FINISHING THE OUTSIDE.
When the pattern has all been laid, the next thing that remains is to
finish the exterior, and polish it or oil it as may be desired. To do
this it is, of course, necessary to use great care. The veneers, if
they have been used, are very thin, about the twenty-fifth part of an
inch, and there is not much to come off. It must therefore be scraped
very carefully with a sharp scraper, either in the lathe, or, if the
work be a flat surface, by a scraper held in the hand, and made of
sheet steel of the best quality. In using the scraper, care must be
taken to humor the grain of the wood, so that it will not be roughened
up by being rubbed the wrong way. When it has been scraped sufficiently
smooth, it must be thoroughly rubbed with sand paper, until it has an
even, uniform surface all over. If it is to be varnished and polished,
French polish as it is termed, such as is seen on pianos, it will
require a long time and much experience to make it a success. The
reason is this: the polish is really given to the gum of which the
varnish is composed, and not to the wood itself. The gum sinks into the
pores of the wood and fills them up, and hardens as it is applied, but
the fluids in which the gums are dissolved, either turpentine or oil,
evaporate comparatively slowly, so that before each coat is applied,
the previous one must be dry and hard, or else the next one will be
streaky, and the surface will be ridgy.
The length of time depends greatly on the weather; from three to six
months being required to properly dry and harden a piano-case so that
it will wear—six months is, however, extreme, and is only the case in
very warm weather. It will easily be seen why so many amateurs fail in
producing that vitreous glaze, or polish, which is so universally
admired. Not one in fifty has patience enough to wait until the first
coat dries, before the second is applied, and they keep trying the
varnish, to see if it won’t work, in a day or two after it has been put
on. It sometimes takes ten days before the third coat is ready to apply
the next. It is a common fault to apply too much varnish on the first
coat. It is necessary to rub it into the grain of the wood, so that it
is thoroughly charged with it, and sinks into the pores. By rubbing it
is merely meant to take a little on the brush and cover the surface
gradually, without trying to make it look well or ill. The ground work
has to be put on first, before any thing can be done toward
ornamenting. After one coat has been put on, it must be rubbed down
with sand paper to remove any varnish that may not have sunk into the
work, and when all is fair and smooth and dry, a second coat may be
applied and treated in the same way. The third coat may be applied
rather more freely, and must be left to get thoroughly hard before
treating it. It must then be rubbed freely with pumice stone flour, and
water. This will leave it bright and hard if the varnish has been
skillfully put on, and a coat of flowing varnish may now be put on for
the last. Flowing varnish is so-called because it is lighter in body
than most varnishes, and is intended as the last of all, to produce
that elegant glossy surface which characterizes all fine work.
Many persons use shellac varnish, which is simply gum lac (the proper
name is “lac”), which is a gum found in the Indies; the trade give it
the names of shell-lac and seed-lac, and one other which I have
forgotten: shell-lac is the kind used for varnish. The gum is simply
dissolved in alcohol of high proof; the solution being aided by
exposure to a warm place and agitation from time to time. As this
varnish dries immediately, or within an hour, owing to the rapid
evaporation of the alcohol; it is very convenient for amateurs who are
of an energetic turn of mind, and wish to see their productions turned
and finished in a breath, as one may say. It takes a fair polish, but
is by no means so durable or beautiful as copal or hard varnishes. On
some woods, as, for instance, cherry, pine, or cedar, it is very
appropriate, and looks well.
It is quite easy to write these instructions and observations down, but
there is a dexterity, acquired only by practice, which cannot be told
to any one, and the operator must, if possible, inform himself by
visiting the nearest cabinet or piano factory, and see with his eyes
for himself.
I should have said previously that ivory black introduced into
shell-lac varnish, gives a very good black lacquer, closely imitating
japan, while other colors, such as blue, carmine, green, or yellow,
have the effect of enamel when handsomely rubbed down and polished with
several coats. I have seen some most beautiful knobs for drawers, fancy
handles, etc., made in this way, that looked like porcelain.
Oiled wood looks well in furniture, and there may be some who desire to
use it on fancy work. It is simply linseed oil applied in successive
coats; but it requires time to dry, and always has a disagreeable odor
about it.