The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
Two-toning, as the trade term for frosting also goes, may be accomplished with a number of different materials, according to the color and lustre desired, the nature of the undercoater and the speed of production necessary. Thus oil colors, alone or with white lead, have good lustre and are easy to wipe off, but are slow drying and may soften the paint or varnish undercoat, causing its lustre to deaden. Japan colors on the other hand will dry fast but to a dead flat which requires a clear top coat to brighten up and are hard to wipe off. Both types should be reduced to fairly thin consistency with benzine, adding to the former a little pale japan to hasten the drying and to the latter a little linseed oil to retard it.
The best all-around frosting color is one ground in half oil and japan, thus embodying reasonably fast drying, elasticity, adhesion and satisfactory gloss, together with easy wiping and minimum danger to the undercoat. They may be obtained so manufactured in either paste form to be reduced half and half with naphtha for spraying or in liquid form ready to brush as taken from the container.
APPLICATION
Frosting color may be sprayed, brushed or even applied with a cloth. As soon as it has flowed out, but before it has set, the time varying with the material, it is wiped off all raised parts with a muslin rag, frequently turned so as to present a clean wiping surface. A strong pressure should not be necessary—if it is, the mixture is too heavy or has dried too long. Similarly the material should not be too thin or it will continue to run and seep after the wiping. The smear should show only in the twistings—the body color only on the high lights.
Bronze colors may also be used where a novelty effect is desired, the powder being mixed in japan gold size and sufficient oil to assure easy wiping. If bronze color constitutes the base coat it should be protected with shellac unless lacquer was the vehicle in which case the frosting may be applied direct. In all frosting care should be taken that the liquid of the two-toner is not a solvent of the base coat; if it is, a shellac sealer coat should intervene to prevent damage in wiping.
Favorite color combinations for two-toned or frosted wicker furniture include gold, salmon or Chinese red over black; white, vermilion or yellow over blue; light gray, aluminum or deep red over brown; black, red, lavender or orange over green; blue, black, dull red or brown over ivory; blue, green or mauve over cream; white, gray, black or aluminum over crimson; blue, red or black over aluminum. Where not frosted or only lightly frosted wicker furniture may also be spray-shaded in the same combinations of color.
