Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/178

170 times turns the bronze black. In bronzing with the powder, the size, usually japanners' gold size, is applied, and when tacky, the bronze is dusted on with a rabbit's foot, a wad of close cloth, or a chamois leather pad. The bronze is protected by a thin coat of lacquer, and then varnished in the ordinary way.

Bronzing should never be varnished over with oil copal varnishes, as it will rapidly lose color and oxidize if so varnished, some of the commoner house-painters' oak varnishes have so little oil in them that this effect does not follow rapidly. If metals, silver, or gold be sized with a clear jelly of gelatine size, or thinly lacquered, they may be varnished with any kind of varnish, as the interleaf of size will stop the direct action of the varnish upon the metal.

Bronzing is sometimes used over paint to give the effect of metal. Thus a piece of iron casting may be painted green or copper color, and then the highest portions of the relief touched with bronze. This is done by coating the article with japanners' varnish or gold size, and when tacky dusting over a little powder bronze, which can be applied by a piece of cloth or velvet rubbed in the powder. The bronze should not be applied to the bare oil paint. The color of the bronze must bear a correct relation to the color of the paint used.

Lacquer for Metals. Various lacquers are used to give gold or metal a different color. Any lacquer can be made from an ounce of good shellac dissolved in half a pint of spirits of wine, and tinted with saffron, turmeric, sanders, or other dye-woods, dragon's blood, or any of the aniline powders. The most useful colorings are turmeric and dragon's blood, a colorless lacquer may be used, and the tinting done by the use of transparent oil colors in varnish.

The house painter often has to re-lacquer small brass fittings. These are better gilded and then coated with French polish or a good lacquer. This does not apply to handles, but to certain hooks, curtain pole ends and brackets,