub on the floor with a piece of flannel and polish with a hard brush. [sic] The first time of polishing it is very hard work, but afterwards the floor can be kept in good order very easily by brushing once a week. Apply the bees’ wax and turpentine about every month.

'''Staining Wood Black. No. 1.'''—There are several ways of doing this. The simplest is to drop a little sulphuric acid into a small quantity of water, brush the wood over and hold it to the fire. The result is a fine black color, which will receive a good polish.

'''Staining Wood Black. No. 2.'''—Take half a gallon of vinegar, half a pound of dry lamp black, and three pounds of iron rust, sifted. Mix these together and let stand a week. Then paint three coats on the wood, hot, and rub with linseed oil and a fine deep black will be produced. Some people add to the above an ounce of nut galls and half a pound of logwood chips and a quarter of a pound of copperas. Lay on three coats and oil well.

To Stain Wood.—It is quite possible to make pieces of furniture of very common wood, and stain it to represent mahogany, rosewood or any one of the more valuable woods:—

For Rosewood Stain.—Take two gallons of alcohol, three pounds of camwood, one pound of red sanders, aqua fortis a quarter of a pound. Apply three coats, rub with sand paper and varnish or polish; or you can, after sand papering, grain with iron rust and shade with asphaltum, thinned with turpentine. In staining any depth of colour wanted can be obtained by giving extra coats of stain. Always rub with sand paper, and give at least one coat of size (two is best) before varnishing.

For Mahogany Stain.—Take eight ounces of madder, two ounces of logwood chips and boil these in about one gallon of water. Apply while hot, and when dry paint over with a solution of two drachms of pearlash in one quart of water. Afterwards size and polish.

To Stain Wood Black.—Take logwood nine parts, sulphate of iron one part, water 25 parts. Apply as the others. It is best to get all ingredients made up at the chemists in the exact quantities, as too much or too little of any one ingredient may spoil the whole.

Paint for a Black Board.—Three ounces of rotton stone, four ounces of powdered pumice stone, lamp black eight ounces, red lead one ounce, glycerine one ounce. Mix well and make into a paint with shellac varnish gradually stirring in about two quarts. Apply several coats.

Bush Varnish.—Take half a pint of methylated spirits of wine and about two ounces of grass tree gum. Pound up the gum and gradually