Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/154

 138 ‘ THE BUILDING NEW Fes. 16, 1872. only in this respect, but for carefully studied beauty of detail, to those of any master of his time. We would particularly cite, in respect to beauty of detail, the doorway of his own house in Verona, which is of too short an aperture, however ; repeated again, with slight variations, in the Pellegrini Chapel and in the Porta del Palio, which is founded on an antique model from a temple near Spoleto, given in Serlio, and which, whether as regards propor- tion, ornament, or detail, we regard as one of the most complete and satisfactory examples of art of modern times, and worthy of forming a pendant to that other exquisite work by Bramante—the doorway of the Cancellaria at Rome. Nor do we think that, as models of good proportion and dignified simplicity of character, can any buildings of their size and class surpass the Palazzo Pompei at Verona, and the Grimani at Venice; and certainly none are equal to his grand and effective city gateways, of which the Porta del Palio is an excellentexample. Itis for these grand and impressive effects obtained by San Michele through such simple means that we parti- cularly admire him, and would hold him up as an example to the student of what nobility there is in a manly simplicity of style, com- pared with the ornate and meretricious system so much in yogue at the present day amongst ourselves. = £ oak. IMPROVED INDUSTRIAL DWELLINGS COMPANY. eh Saturday last the half-yearly meeting of this company was held at the Mansion House, Alderman Sir Sydney H. Waterlow in the chair. The report of the directors stated that, in all, shares amounting, when fully paid up, to £202,440, had been issued; that the loans applied for from the Public Works Commissioners were to the extent of £84,000, and that the total expenditure on the capital account was now £212,175. The income for the half-year was £9,412, of which £9,052 was the amount of rents, and the expenditure had been £4,982, leaving a balance of profit of £4,430. There was a sum of £7,609 ayailable for dividend, and the directors recommended that the usual divi- dend at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum be paid, and that the balance should be carried forward. They congratulated the shareholders on the general satisfactory condition of the estates. The dwellings at Bethnal-green had been completed, and about 100 were now occupied. Other buildings in George- Street, Grosvenor -square, Compton - street, and Shoreditch, would be opened very shortly, and sixty-four dwellings were in course of erection in Ebury-square, Pimlico. The great demand for improved dwellings in the neighbourhood of Oxford- street had been shown in the case of the George- street buildings, there being already upwards of 180 applications for the thirty-eight dwellings. It was hoped soon to obtain additional sites near that locality, and negotiations had been opened for that purpose. The fact of the company having from the commencement paid a dividend of 5 per cent., and carried forward considerable balances, was a strong proof that while the tenants continued to pay the commercial value of their occupations, their inde- pendence was in no way interfered with. The company now owned eleven blocks of buildings, in various districts of London, comprising 1,006 tene- ments, and 262 more would soon be added. Each tenement contained a separate kitchen or scullery, copper, water-supply, and other conveniences. In addition, there were 125 small houses, and some valuable shop property on the Bethnal-green-road estate, and three valuable dwelling-houses with shops in King’s-cross-road. Sir Sidney Waterlow, in moving the adoption of the report, said that if the company succeeded in obtaining the sites for which they were negotiating, there would be another call this year, but the directors, following their usual custom, would not apply for the money until they required to spend it. Their new Bethnal-green dwellings had not been let as well as they might have expected, but that was owing partly to the late de- pression of trade and partly to the great competition in building matters that existed outside the centre of the metropolis. That confirmed the opinion of the directors that it was more advisable to erect dwellings in the centre and amid the bustle of the London streets than in the suburbs, and it jwas al- ways found that the working classes preferred to live in the neighbourhoods in which they worked than in districts to and from which they would have to travel. The directors were indebted to the Marquis of West- minster and the Marquis of Northampton, and to Lady Burdett-Coutts, for giving them facilities to obtain sites on their property, and they trusted they would receive the same friendly consideration in future. He concluded by remarking that the com- pany had only lost £10 by default of a tenant dur- ing the half-year, and that their lawyer's bill amounted to 6s, 8d. The motion was seconded by Mr. Alderman Finnis, who stated that the directors, being men of business, avoided all unnecessary ex- pense, and that from the outset they had declined to re- ceive any remuneration for their services. The report was unanimously adopted. Mr. Morrison, M.P., pro- posed the declaration of the customary dividend of 5 per cent., and remarked that, whether regarded from a philanthropic or a commercial point of view, the company had achieved great and deserved success, and the directors rejoiced to see that private builders varnish cans, for the least dust will be found to show itself, when a large panel is varnished, and many would be at a loss to account for it. Look out for your cans! To Imitate Marble. In painting to imitate white marble, get up a smooth white ground. Then hold a lighted candle near the surface and allow the smoke to form the various shades and tints desired, This will make a very handsome imitation, and cannot be equalled with the pencil. Black marble is made by streaking a black sur- face. with colours, using a feather and pencil. Another plan is to get up a smooth black surface, then take the colours, yellow, green, red, white, &ec., ground thick in gold size, and ‘streak” the surface with a stick or pencil. Allow it to dry, and apply a heavy coat of lampblack and yellow ochre, mixed like rough stuff. When all is hard, rub down to a were beginning to follow their example. Mr. Griffith seconded the resolution, which was carried. The re- tiring directors, Sir William Bodkin, Mr. Alderman Stone, Mr. Charles D. Fox, C.E., and Mr. William Morrison, M.P., and the retiring auditor, Mr. William Turquand, were re-elected. Sir Sydney Waterlow took occasion to state that during last year between £20,000 and £30,000 had been spent by private persons in erecting industrial dwellings, and that a large trade was likely in future to be transacted in this way. The meeting concluded with votes of thanks to the chairman and to the Lord Mayor for giving the use of the Mansion House on the occasion. ——_»—_——_ HINTS ON PAINTING AND VARNISHING, HE following hints, which may be found of use to some of our readers, are reprinted from a little work* by an American carriage-painter :— About Oils. The longer oil is kept, it is always the better both in regard to its drying and transparent qualities. To make good nut oil, the skin of ripe walnuts should be peeled off, as it contains an acid which turns it brown. Poppy oil is made from the ripe seed of poppies. It is the best drying oil. The oil of spike or lavender is obtained by distilling spike with water; it is very volatile and fine for working with the pencil, or for enamelling. To make a fine drying oil for extra fine painting, take of poppy oil or nut oil one pint, of gum sandarac two ounces, of white vitriol and sugar of lead each one ounce. Boil the whole till the solid ingredients are dissolved, and the mixture is the colour of linseed oil. This oil will dry fast, and a portion of pure tur- pentine added makes a fine oil for use where the purest white tint is required. It may be mixed with other oils as a drying, where common drying oil would be injurious to the colour. Raw linseed for carriage work is best, as being more volatile than boiled oil, it strikes into the wood, and forms a hard, resinous filling. Bleaching Oil. Pour about as much linseed oil into a shallow earthen vessel as will stand one inch in depth; then pour in six inches of water, cover with a fine cloth, and let the whole stand in the sun for a few weeks until the liquid becomes thick, when it should be poured in a phial and submitted to a gentle heat, after which the clear is to be poured off and strained through a flannel cloth. To Bind a Brush. Brushes, when new, should be bound at least one- third the length of the hair, to preserve them and render them better for use. Some painters bind a strong cord round and round to the proper distance, and secure each end to the handle. But a better way is to take a piece of strong muslin and wrap one thickness around the hair, then tie a cord firmly around the same as low as you desire the binding to come; then fold the muslin back towards the handle, and fasten it by tacking the margin around the border of the original binding. This method makes a very neat binding, especially for varnish brushes. Keeping Varnish. I prefer to keep English or finishing varnish cans covered with a piece of silk, which should be tied over the mouth of the can, instead of a tight cork; for the reason, that extra varnishes work better, and are not so apt to “crawl” or “pit,” if allowed to be in a can from which the gases may escape. ‘This plan is only used on cans that are in frequent use, for if air be allowed to get to the varnish for any great length of time, it will thicken the varnish and injure it. Great care should always be taken with New York; 8.R. Wells. level surface with lump pumice-stone, varnish, and a beautiful variegated marble will be the result. Bronze Paint for Iron. Ivory black one ounce, chrome yellow one ounce, chrome green two pounds; mix, with raw linseed oil, adding a little japan to dry it, and you have a very nice bronze green. If desired, gold bronze may be put on the prominent parts, as on the tips or edges of an iron railing, when the paint is not quite dry, using a piece of velvet or plush with which to rub on the bronze. Transparent Painting on Muslin Window- Shades. This art is extensively practised in painting screens and window-shades. The muslin is stretched on a frame and secured by tacks, then sized with a mixture of fine flour-paste, white glue, and white bar-soap; the soap renders the muslin pliable and soft. A thin coat is applied, which is nearly invi- sible when dry. A coat of pure linseed oil, diluted with spirits of turpentine, is then applied to the whole, or a part, as desired, laying it on quickly and smoothly to ensure an even transparent surface. The colours used are, ivory black, ultramarine, Paris green, verdigris, umber, sienna, asphaltum, and all other transparent colours. An outline of the design is drawn with a small pencil with black or umber, after which the colours may be applied, more or less diluted, as more or less transparency is desired. In general, the brightest colours should be applied first and the darker shades over them. These colours must be laid evenly and smoothly with soft brushes, and should any part be made too dark, the best way is to scrape off with a stick before the colour gets too dry. The best designs for shades consist of landscape views, and should always be designed to accommodate the form and position of the ground on which they are drawn. Stencils will be found useful on this work, in making corners or stripes for borders. Lettering on Glass. Sign painting on glass is one of the beautiful branches of our art, and as there are but few who can make a good job, I will endeavour to explain the method which has always been found to answer the purpose admirably. The glass should first be thoroughly cleaned and dried, then lay out the lines for the letters with soap, a piece of hard scented soap being best, then pro- ceed to paint the letters on the right side of the glass with lampblack mixed with oil—this is to form a guide for the work; then on the inside, lay on a thin coat of size—made with the white of an ege and water, or isinglass dissolved in water—with a camel’s-hair brush, covering over the whole line of letters. Then lay on the gold leaf with a tip, until every part of the letters is covered well. Allow the leaf to remain until the size is dry, and you will find that the letters on the front side can be easily seen and traced. This is done with quick drying black, to which is added a little varnish. Paint over every part of the letter directly on the gold and allow it to dry; then wipe off with soap and water the lampblack letters from the front side, and with clean cold water and a soft sponge, wash the superfluous goldsleaf and size from the back, aud you will have a perfect gold letter on the glass. Proceed now to shade the letters, which may be done in colours to suit the taste of the painter. Always shade to the edge of the gold, for by that means you have only one edge to make straight. The shade may be left rough on its extreme edge, and when dry a neat straight edge can be obtained by merely scraping with a knife. Scrolls. This work requires the good taste and perfect outline of a draughtsman. But an insight into this ds
 * “Tho Carringe-Painter's Manual.” By F, B, GARDNER.