March, 1911 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
it was too strong, that is to say, if too 
much isinglass was used, the gold, after 
polishing, will show spotted places and 
the high polish will be lacking. These 
are signs of which every layman can 
avail himself, and a little patience will 
soon bring results. 
Dull gilding on glass calls for a coat- 
ing of varnish. The surface to be gilded 
must be coated with damar or copal var- 
nish by means of a soft, broad brush, 
thinly and evenly, which is the principal 
thing. After drying, which must have 
proceeded so far that on touching the 
varnish with the finger nothing comes 
off, the leaf gold is laid on evenly and 
smoothly. This gilding is not polished 
over. 
Another kind of gilding is the oil gild- 
ing, such as is used on tombstones and 
for other outside work. The lettering 
that has either been carved by the stone- 
cutter in stone, granite, etc., or, in the 
case of glass plates, etched with the 
sandblast, is given, to insure greater 
durability to the gilding, a priming coat 
of oil paint, to which some ocher has 
been added, and when thoroughly dry 
slightly moistened with oil-size. This is 
allowed to dry to the same extent as in 
dull gilding, and we then proceed to 
apply the gold, which is pressed down 
firmly with a soft brush. Even sizing 
means even drying of the oil-size and 
this facilitates the work and immeasur- 
ably increases the durability. 
The gold projecting beyond the edges 
of the letters is very easily removed by 
drawing a cloth, not too damp, tightly 
over the gilded plate and allowing it to 
remain for a time. As the lettering is 
recessed, the dampness of the cloth will 
only affect the surplus gilding and this, 
after the cloth has been removed, can 
easily be scraped off with the aid of a 
steel spatula. 
What has been said of leaf gilding ap- 
plies also to leaf silvering, except that 
the solution for bright silver gilding 
must contain rather more isinglass, as 
the leaf silver is harder than gold. 
For oil gilding we do not use leaf 
silver, but leaf aluminum, because the 
former tarnishes on exposure to the air, 
i. e., is oxidized. 
SOFTENING HARD WATER 
N a small scale, for household use, 
hard water can often be softened 
by simple boiling. It becomes some- 
what turbid thereby on account of the sepa- 
ration of the carbonates of calcium and 
magnesium, soluble only in water contain- 
ing carbonic acid, when the carbonic acid is 
expelled. By the addition of a little soda, 
varying according to the hardness of the 
water, it can also be softened. On a 
large scale, hard water may be softened 
by the addition of a suitable quantity of 
lime milk. The lime combines with the 
free carbonic acid and thereby the cal- 
cium and magnesium carbonates, previ- 
ously held in solution, are also rendered 
insoluble. 
DULL VARNISH 
LLOW 12 to 11 parts of seed lac to 
steep in 9 to 11 parts of spirits of sal 
ammoniac. Then add 80 parts of 
water, in which 1 to 2 parts of fluid extracts 
of logwood, 0.1 part of blue vitrol and 0.1 
part of sugar of lead have been dissolved; 
shake well, and add just enough lamp-black 
to produce a deep black. 
Pergolas—Ready to Set Up 
NY man-about-the-house or carpenter 
of ordinary ability can set up these 
pergolas by following the simple instructions 
we send with the crated sections. 
Our new departure places pergolas of a 
number of the most modern and most approved 
designs, and of excellent quality, within the 
reach even of the owners of modest-priced 
homes. 
The saving in money averages about one- 
third to one-half the cost of such equipment 
when made to order. ‘The saving in time 
may amount to many weeks. 
Our illustrated catalog will show you how 
you can acquire a pergola of correct design and 
proper construction without the usual trouble 
and excessive cost. Let us send it to you. 
155 LaSalle Street, 
Chicago, Ill. 
(One of our Pergolasas it appears when erected) 
For catalog and prices address 
The Pergola Company, 
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