The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
Surfacing.—In eighteen to twenty-four hours the filler should be sealed with lacquer sealer or shellac (2 lb. cut) and sanded. Shellac is preferable on mahogany finishes and is best dipped only on small turnings; larger ones should be sprayed or brushed.
Finishing.—Much the same is true of the finish coat of varnish or lacquer, one coat of each being usually sufficient. For rubbing the piece is placed on the lathe holding a pad of waste in the hand sprinkled with paraffin oil and FFF pumice; if it is desired to polish in addition, wet the pad with tripoli, rotten stone and furniture polish, cleaning off with fresh waste. The lathe should revolve swiftly, progress being noticeable by moving the pad to one side—the slush is largely thrown off by the revolutions. A flat rubber can be used to French polish with French varnish over shellac coating—apply rubber to piece dampened with French varnish while turning—shellac can be applied in this way also. On cheaper work, especially gum and birch, the turning is simply stained, surfaced with shellac and waxed, paste furniture wax being held against the revolving piece on a cheese cloth pad. In about an hour the wax can be polished with clean waste or an additional coat applied.
Polychrome.—Many wood lamp bases are polychromed, metalleafed and bronzed, the processes for which are described in more detail elsewhere. The wood for lamps is usually poplar or basswood to which a sealer is first applied, consisting of several coats of either dry colors in heavy shellac or a mixture of whiting and dry Venetian red in thin glue, brushed on. Over this japan gold size is brushed, followed when tacky by gold leaf, burnished with the tool. The sealed parts to be polychromed are painted with bright green, red, blue and yellow japan colors reduced with turpentine, antique glazed over when dry with Van Dyke brown in japan thinned with benzine. This is wiped off while wet from high lights and into deep parts, protected when dry with clear lacquer or pale varnish, rubbed dull.
Carved Turnings.—Where carvings are present the dipping process may be retained, but all other work must be done by brush or spray as the lathe becomes impracticable. This also applies to polychroming which is chiefly handwork anyway.
Lamp shades
CLOTH Shades Glace.—Several different grades of cloth are used in lamp shade manufacture, ranging from ordinary cheesecloth to finer fabrics. After being sewed to the frame, the cloth is trimmed and the whole rolled or dipped in lamp shade varnish, outside and in. If the fabric is smooth, the shade takes on an amber, glass-like tone; if coarse, the threads stick out in the manner of Turkish towelling and yield a softly diffused light.
