WOOD-FINISHING AND PAINTING 103 



"cooling" bath a,s suggested by the use of the word immersion 

 above. 



A project in creosoting may be selected from the buildings 

 or structures already erected or to be erected. In some cases, 

 the possibility of creosoting is suggested in the instruction 

 given for woodworking projects. 



90. Shellac is a gum preparation prepared from the secre- 

 tion of the lac bug. It is procurable in the market in dry 

 flakes, and is dissolved in alcohol. The consistency for satis- 

 factory use should be that of thin syrup. It is applied with a 

 brush, which should be of good quality. Shellac evaporates 

 rapidly; hence, unusual precaution is necessary in applying it 

 to avoid streaking the surface. Long, single strokes with a 

 well-filled brush will produce the best results. The brush 

 should not make a second stroke over the same surface until 

 the first coat of material is dry. 



A dry shellacked surface may be sandpapered and again 

 shellacked. By repeated coats and careful sandings, a very 

 smooth and highly-polished surface may be secured which can 

 be improved by a final light rubbing with a piece of felt or bur- 

 lap wrapped over a piece of cork or wood, and first dipped in a 

 shallow dish of rubbing oil, and then into pumice stone. 



91. Varnish acts very similarly to shellac. It is the cus- 

 tomary finishing material for highly-polished woodwork. It 

 is applied and treated the same as shellac, but dries much 

 slower. 



92. Wood-Filler is used to fill the pores of the grain of 

 wood. When shellac or varnish is used, both as a filler and as 

 a finish, many coats are required before the grain is filled and 

 a finishing surface is built up. Wood-filler is, therefore, used 



