FRENCH WALNUT BURL.
This variety of walnut comes from France, although fair burls come from
Spain and Italy. A large portion of the alleged French walnut is merely
the root of the American walnut, but the best specimens of burl come
from France and have not as yet been grown in this country. The finest
burl is cut from the excrescences or bunches which appear on the trunk
of the tree, and is quite expensive. It is most frequently used for
small panels on furniture, and is not generally used for house-work.
Gunstocks are sometimes made from it, and such are very beautiful.
[Illustration: Plate 38.
CURLY WALNUT.]
[Illustration: Plate 39.
FRENCH WALNUT BURL.]
French walnut is probably imitated in a different manner in every State
in the Union; hence the manner herein described may appear wholly wrong
to some grainers. But if we succeed in matching the wood, the manner of
doing the work is seldom called in question. There are several "patent"
processes for imitating this wood, exclusive of the transfer roller.
I was informed some years ago by an agent who possessed the secret of
the _best_ way in which to grain French walnut that after two lessons
in his process anybody could perfectly match the wood; he did not
succeed in selling me the great (?) secret. Yet there are processes
other than the ones here given which for certain kinds of work are
excellent, but they are seldom used by grainers to the trade. In
England the burl is seldom imitated, English imitations being mostly
confined to the curly or wavy portions of the grain.
French walnut may be represented in either oil or distemper by being
partially done in oil and finished in distemper, or _vice versâ_. The
tools are the same as those used for black walnut, as are also the
colors--burnt umber and Vandyke brown. For the very light portions a
little burnt sienna may be added to the color. When the work is to be
done in oil, rub in the color rather dry, and with the sash tool dipped
in some dark color cover such portions of the work as you wish to
appear dark; then take a piece of soft cotton rag and remove the color
where the light places are to appear, and work up the dark places with
the rag until the desired effect is obtained; then blend lightly with
the dry brush, and with the fitch tool add lines and curves, or knots
if desired, constantly keeping the grain of the wood in mind and
striving to represent it. Blend lightly with the dry brush and stipple
the light places with the flat brush (or the stippling may be done in
distemper on the ground-work before the oil color is applied). When the
oil color is dry, the work may be shaded or overgrained in either oil
or water color.
The other method in ordinary use among grainers is to do the work
wholly in distemper, and for work that is not too complicated this
method is undoubtedly the best. The mode of procedure is much the same
as for oil color, using the sponge to make the lighter parts, and
darkening the work with the sash tool, making the settled places
preparatory to overgraining. If done in this manner, the work will be
gone over two or three times in an hour, which is quite an advantage,
as, if the work is first done in oil, it must be allowed time to dry
before being shaded; but for intricate work the grain may be done
equally well in oil color if it is overgrained when dry.
This wood is not of sufficient size to be used on large surfaces
without being jointed; hence it is not in good taste to imitate it on a
very large scale. Its use is more properly confined to small panels and
to interior rather than to exterior work. It is a very rare occurrence
to find a specimen of the real wood exposed to the weather as, being
but a thin veneer, it would be quickly affected by the extreme changes
of temperature to which it would be subjected.
In conclusion, the only way to become expert in imitating French walnut
is to strive to copy the grains of the real wood; and no wood is more
often misrepresented than is French walnut.
[Illustration: Plate 40.
MAHOGANY STRAIGHT.]
[Illustration: Plate 41.
MAHOGANY MOTTLED.]