84(5 
VARNISH, 
Varnishes should be carefully kept from 
dust, and in very clean vessels ; they should 
be laid as thin and even as possible with a 
large Hat brush, taking care to lay the strokes 
all one way. A warm room is best for var- 
nishing in, as cold chills the varnish, and pre- 
vents it from lying even. 
Varnishes are polished with pumice-stone 
and tripoli. The pumice-stone must be re- 
duced to a very lane powder, and put upon a 
piece of serge moistened with water ; with 
this the varnished subs' ance is to be rubbed 
equally and lightly. The tripoli must also 
be reduced to a tine powder, and put upon a 
clean woollen cloth moistened witli olive-oil, 
with which the polishing is to be performed. 
'1 he varnish is then to be wiped with soft 
linen, and, when quite dry, cleaned with 
starch, or Spanish white, and rubbed with 
the palm of the hand, or with a linen cloth. 
Fat oil varnish. Fixed, or fat oil, will not 
evaporate; nor will it become dry of itself. 
i o make it dry, it must be boiled with me- 
tallic calces or oxides. Litharge is generally 
used for this purpose. Oil so prepared is 
called drying-oil. To accelerate the drying 
ol oil varnish, oil of turpentine is added. 
Gum-copal, and amber, are the substances 
principally employed in oil varnishes; the 
copal being whitest, is used for varnishing 
light ; the amber for dark colours. 
It is best to dissolve them before mixing 
them with the oil ; because, by this means, 
they are in less danger of being scorched, 
and at the same time the varnish is more 
beautiful. They should be melted in an iron 
pot over the lire ; they are in a proper state 
for receiving the oil when they give no re- 
sistance to the iron spatula, and when they 
run off from it drop by drop. 
To make oil varnish, pour four, six, or 
eight ounces of drying-oil among sixteen 
ounces of melted copal, or amber, by little 
and little, constantly stirring the ingredients 
at the same time with the spatula. When 
the oil is well mixed with the copal or amber, 
take it off the lire ; and when it is pretty 
cool, pour in sixteen ounces of the essence 
of Venice turpentine. After the varnidi is 
made, it should be passed through a linen 
cloth. 
Oil varnishes become thick by keeping ; 
but when they are to be used, it is 'only ne- 
cessary to pour in a little Venice-turpentine, 
and to put them a little on the fire. Less 
turpentine is necessary in summer than in 
winter; too much oil hinders the varnish 
from drying ; but when too little is used, it 
cracks, and does not spread properly. 
Black varnishes for coaches and iron- 
work. This varnish is composed of asphal- 
tum, resin, and amber, melted separately, 
and afterwards mixed ; the oil is then added, 
and afterwards the turpentine, as directed 
above. The usual proportions are, twelve 
ounces of amber, two of resin, two of asphal- 
tum, six of oil, and twelve of turpentine. 
A varnish for rendering silk zvater and 
air-tight. To render the linseed-oil drying, 
boil it with two ounces of sugar of lead, and 
three ounces of litharge, for every pint of 
oil, till the oil has dissolved them ; then put 
a pound of birdlime, and half a pint of the 
drying-oil, into a pot of iron or copper, 
holding about a gallon ; and let it boil gently 
•ver a slow charcoal lire, till the birdlime 
ceases to crackle ; then pour upon it two 
pints and a half of drying-oil, and boil It for 
about an hour longer, stirring it often with 
an iron or wooden spatula. As the varnish, 
in boiling, swells much, the pot should be 
removed from the lire, and replaced when 
the varnish subsides. While it is boiling, 
it should be occasionally examined, in order 
to determine whether it has boiled enough. 
For this purpose, take some of it upon the 
blade of a large knife, and after rubbing the 
blade of another knife upon it, separate the 
knives ; and when, on their separation, the 
varnish begins to form threads between the 
two knives, it has boiled enough, and should 
be removed from the lire. When it is almost 
cold, add about an equal quantity of spirit of 
turpentine ; mix both well together, and let 
the mass rest till the next day ; then, having 
warmed it a little, strain and bottle it. If it 
is too thick, add spirit of turpentine. This 
varnish should be laid upon the stuff when 
perfectly dry, in a lukewarm state ; a thin 
coat of it upon one side, and, about twelve 
hours after, two other coats should be laid 
on, one on each side ; and in 24 hours the 
silk may be used. 
Mr. Blanchard’s varnish for air-balloons. 
Dissolve elastic gum (caoutchouc, or Indian 
rubber), cut small, in live times its weight of 
spirit ot turpentine, by keeping them some 
days together ; then boil one ounce of this 
solution in eight ounces of drying linseed-oil 
for a few minutes, and strain it. Use it 
warm. 
Essential oil varnish. The essential var- 
nishes consist of a solution of resin in oil of 
turpentine, or other essential oil. This var- 
nish being applied, the turpentine evaporates, 
leaving the resin behind. They are com- 
monly used for pictures. 
Spirit varnishes. When resins are dis- 
solved in alcohol, commonly called spirit of 
wine, the varnish dries very speedily, but is 
subject to crack. This fault is corrected by 
adding a small quantity of oil of turpentine, 
which renders it brighter, and less brittle when 
dry. 
To dissolve gum-copal in spirit of wine. 
Dissolve half an ounce of camphor in a pint 
of alcohol, or spirit of wine ; put it into a 
circulating glass, and add four ounces of 
copal in small pieces ; set it in a sand-heat 
so regulated, that the bubbles may be count- 
ed as they rise from the bottom ; and con- 
tinue the same heat till the solution is com- 
pleted. 
Camphor acts more powerfully upon copal 
than any other substance. If copal is finely 
powdered, and a small quantity of dry cam- 
phor rubbed with it in the mortar, the whole 
becomes in a few minutes a tough coherent 
mass. The process above described will 
dissolve more copal than the menstruum will 
retain when cold. The most economical 
method will therefore be, to set the vessel 
which contains the solution by for a few days; 
and when it is perfectly settled, pour otf the 
clear varnish, and leave the residuum for a 
future operation. 
This is a very bright solution of copal ; it 
is an excellent varnish for pictures, and may 
perhaps be found to be an improvement in 
line japan works; as the stoves used in drying 
those articles may drive olF the camphor en- 
tirely, and leave the copal pure and colourless 
upon the work. 
A varnish for wainscot, cane-chairs, Spc, 
Dissolve in a quart of spirit of wine, eight 
ounces of gum-sandarach, two ounces of seed- 
lac, and four ounces of resin ; then add six 
ounces of Venice turpentine. If the varnish 
is to produce a red colour, more of the lac 
and less of sandaracb should be used, and a 
little dragon’s-blood should be added. This 
varnish is very strong. 
A varnish for toilet-boxes, cases, fans, 
4’t*. Dissolve two ounces of gum-masliob, 
and eight ounces of gum-sandarach, in a 
quart of alcohol : then add four ounces of 
Venice-turpentine. 
A varnish for violins, and other musical 
instruments. Put four ounces of gum-sanda- 
rach, two ounces of lac, two ounces of gum- 
mastich, an ounce of gum-elemi, into a quart 
of alcohol, and hang them over a slow lire 
till they are dissolved ; then add two ounces 
of turpentine. 
Tarnish for employing vermilion for paint- 
ing equipages. Dissolve in a quail of alco- 
hol six ounces of sandaracb, three ounces of 
gum-lac, and four ounces of resin; after- 
wards add six ounces of the cheapest kind of 
turpentine ; mix it with a proper quantity of 
vermilion when it is to be used. 
Seecl-lac varnish. Take spirit of wine, 
one quart ; put it in a wide-mouthed bottle ; 
add to it eight ounces of seed-lac, that is 
large-grained, bright, and clear, free from 
dirt and sticks; let it stand two days, or 
longer, in a warm place, often shaking it. 
Strain it through a flannel into another bottle, 
and it is fit for use. 
Shell-lac varnish. Take one quart of 
spirit 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 lor 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 var- 
nishing wood, &c. 
White varnish for clock-faces, Sfc. Take 
of spirit 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; one part of spirit, and half an ounce of 
gum-sandarach, in another phial ; one part of 
spirit, 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 Ve- 
nice-turpentine, in the mastich-bottle ; it 
will assist in giving a gloss. If your varnish 
proves too strong and thick, add spirit of 
wine only; if too hard, some dissolved mas- 
tich ; if too soft, some sandaracb or benjamin. 
No other rule can be given, unless the qua- 
lity of the gums and the spirit could be ascer- 
tained. When you have brought it to a 
proper temper, warm the silvered plate be- 
fore the fire, and with a flat camefs-hair 
pencil, stroke it all over until no white streaks 
appear. 
Varxish, among medallists, signifies the 
colours antique medals have acquired in the 
earth. 
The beauty which nature alone is able to 
give to medals, and art has never yet attain- 
ed to counterfeit, enhances the value of them; 
that is, the colours, with which certain soils) 
in which they have a long time lain, tinge 
