First Coat—When the priming is dry, put on a second coat. The work is now said to be " primed and one coat," and is ready for painting, which requires one or two coats more.
Second Coat—Fill up all nail holes and the like, and lay on a regular coat of the desired color. Let dry for two or three days.
Third Coat.—Finally add the third coat, if desired, of the same charac ter as the second coat.
Or the third coat may be thin, with a larger proportion of turpen tine than the second coat, giving the paint a dull surface and a delicate bloom. This is called flatting.
Painting Woodwork Indoors. — Careful landlords go over the inside woodwork of a house frequently with paint and varnish. This preserves the woodwork and saves labor, strength, and time. It is not econ omy to wait until the paint or var nish cracks or wears off. The more frequently it is painted the longer the woodwork lasts, and the easier it is to keep in good order.
If there is grease or soap on the woodwork the paint will not adhere. Hence, before painting, the surface should be cleaned by scrubbing with ammonia water or water containing kerosene or sal soda, and rinsed off thoroughly.
Apply a second coat, if necessary, to get a smooth, hard surface.
Window Sills and Sashes.—These should be " drawn" or painted fre quently, as the rain outside and the steam inside collect on the glass and settle about the casings, causing them to rot unless kept in good order by fresh paint and varnish. If putty cracks or shows signs of decaying, it should be removed and new putty applied before painting.
To Apply Paint. — The proper stroke in painting is short, say S or 10 inches. The brush should strike the surface nearly at right angles and in the middle of the stroke; that is to say, the painter deposits the added load 4 or 6 inches in advance of the unpainted surface, and not at the end of the last stroke, and works the color back and forth with the brush.
The brush should be deep, so as to take up the paint through the hairs, and not merely on their ends, and the surface should be wiped so that it will not drip before using. But a brush should not be wiped on a cutting edge, or the bristles will be split and tend to curl backward. Hence paint should be taken from a pail or can having a wire fastened across the top or a smooth edge turned over to wipe the brush on.