VARNISHING. 247 



Shell-lac Varnish. 



Take one quart of spirits of wine, eight ounces 

 of the thinnest and most transparent shell-lac, 

 which, if melted in the flame of a candle, will 

 draw out in the longest and finest hair ; mix and 

 shake these together, and let them stand in a 

 warm place for two days, and it is ready for use. 

 This varnish is softer than that which is made 

 from seed-lac, and, therefore, is not so useful ; but 

 may be mixed with it for varnishing wood, &c. 



White Varnish for Clock Faces, <r. 



Take of spirits of wine, highly rectified, one 

 pint, which divide into four parts ; then mix one 

 part with half an ounce of gum mastich, in a phial 

 by itself j one part of spirits, and half an ounce 

 of gum sandarach, in another phial ; one part of 

 spirits, and half an ounce of the whitest parts of 

 gum-benjamin. Then mix and temper them to 

 your mind. It would not be amiss to add a little 

 bit of white resin, or clear Venice turpentine, in 

 the mastich bottle ; it will assist in giving a gloss. 

 If your varnish prove too strong and thick, add 

 spirits of wine only ; if too hard, some dissolved 

 mastich ; if too soft, some sandarach or benjamin. 

 No other rule can be given, unless the quality of 

 the gums and the spirits could be ascertained. 

 When you have brought it to a proper temper, 

 warm the silvered plate before the fire, (if a clock 

 face, taking care not to melt the wax,) and with 

 a flat camel 5 s-hair pencil, stroke it all over until 

 no white streaks appear. This will preserve silver- 

 ing many years. 



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