438 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



November, 1907 



organ manufacturers have become large users of the spruce 

 cut from the forests of the State of Washington. It is 

 probably as free from checks, sap, knots, and flaws as any 

 wood found, and if properly dried it does not swell or shrink 

 to any great extent. Neither hemlock or spruce have ever 

 stood high in the opinion of architects for interior finish 

 owing to their lack of grain and individual expressiveness. 

 In this respect the two woods stand with white pine. But in 

 our modern developments of stains and paints it is possible 

 to secure results in interior finish that are independent of the 

 grain of the wood. The chief thing is to secure a wood that 

 is durable, free from defects, and which will not crack and 

 warp. Then if stains can produce good effects the result is 

 highly satisfactory. 



This is largely the case with spruce and hemlock. They 

 are woods that require stains to bring out their best qualities. 

 It holds true of nearly all of our soft woods, and as we must 

 adopt these woods more and more in interior finish a worci 

 about the modern methods of treating them with stains is 

 important. 



Stains of all shades and colors are obtainable to-day, and 

 they are made to imitate different woods so well that they 

 deceive all except an expert. Furniture and cabinet makers 

 are the best workers in stains and varnishes, and they produce 

 effects which have been considered almost impossible in house- 

 hold trim. The reason for this is that an article of furniture 

 is treated to what is called "the fuming process" in a room 

 by itself. I he wood is exposed to the fumes of ammonia, 

 acids, nitrate of silver and other chemicals. In this way 

 effects in staining are obtained that seem well nigh impossible 

 in the trim of a house. A greater variety of beautiful shades 

 can be obtained with stains in the hands of a piano maker 

 than nature can imitate in the natural woods. Even plain 

 water stains made from various chemicals can be used in this 

 process with good effect, and the acid fumes tend to fix them 

 in durable colors. 



As a rule the old-fashioned oil stains are used on oak or 

 ash if only the light effects are desired, but for golden and 

 dark oak asphaltum is often used. But, of course, to produce 

 fine golden oak effects an expert in colors must be employed. 

 Permanganate of potash is used to get the reddish brown 

 effects, a solution of sulphate of iron to produce good bluish 

 gray, and white flakes of asphaltum for light streaks. To 

 imitate golden oak effects on the trim of a house would there- 

 fore be effective but somewhat costly, and dependent for its 

 success chiefly upon the skill and ability of the workmen. 

 Architects who ha\ e had certain library rooms finished in 

 golden oak have often been disappointed in the results, and 

 have later changed the wood to dark or Flemish oak. Ma- 

 hogany and cherry effects are sometimes obtained on light 

 woods by washing with lime water, and then removing with 

 vinegar or a weak solution of acetic acid. This ages the 

 wood very rapidly and produces rich cherry and mahogany 

 effects in soft woods, which later, when varnished and rubbed 

 down, are quite striking. 



Effects in stains can be obtained on light woods often with 

 the most simple materials. It is the art of applying them that 

 determines their value. For instance a much different effect 

 is produced on brightly cleaned fresh wood than upon a sur- 

 face that has been allowed to stand a while. The application 

 of water to the surface before the stain is applied darkens it 

 materially, so that desirable effects are obtained. If you 

 wish the effect to be darker in places than in others this can 

 be produced by painting the surface with clean water several 



times, permitting it to dry in, and then applying the stain 

 while still moist. 



In the application of all the stains on light wood the first 

 essential is to clean the wood properly, and either apply the 

 stain to a clean dry surface or a clean moist surface. Then 

 before it has dried the stain should be wiped off with a 

 woolen rag. By wiping off the first coat clear effects are 

 obtained which furnish a foundation for the succeeding coats. 

 Cloudy, dull effects are produced by too much stain applied 

 at first and allowed to dry in too much before being wiped off. 

 A good many of the best stainers sandpaper after wiping 

 the first coat, allowing the surface to get perfectly dry before 

 applying the sandpaper. The chief thing is to produce a 

 light, smooth body effect, and then a surface glaze of the 

 right colors can be laid over. Combinations of water colors 

 and oil colors are used by cabinet makers to secure their best 

 effects, and then when protected by a glaze of shellac no 

 change can follow- 



Variety in interior trim is often desirable, and one finds in 

 modern houses halls and vestibules of cypress finish, doors of 

 poplar, and sash of windows and stairs of cherry, with treads 

 of oak. To secure these effects in stains on light wood is not 

 difficult, and if one uses judgment the result is almost as 

 good as if the genuine woods were employed for the different 

 purposes. The chief difficulty is in getting a painter who 

 understands his work sufliciently to produce excellent imita- 

 tions. Good men in this line are scarce, and some of them 

 demand fancy prices, so that the economy in the cheaper 

 wood employed is offset by the cost of treatment. A house 

 owner who can mix his own paints or utilize the brush in 

 applying stains can often do better than a cheap workman 

 with no genuine sense of artistic effects. 



1 he increasing cost of hardwoods for interior finish must 

 in time bring about a betler class of stainers and painters who 

 can work up light woods into good imitations so that they 

 will pass inspection. It is quite evident that imitations can 

 he made almost perfect from the examples of this work pro- 

 duced in the piano and cabinet trades, but it requires experts 

 who know the value of each touch and streak. Cheap stained 

 woodwork is no better than a painted surface. Indeed, it is 

 not so good, for its imitation stands out so conspicuously 

 that all notice it. A painted surface makes no claim to imita- 

 tion, and stands for just what it is. Staining is the work of 

 an artist in colors and effects, and it has therefore a wide lati- 

 tude for improvement. 



Georgia pine is the easiest to treat with stains, for no at- 

 tempt Is made to iinitate other woods with it. The idea is 

 simply to bring out and intensify certain grain effects in the 

 wood. A little oil, dryer, and light brown or yellow colors, 

 thinned with benzine, are all that are required, and if applied 

 to a dry surface, wiped off after standing a sufficient length 

 of time, and then finished with another light coat and 

 shellaced, the result is always pleasing, durable, and attrac- 

 tive. The great thing to do is to get the desired color with- 

 out destroying the beauty of the wood. Good Georgia pine 

 is a beautiful wood, and needs no apology or attempt to 

 imitate other woods, but proper treatment of it makes a won- 

 derful difference. The same wood in the hands of a poor 

 workman looks like an inferior imitation and never gives 

 satisfaction. A good deal of good pine is thus spoiled to-day 

 in the finishing, and probably not a little of the condemnation 

 of inferior grades of this lumber is due after all to bad work- 

 manship in finishing off the surface of the wood when put 

 in the house. 



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