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Coloring Finishing And Painting Wood
On the inside of buildings, where the ultra-violet rays of sunlight have been removed by filtering thru windowglass, clear lacquers do not break down chemically or physically, and can be used with satisfaction. These clear lacquers, which are enduring for indoor use, cannot be used over lacquer-enamels on automobiles in order to give a higher gloss to the finish, because of the intense actinic action of the ultra-violet sunlight rays. Manufacturers and their chemists are hoping to solve this problem and make it possible to produce a higher luster on lacquer-enamel finishes, which are always much duller than varnish finishes.18
Varnishes have been tried over lacquer enamels, the finisher hoping thus to secure a greater luster or higher gloss, but without success. Mr. Kennedy reports, in the reference just cited, that a new clear "varnish-lacquer," containing pretreated varnish and high-grade vegetable oils, is now being tried with strong indications of success, altho the tests are still in an experimental stage.
It is probable that in the near future clear lacquers may contain some chemical ingredient which will act as an ultraviolet-ray filter for sunlight. Other methods for making a clear lacquer that is durable in sunlight are receiving the attention of chemists, such as replacing part of the nitrocellulose by another ingredient which will serve as a filter for destructive rays, or finding a substitute for the nitrocellulose itself.
Clear lacquer-finishes are beautiful, and are durable on wooden furniture which is kept at a uniform temperature and not exposed to extremes of humidity. The tough hard lacquer-films do not stretch and contract readily, and are liable to become checked because the film ruptures with great changes in temperature or humidity.
249. Lacquer-Enamels and Colored Lacquers. — Pigments in white, black, and various colors are often added to clear or transparent lacquers, if obscuration and a change in hue or tone are desired with a quick-drying finish. The addition of pigments gives lacquer a resistance to the actinic rays of sunlight, and has made lacquer-enamels successful for outdoor use. It is well-known, however, that clear lacquer will not give service under such conditions.
Pigmented lacquers can be purchased in most of the hues including a great variety of tints and shades. If the three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—in addition to black and white, are kept on hand, a colorist can mix almost any color which he desires, just as is done with paints or enamels. This statement means that the lacquer enamels can be mixed together to produce other colors. It does not mean that painters' colors which are ground in oil can be added to clear or transparent lacquer or to white lacquerenamel. This should not be done, because the oil vehicle in which the pigments are ground does not mix properly with nitrocellulose mixtures. If one wishes to add new coloring pigments he can obtain the best results by securing colors ground in japan rather than those ground in oil.
