The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
All may be altered to a lacquer formula by substituting clear body lacquer for the white shellac and lacquer reducer for the denatured alcohol. Lacquer formulas have less body than shellac formulas, but give a slightly more transparent tone. To give a darker effect in any of the formulas it is only necessary to increase the proportion of alcohol soluble black, which will also make it more suitable for red mahogany. A lighter effect is procured by increasing the proportion of alcohol or lacquer thinner or decreasing the aniline content.
Lacquer Enamel.—A fade proof shading stain may be made from black furniture lacquer enamel with an asphaltum base, reduced half and half with reducer and with a pint of clear lacquer added to the gallon. An agreeable brown tone will result and it may safely be used over filler and under varnish. It must, of course, be applied by spraying.
Pigment Oil.—Where it is desired to shade and high-light by hand as for antique period oak, it is possible to employ a pigment shading stain consisting of equal parts of burnt sienna and burnt umber in japan, mixed in solvent naphtha with a small quantity of boiled oil added for easy wiping and asphaltum varnish for depth. Such a mixture may be brushed or sprayed on and hand-wiped if desired within fifteen minutes of application. It should stand overnight to dry and may be used over bare wood, water stain, hard dry filler, lacquer or shellac and under shellac, varnish or lacquer. The color may be deepened by adding a proportion of Van Dyke brown if desired, and is entirely fade proof.
SELECTION OF SHADING METHOD
The question of which shading method to use is based largely on the quality of the work. For example, a cheap cabinet may be rushed out by omitting stain and filling direct on the openpored veneer, shading on the wet filler and the bare gum parts direct with pigment (not aniline) oil shading stain. This is allowed to dry overnight, followed by a shellac sealer coat, sanding and varnish. If desired a shellac spirit shading stain may be substituted for the oil stain if used over shellac.
Glazing and Shading painted work
ANTIQUE shading on painted furniture is known also as "parchment finishing," "glazing," "misting" and "smoking," the latter two applying particularly to spray application. The purpose is either to give variety to a plain body color or soften the sharpness of a bright one. and in some cases to duplicate the effect of antique painted originals. Antique "glazing" is generally understood to imply hand work, but however applied, the material should go on the work very thin, almost watery, so it will appear transparent and reveal the paint, lacquer enamel or bronze body color showing through. The glaze or antique shading materials are also customarily applied over striping, hand-painted or transfer designs, bronze or colored flutings and vein lines—in fact, over all decorations.
