The painter's educator. For stainers, varnishers, grainers, carriage painters, fresco artists, gilders and amateurs; containing rules and methods ...

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CHAPTER I. Painting Wood Work, etc., on Interior of BuiloV

ings.

First of all see that the work is smooth and well dusted down. If the work you are going to paint is finished in pine, give it a coat of shellac first, which can be bought ready for use. This dries quickly, and as soon as you have coated all the work, run over it with some old, worn sandpaper; (not too badly worn,) and smooth it nicely. Then it is ready for the first coat of paint.

Boiled or raw linseed oil should be the principle oil for thinning the first coat of paint, using boiled oil if you are in a hurry.

Take white lead, make it the desired color, by mixing in the coloring, while the lead is quite stiff, which mashes up any particles of color, and distributes the color more evenly through the lead, adding a small amount of the coloring at a time until the desired color is obtained. Color as much lead as you think it will take to coat the work three times, then put in the japan. If the japan is good, use about one ounce to the gallon of the mixed paint when thinned ready for use.

Take of this colored lead enough to first coat the work; thin with raw or boiled linseed oil as your judgment will say; though if you use the raw, use more japan; thin nearly to the proper consistency wHh the oil; then finish with turpentine. If you wish you can omit this coat where the work has received a coat of shellac.

For first coat (not priming coat) it will take about one gallon of oil and one pint of turpentine to twentyfive pounds of white lead. You must use your judgment with regard to the thinning of your paint, for there can be no exact rule laid down for this, for the pigments are not always of the same thickness and density. However the above rule will be a good guide for the beginner.

Now provide yourself with a small brush, such as a No. 5, sash tool, or a one inch, extra extra, flat varnish brush, for tracing or painting any parts you can not do with a large brush; and a No. 5-0 or 6-0 round paint brush, or a flat wall brush, three and one half inches wide. Always get the best, they are the cheapest; good work being impossible with poor tools.

Now you are ready to give the work the first coat. Apply the paint smoothly and evenly. Do not get in a hurry. Make long, sweeping strokes with the brush. Avoid the short, jerky movement.

Paint the windows and doors, always painting the highest work first.

Do not use too much paint, nor too little; but just enough to give it a nice even coat. The first coat should be well brushed into the wood, which makes it adhere better. The object of the first coat is to secure a foundation for the following coats. The second and third coats are decorative, or color coats. Be sure to get a coat of paint in all indentations and nail holes, that the putty may have something to adhere to.

About twenty-four hours after you have applied first coat, test it by running the fingernails over the surface; and if it does not scrape up under the finger nail, then it is ready for the second coat. But before second coating } t ou should putty and sandpaper the work. Make sure that you fill all holes, even full, for if you do not, they will look hollow after the work is finished. For this kind of work use oil putty.

Now take the balance ot the colored lead, and if you wish to finish the work in flat, or without a gloss, thin the lead with turpentine. Or, if you wish to finish with an oil gloss, and not varnish, thin the lead with half linseed oil, (boiled oil if you are in a hurry;) and turpentine. Apply evenly, or flow it on the work; but not heavy enough to run. The paint should be thin enough to flow out nicely, and yet not too thin to cover well. If the color is white, or very light, it will take more coats than if dark.

If you wish to varnish the wood work, or whatever the surface may be, then you should apply the second and third coats in flat color, as it varnishes much nicer. Should the color be dark, you can use dark varnish; but if light, you should varnish it with good demar varnish, though it is very hard to get a demar varnish that will dry well. Avoid the use of demar varnish if possible.

It is not necessary to shellac any other wood than pine. The shellac is to prevent the pitch that is in the pine from penetrating the paint, which leaves dark spots on the surface and looks badly. Knots should be shellaced with heavy, dark shellac, which will stop them out very well, always shellacing the knot after the priming coat is on. If shellaced before, and on the bare wood, in time it will scale off, taking with it the paint. The general idea is to shellac them the first thing; but that is a mistake.

If you desire to kill the knot, so it will not show through, follow these directions: A mixture of glue size and red lead; or shellac dissolved in alcohol and mixed with red lead; or gutta percha dissolved in ether. Either of the foregoing make a good coating for knots, but will not stand the sunshine, which will draw the pitch through the paint. The best method is to cover the knot with oil size, and lay a leaf of silver or tin foil over it. This will stand the sunshine very w 7 ell.

CHAPTER II. Painting The Exterior of Buildings

The priming coat — Always use Venitian red for the pigment, unless the building is to be painted white, or a very light color; in which case use French yellow ochre, or white lead, though would prefer the white lead to the ochre.

If the small extra cost is no objection and a primer of great durability is required, use red lead for the pigment, using about eight pounds of the pigment to a gallon of oil. However the condition of the weather should regulate the amount of lead to be used. A small quantity of lamp black added to the mixture will be advantageous. Keep the lead well stirred up during the time of using it.

The priming coat should be thin, using about seven pounds of Venitian red to one gallon raw linseed oil. You might use a little coach japan to accelerate the drying some. The priming should dry slow, to give the wood a chance to absorb as much of it as possible; and for this reason would not advise the use of any japan in warm weather.

When applying the primer, rub it thoroughly into the wood, checks, cracks and nail holes. Putty will not adhere well to bare wood.

I do not advise the use of yellow ochre for a pigment for priming, because its affinity for the coat to follow is not very great. This is one of the causes of so much paint peeling off from the priming coat.

Do not hurry over the work too fast when priming, as usually is the case; but take a little time, and apply it well. This is the key to success in most any application of paint.

After the priming is thoroughly dry, then all cracks, checks and nail holes should be well puttied, and all knots shellaced.

To putty correctly, force the putty into the nail hole with the thumb of the left hand and shove the putty knife under the thumb with the right hand, cutting the putty off and leaving the hole even full. Puttying up with the finger is a barbarous practice, and does not fill the holes well.

Sandpapering and dusting should be done before puttying, as it is apt to hollow, or dish out the puttied places.

The second and third coats. — -It may be proper to give the beginner some idea, now, as to how much paint it will take to paint a building; which will show you how much paint you will need to procure and how much to mix. It is a saving of time and keeps the feelings in good condition, to be able to know just how much paint it will take to do the work.

First, find the number of square feet surface in the building, including cornice, gable ends, etc., then add one fifth to this, if a plain house; and, if there is considerable fancy work, such as brackets, grill-work, etc., add one sixth, for edges of siding, frames, corner strips and many things which would take too much time to measure. Now divide the number of square feet surface in the building by 250, the number of square feet one gallon of paint will cover, (two coats) of new work; or, old work, if not in too bad condition. This will give the number gallons of mixed paint. (example)

Front of house 20 feet wide

Rear of house 20 feet wide

Side of house 40 feet long

Side of house 40 feet long

120 Multiply by average height 21

120 240

2520 sq ft.

Five per cent added 1 26

250 250

146 to and 146-250 gallons mixed paint, (two coats.)

Now, I believe, we are ready to mix the paint for first coat; or, for that matter, both second and third; though would advise you to mix second and third coats separately. Twenty five pounds of lead will make, on an average, three and one half gallons mixed paint.

Provide yourself with a tub, half barrel, or something large enough to mix sufficient quantity to second coat the building; one vessel for the body color, and one for the trimming color. If you will carefully follow the directions given below, you will be able to mix a paint as good as can be procured, no matter who would make it.

First thing of all, buy the best, pure white lead, from a reliable house, and the very best linseed oil; for the best is poor enough. (On another page is given a test for linseed oil. )

Now put the required amount of lead in each mixing tub, with a little oil to soften it enough tliat it can be stirred with a paddle; but it must be quite stiff. Add to the lead one tenth zinc. If the paint is to.be colored now is the time to add the coloring while the pigments are stiff . Make it any desired color; and after it has been thoroughly mixed, then add the drier. The time of year will suggest the amount to be used, cold damp weather requiring more. However do not use too much at any time; for too much oxigen is not good for the oil. This all being done, you are now ready to put in the oil, which should be half boiled and half raw linseed oil. But if the weather is cold, would not use quite so much raw oil, and more boiled. Ordinarily this mixture will stand one and a half gallons oil, to twent}- five pound of lead ; yet there is no rule to govern the amount of oil to be used in the thinning of any paint, for several reasons: First, the density of the pigments is not always the same; the condition of the surface, and the state of the weather are not always alike .The presence of all or any one of these conditions would change the amount of oil to be used.

The paint, when ready for use, should be heavy enough to make a nice coat; but should have oil in sufficient quantity to bind the pigment to the priming coat. You will be more certain of getting a good job by having the paint a little thin than too heavy. It is all right to allow some of the oil of second coat to dry in the wood, which fixes the second coat to the priming; but the oil of the third coat should dry on the surface, thus giving it much more gloss, and keeping more oil in the pigment, and increasing the wearing qualities.

These coats should be applied as evenly and smoothly as possible, always remembering to brush the paint on well.

Paint mixed in this way, and carefully applied, will not crack, peel or chalk off, and will do credit to the painter and give satisfaction to the person owning the building.

CHAPTER III. Natural Wood Finish for Interior of Buildings

and Furniture.

The carpenter should leave his work smooth and clean. It should be filled soon after, to prevent the grain of the wood from raising.

One of the best wood fillers, that needs only to be rubbed with the grain, (but would advise that it should be rubbed across the grain, for think it fills the grain a little better.) This will not shrink; it gets as hard as the wood, and can be varnished soon after filling:

Mix equal parts of coach japan, turpentine and boiled linseed oil; then stir in plaster of paris and pulverized whiting, until it becomes a thin paste; rub this on the wood (with the grain) with an old brush. Rub into the grain of the wood well; first across the grain, then with the grain, using shavings or excelsior. After this, wipe off all surplus filler with a rag, making sure to get all the filler out of beads, etc. This must be done before the filler gets set too much.

After the filler has dried, then sandpaper with the grain of the wood, with number one-half sandpaper, as the work may require. The friction of the paper hardens the filler immediately.

Again, I have stirred plaster of paris into tui pentine; and then put in just sufficient linseed oil to keep it from setting too quickly. However this is not so good as the former; as it will raise the grain of the wood. This should be used for cheap work, only.

You should color the filler for walnut wood with burnt umber; and for antique finish on oak, etc., color with raw umber.

After the filling is done, then you should putty all places that need it; and be very careful not to smear the putty all over the surface, which will make the work look dirty and nasty; but put the putty right to the place needed. The putty should be colored to match the wood as nearly as possible.

The work filled, puttied and sandpapered, the next step is to varnish it. You should procure a good interior varnish. I prefer rubbing varnish to any other finish.

Before varnishing walnut, if you wish to bring out the richest color of the wood give it a light coat of boiled linseed oil. After this is dry proceed with the varnishing; though remember the use of linseed oil will darken any wood in time. So if you wish to preserve the wood in its natural color, use as little linseed oil as possible.

The varnish pot must be clean; also the varnish brush. Both should be free from any dirt or sediment whatever. The work must be thoroughly dusted off, and the room perfectly clean, or as nearly so as possible. Remember, the more careful you are in these things, the better the finish when complete.

Cheap work can be finished with one coat of vara ish; but for first class work it will require two or three coats. If you have, made a good job of filling the grain of the wood, two coats will do as well as three. What is desired in a finish is to have the grain of the wood filled up even with the highest parts, thereby making a level surface; and to ho'd the varnish up so that the entire surface looks like glass, perfectly level and smooth. So if this can be done with two coats, all the better for the work, and a saving of time and material. Do not spoil the work, however, just to save one coat of varnish. All directions given in this book are for the attainment of the very best work. If you can do the best work, you will soon learn to do it in a cheaper manner, if necessary.

After the first coat of varnish is on, and is dry and hard; which will take from twenty- four to thirty -six hours; (and some varnish longer than this,) it should be sandpapered with No. one-half sandpaper, or finer, if you should find it too course. All sandpaper does not run alike. Be most particular regarding the sandpapering, for this is what levels the surface.

Dust off the work very completely, making sure to get all the dust out of the beads, corners, etc. Now it is ready for the second coat of varnish, which must be applied very carefully, giving it a good heavy coat; but be very sure to have no runs or sags, which will leave their mark always. Would advise the amateur not to use too much varnish in the beginning, but as you have had some practice, you will gain confidence in yourself, and can use more.

In the description of how to varnish a carriage body, you will learn how to apply the varnish, how to take care of the brush, and what kind of brushes to use.

If you desire a dead gloss, or dull finish, it can be obtained by rubbing the last coat of varnish with pulverized pumice stone and raw linseed oil; rubbing the surface until all specks are removed and the surface looks quite dull, (this rubbing process must not be done until the varnish is thoroughly dried; and will state here that each coat of varnish, except the last, must be sandpapered before the next is put on. ) If the work in hand is a small piece of furniture, or other small work, you can rub the entire piece before wiping it off; but if the wood work of a room, do not rub more than a door or window; then wipe the pumice stone and oil off with a soft rag, or soft cotton watte. Be sure to wipe surface clean and dry. Use a pad of plush, or a piece of heavy felt, out of an old hat; or you can buy a piece of rubbing felt at a paint store.

If you would prefer to have it highly polished, then re-rub the surface with rotten stone and linseed oil, after you have wiped the pumice stone and oil off. Rotten stone cuts slowly; but it is not so much in the cutting as in the polish, though to be sure it is to take out all scratches which the pumice stone has made. When through rubbing with the rotten stone, wipe it off with the very softest rag you can procure. Cheese cloth is a very good thing. Now if you desire to make the surface still nicer, take Turney's Piano Polish, after the rotten stone is wiped off, and go over the entire surface according to directions given on bottle, and wipe this off with cheese cloth. This will remove the smoky and greasy appearence left after polishing with the rotten stone, giving it the most beautiful finish and that brilliant appearance so long wished for.

Close grained wood, such as pine, poplar etc.. should not be filled with oil filler as mentioned in the fore part of this chapter. The grain in such woods being very close together, will not take up any of the filler, and would make it look muddy. Such woods should only be shellaced with white shellac cut with alcohol, or white oil shellac; oil shellac being preferred in some cases, as it does not dry quite so fast.

How to make oil shellac. — Melt the shellac in an iron pot, and then mix in the oil by thoroughly stirring it. This will not dry as quickly as shellac cut with alcohol.

Out side doors and exterior natural wood finish is finished in the same manner as interior finish, except that you must use an exterior varnish.

Varnish made for iuside use will not stand on outside work. Outside varnish gives away very quickly, therefore you should make sure of the very best.

Natural woods, exposed to the weather, should be finished once a year, though a good deal depends on the exposure. If the finish is left go until the wood becomes weather-beaten, it makes it unfit to finish again, as the surface of the wood is ruined.

CHAPTER IV. Staining Natural Wood to Imitate Walnut, Cheiv

ry or Rose Wood.

for staining walnut. — Take burnt umber and mix with boiled linseed oil to make it transparent, and turpentine to cut it; about two-thirds oil and one-third turpentine, and a little coach japan to dry it. All stains must be quite thin or the color will be too dense, and would cover up the grain of the wood.

Elm, white pine and poplar make good woods for walnut staining, though you can stain over most any wood; but the above mentioned will make the best imitation.

If you desire to make an extra good imitation of walnut, apply two thin coats of staining color.

Apply with a brush, with but a small quantity of the stain in the brush; and if you should get too much on the wood, take an old piece of muslin and wipe off the surplus; or wipe it off until it becomes as light as you think it should be to resemble the natural walnut.

Cherry stain. — Use burnt sienna with a little asphaltum to subdue the red cast of the sienna. Mix in the same manner and apply it the same as the walnut stain; only it should be thinner.

Rose wood stain. — Use pure burnt sienna and mix the same as the walnut stain. Have a little of the pure sienna, and a little asphaltum in small cups; and with a small brush, (such as a half-inch fresco liner, or something of that kind,) run small streaks in with the grain of the wood, such as you will see in rose wood; and then with the larger brush run over the streaks lightly to blend them out nicely. Be careful not to cover up the grain of the wood too much. Running these streaks in over the staining is called over-graining.

After this staining is dry, which will take about ten hours, run over it with cocabola. If a deep rich shade is desired, give the work two coats of the cocabola.

The best wood for staining over for rose wood is birch, or second growth poplar.

After staining, let the work stand for eight or ten hours; then proceed to shellac and varnish; and finish according to the directions given for varnishing natural wood.

Extreme care should be used in sandpapering after the staining is shellaced; for should you rub through the staining to the bare wood, it would have to be touched up with some stain, which is sure to make spotted looking work.

CHAPTER V. Painting Plastered Walls in Oil and Distemper

Colors.

Preparing the walls, or giving the first coat.— - Some painters and decorators give the walls a coat of glue size to close the pores, or stop the suction of the plaster; though this is not a very good thing to do, for the reason that, should the walls sweat, which they very often do, it would soften the glue size, and destroy the foundation; and there could be but one result — the paint must fall off.

You will veiy frequently find damp walls, and more especially in brick buildings; and in such places it is very hard to get the glue to dry properly; and if you should succeed in doing so, it would stand but a short time.

A few remarks regarding damp walls may not be out of place here:

Dissolve half a pound of alum in a gallon of water; then put in half a pint of raw linseed oil. The oil will prevent the cracking, and you can either paint, calcimine or paper over it.

Damp walls again. A splendid remedy: "Mix English Portland cement with water to the consistency of cream; give the walls (either brick or stone) a thick coat, stirring the cement all the time while using it; and only mix half a gallon at a time, and work quick, This looks at first a failure, as it can easilv be brushed off, but after standing twenty four hours, it becomes thoroughly hard. This is used best on damp days. Two coats better than one. This is used only when you wish to paint outside, damp brick or stone walls."

To Dry damp walls, and make them fit for papering. — Get some sulphuric acid, and with an old paint brush wash over the damp places. This is a certain preventative tor damp walls.

Cooling plastered WALLS^Dissolve half-pound white glue in hot water to the consistency of jelly; and stain it with a little dry drop black. Then mix half pound of plaster of paris with the glue. Apply one coat of this, after which go over the work again with a solution of equal parts of alum, brown soap and glue, mixed to the proper consistency. If you wish, you can mix boiled linseed oil; but if oil is used the work must stand for a day or so. You will find this to surpass all preparations you have tried.

Glue size is much cheaper than linseed oil; but suppose it is, what does it amount to? It will not justify you to use it; ior should you use it, in a short time the job may burst up and cause you endless trouble; and, perhaps, your reputation, for just a few stingy pennies.

To prepare one of the best size for a plastered wall is very simple. — To one gallon of boiled linseed oil add one fourth pint coach Japan, This will dry the oil in a short time, allowing enough of the oil to penetrate the plastering, and thus putting the walls in good condition to receive the after coats. This sizing can be applied with a flat, wall brush; and care must be exerted not to use the size too extravagantly; for what oil the plaster will not absorb, will have to dry on the surface; and if too much is used, it will sag and run down the wall, leaving the wall in a bad shape.

The object of this oil size is to have as much dried on the surface as possible; and to do this it must be dried quickly, which will produce a gloss over the entire surface, thereby closing the pores of the plaster, and putting it in shape for the first coat of paint; though, if the entire surface should not be glossy, it will make no material difference. This size should stand twenty four hours under good drying conditions before applying the first coat of paint; or, in other words, it must be dry and hard before proceeding with the work. Note. — An addition of a small quantity of white lead, (tinted with a little yellow ochre), to the size, will greatly improve it, as it will act as a filler.

All holes, such as nail holes, or larger ones, should be filled with plaster of paris before sizing the walls.

Mixing and Applying Second Coat op Paint to Walls — Puttying Cracks etc. — Making Wall Putty. — This putty is called quick drying putty, and is made of equal parts of pulverized Whiting, (lump whiting will do) and plaster of paris, mixed to a soft putty, with equal parts of quick drying rubbing varnish and coach Japan. Mix on a sheet of tin f marble slab, or a large board. Place the whiting and plaster of

3o the; painters' educator.

paris on the marble, tin or board (which ever is the most convenient) and make a hole in the center of the whiting and plaster of paris. In this hole pour the varnish and japan, enough to make it all into a stiff putty; then with a putty knife, mix all together; and after well mixed, take a hammer and pound it to make it smooth. Now, the putty being made, put it in a pint cup, or other vessel, and cover it with water to keep it from drying out,

Now, the sizing dry, and the putty made, you are ready to do the puttying of all cracks and small holes. Provide yourself with a piece of glass, three inches square, and a small cup of turpentine. Fof the larger holes, etc., use the putty as made; but for the small cracks and checks the putty must be thined some. By putting some of it on the glass, and by dipping the putty knife in the turpentine, and working the putty with the knife, and repeating this opperation until the putty is thin enough it will go in the cracks easily Now take a small portion of this putty on the knife, and run along over the crack, pressing the putty in as you do so, making sure the crack is filled. Put the putty fight in the crack, or hole, and scrape off all putty left on the out side of the crack before the putty gets dry. Don't fotget this.

This putty dries very fast and can be painted over as soon as the work of puttying is completed,

CHAPTER VI. The Finishing of Walls in Oil Finish

In the oil finish, the second and third coats must be mixed the same color; and, for this reason, there shoud be enough paint mixed for second and third coats. Should the second and third coats fail to cover and make a nice even color on the walls, a fourth coat should be applied.