The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Furniture Finishing

Perhaps the chief talking points for lacquer enamel lie in its naturally agreeable sheen upon drying, as against the necessity for rubbing oil enamel, and the fact that greater production is possible through devoting the ovens entirely to undercoat baking. Moreover, the use of lacquer enamel eliminates all worries incident to over- or under-baking white and delicate shades of finish coat. Fundamentally the comparison is one of costs, and results along this line naturally vary with conditions as they exist in individual shops or plants.

For a lacquer enamel schedule, see Refrigerators.


Art Metal Funiture


BY ART metal furniture is generally understood a class of furniture used principally for decorative purposes, chiefly wrought, malleable and cast iron and aluminum. It includes period and novelty hall and sunroom chairs, ferneries, torcheres, benches, magazine holders, ash receivers, pedestal and fourlegged tables, book troughs, coffee tables and the like. They are seen largely in twisted outlines—chairs and benches are usually equipped with cushion seats and tables frequently have walnut or marble tops. The type of finish applied may be classified as natural, black, painted, bronzed or polychrome.

NATURAL

The natural, which is also known as a Swedish finish, requires little or nothing in the way of materials. The metal is first machined to a medium bright lustre and over this is applied a thin coat of gilsonite asphaltum or black japan color, wiped off immediately while still wet so as to appear only in dents and depressions which have not been surfaced up by the machinery. This gives a mottled appearance, agreeable and apparently natural in effect.

BLACK

As the natural color of iron to many people is black, it is often enhanced in the finish with a practical view at the same time of preserving it from rust. This may be done by dipping, spraying or brushing on gilsonite asphaltum, japan color or flat black lacquer. The lustre may be increased by adding varnish to the japan color or providing an eggshell or gloss black lacquer. Either way and regardless of material, black forms an excellent background for colorful cushions or for polychroming where the design permits.

PAINTED

The most popular painted effect for wrought iron furniture is known as "verde." This is supposed to represent ancient bronze which has turned green from age and may be procured in two ways.