SPECIAL VARNISHES Miscellaneous Varnishes.—In addi tion to the above, various miscellane ous varnishes are in use for different purposes, among which may be men tioned the following: Map Varnish.—Dissolve 1 ounce of gutta percha in 5 ounces of oil of tur pentine. Add 8 ounces of hot linseed oil.
Varnish for Oil Paintings. — Melt with gentle heat 1 pound of white wax. Add 1 pint of warm 95 per cent alcohol. Mix and pour on a cold porphyry slab. Grind to a smooth paste with a muller. Add sufficient water and beat up to the consistency of milk with an egg beater. Strain through cheese cloth. Spread this over the paint and allow it to dry. After wards go over it with a warm (not hot) iron to melt and diffuse it equally.
Zinc Varnish.—Dissolve equal parts of potassium chloride and copper sul phate in hot water. Immerse the zinc ten seconds. Dry, wash, and polish. This forms a solution of copper oxide having an indigo-blue color.
Varnish to Prevent Rust.—Melt 4 ounces of tallow and 2 ounces of ros in, strain through cheese cloth while hot, and stir in 1 ounce of finely pul verized black lead. Apply to tools and other metals with a brush.
Or melt paraffin and apply with a brush.
Or dissolve 4 ounces of mastic, 2 ounces of camphor, 6 ounces of sanda rac, and 2 ounces of elemi in alcohol, and apply to fine tools and other metallic surfaces. This improves the appearance of the articles, and may be used on hardware exposed for sale.
Or dissolve 2 ounces of rosin, 3 ounces of sandarac, and 2 ounces of shellac in 3 Minces of alcohol. When cool add 2 ounces of turpentine. Strain, filter, and bottle for use.
Varnish from Sealing Wax.—Dis solve 1 ounce of any color of sealing wax in 4 ounces of alcohol, and apply while warm with a soft bristle brush. The principal ingredient of sealing wax is shellac.
Varnish for Window Glass.—Mix ounce of gum tragacanth finely pow dered with the whites of 2 eggs, and beat thoroughly with an egg beater. Let stand 24 hours and apply to window panes with a soft brush. When dry, this effectually prevents the sun's rays from passing through the glass.
Varnish for Leather. — Dissolve in water 3 ounces of gum arabic. Dis solve separately in brandy 3 ounces of isinglass. Mix and apply.
Tar Varnish.—Melt together 2 gal lons of tar and 1 pound of tallow. Add 7 pounds of ocher ground in lin seed oil. Thin with 6 pounds of oil of turpentine. Mix well. This is suitable for all rough outdoor work, protecting bulkheads, drains, water troughs, leaders, and woodwork in all localities exposed to much damp ness.
Stone Varnish.—Melt 10 pounds of rosin, add 1 pound of linseed oil, and stir in 10 pounds of prepared chalk. Mix thoroughly. Add 4 ounces of native oxide of copper and 4 ounces of sulphuric acid. Mix well and ap ply hot with a brush. When dry, this is practically fireproof and is hard as stone.
Asphaltum Varnish.—Dissolve with gentle heat 21 pounds of pulverized asphaltum in 1 gallon of spirits of turpentine. This is a suitable varnish for all iron work, stoves, stovepipes, grates, coal scuttles, fly screens, wire netting, exposed hinges, and other hardware, and all iron or steel ex posed to the weather or likely to suf fer from rust.
Or to the above add 1 pint copal spirit varnish, and pint boiled lin seed oil. This is suitable for wood, iron, or leather.
Varnish for Paintings, Drawings, and Prints. — A number of special varnishes, including spirit or lac var nishes containing gum sandarac, mas tic, and the like, turpentine varnishes with Canada balsam, and various special mixtures, are recommended for coating oil paintings, drawings, prints, and the like, to protect them from the effects of exposure.
Mastic Varnish.—To make the fin est quality of pure varnish for oil paints and similar fine work, crush the mastic on a stone or marble with a knife blade or ivory paper cutter, and eject the soft part or tears. Put the hard grains into a glass bottle with rectified spirits of turpentine, and shake the bottle until the mastic dissolves without heat. Strain through a piece of muslin, cork the bottle, and stand it in direct sunlight for several weeks. A gummy sediment like muci lage will form in the bottom of the bottle. Reject this, pouring off only the clear liquor for use. To each ounce of this liquor add 2 ounces of alcohol, and thin, if desired, with rec tified turpentine.