In regard to exterior painting, the use of turpentine is to be avoided, as turpentine does not resist the action of water and so will not preserve work which is exposed to the weather. As oil possesses a natural tendency to discolor white paint, it is customary to mix turpentine with the oil when an absolute white is desired, but in dark colors this is not necessary, and boiled oil only should be used unless a dryer is needed.
Inside Painting. While the same principles apply to the inside painting as to the outside, more care should be exercised in the appli cation. Puttying must be done with the greatest of care, and a greater skill in the application will be needed. If a painted finish is desired greater care must be taken in protecting from knots and pitch by the use of shellac, even to the extent of shellacing the whole finish if it is necessary. For inside painting zinc is used to a large extent, instead of lead, and is often preferred as it has no tendency to turn yellow in rooms which are not well lighted, as lead will sometimes do. Tastes vary as to the kind of surface desirable for painted finish. If a dull finish is desired it may be obtained by mixing the last coat of paint with clear spirits of turpentine instead of oil. Oil gives a somewhat glossy finish and if a Ugh gloss is desired varnish may be mixed with the last coat. The so-called enamel finish is very popular and is obtained by the application of five or six coats of paint, each coat rubbed down with pumice and oil, the last coat being of a prepared enamel.
Inside Staining. Staining in various tints is a popular way finishing many interiors. This is clone sometimes to change the natural color of oak or other hard woods, and more often to give a desired tone to softer woods such as whitewood or cypress.
Stains are in general of three kinds, water stains, oil stains and spirit stains. The richest color effects are produced by water stains, for the reason that their work is performed by absorption and there is thus less tendency to obscure the grain of the wood. Oil stains are superior to water stains in the matter of preserving the wood and, by reason of not freezing, their use in cold weather is an advantage, but the result is a loss in clearness of grain and color effects. For renewal of old work oil stains should be used, as the pre vious finishing will prevent proper absorption of the water stain.
Spirit stains tend to strike into the wood by evaporation, requiring about twice as much to cover the same area as water or oil stains, and they are not so extensively used.
Varnish and Shellac. Where a natural finish is desired the treatment will vary from the simple application of a coat or two of oil, which makes the cheapest and poorest finish, to five or six coats of shellac, rubbed down, which gives the most costly and best of all finishes. The actual treatment will vary with the wood and finish desired. We find that our painting specification has been very carefully drawn, giving the hardwood finish after cleaning, first a coat of oil or paste filler, this is cleaned off and four coats of shellac applied, each coat when dry being rubbed down with fine sand-paper except the last. This coat will be rubbed to an egg-shell gloss with pumice stone in oil. The hard pine finish of the service portions of the house will be given a good coat of oil to bring out the grain of the wood. This will be smoothed by sandpapering and then given a good coat of spar varnish rubbed down, and a final coat of the same, this last coat flowed on and left shining.
Preparation. For a first-class finish certain conditions must be observed, first in importance being to have a smooth and clean surface upon which to work. This can best be assured by a careful sandpapering of all finish until perfectly smooth, when all traces of dust should be removed. If stain is to be used it may then be applied and, after drying, sand-paper lightly to bring up the high lights and smooth the grain which will be raised somewhat by the application of the stain. A second coat of very dilute stain lightly applied with a cloth will often improve the grain. This may be followed by a very light coat of shellac to protect the solid parts of the wood from absorbing too much of the filler, thus improving the contrasts and preventing a muddy appearance that is sometimes seen.
Filling and Finishing. The wood is now ready to receive the filler which should be used on open grained woods such as oak, ash, chestnut, mahogany, etc. Either a paste filler or an oil filler may be used, preference generally being for the former. This is applied in a thick coat, the surplus being wiped off with a cloth, and the whole sand-papered lightly.