414 On the Preparation of Amber Varnish . 
false gilding, however, it is improper ; as it attacks it, and 
makes it rusty and green* 
I have applied this varnish, in the above manner, to 
bed-posts, drawers, tables, and chairs, which at the end of 
two years were little or nothing changed in their appear- 
ance. When this varnish has become perfectly dry and 
hard, it withstands boiling heat and friction; and does 
not lose its splendour by the course of time, unless rub- 
bed or scoured with sand. It prevents ink, or any other 
coloured liquid that may be spilt on furniture, from pene- 
trating into the wood, and causes stains to be easily re- 
moved by washing with water. On this account, it is 
very proper for being applied on articles of mahogany. 
It renders the soft kinds of wood much harder at the sur- 
face. 
This varnish used in this manner would not be ex- 
pensive, as eight ounces of it is sufficient for a com- 
mon card- table. Should the table be scratched, the in- 
jured part may be easily repaired by a new coating of 
varnish ; and if it be new varnished every four or five 
years, it will always retain a beautiful and bright ap- 
pearance. 
Tables and other flat articles which require a great 
deal of polishing, when the stain and linseed oil have 
been applied, may be rubbed with a piece of pumice 
stone before they are done over with the varnish. This 
pumice stone must be made fiat on one side, and must be 
free from sand, so as not to scratch the wood. As the 
softer kinds of wood swell up, for the most part, when 
the stain is applied, and lose their smoothness, rubbing 
them in the above manner with pumice stone is the more 
necessary. 
