VARNISH AND PAINT EXPERIMENTS. 41 



As to body, there appears to be no difference that can be correlated 

 with the turpentine used. One firm expresses the opinion that all 

 the varnishes rub better than the varnish they regularly use; another, 

 that only time and exposure make it possible to determine accurately 

 the value of the varnishes; another, that they find it very difficult 

 to form an opinion on the merits of the varnishes. The wood turpen- 

 tines are said to contain very strong elements of resinous spirits, from 

 which the best results can not be obtained. 



PIANO-FINISHING VARNISHES. 



One experimenter thinned both gum turpentine varnishes and 

 that made with steam-distilled turpentine (No. 2) ; another thinned 

 only one gum spirits sample. Two observers did not thin the var- 

 nishes, and two thinned all alike. In no case was the thinning done 

 in the order of the viscosity of the several varnishes. 



The varnishes remained tacky for from 4 to 55 hours, but there 

 was no relation between this condition and the viscosity of the var- 

 nishes or the distillation tests of the turpentines. 



The data do not indicate that there is any difference in the time 

 required to dry hard. No difference in gloss was reported, except 

 in one instance a gum turpentine varnish is stated to have the poorest 

 gloss. One observer finds tears in Nos. 1 and 3. 



In one case the odor of the destructively distilled, soda-refined 

 sample was reported as objectionable; another objected to the odor of 

 both destructively distilled samples Nos. 3 and 4, and a third observer 

 detected all the wood turpentines, and stated that both of the gum 

 spirits varnishes had an old fatty oil odor. The odor of the steam 

 distilled and one gum turpentine was found objectionable in one case 

 and in another both destructively distilled samples were so reported. 



Only one observer found any difficulty in working the samples, 

 the destructively distilled wood turpentines being difficult to handle. 



None of the varnishes was found satisfactory in polishing, except 

 by two observers. 



Two observers found that all of the varnishes flowed freely from 

 the brush; one that there was some difference. One observer found 

 all the varnishes unsatisfactory, as they did not flow out well. The 

 one thinned with gum spirits (No. 1) was best, the varnish thinned 

 with destructively distilled turpentine (No. 3) was rated second, 

 while the steam distilled (No. 2), the other destructively distilled 

 (No. 4), and the other gum spirits (No. 5) varnishes were found to be 

 poor. No choice could be made between the samples. The same 

 observer remarks that in his opinion all these varnishes were pre- 

 pared and thinned with turpentine substitutes. Another observer 

 found all the varnishes unsatisfactory as polishing varnishes, the 

 two destructively distilled samples being the worst. Another ob- 



