74 PATTERN MAKING 



As the alcohol in shellac- varnish evaporates very rapidly, the 

 brush should be kept in a vessel which is closed and air tight. A 

 short bottle having a mouth wide enough to admit the brush 

 is best for this purpose. A one-inch, flat, double-thickness, fitch- 

 hair brush is good for general work. Do not use a cork, but turn 

 a wooden cap for the bottle, such as is shown in Fig. 1-48. The 

 shoulder at a may be -jV inch to \ inch 

 long, but must be at least \ inch less in 

 diameter than the inside of the mouth of 

 the bottle. Otherwise the shellac will 

 cement it to the glass so that it cannot 



be removed. Its only object is to keep the cap nearly central on 

 the bottle. The handle of the brush must be tightly fitted into a 

 hole through the center of the cap and fastened with a screw or 

 brad; allowing the trush to reach within one-half inch of the bottom 

 of the bottle. Keep the bottle one-third to one-half full of shellac 

 and use the brush with the cap on the handle. The shellac will 

 make a tight joint between the bottle and the cap, and if the proper 

 amount of shellac is kept in the bottle, the brush will always remain 

 soft. 



For small patterns, such as the bushing described, the small 

 quantity of shellac needed can be used directly from the bottle. 

 For large work however, an earthern-ware cup or mug should be 

 vised, but the shellac left over should always be returned to the 

 vessel in which it is kept. 



Shellac varnish should never be kept in a metallic can or cup, 

 as the oxidation of the metal will discolor the varnish. 



paving givem a perfectly smooth surface to the pattern and 

 core box by the use of very fine sand-paper, (No. 0) apply the first 

 coat of shellac. This first coat will raise the grain and roughen 

 the surface of the wood, which, after the shellac is perfectly dry, 

 must be sand-papered a second time until smooth. Now apply a 

 second coat. Should there still be roughness, a second sand-paper- 

 ing will be necessary. At least three coats of shellac should be 

 used. If there is much end wood exposed on any of the surfaces 

 of the pattern, a fourth coat may be necessary on these parts. 



As regards the color in which patterns are finished there are 

 different rules in different shops. The general rule, however, is to 



