Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/374

366 before the glazing, and a final flowing coat afterwards.

Flat varnishing or dull polishing may be used to much advantage in finishing any kind of copal-varnished or oil-stained surface. A simple preparation of the former can be made from a piece of genuine beeswax the size of a walnut dissolved, and thoroughly mixed by heat, in ½ pint of pure turpentine, and 1 ounce of copal varnish added thereto. Dull polishing may be done by carefully dulling either varnish or polish with finely ground pumice-stone and felt, or a piece of soft cloth, used with water, and then rubbing with putty-powder and oil to obtain a soft gloss.

Matching. The purpose of this process, is, as its name implies, to make the different pieces of wood of which any piece of furniture is made up, match or correspond, so that they may be of a uniform color. It will therefore be understood that some parts may require lightening, and others darkening. For the first, make a strong solution of oxalic acid in hot water, and add a few drops of spirits of nitre, and wash this carefully over the parts which are to be lightened, when quite dry, the surface should have two or three coats of white polish. Give the parts to be lightened a wash of a clear white stain, and another of white varnish, give the intermediate parts a coat of common varnish, and oil the untouched white parts, bring all up to an equal tint by a darkening stain, if necessary.

Darkening. The darkeners generally used are logwood, lime, brown, soft-soap, dyed oil, and various chemicals, such as aquafortis, sulphate of iron and nitrate of silver. An intelligent manipulation, however, of the stains themselves will render special darkeners unnecessary, for in most cases the required depth of color can be obtained by repeating the stain, or by darkening it for a second wash, and a small quantity of coloring matter may also be mixed up with the varnish.

When it is desired to deepen the natural color of woods,