The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
A form of wood-turner's cement, developed in the eighteenth century, has undergone various stages of development up to the present time and become one of the principal materials for patching. From a form of sealing wax in sticks, it developed into a stick mostly of shellac, and has been introduced in all the shades of wood for cabinet room work and all the shades of the different finishes, including the bright colors, also transparent for the finishing room.
A process of bleaching shellac, to furnish a product known as French varnish, when the gum is cut with denatured alcohol, has been in use for some time, and is used extensively on varnish surfaces for building up spots by French polishing. This product has largely superseded both orange and white shellac for French polishing, and has particular advantages over shellac for this purpose. The method of application of this product will be dealt with at length in later chapters.
In the last twenty years the development in patching materials has undergone a great change or rather a great advancement. Burning in holes or indentations with cement, or French polishing with shellac, was all the patching done fifty years ago. Today we have numerous materials for patching different finishes, and yet there is need for improvement.
Each new finish placed on the market, with a wide sale and use, demands a special material for patching that will give good results with minimum delay. One of these developments is spirit enamel, for patching all enameled surfaces, with tinting colors made for it in order that the patcher may match any shade of enamel. This product will dry quickly and can be rubbed or frenched after drying. Amalgamates, for frenching varnish surfaces and for flowing on a varnish surface to eliminate checks, are another development.
It has now come to the point of developing new materials for patching the lacquer surfaces. Different material must be developed for every known finishing material, and must contain materials similar to first finishing material, or at least not antagonistic to it. Some materials for frenching lacquer surfaces are now on the market, and it will come to the point of making a new kind of cement for burning in on lacquer pigment and clear lacquer coatings. A close touch with the material manufacturing companies, and especially those who make a specialty of patching materials will keep you thoroughly posted and up to date. The development of a stick shellac that will not raise when sprayed over with clear lacquer has eliminated much of the trouble occasioned when burning-in on lacquer surfaces. It is useless to say that patching requires as much attention in the factory as finishing, for few of the pieces become damaged before they leave the factory, and if damaged in transit, it is up to the dealer to repair the damage and make claim with the transportation company for any damages in transit, but the kind of patching done by some men in factories is evidence of lack of instruction in this department and inadequate materials for patching.
