Cages and Cage-making. 



used. After you have given a cage a coat of the staining- 

 liquid, if you think it is too light in colour, make it darker 

 by giving it a second coat. After the stain has dried 

 thoroughly, you may proceed to varnish. The following is an 

 excellent recipe for spirit varnish : Gum shellac (orange), 6oz. ; 

 gum sandrac, oz. ; amber resin, oz. ; methylated spirit, or 

 "methylated finish," 1 pint. Bruise the gums together or 

 separately in a mortar, put into a stone bottle (earthenware), 

 and add the spirit; shake it up well frequently for a day or 

 two; strain it through a piece of muslin, and it will be 

 ready for use. Varnish must not be laid on too thick ; after 

 the first coat is quite dry give it a second, and a third if 

 necessary. 



Do not varnish the fronts of the cages when made of hard 

 wood, such as walnut, &c., as they will look far better French 

 polished. If you desire to make your own polish, I can 

 strongly recommend the following formula, as it is one of the 

 very best for making really good French polish : Orange 

 shellac, 3oz.; gum benzoin (Benjamin), 1 drachms; methy- 

 lated spirit, or finish, 1 pint. It must be made in precisely 

 the same manner as the varnish. Before you commence to 

 polish any wood you must give it a coat of raw linseed oil 

 some polishers use a little finely-powdered Paris whitening as 

 well to fill up the pores of the wood. If you are going to 

 polish mahogany, and desire to improve the colour of the 

 wood, add some alkanet-root or dragon's blood to the oil, and 

 place it near a fire for an hour or two before using. Dip a 

 piece of wool or cotton in the oil, and rub it well into the 

 wood. When you commence to polish, take a piece of wool 

 or cotton wadding, and roll it into a small ball; saturate 

 this with the polish, and cover it with a cotton rag or two; 

 moisten the rag with a little of the linseed oil before you 

 begin to polish, and be sure to go over the whole surface of 

 the wood under operation at a tolerably rapid rate. Begin at 

 one end, and work your hand round and round until you 

 cover the entire surface; then work backward and forward, 

 never allowing the polish to dry in until you obtain the 



