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

Furniture Finishing

Painting.—When the mirror is completely dry, a coat of thin shellac is applied over the silvering as it has been found that this gives a good foundation for the paint and adds to life of the silver. When this is dry a coat of special mirror backing paint is brushed on. This paint comes in paste form in various shades of gray to be reduced to brushing consistency with benzine or turpentine. It will dry in about twenty minutes, forming a hard, durable finish and may be obtained from a number of manufacturers.


Cane Glazing


CANE for furniture comes in two forms, glazed or glossy and unglazed or dull and porous, of which the former is most generally encountered. The purpose is usually one of finishing to harmonize with the furniture color, walnut, mahogany or oak. This may be in a straight color or in a shaded, antique effect. On painted work the same or a shaded effect is customary.

Glazed.—The problem with glazed cane is primarily to make the color adhere, for the glossy surface holds out the finish and the uncertain anchorage afforded renders chipping and flaking easily accomplished. Three types of mixture are therefore used as follows:

(1) Dissolve in denatured alcohol equal parts Bismarck brown and spirit black and add an equal amount of white shellac. This will give a dark brown shade suitable for brown mahogany; the proportions of powder may be varied for a more reddish effect and for walnut, loutre brown may be substituted for Bismarck brown. In fact any combination of spirit soluble anilines may be employed to secure the desired shade. If it is desired to high-light, this should be done with a spray.
(2) In a similar way dry colors, such as siennas and umbers, rose pink and Van Dyke brown, may be mixed in turpentine and japan dryer with a little linseed oil added to make it possible to high-light by wiping. Japan colors may also be employed, reducing with turpentine and adding a little boiled oil. These mixtures should be applied thin and may be brushed or sprayed on.
(3) On cheaper work penetrating oil stains may be applied, slightly reduced with benzole to increase penetration, and with a small amount of japan dryer added to hasten the drying.

Unglazed.—Unglazed cane readily absorbs the color and is most easily finished with one or another of the spirit shellac or lacquer shading mixtures described in Book I, Chapter I. Mixtures containing oil are best not used as they may tend to darken the cane excessively. Solid woven cane is of a coarser weave and is used chiefly on porch and utility chairs, being finished with the same varnish as the frame (See Chapter XVIII).

Protecting.—To protect the color glazes mentioned, a coat of clear flat lacquer i.s suitable for all but (3) ; flat varnish may be, and customarily is, used on all. There is no objection to a gloss lacquer or varnish providing this lustre is satisfactory.