There is a charm and feeling about work executed by the hand, which
gives it a value no mere machine work can possess. Machine work, from
its very nature, necessitates a repetition of pattern, which cannot
be avoided. Hand-work, on the contrary, can imitate every variety, and
follow nature so closely that no two pieces need be alike. There
is also in hand-work a wide scope for the inventive faculty and
the exercise of good taste (both in form and color) and skillful
workmanship. As a rule, strong contrasts between the ground and the
graining color should be avoided. The figure and grain should of
course be seen clearly, but only so clearly as to be distinct, without
interfering with the general and uniform quietness of tone necessary
to fulfil the conditions required by the laws of harmony and good
taste. Violent contrasts and gaudy coloring are always vulgar,
brilliancy and richness of color are not necessarily vulgar; it is
the absence of the guiding power of knowledge and pure taste in their
arrangement which degrades them to the rank of vulgarity. We have
before spoken of the importance of good combing, and of the various
kinds of combs used; we now proceed to describe how the work is done.
The graining color is brushed over the work, in the ordinary manner,
with a pound-brush, care being taken not to put too much color on,
or else it is very liable to be dirty. A dry duster is now used to
stipple with, which, if properly done, will distribute the color
evenly; it is now ready for combing. In the real oak it will be found,
as a rule, that the grain is invariably coarser on one side of the
panel than on the other; this arises from the very nature of the
growth of the tree; it is, therefore, well to imitate this
pattern, and in order to do so we take first a medium or coarse cut
gutta-percha comb, and draw it down one side of the panel; then use a
finer one to complete it. This comb will leave the marks of the grain
in clear unbroken lines from top to bottom of the panel. We now take a
fine steel comb and go over the whole of the previous combing, moving
it in a slanting or diagonal direction across the previous grain, or
with a quick and short wavy motion or curl; both the former and the
latter motion will break up the long lines, left by the gutta-percha
comb, into short bits, which of course represent the pores or grains
of the real wood. There are several other motions of the comb having
the same end in view; and by using the gutta-percha or cork combs, in
conjunction with the fine steel, an infinite variety of grain may be
produced. Steel combs, with one or more folds of thin rag placed
over the ends of the teeth are a style of comb which has nothing to
recommend it. A natural variation in the grain may be produced by one
comb alone, according to the manner in which it is held. For instance,
if we take a coarse or broad-toothed gutta-percha comb, and commence
at the top of a panel, with the comb, placed at its full width: if
drawn down in this position it will leave a grain of the same width
as the width of the teeth: but if we start with the full width, and
gradually turn the comb or slightly incline it to one side--that is to
say, on its edge, we thereby graduate the grain from coarse to fine
at pleasure, and by holding the comb at a certain inclination we may
actually make very fine the coarse comb. A very important point is
the formation of the joints in the wood, as much of the effect of
otherwise good work is lost in consequence of neglect in this respect.
In looking at a real oak door, the joints of the stiles and rails are
clearly and sharply defined, not by any defect of workmanship, but
by the difference in the run of the grain, the stiles being
perpendicular, and the rails horizontal. The rails being cut sharp
off by the stiles, show a perfectly straight line. The light also acts
differently upon the two, simply because the grain or fibre of the
wood is exposed to its influence under different aspects. This also
tends to produce a difference in the depth of the color of rails and
stiles, and panels also. It will be evident that no imitations can be
considered really good except they include these seemingly unimportant
points.
It is a common practice for grainers to imitate a broad piece of heart
or sap of oak, upon the back rail of almost every door they do, and
many of them are not even content with that, but daub the stiles over
from top to bottom with it also. There is nothing so vulgar or in
such bad taste. It should only be done upon those parts of the work on
which it would appear on a real oak door, namely, on the edges of the
doors and on mouldings. There is a vulgar pretentiousness about what
we may call the sappy style of work which is very undesirable. The
figures cross the grain more or less abruptly and of course are of
different shapes, sizes, and forms, a knowledge of which can only be
acquired by study of the real wood. The figure may be wiped out with
a piece of soft rag, held tight over the thumb nail. This should have
two or three folds over the nail, the superfluous rag being held by
the other hand to prevent it hanging down and smearing the grain; and
every time a figure is wiped, the rag should be moved slightly, so
that the same part of the rag will not be used twice, thus insuring
clean work. It will often happen that the thumb-nail will get broken,
or is too weak to stand the work; in these cases, or, in fact, in
any case, a good substitute or artificial thumb-nail may be made of
gutta-percha, thus: A piece of thin sheet gutta-percha is put into
warm water, and, while soft, is wrapped around the end of the thumb up
to the first joint. It is then pressed with the hand, so as to fit
and take the shape of the thumb and nail. This cannot be done at one
heating, but will have to be put into the hot water again, and the end
pinched and squeezed into form to the shape of the nail, and to fit
easily upon the thumb. When this gets hard, it may be trimmed into
perfect form with a penknife. This artificial nail will answer the
purpose admirably if properly made; and even when the natural nail
is good, the gutta-percha will serve to save it from injury. Good
figuring may also be done by using the blank end of the steel
comb with a rag folded over its edge. We have also used a piece of
gutta-percha to take out the lights. This should be square-ended,
about one inch wide, and three or four inches long, and will do
successful work of a certain class, but not of the best. Many grainers
use a piece of thin horn, in shape something like a spatula, about
three or four inches long and three quarters of an inch wide, with
rounded ends, and quite flexible. With this tool the figure is cut
or scooped out--a sort of quick, side-long motion, very difficult to
describe, and requiring a very considerable amount of practice
before it can be worked with any success. There is, however, the same
objection to this tool as may be urged against the gutta-percha for
figuring, namely, that neither of them take the color clean away, but
leave an accumulation of color on the edge of the figure, which is
fatal to good work; and therefore we cannot honestly recommend the
use of any method but the wiping out with the thumb-nail or its
substitute. When the figure is wiped out it will require to be
softened. By softening, we mean the imitation of those half shades
seen upon and about the figures in the real wood. Between and around
the lights or figure in oak, there is always a lighter tint of color;
this is imitated by doubling a piece of rag into a small roll, and
with the side of this the grain is partially wiped away, but not to
the extent of taking off the whole of the grain. A recent but most
admirable system of graining oak, by means of over-combing, is worked
exactly the reverse of any of the foregoing methods; that is to
say, the figure is first wiped out, and the combing or grain is done
afterwards, when the graining color is dry, in this wise: The graining
color is mixed somewhat thinner than for ordinary graining, and is
brushed over the work sparingly, leaving it just sufficiently strong
to show a clear distinction between the ground and the color. The
light or figure is then softened by drawing the end of a flat hog-hair
fitch, or a small thin mottler, across each figure, and slightly
softening with the badger-hair softener. The figure is broken up a
little with fine lines across it in parts, such as may be seen in the
real wood; but previous to wiping out the figure, streaks of light
should be wiped out and softened on one side of the panel or across
the stiles, in imitation of the reflective lights seen in oak. The
color should also be partially wiped off the rails or stiles at their
junction; this tends to define the joint. The color is now let to
dry hard, when it will be ready for over-combing--that is, combing or
graining over the figure (hence its name), and this will have to be
done somewhat differently to the ordinary combing. As thus: The color
is rubbed in as before, and combed solely with the gutta-percha combs,
but these are specially cut for the purpose; they are best about 2 in.
wide. The first must be cut with teeth about three-sixteenths of an
inch in width, the next one-eighth, and the third about one-sixteenth.
The broad-toothed comb is first used, and must be drawn down the
panel, with a wavy motion, in short or long curls; either will
answer our purpose now. The next size of comb is then drawn straight
down--the straighter the better. This has the effect of breaking the
wavy combing into short and long straight bits, similar to the pores
or grain of the real wood. Both the first and second combing may be
varied by holding the comb in a slanting direction, and may be fine or
coarse, according to the width of the combs used; now take a soft rag
folded, and with this partially clear off the grain which runs over
the figure, leaving only a sufficient quantity crossing the light
or figure, to be just distinguished, exactly as it appears upon the
figure in real oak. The grain is also wiped off in parts on the plain
spaces between the figure, in order to break it up and take away any
formality. If this method be well and probably done, a thoroughly
deceptive imitation may be produced; and except this end be kept in
view, no really good work will result.
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