Or rest the bottle on straw or a folded cloth and put them in a sauce pan. Fill the saucepan partly full of cold water, and bring to a boil with gentle heat. This is the best and quickest way to cut wax, gum, and other resinous substances with spirits, and also to melt glue and the like. The best results may be obtained by applying while warm furniture polish containing such substances; hence, be fore applying, the bottle may be heat ed by the method just given.
Gum arabic, on the contrary, can not be dissolved in alcohol. Hence pulverize gum arabic as fine as possi ble, and dissolve with a little boiling water before mixing with other in gredients. Furniture polish contain ing gum arabic gives the best results when applied warm.
To Clean Furniture. — Dissolve 4 ounces of common salt in 1 quart of cold beer or vinegar. Add 1 table spoonful of muriatic acid. Boil 15 minutes, bottle, and cork tightly. Warm and shake well before using. First sponge the furniture with clear water. Apply this mixture with a brush or sponge and polish with any of the above kinds of polish, using a flannel cloth or damp chamois.
Or dissolve in 1 quart of strong beer or vinegar 2 ounces of beeswax and 1 teaspoonful of sugar. First wash the furniture with clear water or cold tea. Apply this mixture with a sponge or brush. Oil, wipe dry, and polish.
To Polish Wood Carving. — The carvings of furniture may be filled, cleaned, and polished by means of brushes, using a stiff brush to clean out the dust, then a soft brush dipped in suitable polish, and finally a clean dry brush with medium hard bristles to give a polish.
Paste for Furniture. — For light wood, cover 8 ounces of beeswax scraped fine with 1 pint of turpen tine, cork tightly, and let stand, shak ing occasionally until dissolved.
Or cover 3 ounces of pearlash with 1 pint of water, and bring to a boil. Stir in 2 ounces of white wax scraped fine, and simmer with gentle heat 25 minutes. Let cool, and make into a soft paste with a little hot water.
Or mix 2 ounces of beeswax, 2 ounces of rectified turpentine, and 2 ounces of cold-drawn linseed oil.
Or dissolve in pint of turpentine 6 ounces of white wax. Cork tightly and let stand in a warm place until dissolved, shaking frequently. Cover 1 ounce of castile soap with 2 gills of water, bring to a boil, and mix with the wax and turpentine. This is a standard commercial article.
Paste for Mahogany Furniture.— Moisten 2 ounces of beeswax shavings with turpentine, add ounce of rosin, melt to a paste with gentle heat, and color with Venetian red.
Or pour over ounce of alkanet root 1 pint of turpentine. Let stand 48 hours. Strain through muslin. Add 4 ounces of beeswax shavings, cork tightly, and let stand, shaking occasionally until dissolved.
Or mix and dissolve 4 ounces of beeswax shavings, 1 ounce of rosin, and 2 ounces of turpentine. Color with Venetian red.