Part 317

Transparent celluloid, finely shredded 1 ounce Acetone, sufficient quantity. Amyl acetate to make 20 ounces.

Digest the celluloid in the acetone until dissolved and add the amyl acetate. From 1 to 4 ounces of flake bronze is to be mixed with this quantity of varnish. For silver paint or “aluminum enamel,” flake aluminum bronze powder should be used in place of the gold. The celluloid varnish incloses the bronze particles in an impervious coating, air-tight and water-tight. As it contains nothing that will act upon the bronze, the latter retains its luster for a long period, until the varnished surface becomes worn or abraded and the bronze thus exposed to atmospheric action.

All of the “gold” or, more properly, gilt furniture that is sold so cheaply by the furniture and department stores is gilded with a paint of this kind, and for that reason such furniture can be offered at a moderate price. The finish is surprisingly durable, and in color and luster is a very close imitation of real gold-leaf work. This paint is also used on picture frames of cheap and medium grades, taking the place of gold leaf or the lacquered silver leaf formerly used on articles of the better grades; it is also substituted for “Dutch metal,” or imitation gold leaf, on the cheapest class of work.

A cheaper gold paint is made by using an inexpensive varnish composed of gutta percha, gum dammar, or some other varnish gum, dissolved in benzole, or in a mixture of benzole and benzine. The paints made with a celluloid-amyl-acetate varnish give off a strong banana-like odor when applied, and may be readily recognized by this characteristic.

The impalpably powdered bronzes are called “lining” bronzes. They are chiefly used for striping or lining by carriage painters; in bronzing gas fixtures and metal work; in fresco and other interior decoration, and in printing; the use of a very fine powder in inks or paints admits of the drawing or printing of very delicate lines.

Lining bronze is also used on picture frames or other plastic ornamental work. Mixed with a thin weak glue sizing it is applied over “burnishing clay,” and when dry is polished with agate burnishers. The object thus treated, after receiving a finishing coat of a thin transparent varnish, imitates very closely in appearance a piece of finely cast antique bronze. To add still more to this effect the burnishing clay is colored the greenish black that is seen in the deep parts of real antique bronzes, and the bronze powder, mixed with size, is applied only to the most prominent parts or “high lights” of the ornament. {493}

Since the discovery of the celluloid-amyl-acetate varnish, or bronze liquid, and its preservative properties on bronze powders, manufacturers have discontinued the use of liquids containing oils, turpentine, or gums, since their constituents corrode the bronze metal, causing the paint finally to turn black.

«Gilding in Size.»—The old painters and gilders used to prepare the gold size themselves, but nowadays it is usually bought ready made, barring the white of egg additional. The best and most reliable, and especially suited for fine work, is undoubtedly the red French gold size. It is cleaned, as far as possible, of all impurities, and powdered. For 246 grains take 1 white of egg; put it into a glass, taking care to exclude the yolk entirely—otherwise the burnish will show black spots. Beat the white of egg to a froth with a long, well-cleaned bristle brush; add the froth to the size and grind finely together, which is soon done. When grinding, a little water and red size, if necessary, may be added (use only water for thinning). After being ground, the size is forced through a very fine hair sieve into a perfectly clean vessel, and covered up well, for immediate or subsequent use.

The raw stuff of the red size is bolus, which is dug in France and Armenia in excellent quality. Besides the red size there are yellow, white (pipe clay), blue, and gray (alumina), which are used for certain purposes, to enumerate which here would lead too far.

For burnish gold, always take yellow size for ground work. Dip a finely ground bristle brush in the gold size prepared for use; fill a well-cleaned glass (holding 1 pint) half full of water, and add the size contained in the brush, also about 4 to 5 spoonfuls of pure alcohol. It is advisable not to take too much size; the liquid, when applied, must hardly have a yellow tint. When this is dry soon after, commence applying the size, for which a hair pencil is used. The essentials are to paint evenly and not too thickly, so that the tone remains uniform. Apply three coats of size.

When the size is laid on correctly and has become dry, brush the whole with a special brush, or rub with a flannel rag, so as to obtain the highest possible luster. The size must not stand too long; otherwise no gloss can be developed. After brushing, coat the work with weak glue water and wrap it up in tissue paper if the gilding is not to be done at once.

The strictest cleanliness is essential, as the red gold size is very sensitive. The parts where the size has been applied must not be touched with the hand, else grease spots will ensue, which will make a flawless gloss in gilding impossible. The least relaxation of the necessary attention may spoil the whole job, so that everything has to be ground off again.

The necessary tools for the application of gold leaf are: Hair pencils of various sizes, tip, cushion, and gilding knife, as with oil-gilding. Take pure alcohol or grain brandy, and dilute with two-thirds water. When ready to apply the gold leaf, dip a hair pencil of suitable size into the fluid, but do not have it full enough that the alcohol will run on the size ground. Moisten a portion of the ground surface as large as the gold leaf, which is laid on immediately after. Proceed in the same manner, first moistening, then applying the ready-cut gold leaf. The latter must not be pressed on, but merely laid down lightly, one leaf a little over the edge of the previous one, without using up too much gold. Technical practice in gold-leaf gilding is presupposed; through this alone can any skill be acquired, reading being of no avail.

The leaf of gold being applied, all dust must be swept off by means of a light, fine hair pencil (but never against the overlapping edges), and the burnishing is commenced. For this purpose there are special agate tools of the shape of a horn. Flint stone, blood stone, and wolf’s teeth are sometimes, but gradually more seldom, employed. Burnish till a full, fine luster appears; but very carefully avoid dents and lines, not to speak of scratches, which would be very hard to mend.

«Gold Enamel Paints.»—

I.—Pure turps 6 pints Copal varnish 1 pint Good gold bronze 6 1⁠/⁠2 pounds Calcis hydrate (dry-slaked lime) 1⁠/⁠2 ounce

Mix the varnish and turps at a gentle heat, then slake well with the lime, and settle for a few days, then pour off the clean portion and mix with the powder.

II.—White hard varnish 1 gallon Methylated spirit 3⁠/⁠4 gallon Gold bronze 12 pounds Finely powdered mica 3 ounces

Mix the varnish and the spirit, reduce the mica to an impalpable powder, mix with the gold, then add to the liquid. Many bronze powders contain a goodly {494} proportion of mica, as it imparts brilliancy. Powdered mother-of-pearl is used also.

«GRAINING WITH PAINT:»

See also Wood.

«Oak Graining.»—Prepare a paint of two-thirds of white lead and one-third of golden ocher with the requisite amount of boiled linseed oil and a little drier, and cover the floor twice with this mixture, which possesses great covering power. When the last coating is dry, paint the floor with a thinly liquid paint consisting of varnish and sienna, applying the same in the longitudinal direction of the boards. Treat a strip about 20 inches wide at a time, and draw at once a broad paint brush or, in the absence of such, an ordinary brush or goose feather along the planks through the wet paint, whereupon the floor will acquire a nicely grained appearance. The paint requires several days to dry. A subsequent coating of varnish will cause the graining to stand out still more prominently.

«Birch.»—Imitations of birch are usefully employed for furniture. The ground should be a light, clean buff, made from white lead, stained with either yellow ocher or raw sienna in oil. In graining, brush over the surface with a thin wash of warm brown, making the panel of 2 or 3 broad color shades. Then take a large mottler and mottle the darker parts into the light, working slantwise, as for maple, but leaving a broad and stiff mark. While this is still wet soften the panel and then slightly mottle across the previous work to break it up. When thoroughly dry, carefully wet the work over with clean water and clean mottler, and put in darker overgrain with a thin oak overgrainer or overgrainer in tubes.

«Maple.»—Sixty pounds white lead; 1 ounce deep vermilion; 1 ounce lemon chrome.

«Ash.»—Sixty pounds white lead; 1 ounce deep vermilion; 1 ounce lemon chrome.

«Medium Oak.»—Sixty pounds white lead; 2 pounds French ocher; 1 ounce burnt umber.

«Light Oak.»—Sixty pounds white lead; 1 ounce lemon chrome; 1⁠/⁠2 pound French ocher.

«Dark Oak.»—Sixty pounds white lead; 10 pounds burnt umber; 1 1⁠/⁠2 pounds medium Venetian red.