6 FARMERS' AND MECHANICS' JOURNAL. 



tions will be given for preparing, using and polishing, the different 

 kinds of varni?<i. In accomplishing this, the editor is aware that 

 he must sometimes enter into a minuteness of detail, which to the 

 initiated may appear tiresome ; but it must be recollected, that he 

 does not expect to instruct persons of this class ; as respects 

 them his most ardent wish is to obtain their aid in the accomplish- 

 ment of his purpose. In order to teach well, we must suppose 

 the learner entirely ignorant of the subject in hand ; and request 

 those who are not so situated, to recollect the period when a simi- 

 lar course would have been welcome to themselves. 



The editor has been in the habit of making, and of using a va- 

 riety of varnishes, and can therefore draw upon his own resources 

 to a considerable extent, but he is not dependant upon these alone, 

 for original information. Mr. John Meer, a gentleman well known 

 in this city, who has been, for more than half a century, in the 

 habit of manufacturing and using almost every kind employed, 

 both for coarse and fine purposes, has promised his aid in the 

 prosecution of this undertaking. Whatever these numbers may 

 contain, may be considered, therefore, as perfectly correct, being 

 the result of actual expei'ience. 



The materials used in varnishes are numerous, but they all con- 

 sist of some solid substance, dissolved by the aid of a liquid. Some- 

 times, though rarely, the two are found in nature, combined to- 

 gether, so as to furnish a native varnish ; that most celebrated 

 among the Chinese, and Japanese, is said to be of this description. 

 The solids which enter into the composition of varnishes, are 

 those generally known under the name of gums, and resins. 

 There is, however, considerable confusion in the names given to 

 these substances, several of them properly belonging to the class 

 of resins, being denominated gums ; thus we have gum copal, gum 

 animi, and a variety of others, which are improperly so called. 

 Their distinctive characters we shall presently examine. 



The menstruums, or fluids, used to dissolve the solids, are not 

 numerous. Water, alcohol, ether, some of the fixed, and of the 

 volatile oils, constitute the list. The j)urity of these articles, is, in 

 many instances, a point of considerable importance, and we shall, 

 in the course of our investigations, pay particular attention to this 

 part of our subject. 



The term Japan is used to designate those varnishes, which give 

 to articles an appearance similar to those which are imported from 

 Japan, and other parts of India. The name of Japan varnish, is 

 frequently appropriated, exclusively, to that species of oil varnish, 

 which is used upon waiters, and many other articles, and which is 

 dried by tiie heat of a stove, constructed for the pur[)ose. 



Gums are the inspissated juices of certain vegetables, before the 

 gum is dried, or after being diied, if it be dissolved in water, the 

 solution is called 77iitcilagr.. The gums, properly so called, are 

 soluble in water, whilst the resins are entirely insoluble in that 

 fluid ; gums are insoluble in alcohol, remaining unchanged in it for 

 any length of time ; and indeed they may be preci[)itated after 

 having been dissolved in water, by pouring alcohol into the solu-. 



