The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Coloring Finishing And Painting Wood
8. Spotting.—The cause is sometimes severe chilling of a freshly varnished surface. Discolored spots appear, sometimes caused by splashes of water. The constituents in the varnish may separate, causing a loss of transparency. On vehicles the color usually returns if the spotted surface be washed and dried, preferably in the open air and sunlight.
9. Tackiness.—Coats of varnish over improperly cleaned old surfaces that are greasy, dirty, or have been much handled, sometimes remain tacky and will not harden. Remedy: Remove the tacky coating with paint and varnish remover and revarnish after proper cleaning. The best cleaning is a rub down with pumice-stone and water. Improper drying conditions or the use of an unsuitable type of varnish may cause varnish coatings to remain tacky. Nondrying oils, or some improper thinner placed in a varnish, may cause coatings from it to remain tacky indefinitely. Warning: The quick-drying varnishes of today cannot safely be thinned when cold, or mixed, or reduced in any wav. This is also true of some of the fossil-resin varnishes of recent manufacture. It is best to allow the varnish manufacturer to thin varnishes.
10. Livering in the Can.—To leave varnishes standing in the original can unopened and exposed to extreme cold, may cause "livering," which means a separation of the ingredients. Remedy: Always store varnishes in a moderately warm room during cold weather. Sometimes cheap A-arnishes of poor mixtures "liver" into viscous, paintlike masses as a result of chemical reactions. The manufacturers should be notified of such conditions.
11. Skinning.—Sometimes varnish in cans that have been opened and not tightly corked or sealed forms a crust or skin because of surface oxidation and evaporation of the volatile varnish thinner. Such varnishes will cause "seeds" or "specks" in all varnish coatings made from them unless the varnish is carefully strained. A quart of varnish will not keep well in a gallon can. It will be helpful if the varnish is poured into a quart can which is tightly closed to exclude the air. This will reduce the amount of oxidation, evaporation and "skinning."
12. Specks.—Dirty varnishes from "skinning" in the can or exposure to the air and "lousy" brushes are the usual causes, if the surfaces being varnished were properly cleaned and the varnished object kept in a clean room and away from dust. All brushes must be kept in a "brush keeper," hung by the handle, and properly immersed in "brush-keeper varnish." It is very important to keep all brushes, varnish pots, and the drip wire absolutely clean and free from specks of hardened varnish. The "brush keeper" should have a cover that is as tight fitting as possible.
