Page:Violin Varnish and How to Make it.djvu/37

Rh quickly, evenly and very thinly. When quite dry proceed with the second coat, and so on until you have obtained the depth of varnish and colour you require.

Always work in a dry room free from dust.

In winter the room should be warmed.

Spirit varnish must be very thin to be applied easily; hence, to acquire body and colour, 6 to 12 coats are necessary.

If each coating is polished before adding the next, an extra translucid varnish will be obtained.

To polish spirit varnish, use raw oil and finest Tripoli powder.

To polish oil varnish use water and finest pumice powder.

Always filter the varnish; this can easily be done with wool or fine cloth.

All gums used must be pure, and it is advisable to clean them before dissolving.

Add to the gum to be dissolved a small quantity of broken, not powdered, glass. The glass will get mixed with the gums and prevent it forming a solid mass, thus enabling the solvent to act more promptly. Two coats of oil varnish are sufficient.