The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Furniture Finishing
"Waxes were first used as vehicles for colored paints which were later mixed with animal fats and oils to lower the melting point of the wax. For interiors, fish glue, vegetable gum and white of egg were the earliest mediums used for mixing with colors.
Use of oil.—The first mention of a drying oil as a paint vehicle was by Actius, a Greek physician of the sixth century, and this may have been linseed oil. In the library of Lucca is a manuscript giving information on how to make a transparent varnish from amber gum and linseed oil. One who understands the make-up of varnishes of today can see that the fundamental operations in making varnish have not changed materially, although new and more refined equipment, methods and raw materials have been developed.
Oil painting was developed in the eleventh century, but was a very crude art, for it was not until the sixteenth century that oil painting was fully developed. The development of the paint industry was slow until the revival of industry after the Civil War, which brought on many improvements in every line of industry.
Turpentin-e.—About three hundred years ago turpentine was discovered in the Southern American colonies by early settlers. Kauri gum was brought into England in 1769, following Captain Cook's discovery of New Zealand, and this is a very important gum in the manufacture of high-grade varnishes. China wood oil, or tung oil, used by the Chinese centuries ago in all kinds of lacquering, was introduced into spar or waterproof varnishes about thirty years ago.
A gradual development in the paint and varnish industry, rather than a radical change, is the result after nine centuries of improvement. One could easily say that the furniture industry has been far behind other industries, especially the finishing of furniture. It is not so long ago that material was put on furniture with a trowel while hot, before the use of brushes, and the varnish maker of colonial days peddled his varnish about the streets.
Formerly all material was applied by hand, with what is known as a sponge or rubber, over the entire surface of the furniture. This method necessarily took several weeks to finish a large piece of furniture, and as a result, only kings and nobles were in a position to have fine furniture, and even then, had to wait weeks for completion of a single piece.
After the advent of brushes the application of varnish and paint became much easier and faster. Paint and varnish materials in the last few years have been applied mostly by the air-gun or spray. This method of application of materials is the best method of applying thin liquids, because no brush marks or laps can be seen after coating. Stain, shellac, enamels, varnishes and lacquers may all be applied by this method.
