The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
If one is to brush on the amalgamater, care must be taken to have the surface horizontal if possible and lay the material on as heavy as possible without danger of running. If a spray is used the material can be flooded over the surface and leave a very smooth finish with no brush marks. Care must be used to prevent laps and runs, for places made uneven in this way prevent a perfect finish later on.
Finishing.—After flowing on or spraying any kind of amalgamaters, the work from there on depends on the kind and quality of finish desired. One can dull an even surface after twelve hours with 2 0 steel wool, or the surface can be dry sanded with 5 0 garnet finishing paper to a smooth finish and another coat of lacquer or varnish applied, depending on the original finish. After this coating it can be rubbed with pumice and oil to any desired texture.
As mentioned previously, several things may cause a cloudy surface, and it may happen that it is not any of the causes mentioned in this treatment. For this reason you may not be able to remove the grayish appearance by flowing any material over the top coating. If the above methods do not give results, it is best to remove the finish and build up again according to approved standard methods, outlined in Book II.
INK STAINS REMOVED
Although very simple to remove, ink stains are bothersome. The time the stain has been left on the finish governs the method used for their removal. "When little finish is on the furniture, as in the case of old school desks, it is next to impossible to remove ink stains. Most all inks are made from aniline water soluble dyes and, of course, are very penetrating. A little soap and water will remove the spots that are fresh on a varnish or lacquer finish, by rubbing with a cloth. Spots that cannot be removed in this simple manner will sometimes yield to a weak solution of butter of antimony in water, shaken up and rubbed over the spot vigorously with a cloth. Other spots will not yield unless rubbed out with pumice stone and water, the pumice cutting up the surface and the water dissolving the stain. If the spots are stubborn, they can be sanded out and then the surface French polished with amalgamater or French varnish, as outlined for water marks in the beginning of this chapter.
When the stain has penetrated into the wood and none of the above methods will remove the stain, there is nothing to do but try some of the bleaching processes, outlined in Book II.
