Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/216

208 in a very short time, especially where sizing has not been used. An excess of oil will also cause the work to crack and check badly. Too much oil cannot be used for interior work with safety. Where the work is to be finished with oil paints, more oil can be used in the priming. It should be borne in mind, however, that interior work should always dry hard and firm to insure good results from its present painting, also to allow of satisfactorily repainting.

In giving these directions for the different classes of work, the one principal object has been to caution against the application of too numerous coats. It is not the amount of paint applied to a surface which produces the results, it is the manner of application, the proper mixing of the paint and the preparation of the surface. In enameled or grained work it is especially true that where too numerous coats of ground work are applied, it is very hard to repaint such a surface if at any time a different class of work should be desired.

Throughout the directions for undercoats on all classes of work it will be found that varnish is specified in place of oil and japan. This gives the most satisfactory undercoat surface that can possibly be made, especially if a good grade of varnish is used. The work will remain in good condition for an indefinite length of time; it will not crack or check; the grain of the wood will be thoroughly filled and with this method of reducing the paint, the number of coats to produce satisfactory work can be cut down.

Mixtures of japan and oil for undercoats are not always satisfactory for interior work. Too much oil makes spongy work which is liable to crack and check badly. Heavy mixtures of oil and japan will do likewise.

The directions given are not new but have been tried out in the most practical ways and have always proved entirely satisfactory.

Sandpaper or smooth the surface with fine steel wool and dust off thoroughly before applying the paint.