T 1 
 
 DECORMeRS & PAPERBMGERS 
 
 J^GODFREV? 
 
 i m iii »> ii 
 
mrmm: 
 
 COPYRIGHT deposit; 
 
 iS.hJXVf^f 
 
 ' y, i^^My2M^ h^Rt'i^ifhyti 
 
m^y^^rl^^^ 
 
HINTS FOR PAINTLR5 
 
 DLCORATOR5 AND 
 PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 
 FOR HOUSE PAINTING, STENCILING, GILD- 
 ING, GRAINING, PAPER-HANGING, ETC. " 
 
 PREPARED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE 
 WANTS OF AMATEURS 
 
 By C. GODFREY A '^^^ 
 
 Author of "How to Mix PapAts," "Hardwood Finisher," Etc-. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK COMPANY 
 1911 
 
-\ 
 
 y 
 
 ^ 
 
 HINTS FOR PAINTERS, DECORATORS 
 AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 Copyright Secured 1911 
 By Industrial Book Co. 
 
 S 
 
 #; 
 
 ^^ 
 
 .aV 
 
 ©CI.A300746 <V 
 
 ;')' 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Preface 5 
 
 Preliminary 7 
 
 Preparation of Surfaces 7 
 
 Materials Used 8 
 
 Bases and Vehicles ll 
 
 White Lead, Genuine and Adulterated 11 
 
 Linseed and other Oils 15 
 
 Driers 16 
 
 Coloring Paints 17 
 
 Blacks and Blues 18 
 
 Yellows 19 
 
 Browns 20 
 
 Pinks and Reds 22 
 
 Lakes and Orange 23 
 
 Green 24 
 
 Proportion of Ingredients in Mixed Paints 26 
 
 Table showing the composition of the different coats of white 
 paint, and the quantities required to cover 100 yards of 
 
 new work 27 
 
 Operations 28 
 
 Preparing the Work 29 
 
 Taste in Color 35 
 
 Graining — General Remarks 38 
 
 Graining in Oak, Mahogany, Rosewood, Walnut, Maple, Satin- 
 wood, Granites 40 
 
 Marbling 46 
 
 Rules for Mixing Compound Colors 49 
 
 Miscellaneous Receipts, for Painting Iron, Stucco, Glass; Gilding, 
 Gilding on Glass, Gilding Fretwork, Painting on Gilded 
 Panels, Gilding on Wood, Gilding Letters, Gilder's Size, 
 Staining W^ood, Staining Floors, Varnishing, Painting Brick- 
 work and Masonry, French Polish, Wood-filling, Rules for 
 
 Painters to Observe 51 
 
 Paper-hanging 64 
 
 Measuring Quantity of Paper Required 66 
 
 Trimming the Paper 70 
 
 Hanging the Paper 72 
 
 Hanging Ceiling Paper 76 
 
 Borders and Freizes 77 
 
 Repapering an Old Wall 77 
 
 Paste 80 
 
 Cleaning Paper Hangings 81 
 
 Choosing the Paper 81 
 
 Papering the Hall 96 
 
 Stenciling 107 
 
 Using the Stencil » . . , . e . . 110 
 
 Cutting Stencils 118 
 
PRLFACL 
 
 THIS little book is intended to furnish the practical 
 house-painter and the man who wants to paint 
 and decorate his own home with information suffi- 
 cient to enable him to understand his business in- 
 telligently. One of its objects is to deal with the nature, 
 characteristics, qualities, and defects of the materials 
 employed by the class of artisans for whom it is written ; 
 and to limited extent this has been done with as little 
 theory as possible ; high-sounding technicalities have 
 also been avoided wherever the author has been able to 
 make himself understood without them. 
 
 It is thought the young painter may derive great profit 
 and advancement from a careful study of this book, as 
 the hints, rules, and recipes it contains are reliable, prac- 
 tical, and of every-day use. 
 
 The directions and the many fine illustrations on 
 paper-hanging and decoration make this subject as plain 
 as it is possible to present it. 
 
 The author has consulted many works on the subject, 
 and is indebted to many of them for much of the matter 
 contained, among which may be mentioned ''Building 
 Construction and Materials," ''House-Painter's Hand- 
 Book," "Artists' and Tradesmen's Companion," 
 "Painter's Guide," Chevreul's "Oils and Paints," Jen- 
 ning's "Wall Hangings," Brown's "Decoration," and 
 several other works of more or less note. To this has 
 been added many things discovered by the actual ex- 
 perience of the writer. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 New York, November 13, 1911. 
 
 (5) 
 

 '■'•':':'''■■[''. 
 
 
 Ci 
 
 
 
 
 Wiiil 
 
 JU r UlJUUUUU ' LfL/LnJlAJtJlJLfLnAFlJLrLfL^^ 
 
 ii»i— nm. i i >» »_-m lu i -. i m 
 
 DAINTY WAL^L TREATMENT SUITABLE FOK 
 SUMMER COTTAGE. 
 
 (6) 
 
HINTS FOR PAINTEES 
 
 Al^T> PAPEE-HANGEKS. 
 
 There is a general belief abroad that anybody can execute 
 all that is required of a house-painter. This is a very popular 
 error; it is not so easy to prepare and apply a coat of paint 
 in a thorough workmanlike manner as some may imagine. 
 It is still less easy to pamt in parti colors ; and very few can 
 produce a good piece of graining. 
 
 The painter should not only be acquainted with the 
 method of applying paint when it is provided for him, and 
 the brush placed in his hand, but he should know the com- 
 position of the colors ; the manner in which they are made, 
 and the colors which must harmonize with each other when 
 they are associated together. These observations being of a 
 practical nature and the result of experience, are commended 
 for his perusal and study. 
 
 Preparation. — All surfaces painted should be first 
 thoroughly dry and free from dust. All heads of nails should 
 be punched or " set " below the surface of the wood, and 
 after the priming is dry, the holes formed by the heads, as 
 well as all cracks, defects, etc., should be filled up with putty 
 made of raw linseed oil and whiting. To prevent knots or 
 
8 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 " fat " spots from showing through, they should receive two 
 coats of shellac varnish, and when dry rubbed down with 
 sand-paper. TJie shellac should be applied with a small 
 brush. It dries soon and may be painted over as soon as 
 dry. Shellac prepared this way is called " knotting," and 
 can be purchased wherever painters' materials are kept for 
 sale.- 
 
 Materials. — The principal materials used for painting, 
 />., white lead and oxide of zinc, are so well known that it is 
 unnecessary to allude particularly to their manufacture at 
 present. Before using them they should be mixed with pure 
 raw linseed oil. Turpentine may be used in cold whether to 
 make the paint work easy, as the oil is apt to chill, which 
 *irickens it and makes it difficult to apply. In warm weather, 
 i.owever, turpentine should not be used in priming any parts 
 where the sun shines upon. In cold weather it is always 
 necessary to use hth.irge or some other drier; or the work 
 will remain a long time before it hardens ; in summer, how- 
 ever, driers in most cases are unnecessary, for if the wood to 
 be painted is as well seasoned as it ought to be there is little 
 danger of the paint being washed off by rain, as it will mostly 
 be absorbed in the surface. 
 
 To make satisfactory worK it is imperative that all cans, 
 pots and brushes used in painting be perfecdy clean at the 
 start, and kept so whenever the conditions will permit. A 
 marble slab and muller will be required to grind the finer 
 colors used. Sometimes a small cast-iron mill will be found 
 useful not only to grind colors; but to pass the tinted color 
 through, so that it may be thoroughly mixed. It is scarcely 
 necessary to say that it is presumed the workman will know 
 what brushes he will require according to the work he has in 
 hand. His large ground paint brush, called a "pound- 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
10 HINTS FUR PAINTJiRS 
 
 brush ; " his half-size, for smaller work ; his fitch and sash 
 tools, duster, pallet, putty and hasp knives; oval and flat 
 varnish brushes, varnish-pot, step-ladders and long ladders, 
 mahl-stick, pallet-board, gildmg-knife, camel and sable hair- 
 pencils, whitewash brushes, jack for window work, cushion, 
 tip-pole, etc., etc. 
 
 Large brushes, such as 6-0 size, should be bridled when 
 new by winaing gpod twine around them about one-third up 
 the length of the bristles, and as the brush wears, this binding 
 can be unwound. Care should be taken to use the brushes 
 so that they will have a flat wedge-shaped jjoint, straight on 
 the edge. This can be done by holding the brush always in 
 one position. If brushes are turned round and round in the 
 hand while in use, they wear round and stubby on the point 
 md soon become useless for fine or smooth work. 
 
 Brushes that are in use every day should be placed in water 
 half the depth of the brisdes at night, taking care that brushes 
 containing different colors do not come in contact with one 
 another. If they are to be laid aside for any length of time, 
 however, they should be washed with warm water and soap 
 after being thoroughly cleansed with turpentine, and laid 
 away in a moist place. 
 
 As a general thing it is better to buy putty already made 
 at a regular paint store, where you may depend upon its being 
 made of good whiting and linseed oil than to make it. Putty 
 should not be used until the work has been primed, for new 
 paint holds the putty very firmly. 
 
 White lead is to be judged of by being well ground and 
 possessing the mellowness given to it by age. 
 
 It is well known amongst painters that the best article is 
 the most economical, as it works out with more ease, and 
 repays the difference of cost in its better appearance and 
 extra durability. Linseed oil is also better for having due 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 11 
 
 age, for the same reasons as the white lead, working with 
 softness and advantage after parting with the water, which is 
 generally combined with new oil. 
 
 In most cases driers are added to paints to cause them to 
 dry mo'"e quickly, and a solvent is sometimes required to make 
 the paints work more freely. When the color required differs 
 from that of the main paint used, the desired tint is obtained 
 by adding a staining or coloring pigment. The materials 
 generally employed may, for convenience, be classed as 
 follows : 
 
 Bases. — White lead, red lead, zinc white, oxide of iron. 
 Vehicles. — Oils, spirits of turpentine. Solvents. — Spirits of 
 turpentine. Driers. — Litharge, acetate of lead, sulphate of 
 zinc and binoxide of manganese, red lead, etc. Coloring 
 Pigments. — Ochres, lampblack, umber, sienna, and many 
 metallic salts that will be hereinafter mentioned 
 
 White lead may be obtained either pure or mixed with 
 various substances, such as sulphate of baryta, sulphate of 
 lead, whiting, chalk, zinc white, etc. These substances do 
 not combine with oil as well as does white lead, nor do they 
 so well protect any surface to which they are applied. Sul- 
 phate of baryta, the most common adulterant, is a dense, 
 heavy, white substance, very like white lead in appearance. 
 It absorbs very little oil, and may frequently be detected by 
 the gritty feeling it produces when the paint is rubbed be- 
 tween the finger and thumb. 
 
 White Lead is sold either dry, in powder or lump, 
 or else ground in oil in a paste containing from 7 to 9 
 per cent, of linseed oil, and more or less adulterated, 
 unless specially marked " genuine." When slightly adulter- 
 ated with a very white sulphate of baryta, like that of 
 the Tyrol, the mixture Is considered preferable for cer- 
 
12 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 <ain kinds of work, as the baiytes communicates opacity to 
 the color and protects the lead from being speedily dark- 
 ened by sulphurous smoke or vapors. White lead improves 
 by keeping, and when of good quality, will go much further 
 and last much better than when employed fresh ; moreover, 
 paint made with new lead has a tendency to become yellow. 
 It should not be exposed to the air or it will turn grey. 
 
 Of all the bases used for paints, white lead is the most 
 commonly used, and for surfaces of wood it affords in most 
 cases the best protection, being dense, of good body, and 
 permanent. It has the disadvantage, however, of blazening 
 when exposed to sulphur acids, and of being injurious to 
 those who handle it. 
 
 Red lead is produced by raising imissicot (the commercial 
 name for oxide of lead) to a high temperature, short offision, 
 during wnich it absorbs oxygen from the air and is converted 
 into red lead or miniiun, an oxide of lead. The color is last- 
 ing, and is unaffected by light when it is pure and used alone, 
 but any preparation containing lead or acids mixed with it 
 deprive it of color, and impure air makes it black. It may 
 be used for a diier, as it possesses many of the properties of 
 litharge ; it is also often employed in painting wrought .oc 
 work, to which it adheres with a tenacity not equalled by 
 any other paints ; it is sometimes objected to for this purpose, 
 on the ground that galvanic action is set up between the lead 
 and the iron. It is also frequently used tor priming on wood 
 work, and is especially adapted for hard woods. It is fre- 
 quendy adulterated with brick dust ; this may be detected by 
 heating the powder in a crucible, ar^d treating it with dilute 
 nitric acid ; the lead will be dissolved but the brick dust will 
 remain. It is also adulterated with colcother, a sesquioxide 
 of iron. Sulphide of antimony, or antimony vermilion, is 
 sometimes used as a substitute for red lead. It is sold in a 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 13 
 
 very fine powder, without taste or smell, and which is insolu- 
 ble in water, alcohol, or essential oils. It is but little acted 
 upon by acids, and is said to be unaffected by air or light. 
 It is adapted for mixing with white lead, and affords an in- 
 tensely bright color when ground in oil. 
 
 Oxide of zinc, or zinc white, is durable in water or oil ; it 
 dissolves in hydrochloric acid; it does not blacken in the 
 presence of sulphuretted hydrogen ; and it is not injurious to 
 the men who make it, or to the painters who use it ; but on 
 the other hand, it does not combine with oil well, and is 
 wanting in body and covering power, and is difficult to work. 
 It is easily acted upon by the carbonic acid in rain water, 
 which dissolves the oxide, and it therefore is unfit for outside 
 work. The acids contained in unseasoned wood also have a 
 great effect upon it. When pure and used for inside work, 
 : retains its color well, and will stand washing for many years 
 without losing any of its freshness. When dry it becomes 
 very hard, and will take a fine polish. This paint is suitable 
 for any place that is subjected to vapors containing sulphur, 
 or in places where foul air is emanated from decaying animal 
 matter. In such positions, of course, zinc paints should not 
 be mixed with " patent " or other driers which contain lead. 
 The best driers to employ with it are sulphate of manganese 
 and sulphate of zinc. This white is recommended as being 
 preferable to white lead for painting on a dark ground. The 
 reason of this is that the soap formed by the combination of 
 the lead and oil in lead paints is semi-transparent, and the 
 dark ground shows through it. The want of density, how- 
 ever, in zinc paints, is a great drawback to their use, and the 
 purest zinc oxide is not always the best for paint on account 
 of its low specific gravity ; and in this respect, the American 
 zinc whites, which are frequently very pure, do not generally 
 give as good satisfaction as the zinc whites made in Belgiuni. 
 
14 
 
 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 The tall panels should be filled in with a bright red 
 or a strong yellow tapestry in a single color, or a 
 figured yellow tapestry having a silk damask effect 
 The woodwork is intended to be finished in deep ivory, 
 with a stenciled design in gold on the square panels 
 in the base. 
 
 The frieze should be very light in tone, preferably 
 an ivory colored burlap or buckram. - 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 
 
 15 
 
 Vehicles. — Oils are divided into two classes — fixed oils 
 and volatile oils. Fixed oils are extracted by pressure from 
 vegetable substances, they are of a fatty nature, do not 
 evaporate in drying, and will bear a temperature short of 500° 
 Fahr., without decomposing. They are subdivided into dry- 
 ing oils, which become thick upon exposure to air. Of these, 
 linseed oil is most commonly used as an ingredient for paint. 
 Its qualities when pure are excellent, and it may be con 
 sidered the best of all oils for use in paint, putty, and other 
 similar substances. It oxidizes and becomes thick upon ex- 
 posure to the air. This property is very much increased by 
 adding other substances to it and boiling them together. It 
 is superior in drying powers, tenacity, and body to any other 
 fixed oil. The best oil comes from the Black Sea and the 
 Baltic ; that from the East Indian seed is inferior, as the seed 
 is less carefully cleaned, and contains too much stearine. 
 Raw linseed oil is clear and light in color, works smoothly, 
 and is used for internal works, for delicate tints, and for grind 
 ing up colors. Boiled oil is much thicker, darker, and more 
 apt to clog. It is used for outside work, as its greater body 
 and rapidity \] drymg make it a quicker and more efficient 
 protection. 
 
 Volatile Oils are generally obtained by distillation, and 
 have an odor resembling that of the plant from which they 
 are obtained. They are, as a rule, colorless at first, but upon 
 exposure to air and liglit they become darker, thicker, and 
 eventually are converted into a kind of resin. Spirits of tur- 
 pentine is the best variety of this class for mixing with ordin- 
 ary paints. Naptha and benzine are sometimes used instead 
 of turpentine, but not often, and their use is not recommended 
 when the latter can be obtained. Good spirits of turpentine 
 is lighter in weight and more inflammable than bad. It is 
 
16 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 colorless and has a pleasant pungent smell, whereas the smell 
 of inferior qualities is disagreeable. It is used as a solven* 
 for resins and other substances in making varnishes ; also m 
 paint to make it work more smoothly. It is useful also in 
 flatting coats, but will not stand exposure to the weather. 
 
 Driers. — Driers are substances added to paint in order 
 to cause the oils to thicken and solidify more rapidly. The 
 action of these substances is not thoroughly understood. 
 Chevreuil has shown that the drying of Unseed oil is caused 
 by the absorption of oxygen ; and there can be no doubt that 
 for the most part driers act as carriers of oxygen to the oil, a 
 very small quantity producing considerable effects. 
 
 The best driers are those which contain a large proportion 
 of oxygen, such as litharge, acetate of lead, red lead, sulphate 
 of zinc, verdigris, etc. They are sometimes used to improve 
 the drying qualities of the oil with which the paint is mixed, 
 or they may themselves be ground up with a small quantity 
 of oil, and added to the paint just before it is used. 
 
 Litharge or oxide of lead is the drier most commonly used, 
 and is produced in extracting lead from its o^es. It can be 
 produced on a small scale by scraping off t'-e dross which 
 forms on molten lead exposed to a current ot air. Massicot 
 is a superior kind of litharge, being produced by heating lead 
 to an extent insufficient to fuse the oxide. Sugar of lead, or, 
 as it is more frequently called, acetate of lead, ground in oil, 
 and copperas and white vitriol (sulphate of zinc), are also 
 used as driers, especially for light tints. Oxide of manganese 
 is quicker in its effects, but is of a very dark color, and seldom 
 used except for deep tints. Japanners' gold size and verdi- 
 gris (acetate of copper) are also much used for dark colors. 
 Care must be taken not to apply too much of the size, or it 
 will make the paint brittle. Red lead (oxide of lead) is often 
 
. AND PAPER-HAN(iERS. J 7 
 
 used as a drier when its color will not interfere with the tint 
 required. It is not so rapid in its action as litharge or 
 massicot. Sulphate of manganese is the best drier for zinc 
 white, about 6 or 8 ounces only being used for loo lbs., of 
 ground zinc white paint. The manganese should be mixed 
 with a small quantity of the paint first, and then added to the 
 bulk. If great care be not taken in mixing the drier the work 
 will be spotted. Sulphate of zinc is also a good drier for zinc 
 paint. 
 
 Patent driers contain oxidizing agents, such as litharge or 
 acetate of lead ground and mixed in oil, and therefore in a 
 convenient form for immediate use. There is great danger, 
 however, in using such driers, unless they are of the best 
 quality from a reliable maker. Some of the inferior descrip- 
 tions depend for their drying qualities upon lime. 
 
 The following points should be observed in using driers : — 
 
 I St. Not to use them unnecessarily with pigmei ts which 
 dry well in oil color. 
 
 2d. Not to employ them in excess, which would only re- 
 tard the drying. 
 
 3d. Not to add them to the color until about to be used. 
 
 4th. Not to use more than one drier to the same color. 
 
 5th. To avoid the use of patent driers, unless known to be 
 of good quality. 
 
 6th. To avoid the use of driers in the finishing coat of fight 
 colors, as they are liable to injure the color. 
 
 Coloring Pigments. — It will be impossible in a small 
 work of this sort to give anything like a complete list of the 
 pigments used to produce the colors and tints used by the 
 house painter and decorator. A few of the most useful may, 
 however, be mentioned. It is not proposed to give a detailed 
 description of them, but merely to distinguish those that are 
 
Ig HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 injurious from the others. Many of these, such as the ochres, 
 umbers, etc., are from natural earths ; others are artiticidlly 
 made. They may generally be purchased either in the form 
 of dry powder or ground in oil. 
 
 Blacks. — Lampblack is the soot produced by burning oil, 
 resin, small coal, resinous woods, coal tar or tallow. It is in 
 the state of very fine powder ; w^rks smoothly ; is of a dense 
 black color and durable, but dries very slowly in oil. 
 
 Vegetable black is a better kind of lampblack made from 
 oil. It is very light, free from grit, and of a good color. It 
 should be used with boiled oil, driers, and a little varnish. 
 Raw linseed oil or spirits of turpentine keeps it from drying. 
 
 Ivory-black is obtained by calcining waste ivory in close 
 vessels and then grinding. It is intensely black when pro- 
 perly burned. Bone-black is inferior to ivory-black, and pre- 
 pared in a similar manner from bones,. Blue-black and 
 Frankfort black of the best quality are made from vine twigs ; 
 inferior qualities from other woods charred and reduced tc 
 powder. In Europe some other blacks are used, but we 
 seldom meet with them in this country. 
 
 Blues. — Prussian blue is made by mixing prussiate of 
 potash with a salt of iron. The prussiate of potash is obtained 
 by calcining and digesting old leather, blood, lioofs, or other 
 animal matter with carbonate of potash and iron filings. 
 This color is much uced, especially for dark blues, making 
 purples, and intensifying black. It dries well with oil. 
 Slight differences in the manufacture cause considerable vari- 
 ation in tint and color, which leads to the material being 
 known by different names — such as Antwerp blue, Berlin 
 blue, Haerlem blue, Chinese blue, etc. Indigo is produced 
 by steeping certain plants in water, and allowing them to 
 ferment. It is a transparent color ; works well in oii or 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 19 
 
 water, but is not durable, especially when mixed with white 
 lead. 
 
 Ultramarine was originally made by grinding the valuable 
 mineral Lapis lazuli. Genuine ultramarine so made is very 
 expensive, but artificial French and Gennan ultramarines are 
 made of better color, and cheaply, by fusing and washing 
 and reheating a mixture of soda, silica, alum, and sulphur. 
 This blue is chiefly used for coloring wall papers. 
 
 Cobalt blue is an oxide of cobalt made by roasting cobalt 
 ore. It makes a beautiful color, and works w^ll in water or 
 oil. 
 
 Smalt, Saxon blue and Royal blue are colored by oxides 
 of cobalt. 
 
 There are a few other blues, such as Celestial or Brunswick 
 blue, damp blue and verditer, that are chemical compounds, 
 compounds of alum, copper, lime, and other substances ; but 
 they are so seldom used in this country that it is unnecessary 
 to describe them in detail. 
 
 Yellows. — Chrome yellows are chromates of lead, pro- 
 duced by mixing dilute solutions of acetate or nitrate of lead 
 and bichromate of potash. This makes a medium tint known 
 as " middle chrome." The addition of sulphate of lead makes 
 this paler, when it is known as " lemon chrome," whereas the 
 addition of caustic lime makes it " orange chrome " of a 
 darker color. The chromes mix 'well with oil and with white 
 lead either in oil or water. They stand the sun well, but like 
 other lead salts, become dark in bad air. Chrome yellow is 
 frequently adulterated with gypsum. 
 
 Naples yellow is a salt of lead and antimony, supposed to 
 have been originally made from a natural volcanic product at 
 Naples. It is not so brilliant as chrome, but has the same 
 characteristics. King's yellow is made from arsenic, and is 
 
20 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 therefore a dangerous color to handle, or use for internal 
 work. It is not durable, and it injures several other colors 
 when mixed with them. Chinese yellow, arsenic yellow, and 
 yellow orpiment are other names for this yellow. 
 
 Yellow ochre is a natural clay colored by oxide of iron, 
 and found abundantly in many parts of the world. It is not 
 very brilliant, but is well suited for distemper work, as it is 
 not affected by light or air. It does not lose its color when 
 mixed with lime washes as many other colors do. There 
 are several varieties of ochres, all having the same character- 
 istics differing only in color which varies from a golden to a 
 dark brown. 
 
 Terra De Sienna, or raw Sienna, is a clay, stained with 
 oxides of iron and manganese, and of a dull yellow color. It 
 is durable both in oil and water, and is useful in all work, 
 especially in graining. 
 
 Browns. — Browns generally owe their color to oxide of 
 iron. Raw umber is a clay similar to ochre colored by oxide 
 of iron. The best comes from Turkey ; it is very durable 
 both in water and in oil; does not injure other colors when 
 mixed with them. 
 
 Burnt Umber is the last mentioned material burnt to 
 give it a darker color. It is useful as a drier, and in mixing 
 with white lead to make a stone color. 
 
 Vandyke Bro"wn. — This color is an earthy dark brown 
 mineral ; it is durable both in oil and water, and is frequently 
 employed in graining. 
 
 Purple Brcwn is of a reddish-brown color. It should 
 be used with boiled oil — and a little varnish and driers for 
 outside work. 
 
 Burnt Sienna is produced by burning raw sienna. It 
 is the best color for shading gold. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 21 
 
22 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Brown Pink is a vegetable color often of a greenish hue. 
 It works well in water and oil, but dries badly, and will not 
 keep its color when mixed with white lead. Spanish brown 
 and brown ochre are clays colored naturally by various oxides. 
 
 Reds. — Carmine, made from the cochineal insect, is the 
 most brilliant red color known. It is, however, too expensive 
 for ordinary house painting, and is not durable. It is some- 
 times used for inside decoration. 
 
 Red Lead. — This color has already been described on 
 
 page 1 1 . 
 
 Vermilion. — This is a sulphide of mercury in a natural 
 state as cimiabar. The best comes from China. Artificial 
 vermilion is also made both in China and in this country 
 from a mixture of sulphur and mercury. Genuine vermilion 
 is very durable, but when mixed with red lead, as it is some- 
 times, it will not stand the weather. It can be tested by 
 heating in a test tube ; if genuine it will entirely volatilize. 
 German vermilion is the tersulphide of antimony, and is of 
 an orange-red color. 
 
 Indian Red. — This color is a ground hematite ore 
 brought from Bengal ; it is sometimes made artificially by cal- 
 cining sulphate of iron. The tints vary, but a rosy hue is con- 
 sidered the best. It may be used with turpentine and a little 
 varnish to produce a dull surface, drying rapidly, or with boiled 
 oil and a little driers, in which case a glossy surface will be 
 produced, drying more slowly. 
 
 Chinese Red and Persian red are chromates of lead, 
 produced by boiling white lead with a solution of bichromate 
 of potash. The tint of Persian red is obtained by the em.- 
 ployment of sulphuric acid. 
 
 Venetian Red is obtained by heating sulphate of iron 
 produced as a waste product at tin and copper works. It 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 22^ 
 
 is often adulterated by mixing sulphate of lime with it during 
 the manufacture. When pure, it is often called " bright red." 
 Special tints of purple and brown are frequently required, 
 which greatly enhance the value of the material. These 
 tints should be obtained in the process of manufacture, and 
 not produced by mixing together a variety of different shades 
 of color. When the tint desired is attempted to be obtained 
 by this lattei course it is never so good, and the materials 
 produced are known in the trade as ' faced colors,' and are 
 of inferior value. 
 
 Rose Pink. — This is made of a sort of chalk or whiting 
 stained v.iin a, tincture of Brazil wood. It fades very quickly, 
 but it is used for paperhangings, common distemper, and foi 
 staining cheap furniture. 
 
 Lakes. — These are made by precipitating colored vege- 
 table tinctures by means of alum and carbonate of potash. 
 The alumina combines with the organic coloring matter and 
 separates it from the solution. The tincture used varies in 
 the different descriptions of lake. The best, made from 
 cochineal or maddr?r, is issed for internal work. Drop 
 lake is made by dropping inixture of Brazil wood through 
 a funnel on to a slab. The drops are dried and mixed into 
 a paste with gum water. It is sometimes called " Brazil wood 
 lake." Scarlet lake is made from cochineal ; so also are 
 Florentine lake, Hamburg lake, Chinese lake, Roman lake, 
 Venetian lake and Carminated lake. 
 
 Orange. — Chrome orange is a chromate of lead, brighter 
 than Vermillion, but less durable. Orange ochre is a bright 
 yellow ochre burnt to give it warmth of tint ; it dries and 
 works well in water or oil, and is very durable. It is known 
 also as Spanish ochre. Orange red is produced by a further 
 oxidation than is required for red lead. It is a bright'"'" and 
 better color. 
 
24 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Greens. — These, of course, may be made by mixmgblue 
 and yellow together, but such mixtures are less durable than 
 those produced direct from copper, arsenic, etc. The latter 
 are, however, objectionable for use m distemper or on wall 
 papers, as they are very injurious to health. Brunswick 
 green of the best kind is made by treating copper with 
 sal-ammoniac. Chalk, lead and alum are sometimes added. 
 It has rather a bluish tinge ; dries well in oil, is durable, and 
 not poisonous. Common Brunswick green is made by mix- 
 ing chromate of lead and Prussian blue with sulphate of 
 baryta. It is not as durable as real Brunswick green. 
 Mineral green is made from bi-basic carbonate of copper ; it 
 weathers well. Verdigris is acetate of copper. It furnishes 
 a bluish-green color, durable in oil or varnish, but not in 
 water ; it dries rapidly, but requires great care in using owing 
 to its poisonous qualities. Green verditer is a carbonate of 
 copper and lime; is not very durable. Prussian green is 
 made by mixing different substances with Prussian blue. 
 There are a number of other greens made from copper, but 
 they all possess in a greater or lesser degree, the same quali- 
 ties as the for-egoing. Emerald or Paris green is made of 
 verdigris mixed with a solution of arsenious acid. It is of a 
 very brilliant color, but is very poisonous ; is difficult to grind, 
 and dries badly in oil. It should be purchased ready ground 
 in oil, as in that case the poisonous particles do not fly about, 
 and the difficulty of grinding is avoided. Scheele's green and 
 Vienna green are also arseniates of copper, and highly poison- 
 ous. Chrome green should be made from the oxide of 
 chromium, and is very durable. An inferior chrome green 
 is made, however^ by mixing chromate of lead and Prussian 
 blue, as above mentioned, and is called Brunswick green. The 
 chrome should be free from acid or the color will fade ; it may 
 be tested by placing it for several days in strong sun-light. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 25 
 
 DECORATION OF DEN OK SMOKING KOOM. 
 
 Lower wall covered with dark red burlap, divided into 
 panels by bamboo strips; upper third huog with coarse Jap- 
 matting. 
 
26 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Proportions of Ingredients in Mixed ir^aint. — 
 
 The composition of paints should be governed by the nature 
 of the material to be painted. Thus the paints respectively 
 best adapted for painting wood and iron differ considerably. 
 The kind of surface to be covered, i. e , 2 porous surface re- 
 quires more oil than one that is impervious. The nature and 
 appearance of the work to be done. Delicate tints require 
 colorless oil ; a flatted surface must be painted without oil, 
 which gives gloss to a shining surface. Again, paint used for 
 surfaces intended to be varnished must contain a minimum 
 of oil. The climate and the degree of exposure to which the 
 work will be subjected; thus, for outside work boiled oil is 
 used, because it weathers better than raw oil. Turps is 
 avoided as much as possible, because it evaporates and does 
 not last ; if, however, the work is to be exposed to the sun, 
 turps are necessary to prevent the paint from blistering. The 
 skill of the painter also affects the composition; a good work- 
 man can lay on even coats with a smaller quantity of oil and 
 turps than a man who is unskilful ; extra turps, especially, 
 are often added to save labor. The quality of the materials 
 makes an important difference in the proportions used. 
 Thus more oil and turps will combine with pure than with 
 impure white lead ; thick oil must be used in greater quantity 
 than thin oil. When paint is purchased ready ground in oil, 
 a soft paste will require less turps and oil for thinning than 
 a thick paste. Lastly, the different coats of paint vary in 
 their composition; the first coat laid on to new work requires 
 a good deal of oil to soak into the material ; on old work the 
 first coat requires turpentine to make it adhere; the inter- 
 mediate coats contain a proportion of turpentine to make 
 them work smoothly, and to the final coats the coloring 
 materials arc added, the remainder of the inr;redients being 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 
 
 27 
 
 varied as already described, according as die surface is to be 
 glossy or flatted. 
 
 The exact proportion of the ingredients best to be used in 
 mixing paints varies according to their quaHty, the nature of 
 the work required, the chmate, and other considerations. 
 The composition of the paint for the different coats also varies 
 considerably. The proportions given in the following table, 
 must, therefore, only be taken as an approximate guide when 
 the materials are of good quality. 
 Table showing the composition of the di^erent coats of white 
 
 painty and the (juantities required io cover i oo yards of neivly 
 
 worked pine. 
 
 Inside ivnrk, 
 4 coats 7iot flatted. 
 
 Priming 
 
 2d Coat 
 
 3d Coat 
 
 4t]i Coat 
 
 Inside work, 4 
 coats aiuiflatting. 
 
 Priming 
 
 2d Coat 
 
 3d Coat 
 
 4th Coat 
 
 Flatting 
 
 Outside luof-k 
 4 coats not flatted. 
 
 Priming 
 
 2d Coat 
 
 3d Coat, 
 
 'ilh Coat 
 
 q 
 
 1 
 
 w 
 
 IbH. 
 
 i 
 
 pts. 
 
 M W 
 
 3 
 
 p4 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 ft 
 
 ibs. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 * 
 
 IG 
 
 G 
 
 
 
 
 1_ 
 
 
 15 
 
 -o\ 
 
 — 
 
 U 
 
 1 
 
 — 
 
 13 
 
 '4 
 
 — 
 
 1^ 
 
 4 
 
 
 13 
 
 n 
 
 
 n 
 
 i 
 
 u 
 
 16 
 
 G 
 
 
 
 1-8 
 
 
 12 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 U 
 
 1-10 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 1-10 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 1-10 
 
 ~ 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 " 
 
 3* 
 
 1-10 
 
 2 
 
 18.1 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 
 1-8 
 
 
 
 15 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 h 
 
 1-10 
 
 — 
 
 15 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 -^ 
 
 1-10 
 
 — 
 
 15 
 
 3 
 
 2.V 
 
 
 
 1-10 
 
 Sometimes more red lead is 
 used and less drier. 
 
 ■^'^ometimes just enough red 
 lead is used to give a flesh- 
 colured tint. 
 
 When the finished color is 
 not to be pure white, it is 
 better to have nearly all the 
 oil boiled oil. All boiled oil 
 dot-s not work well. For 
 pure white a larger propor- 
 tion of raw oil is necessary, 
 because boiled oil is to© 
 dark. 
 
28 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 For every loo square yards, besides the materials enumer- 
 ated in the foregoing, 2^/^ lbs. of white lead and 5 lbs of 
 putty will be required for stopping. 
 
 The area which a given quantity of paint will cover de- 
 pends upon the nature of the surface to which it is applied, 
 the proportion of the ingredients and the state of the weather. 
 When the work is required to dry quickly, more turpentine 
 is added to all the coats. 
 
 In repainting old work, two coats are generally required, 
 the old painting being considered as pnming. Sometimes 
 another coat may be deemed necessary. 
 
 For outside old work exposed to the sun, both coats should 
 contain one pint of turpentine and four pints of boiled oil, 
 the remaining ingredients being as stated in the foregoing 
 table. The extra turpentine is used to prevent blistering. 
 
 in cold weather more turpentine should be used to make 
 the paint flow freely. 
 
 Operations. ~ All priming should be rubbed out as far 
 as possible, for if it is flowed out loosely or laid on thick it 
 will be apt to blister and run. In priming over spots, how- 
 ever, where patching is bemg done, it may sometimes be 
 necessary to leave the coat thick or heavy, for new work can 
 never be re-touched and look well, after the work is second 
 coated or finished ; for such re-touching would show and 
 spoil the whole work. In priming the paint should flow 
 easily, and the brush should be pressed on to the wood so 
 that the paint will be forced into t'.:e pores. In all cases it 
 is a great saving of time to cover as large a surface as con- 
 venient before smoothing or finishing off. All work on the 
 same surface should be finished at the one application, if 
 possible, for " laps " — which form the junctions of work done 
 at different times — should be avoided wherever they can, as 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 29 
 
 tney are sure to disfigure the work where they exist, Of 
 course, it is sometimes impossible to avoid laps, but where 
 they must occur, care should be taken to make the connection 
 with as little " lap " as possible or it will be certain to show 
 through the work when finished. The defect, if occurring 
 during the second coating, will show much worse than in the 
 priming coat. 
 
 In painting, like everything else, a system must be followed 
 to make much headway. Experience, perhaps, is the only 
 effective teacher in this matter ; and any rules laid down by 
 us will have but litde effect, if the operator does not, or can 
 not systematize. The workman who follows a system will 
 do nearly twice as much work with less labor, than the man 
 .who works only by the rule of thumb. In painting blinds, 
 lattices, railings, cut brackets or other similar work, some 
 :nethod of operation should be adopted. A little observation 
 )n the part of the operator, will soon teach him the best 
 methods to adopt in doing any particular kind of work. 
 
 Preparing the Work. — In preparing work for paint- 
 ing, too much care cannot be exercised, as succeeding coats 
 and the final result depend very much on the proper con- 
 dition of the work when the priming coat is applied. First, 
 all the rough places in the wood should be rubbed down 
 with a block covered with sandpaper ; and the mouldings 
 and beads should be well cleaned out with sandpaper. Then 
 (and this is a matter of prime importance) every knot, how- 
 ever small, every indication of sap on the wood, or discolor- 
 ation of any kind, and every appearance of pitch or gum, 
 should be carefully varnished over with white shellac varnish, 
 if the work is to be finished in white or light tints — or with 
 varnish made from unbleached or common shellac, if the 
 work is to be finished in dark shades. The common shellac, 
 
30 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 in the latter case, answers equally well with the bleached 
 article, and at less cost. This should not, under any circum- 
 stances, be neglected, as it is impossible, in the nature of 
 things, otherwise to make good work. 
 
 When work is to be finished with two coats, the putty used 
 for stopping the nail-heads and other indentations should be 
 made of white lead, worked up with common whiting to the 
 proper consistency, and the filling should be done after the 
 first coat shall have become well dried. When more than 
 two coats are to be applied, the filling should be done 
 between tiie lirst and second coats, with ordinary pure linseed- 
 oil putty. 
 
 It should be adopted as a rule, never to apply pure white 
 as a priming coat ; no matter whether the work is to be 
 finished with one or four coats, the result will always be more 
 satisfactory if the first coat be stained. A little finely-ground 
 lampblack answers as well for this as anything. 
 
 The only way to produce solid, uniform work, is by mak- 
 ing every succeeding coat lighter in tint than the one which 
 preceded it. This is especially the case with walls, and other 
 extended flat surfaces. No matter what the finish is to be, 
 the first coat should always be darker than the one which 
 succeeds it ; and the darker the shade of the finishing coat, 
 the more important it is that this rule should be observed. 
 If the work is to be finished with black, prime with black. 
 If with green, let that be the color of all the preceding coats. 
 If with blue, let that color be the ground work. What can 
 be more stupid than applying to work which is to be finishel 
 in imitation of black walnut a priming coat of white? Ah 
 work should be primed especially with regard to the finishing 
 color. 
 
 There is not half enough of dark colors used in priming 
 applications. Venetian red, finely ground in boiled oil, 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 31 
 
 
 O O « O .0 o 
 
 » a o a /8 a 
 
 e^ o <5 s> » o a 
 
 s 
 
 c c e. a 
 
 , 
 
 
 " ', « 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 ' "-» 
 
 a -~ ^ 
 
 
 s 
 
 a 
 
 
 ,. -■{ 
 
 
 
 .\ ~l «- 
 
 * \ - ; 
 
 
 -SV • - « 
 
 » - V. ^ ^ .' 
 
 
 -^^ ■-■^^,0 
 
 & - V - 
 
 
 -V'J ' ^-^fi 
 
 
 
 
 0, * c o © a 
 
 ■ » 
 
 -'^■'C-^c-'c 
 
 o e o 
 
 CO q e 
 
 8 ■■:<-'■■- v-J-^ 
 
 e 
 
 « 
 
 *°:i 
 
 0- - 
 
 9" '^C. 
 
 
 
 e 
 
 ft 
 e 
 
 0" '.■'<s\fi '0 'e« 
 
 a 
 
 
 
 « '« 
 
32 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 leeply stained with black — and used very thin, in order to 
 stain the wood as much as possible — is the best first coat for 
 work which is to be finished in imitation of black walnut or 
 other dark wood. The succeeding coats should be as dark 
 as may be with a view to the proper shade of ground-work 
 for the grainmg. In such case, if (as must happen in the 
 ordinary course of events) the work becomes bruised or 
 •' chipped " — by an accidental knock from a chair leg or other 
 article of house furniture — the general appearance of it is 
 little impaired thereby. Quite the contrary, however, is the 
 case if the underneath coats are white. Then, an accident 
 of the kind before m.entioned, shows a white spot, which 
 staringly proclaims the work to be a delusion and a sham. 
 Dark colors, too, as the Venetian red before mentioned, 
 make better foundations than white lead or zinc. They dry 
 harder and " rub " better, and, what is most important, cost 
 less. 
 
 This matter having been duly considered, let us now pro- 
 ceed to the coats succeeding the first. Before applying a 
 second coat, the first should be carefully rubbed, and all the 
 nail-heads and other indentations carefully stopped with 
 pure linseed-oil putty — using for flat surfaces a square- 
 bladed putty-knife. Puttying with the fingers should never 
 be tolerated (good work is now the subject under consider- 
 ation). This done, the whole should be carefully examined 
 to ascertain if the oil in the former coat shall have revealed 
 any resinous or pitchy spots, not previously covered with 
 the shellac. These preliminaries being attended to, the work 
 may be considered ready for a second coat. The directions 
 as to rubbing with sandpaper are to be observed in all the 
 succeeding coats. As a rule, on interior work, paint should 
 never be applied to a surface which has not been previously 
 rubbed. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS • 33 
 
 Sandpaper for fresh work and pumice-stone for old work. 
 Always distrust the education of a painter in his trade who 
 goes to work without a lump of pumice-stone, a sheet of 
 sandpaper, a putty-knife, and a rag to wipe off the spatters 
 — sparks, as the Irish not inaptly call them. Apropos of 
 spatters ! Every painter has seen (the result too of un- 
 pardonable negligence) plates of glass so covered with 
 spatters, that to remove them would require more time than 
 would serve to paint the woodwork of a " full-trimmed " 
 window. 
 
 In priming work which is to be finished in oak, finely- 
 ground French ochre is recommended. The objection to 
 this pigment, that it does not work smoothly and easily under 
 the brush, has arisen from its coarseness. Finely ground 
 in boiled oil, it works as smoothly as white lead, and makes 
 an excellent foundation for the succeeding coats. 
 
 For walls the first coat should be as dark in shade and as 
 thin as practicable, the object being to stain the plaster as 
 much as possible. Indeed, if the whole mass of plaster could 
 be stained through and through, it would be desirable to so 
 stain it. 
 
 The use of glue in wall painting is of doubtful propriety. 
 It should never, under any circumstance, be put on until 
 after the second coat, and then rubbed on with a rag, very 
 lightly. In first-class work, however, its use is not recom- 
 mended. 
 
 Plaster mixed with weak glue-size — which prevents its 
 setting too rapidly — is the best material for stopping walls 
 preparatory to painting, and each coat of paint should be 
 carefully rubbed with worn sand-paper, before the succeed- 
 ing coat IS put on, For preparing walls a small pocket- 
 trowel will be found a most serviceable tool, or a trowel- 
 shaped putty-knife, whicli article has come into general use. 
 
34 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 The preparation of ctilings for whitewashing (or kalsomin- 
 ing as this operation is sometimes pretentiously called) is an 
 operation requiring some skill and knowledge of " how to do 
 it." A dirty ceiling, which has been subjected to successive 
 coats of whitewash, whether of lime, or of whiting and glue- 
 size, cannot be made solidly and smoothly white by additional 
 whitewashing. The mass has become spongy, and sucks up 
 the water so quickly that the material cannot be evenly dis- 
 tributed. In such case the only way is to begin anew, to go 
 at once " down to hard pan " by removing all the previous 
 apphcations by washing and scraping. This is best effected 
 with a broad-bladed square-pointed putty-knife, keeping the 
 ceiling wet meanwhile. Plaster (hard-finish) is not of uni- 
 form density, and some spots are much more absorbent than 
 others. To remedy this a mixture of soft soap and alum, 
 dissolved in water, should be applied with a broad kalsomine 
 brush. 
 
 It is not assumed that mere verbal instructions can teach 
 the art of whitening or tinting walls and ceilings in water- 
 colors. To produce good results, great skill in preparing the 
 materials and dexterity in manipulation are required; and 
 such work should be intrusted only to competent hands. A 
 mass of unsuitable material may be cheaply put upon a ceil- 
 ing ; but when the same shall require repainting, the cost of 
 labor will be greater in removing the previous coating, than 
 will be the whole cost of repainting. These remarks, too, 
 apply equally to all kinds of painting ; and reference is 
 made to the whitening and tinting of ceilings only, because 
 of the general impression that this kind of work may be per- 
 formed by anybody. 
 
 The materials and tools used in painting are too costly to 
 
 wasted and worn by incompetent handling. " Painting 
 just to keep the gardener or hostler out of idleness," will 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 35 
 
 prove in most cases a left-handed economy. Sucn experi- 
 ments are prudent only when the services of skilled workman 
 cannot be obtained. 
 
 Taste in Color. — In rooms to be lived in, simple white 
 for color of walls and paint, as well as any extremely dark 
 treatment, should be avoided. The walls of rooms should be 
 such backgrounds as will best suit the complexions and 
 dresses of the larger number of people. Delicate white in- 
 tensifies by contrast any unpleasantness or want of perfection; 
 extreme dark would make people look white and ghastly. 
 Neutral colors will be found the best — generally some grey 
 or cool color that will contrast with warmth of complexions. 
 On no account let an absolutely pure color be used for 
 general surfaces. Nature provides no such color in pigments. 
 Her yellows are greenish or reddish, and so on. Nor does 
 she use it to any extent in inanimate nature. So much so 
 that you will find that if you have much difficulty in describ- 
 ing a color, you may be certain it is good; the more difficulty 
 the more beauty. Nature trusts mainly to gradations of tone^ 
 using vivid color in small quantities only, as in the touches 
 on bright flowers and butterflies. This teaching of nature 
 will be found seconded in the pictures of the greatest artists, 
 and in following such teaching, it is necessary to consider the 
 object to which (in domestic work, say) the rooms are to be 
 devoted. A drawing-room, it is agreed, should be light, 
 festive and gay ; dining-room at once more sober, and with 
 more depth and warmth, as befits its uses. You must also 
 consider the light and shade ; openings, and the positions of 
 them ; for these may (or may not) effect for you contrast of 
 tone, and may even touch the question of the good sense of 
 your whole scheme of decoration. 
 
 In a lecture delivered before the British Architectural As- 
 
36 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 sociation, on this subject, the lecturer suggested that in the 
 treatment of a drawing-room the walls should be a light 
 neutral grey, fawn color, or pale green (not dark, but not 
 white). Dados are suitable for all rooms, even drawing- 
 rooms. They may be made of wood, painted as the room 
 doors, or of stamped leather, or of the French paper imitations 
 of stamped leather. A frieze does not interfere with the 
 heads of sitters, and adds much interest if it has its sentiment 
 or story. If flowers form part of your decorations, have no 
 relief, no imitation of nature's light and shade. A wall must 
 be a wall ; if, neglecting this, you introduce illusions to the 
 eye, the sense of solidity will not be suggested. The Japanese 
 decorate on correct prmciples, with truth to the idea derived 
 from nature, and truth in art, adaptation of representation to 
 materials and method. As regards the woodwork there 
 should be no graining anywhere ; its aspect, however well 
 executed, is repulsive. Real woods are always beautiful. 
 Plain painting may be darker or lighter than the general wall 
 surfaces ; both will look well. The doors may have stencilled 
 decorations in angles of panels ; birds or butterflies, or plants, 
 or any beautiful natural objects will supply motives. The 
 ceilings should rarely be wholly white, except of halls or 
 where the light is defective. Papered ceilings look well. 
 The use of gold is generally satisfactory ; it reflects a warm 
 tone on everything below. Put a good amount of color on a 
 ceiling — not, however, making it so dark as to bring it too 
 close to the eye. The carpet must be either lighter or darker 
 than the walls. This is following out the artist's rule, to 
 make either background or foreground run into the figure. 
 If this IS not done in painting, a woman in white satin, for 
 instance, against a dark floor and dark walls, will look like a 
 cut-out figure stuck on, and the same sort of result would 
 occur in rooms. As in ordinary lite dresses are dark in color, 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 Z7 
 
 NOVEL SCHEME lOlJ PANELED TREATMENT OF 
 WALLS 
 
 Suitable for hall, dining room, or room of semi-public 
 character 
 
38 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 where a light wall tone has been recommended, the carpet 
 will have to be darker than the walls. Not too vivid in 
 color, however, and of course, no flowers, ferns, birds' nests, 
 and such like fearful things. Furniture a?id hangings should 
 not be too much alike in color ; have, say, the carpet one 
 tone, the covenngs of the furniture another, and the curtains 
 and other hangings a third. Have summer and winter hang- 
 ings and furniture coverings ; those for the former light and 
 cheerful, the others with more warmth, and suggestive of com- 
 fort and home life. A table-cloth, occasional chair, or a 
 rug, may supply a bit of effective c ontrast with prevailing 
 hues of hangings, etc., and a spot of vivid color in a vase or 
 some small hanging will complete the formal decoration of 
 the room. 
 
 Graining. — The art of imitating the grain A the more 
 expensive woods has been brought to a great degree of per- 
 fection, but of late years so many unskilled workmen have 
 undertaken to imitate the natural grain of wood with such 
 imperfect results, that this beautiful branch of painting has 
 fallen into partial disuse. A few remarks, therefore, to the 
 uninitiated may not be inappropriate in this work. Mahog- 
 any, satinwood, rosewood, mottled and walnut roots, maple, 
 and some others, are frequently imitated ; and it is seldom 
 that a house is finished without some graining being intro- 
 duced. The imitation of the above-mentioned woods are 
 best performed in ground distemper (water colors) which are 
 always preferable and more economical purchased ready pre- 
 pared. Oak, chestnut, ash and similar long-grained woods, 
 are best executed in oil-color, particularly for outdoor work. 
 For drawing rooms, delicate party colors are preferable, as 
 they harmonize better with the neutral tints on the walls or 
 delicate tinted papers. The process of graining is very 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 
 
 39 
 
 simple. To be an accomplished grainer, practice and an 
 artistic taste is very necessary. Too frequently the imitation 
 is overdone, the shading too deep and obtrusive, and the 
 work made too glaring with figure and varnish, has an un- 
 natural appearance ; a grainer should always avoid attempt- 
 ing to over-do nature. The following is an approved 
 method : — The surface on new wood should be prepared with 
 three coats of oil paints for the ground color, and regulated 
 in shade by the color of the wood to be imitated, making due 
 allowance for the graining tint that is to cover it. The 
 ground colors should always be perfectly dry before the grain- 
 mg is commenced. The painter then preparmg small quanti- 
 ties of the colors he requires, applies it thinly and evenly over 
 the surface and proceeds to wipe out with his thumb and a 
 piece of white cotton cloth the figure of the grain. Some 
 grainers use rubber instead. We cannot here explani all the 
 different processes for the uiiitation of the grain of wood. 
 Many painters have a method of their own, which from long 
 practice produce excellent results. In some cases, grainmg 
 in distemper may be adopted with great success for indoor 
 work, and if the colors are put on thin, so that the varnish 
 will penetrate through into the ground color, this kind of 
 graini.ig is as durable as oil-color, and is susceptible of being 
 made far more beautiful, and soft looking in the imitation of 
 mottled woods. For blending distemper colors, a badger's 
 hair blender should be frequenUy used to soften down and 
 blend the tints where necessary ; but for blending oil-color, 
 m order to produce an elongation of the grain, we have found 
 a flat varnish brush, kept moderately damp and clean, pre- 
 ferable to the badger's hair. When the work is dry, the 
 shades necessary for some woods should be laid on m dii- 
 temper-color (some u.^s thin oil colors) and then covered with 
 
40 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 two coats of good oil varnish. Common varnish should 
 never be used on outside work. 
 
 Oak Graining. — In oak graining the color is made in 
 the following manner : — Procure some finely-ground burnt 
 umber and raw sienna (or Vandyke brown and raw sienna if 
 a dark oak be required), and thin with equal parts of linseed 
 oil and turpentine. Add a large quantity of patent dryer to 
 make it stand the comb. The color is now ready for use. 
 The graining color is brushed over the work in the ordinary 
 way with a pound brush, care being taken not to put too 
 much color on, else it is liable to look dirty. A dry dusting 
 brush is now used to stipple with, which, if properly done, 
 will distribute the color evenly. It is now ready for comb- 
 ing. First take a medium or coarse-cut gutta-percha comb, 
 and draw it down one side of the panel, then use a finer one 
 to complete it. This comb will leave the marks of the grain 
 in clear unbroken lines from top to bottom of the panel. We 
 now take a fine steel comb and go over the whole of the pre- 
 vious combing ; but in drawing this comb down, we either 
 move it in a slanting or diagonal direction across the pre- 
 vious combing, or draw it down with a quick and short wavy 
 motion and curl. Both the former and latter motions will 
 break up the long lines left by the gutta-percha comb into 
 short bits, which, of course, represent the pores or grains of 
 the real wood. Next take out the lights of figuring or vein- 
 ing. This is effected by means of a piece of washleather, 
 held tighdy over the thumb nail. Every time a few lights 
 are wiped out the leather should be moved slightly, so that 
 the same part of the leather will not be used twice, thus en- 
 suring clean work. There are various methods of doing this, 
 but they require much more practice. When the figures are 
 all wiped out they will recjuire to be softened. By softening 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 
 
 41 
 
 we mean the imitation of those half shades seen upon and 
 about the figures in the real wood. These are imitated by 
 doubling a piece of washleather into a small roll, and with 
 the side of this the grain is partly w^iped away or softened. 
 Care should be taken not to wipe off the whole of the grain. 
 If the operator has a piece of the real wood to look at oc- 
 casionally he will be materially assisted. As soon as the oil 
 color is dry it should be over-grained. This is effected in 
 water color. Next go over the work with a bit of sponge 
 and soap to prevent it " cissing." Before laying on the over- 
 graining, wash out the sponge and wipe the work. It is now 
 ready to receive the color. Grind up finely a little vandyke 
 brown in water, and dilute it with table-beer and water. It 
 is then ready. Take a flat bog-hair brush, 3 in. to 4 in. wide, 
 dip it in the color and draw it over the work, in most case*- 
 in the direction of the combing, but occasionally crossing. 
 The hair of the brush, being thinly placed, will separate into 
 patches, and hence the color will be deposited in streaks, re- 
 sembling the natural gradations which the wood presents. If 
 you have not a brush of this kind a sponge may be used to 
 put in the streak and to soften off, Then dry varnish in the 
 usual way. 
 
 Spirit Graining for Oak. — 2 lbs. whiting, i^ lb. gold 
 size, thinned down with spirits of turpentine, then tinge your 
 whiting with vandyke brown and raw sienna ground fine. 
 Strike out your light with a pitch or piece of rubber dipped 
 in turpentine, tinged with a little color to show the lights. If 
 your lights do not appear clear, add a little more turpentine. 
 Turpentine varnish is a good substitute for the above men- 
 tioned. This kind of graining must be brushed over with 
 beer with a clean brush before varnishing. Strong beer must 
 be used for glazing up top graining and shading. 
 
49 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Old Oak in Distemper. — To make an exceedingly 
 rich color for the imitation of old oak, the ground is a com- 
 position of stone ochre or orange chrome and burnt sienna; 
 the graining is burnt umber or vandyke brown, to darken it 
 a little. The above colors may be used for oil as well. 
 
 Pollard Oak. — Ground color, a mixture of chrome 
 yellow, vermilion and white lead, to bring it to a rich light 
 buff. The graining colors are vandyke brown and small 
 portions of raw and burnt sienna and lake, ground in beer or 
 vinegar. Fill a large brush with color and spread it over the 
 surface to be grained, and soften with a badger hair brush. 
 Take a moistened sponge and dapple round and round in 
 kind of knobs, then soften very lightly, after which draw a 
 softener from one set of knobs to the other while wet, to form 
 a multiplicity of grain, and finish the knobs with a hair pencil, 
 in some places in thicker clusters than others. When dry, 
 put the top grain on in a variety of directions, and varnish 
 with turpentine and gold size ; then glaze up with vandyke 
 and strong beer. Finish with copal varnish. This is for 
 distemper only. 
 
 Mottled Mahogany. — The ground is prepared with 
 the best Venetian red, red lead, and a small proportion of 
 white lead. The grainhig colors are burnt sienna, ground in 
 beer, with a small portion of vandyke brown. Cover the sur- 
 face to be grained, soften with a badger hair brush, and while 
 wet take a damp sponge and go over the lights a second 
 time, in order to give a variety of shade ; then blend the 
 whole of the work with the badger softener. Put the top 
 grain on with the same color. When dry, varnish. For dis- 
 temper only. 
 
 Rosevrood. — Mix vermilion and a small quantity of 
 white lead for the ground. Take rose-pink, tinged with a 
 
AND PAPER- ii ANGERS 
 
 43 
 
 ... — 
 
 *' '^ 
 
 } 
 
 ? 
 
 i 
 
 hi 
 
 \ 
 
 J- 
 
 "i 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 ? 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 if? 
 
 f 
 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 i!^. 
 
 .v; 
 
 
 si 
 
 2o 
 
44 HINTS FOR PAINTIiRS 
 
 little lamp-black or vandyke brown, and grind very fine in 
 oil, then take a flat graining brush, with the hairs cut away 
 at unequal distances, and cut down the grain as if wending 
 round a knob. When nearly dry, take a graining comb that 
 is used for oak, and draw down the grain. This will give it 
 the appearance of nature. Then varnish. This makes an 
 excellent and durable imitation. 
 
 Another for Rosev/'ood. — This ground is prepared 
 with vermilion and small quantities of white lead and crimson 
 lake. When the ground is dry, and made very smooth, take 
 Vandyke brown, ground in oil, and with a very soft tool 
 spread the color over the surface in different directions, form- 
 ing a kind of knots. Before the work is dry take a piece of 
 leather, and with great freedom strike out the light veins; 
 having previously prepared the darkest tint of vandyke brown 
 or gum asphaltum, immediately take the flat graining brush 
 with few hairs in it, called a top grainer, and draw the grain 
 over the work and soften. When varnished, the imitation 
 win be excellent. 
 
 Curled Maple in Oil. — Prepare a rich ground by mix- 
 ing chro liC yellow, white lead and burnt sienna. For the 
 graining color, grind equal parts of raw sienna and umbei 
 with a litde burnt copperas and turpentine, and mix it with a 
 small quantity of grainer's cream, thin the color with oil ; 
 then fill a tool and spread the surface even and rub out the 
 lights with sharp edge of a piece of buff leather, wiping it 
 frequently to keep it clean ; soften the edges of the work very 
 lighdy, and when dry, put on the top grain with burnt umber 
 and raw sienna ground in beer with the white of an egg beat 
 into it. Varnish. 
 
 Curled Maple in Distemper. — Prepare a light yel- 
 low for the ground, by mixing chrome yellow and white lead, 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 45 
 
 tinged with Venetian red. The graining color is a mixture ot 
 equal portions of raw sienna and vandyke brown, ground m 
 beer. Spread the surface to be grained in an even manner ; 
 then with a piece of cork rub across the work to and fro, to 
 form the grains which run across the wood ; soften, and when 
 dry lightly top grain with the same color. Varnish. 
 
 Bird's Eye Maple in Oil.— The ground is a light 
 buff, prepared with white lead, chrome yellow and a little 
 vermilion or English Venetian, to take off the rawness of the 
 yellow. The graining color is equal parts of raw umber and 
 sienna, ground in oil to the proper consistency. Spread the 
 surface of the work with this color, and having some of the 
 same prepared a little thicker, immediately take a sash tool 
 or sponge and put on the dark shades, and soften with a 
 badger hair brush ; before the color is dry put on the eyes by 
 dabbing the dotting machine on the work, or by striking the 
 colors short and sharp with the tips of the fingers, then blend 
 slightly the eyes in one direction only. When dry, put on the 
 grain with the camels hair pencil on the prominent parts to 
 imitate the small hearts of the wood. The same graining 
 colors to be ground in here for distemper. 
 
 Walnut in Oil. — The ground is formed with ochre, 
 Indian red, umber, and white. The graining coat is similar 
 to that described under the oak heading, and is prepared 
 with Vandyke brown ; and for the darker shades, fine ivory- 
 black ; the wiping out and blending to resemble that in 
 mahogany ; the fine dark veins of ivory-black to be lightly 
 and wavily drawn over the work after it is blended. It is 
 then ready for the varnish. 
 
 Satin-"wood in Distemper. — This ground is prepared 
 with white lead, stone ochre and small quantities of chrome 
 yellow and burnt sienna. The graining color is one-third of 
 
46 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 raw sienna and whiting, ground in pale ale, very thin ; then 
 spread the color over the surface to be grained. While wet 
 soften, and have ready a wet roller or mottling brush, in order 
 to take out the lights; blend the whole with the badger hair 
 brush, and with the same color put on the top grain. Var- 
 nish. 
 
 To Imitate Granite in Oil. — For the ground color, 
 stain your white lead to a light lead color, with lamp-black 
 and a little rose-pink. Throw on black spots with a coarse 
 brush or graniting machine. A pair red also, and fill up with 
 white before the ground is dry. 
 
 Another for the Same. — A black ground; when half 
 dry throw in vermilion, a deep yellow, and white S])ots. 
 
 Marble. — For IV/iife Marble, get up a pure white ground, 
 then hold a lighted tallow candle near the surface, and allow 
 the smoke to form the shades and various tints desired. This 
 will make a very handsome imitation. Black Marble. — 
 Imitation is made by streaking a black surface with colors, 
 using a feather and pencil. Another plan is to get up a 
 smooth black surface ; then take the colors, green, yellow, 
 red, v^hite, etc., ground thick in gold size, and streak the sur- 
 face with a stick or hair pencil. Allow it to dry, and apply a 
 heavy coat of lamp-black and yellow ochre mixed, mixed 
 rough stuff. When all is hard, rub down to a level surface 
 with lump pumice-stone, varnish and a beautiful variegated 
 marble will be the result. 
 
 Red Marble. — For the ground put on a white tinged 
 with lake or vermilion ; then apply deep red patches, filling 
 up the intermediate spaces with brown and white mixed in 
 oil; then blend them together; if in quick drying colors, use 
 about half turpennne and gold size. When dry, varnish • 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 47 
 
48 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 and while the varnish is wet, put m a multitude of fine white 
 threads, crossing the whole work in all directions, as the wet 
 varnish brings the pencil to a fine point. 
 
 Jasper Marble. — Put on a white ground lightly tinged 
 with blue ; then put on patches of rich reds or rose-pink, 
 leaving spaces of the white ground ; then partly cover these 
 spaces with various browns to form fossils, in places running 
 veuis ; then put in a few spots of white in the centre of some 
 of the red patches, and leaving, in places, masses nearly white. 
 When dry use the clearest varnish. 
 
 Blue and Gold Marble. — For the ground color put on 
 a light blue ; then take blue, with a small piece of white lead 
 and some dark common blue, and dab on the ground in 
 patches, leaving portions of the ground to shnie between ; 
 then blend the edges together with a dust^ or a softener; 
 afterwards draw on some white veins in every direction, leav- 
 ing large open spaces to be filled up with a pale yellow or 
 gold paint; finish with some fine white running threads, and 
 a coat of varnish at last. 
 
 Black and Gold Marble . — This description of marble 
 is very chaste, and is in great demand. The ground is a 
 deep black, or a dead color, in gold size, drop black and tur- 
 pentine ; second coat, black japan. Commence veining ; 
 mix white and yellow ochre with a small quantity of vermilion 
 to give a gold tinge ; dip the pencil in this color, and dab on 
 the ground with great freedom some large patches, from 
 which small threads must be drawn in several directions. 
 
 In the deepest part of the black a white vein is sometimes 
 seen running with a number of small veins attached to it, but 
 care must be taken that these threads are connected with and 
 run, in some degree, in the same direction with the thicker 
 veins. If durability is not an object, and the work required 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 49 
 
 in a short time, it may be executed very quickly in distemper 
 colors, and when varnished, it will look well. 
 
 Compound Colors. — The following tints can be formed 
 by mixing the colors as below. The shades can be made to 
 suit any taste by the exercise of a little judgment in propor- 
 tioning the colors : 
 
 6/"m;//.— White lead, yellow and red. 
 
 Drab. — White, Prussian blue and vermilion. 
 
 Fawn. — White, stone ochre and vermilion. 
 
 Flesh. — Lake, white lead, and a little vermilion. 
 
 Grey., Pearl — White lead, Prussian blue, and a very little 
 black. 
 
 Grey, Flaxseed. — White lead, Prussian blue, and a little 
 lake. 
 
 Gold. — Massicot, or Naples yellow, with a small quantity 
 of Realgar and Spanish white. 
 
 Green Light willow.— White, mixed with verdigris. 
 
 Green., Grass. — Yellow pink with verdigris. 
 
 Green., Pea. — White lead and chrome or Paris green. 
 
 Green., Dark. — Black and chrome green. 
 
 Green., Olive. — Prussian blue and French yellow; mix to 
 the tints required. This is a cheap and handsome color for 
 outside work, such as doors, carts, wagons, railway cars, etc. 
 
 Jonquil. — Yellow, pink and white lead. This color is only 
 for distemper. 
 
 Lead. — Prussian biuc and white, with a light shade of 
 white. 
 
 Olive. — For distemper, use indigo and yellow pin' ""^ixcd 
 with whiting or white lead powder. 
 
 Olive. — Red, green, or black and yellow. 
 
 Pearl. — White lead, Prussian blue and red. 
 
 Purple. — Dark red mixed with violet. 
 
50 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Purple. — White, Prussian blue and vermilion. 
 
 Red^ Dark. — English Venetian, red lead and litharge. 
 
 Red, Light, — Venetian red, and red lead in equal parts. 
 
 Red, Deep. — Vermilion, with a very small quantity of red 
 lead. 
 
 Stojie. — White, with a litde spruce ochre. 
 
 Straw. — White lead and yellow. 
 
 Snuff. — Yellow, sienna and red. 
 
 Slate. — White lead, black, red and blue. 
 
 Steel. — Ceruse, Prussian blue, fine lac and vermilion. 
 
 Salmon. — White lead, yellow and red. 
 
 Walnut. — Tree color; two-thirds white lead and one-third 
 red ochre, yellow ochre and umber, mixed according to the 
 shade sought. If veining is required, use different shades of 
 the same mixture. (See article on graining). 
 
 Yellow, Light. — French yellow and white lead. A little 
 red lead may be used. 
 
 Another. — French yellow, white and red lead. 
 
 Another. — A mixture of a small portion of Prussian blue, 
 French yellow, white lead and Turkey umber and burnt 
 vitriol, or litharge, will produce different shades of yellow, 
 according to the preponderance of one of the above colors. 
 
 Yellow. — Bright for floors, white lead, French yellow, 
 chrome yellow a little, some red lead and litharge; mix with 
 equal parts of boiled oil and turpentine and use it thin. 
 
 Yelhm\ Dark. — French yellow and a litde red. 
 
 Yellow, Lemon. — Yellow pink, with Naples yellow. Foi 
 distemper only. 
 
AN» PAPER-HANGERS. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS. 
 
 For Iron. — A good paint for preserving iron exposed to 
 the weather, is made as follows : 
 
 Pulverized oxides of iron, such as yellow and red iron 
 ochres, or brown hematite iron ores, finely ground, and simply 
 mixed with linseed oil and a dryer. 
 
 White lead applied directly to iron is thought to have a 
 corrosive effect. It may be applied over more durable 
 colors. 
 
 Red lead, when pure, is very durable. An instance is re- 
 cfDrded of iron painted with it having been under water for 
 nearly 50 years, and had not been affected by rust. 
 
 Sheet iron, before being used for roofs or other outside 
 purposes, should be heated and dipped into hot linseed oil, 
 which will penetrate into it. Tinned iron in roofs has been 
 found to corrode quicker than in former years, owing to the 
 more general use of coal. 
 
 Paint for Rusty Iron. — Black Japan varnish, mixed 
 with turpentine, to make it thinner if necessary, is one of the 
 best preventatives ; but the iron must be dry when you put 
 it on. If you can warm the iron when painting it, so much 
 the better. If not sufficiently opaque, you may put in dry 
 finely pulverized paint, such as lamp-black. Red lead, with lin- 
 seed oil is also a good paint for rusted iron ; so are the mineral 
 reddish-browns which consist of oxide of iron ; they become 
 very hard, and are used for the iron-work of the elevated 
 milroAds in this dtj. 
 
52 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 To Paint on .jtueeo. — Great care is required in paint- 
 ing upon stucco, for the work must not only be thoroughly 
 dry, but free from any liability of dampness ; that is to say, 
 the walls themselves must be dry. It is, consequently, usual 
 to allow the stucco to remain for several months before it is 
 painted ; and this is especially necessary when it covers ovei 
 a large surface, as in the walls of churches, chapels and 
 theatres. If the paint be applied too soon, the work will hav^ 
 a blotched appearance, and be probably filled with smal/ 
 vesicles, formed durmg the evaporation of the water. When 
 the work is dry, it may be prepared by covering it with a coat 
 of linseed oil, boiled with dryer. This must be laid on very 
 carefully, or the face will be irregular. The color may then 
 be applied, and four coats will not be too much, the work 
 being new. Persons are generally so anxious to have their 
 buildings finished, that they disregard the future appearance 
 of the work, and within a few weeks after the application of 
 the stucco, cover it with paint. But it would, in all cases, be 
 sufficient to wash the surface with distemper, as it would give 
 a finished appearance to the building, and make it less neces- 
 sary to hurry the work. When the work is sufficiently dry to 
 receive the oil-colors the distemper color should be removed 
 by washing, and when the stucco is dry apply the oil-color. 
 The tints may be regulated by mingling different colors, as in 
 all other kinds of painting. 
 
 Plastered walls should not be painted until they are 
 thoroughly dry, and all settling in a new house has taken 
 place. If painted too soon they will blister. 
 
 Unseasoned wood should never be painted, as it stops the 
 pores of the wood and the sap acidulates, causing dry rot. 
 Greasy surfaces must be washed with water mixed with limA. 
 or soda, otherwise the paint will not adhere to it. 
 
AND PAPEB-HANGERS 
 
54 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Mixing Quick Drying Paint. — Venetian blinds 
 should be painted to dry dead, then varnish ; but few take 
 this trouble. Mix the paint as under : White lead, boiled 
 oil, and the least drop of turps; mix sufficient of each to 
 form a creamy mixture ; then add about i oz. patent drier 
 to each i lb. of paint. If you want the paint darker use 
 enough burnt umber to give the required tint. If you want 
 to varnish, omit the oil and use turps. 
 
 Transparent Paint for Glass. — Take for blue pig- 
 ment, Prussian blue ; for red, crimson lake ; for yellow, 
 Indian yellow ; and for other shades, a mixture of the appro- 
 priate ^rimary colors. Rub them in a size made as follows : 
 Veni . turpentine, 2 parts ; spirits of turpentine, i part, and 
 app' with a brush. The colors are moderately fast unless 
 exp .sed too long to direct sunlight. A solution of the vari- 
 oi aniline dyes in shellac varnish has also been recom- 
 r jnded. 
 
 Gilding. — Gold leaf is the only successful appHcation. 
 First put on a coat of Japan gold size, and when that is 
 " tacky," and nearly dry, lay on the gold-leaf and dab it with 
 a small tuft of cotton-wool. Where you buy the gold-leaf 
 you can buy a gilder's tool for applying it ; but in order to 
 get a smooth surface it must (when perfectly dry) be burnished 
 with an agate burnisher, which you will also get at the color- 
 shop, but you will not be able to burnish gold-leaf on the 
 bare wood. You can, if you like, varnish with pale copal 
 varnish. 
 
 Gilding on Glass. — Glass letters are gilt the same way 
 as you would a name on a glass door. You can easily get 
 a good burnish if you take a little trouble. Get some of the 
 best cotton wool at a chemist's, and well polish the gold with 
 it ; the gold must be thoroughly dry. Then go over it with 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 55 
 
 your size boiling hot; do not touch the same place twice with 
 the brusli, or you will bring the gold up ; repeat the process 
 three or four times, being sure to have your gold dry each 
 time, the hotter the size the brighter will be the burnish ; be 
 careful, however, and not break tbe glass with the heat. 
 
 Gilding Fret-work, Etc.— The first thing to be done 
 is to whiten the work. To do this scrape some whitening 
 very fine, place it in a pipkin with a lump of gilder's size, and 
 water sufficient to make it of the consistency of thick cream, 
 when heated over a fire ; then, with a camel-hair pencil, paint 
 it on the object several times, allowing each coat to dry be^ 
 fore applying the next. When the several coatings have 
 raised it to the thickness of i-i 6 in., set it aside for twelve or 
 more hours, to harden ; when hardened, smooth the surface 
 with very fine sandpaper first, and finally with a piece of 
 cork ; when using the cork frequently dip it in water, and, 
 when practicable, use it in a circular motion. Thus far suc- 
 cessful, the next thing is to lay on the gold. To gild, then, 
 dissolve some gilder's — not common size — in water, and heat, 
 and with a full brush lay it on the surface of the object. Cut 
 the gold leaf, on a pad of buff leather, with a clean cut of the 
 knife (much easier said than done ; perseverance, however, 
 with the cost of a book or two of gold mutilated, and a large 
 amount of patience exhausted, will overcome the difficulty), 
 to the size required ; take these up on a tip (a row of long 
 hairs placed between two bits of cardboard) - the professional 
 way to do this is to strike the hair of the tip against the 
 gilder's own whiskers or hair — and gently lay them on the 
 surface of the object, taking care that each succeeding piece 
 slightly overlaps the preceding. When dry, a small piece of 
 fine sponge, dipped in a weak solution of size water, should 
 be gently passed over it to give i uniform appearand? If 
 
56 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 the bright gold requires to be deadened, deep ormolu should 
 be used in a similar way after sizing. The yellow used for 
 the ungilt portions consists of gilder's yellow, dissolved in size 
 water, and is put on with a brush. 
 
 Painting- on Gilded Panels. — There is no prepar- 
 ation needed to paint in oils on a gilded panel. No mediums 
 are required, the ordinary oil colors being used unmixed. If 
 required to dry flat and to remain so, they are mixed with 
 turpentine and left unvarnished. If the shiny look of oils is 
 to be retained, they are slightly diluted with boiled oil, and 
 varnish with white hard varnish when dry. 
 
 Gilding on Wood. — To gild in oil, the wood, after being 
 properly smoothed, is covered with a coat of gold size, made 
 of drying linseed oil mixed with yellow ochre ; when this has 
 become so dry as to adhere to the fingers without soiling 
 them, the gold leaf is laid on with great care and dexterity, 
 and pressed down with cotton wool ; places that have been 
 missed are covered with small pieces of gold leaf, and when 
 the whole is dry, the ragged bits are rubbed off with cotton. 
 This is by far the easiest mode of gilding ; any other metallic 
 leaves may be applied in a similar manner. Pale leaf gold 
 has a greenish yellow color, and is an alloy of gold with silver. 
 Dutch gold leaf is only copper colored with the fumes of 
 zinc ; being much cheaper than gold leaf, is very useful when 
 large quantities of gilding are required in places where it can 
 be defended by the weather, as it changes color if exposed to 
 moisture, and it should be covered with varnish. Silver ^raf 
 is prepared every way the same as gold leaf; but when ap- 
 plied, should be kept well with varnish, otherwise it is liable 
 to tarnish ; a transparent yellow varnish will give it the ap- 
 pearance of gold. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 57 
 
 Whenever gold is fixed by means of linseed oil, it will bear 
 washing off, which burnished gold will not. 
 
 To Gild Letters. — When the sign is prepared as smooth 
 as possible, go over it with a sizing made by white of an egg 
 dissolved in about four times its weight of cold water ; add- 
 ing a small quantity of fuller's earth, this to prevent the gold 
 sticking to any part but letters. When dry, set out the letters 
 and commence writing, laying on the size as thinly as possi- 
 ble, with a sable pencil. Let it stand until you can hardly 
 feel a slight stickiness, then go to work with your gold leaf 
 knife and cushion, and gild the letters. Take a leaf upon the 
 point of your knife, after giving it a sHght puff into the back 
 part of your cushion, and spread it on the front part of it as 
 straight as possible, give it another slight puff with your mouth 
 to flatten it out. Now cut it to the proper size, cutting with 
 the heel of your knife forwards. Now rub the tip of the 
 knife lightly on your hair ; take uj) the gold on the point, and 
 place it n.tatly on the letters ; when they are all covered, get 
 some very fine cotton wool, and gently rub the gold until it 
 is smooth and bright. Then wash the sign with clean water 
 to take off the egg size. 
 
 Sign Writing in Colors, Etc. — On an oak ground 
 ornamental letters, in ultra-marine blue, filled in with gold 
 and silver leaf, blocked up and shaded with burnt sienna. 
 Anothe7\ — Gold letters on a white marble ground, blocked up 
 and shaded^with a transparent brown or burnt sienna. On 
 gla.s — Gold letters shaded with burnt sienna. Atiothcr. — 
 Gold letters shaded with black on a scarlet or chocolate ground. 
 On a rich blue ground shaded with black, look very well. On 
 a pirpL ground, pink letters shaded with white. Mix ultra- 
 marine dnd vermilion for a ground color, white letters shaded 
 
58 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 with grey. Vennilio7i g?vund, chrome yellow stained and 
 vermilion and lake, for the letters shaded with black. 
 
 A substitute for the above colors : Rose-pink and red lead ; 
 and for the letters stone yellow, white lead and Venetian red. 
 Mix your colors for writing in boiled oil, and use for dryer 
 gold size. Other good grounds for gold letters are, blues, 
 vermiHon, lake and Saxon. When your sign is ready for 
 gilding, follow the directions under the head " To Gild Letters 
 o?i Woodr 
 
 Gilder's Size. — Drying or boiled linseed oil, thickened 
 ♦vith yellow ochre, or calcined red ochre, and carefully re- 
 duced to the utmost smoothness by grinding. It is thinned 
 with oil of turpentine. 
 
 Staining Wood a Dull Black. — The work required 
 to be stained should be colored with drop-black and size. 
 When this is thoroughly set it should be papered off and 
 colored again, and then be papered off again. The polish 
 should also be stained with drop black and a little indigo. 
 Next polish to a perfect surface, and let it set. After the 
 wood has absorbed all the polish possible, polish again, and 
 dull it with the finger dipped in fine emery; a fine metallic 
 surface will thus be obtained. 
 
 Staining Floors. — The best and cheapest and only 
 permanent stain for floors is permanganate of potash. Buy 
 it by the y^ lb., and at a wholesale chemist's ; mix about 
 i^ oz. in a quart of water. Apply freely and quickly to a dry 
 floor with either cloth or brush, the latter if you care for stain- 
 ing your hand. Repeat the process for a very dark oak 
 color; when dry oil with burnt oil or beeswax and turpen- 
 tine; you cannot wash this color out. Benson's stain is only 
 permanganate of potash. At first for a few moments the 
 color is bright magenta, but this at once changes to a dark 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 59 
 
 SCHEME FOB DECORATION OF WALLS OF STUDY OR 
 LITEEARY WORKSHOP 
 
50 - HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 permanent brown. For fifty cents a whole house may be 
 stained. 
 
 Varnishing Wood. — After smoothing wood with veneer 
 scraper, brush on thick coat of shellac varnish ; then use fine 
 'andpaper, No. O. Do this three times for close grained 
 A'oods, such as black cherry, and lour times for porous wood, 
 such as chestnut. Have two dishes. Into one put finely 
 ground pumice ; into the other raw or boiled oil. Apply a 
 mixture of these with a piece of hair-cloth or broad-cloth. 
 Don't rub too hard. Finish up with rotten stone, which will 
 remove pumice and oil. Above is a good dead varnish. 
 Another. — Take encauoiic wax, heat, and apply with a 
 cork ; rub in well, brush on thin coat shellac varnish, finish 
 with pumice and oil. 
 
 Solvent for Old Putty and Paint. — Soft soap 
 mixed with a solution of potash or caustic soda, or pearlash 
 and slaked lime mixed with sufficient water to form a paste. 
 P^ither of these laid on with an old brush or rag, and left for 
 some hours, will render the putty or paint easily removable 
 Ajiother. — Slack three pounds of stone quicklime in water, 
 then add one pound of pearlash, and make the whole 
 about the consistence of paint. Apply it to both sides of the 
 glass, and let it remain for twelve hours, when the putty will 
 be so softened that the glass may be easily taken out of the 
 frame. Another. — Break the putty up in lumps the size of a 
 hen's egg, add a small portion of raw linseed oil, and water 
 sufficient to cover the putty, boil this in an iron vessel for 
 about ten minutes and stir it when hot. The oil will mix 
 with the putty, then pour the water off and it will be like 
 fresh made. For removing hard putty from a window sash 
 take a piece of square iron, make the same red hot, and run 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 61 
 
 it along the putty till it gets soft. The putty will peel off 
 without injuring the wood work. 
 
 Wash for Outside Work. — For woodwork slake half 
 a bushel of fresh lime, by pouring over it boiling water suffi- 
 cient to cover it 4 or 5 inches deep, stirring it until slacked ; 
 add 2 lbs. of sulphate of zinc (white vitrol) dissolved in water. 
 Add water enough to bring all to the consistency of thick 
 whitewash ; it may be colored by adding powdered ether, In- 
 dian red, umber, etc. If lampblack is added to colors, it 
 should first be thoroughly dissolved in alcohol. The sulphate 
 of zinc causes the wash to become hard in a few weeks. 
 
 Another for Brick, Masonry, and Rough- east. 
 
 Slake half a bushel of lime as before ; then fill a barrel yi 
 full of water, and add a bushel of hydraulic cement. Add 
 3 lbs. of sulphate of zinc previously dissolved in water. The 
 whole should be of the thickness of paint. The wash is im- 
 proved by stirring in a peck of white sand, just before using 
 it. It can be colored as before described. 
 
 French Polish. — Coat with one or more coats of 
 shellac and rub down smooth ; make a rubber by rolling up 
 a piece of flannel about 3 or 4 inches wide until it is about 
 1^ inches in diameter, and tie it round with cord. Lay the 
 end of the rubber on the mouth of a thin necked bottle and 
 apply the varnish to it, having previously shaken up the con- 
 tents in the bottle ; then enclose the end of the rubber with a 
 piece of soft linen doubled, and moisten the face of the linen 
 with a little raw linseed oil. 
 
 Pass the rubber with a quick, light and circular motion over 
 the surface until the varnish becomes dry, or nearly so, and 
 charge the rubber again with varnish until 3 coats have been 
 laid on, when a litde oil may be aj^plied to the rubber and 
 two more coats laid on. In the finishing coat wet the inside 
 
52 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 of the cloth with a Uttle alcohol, and rub quickly and lightly 
 over the whole surface. Lastly wet the linen cloth with a 
 little oil and alcohol without varnish, and rub as before until 
 dry. 
 
 The varnish is the usual preparation of shellac. See 
 cabinet maker's varnish. 
 
 Wood Filling" Composition. — Boiled linseed oil, i 
 qt.; turpentine, 3 qts.; corn starch, 5 lbs.; Japan, i qt.; 
 calcined magnesia, 2 oz.; mix thoroughly. Aiwiher. — 
 Whitening, 6 oz.; Japan, y^ pt.; boiled lin-seed oil, 
 ^ pt.; turpentine, 3^ pt.; corn starch, i oz.; mix well to 
 gether and apply to the wood. Add coloring if required. 
 Another. — Linseed oil, i qt.; sj^irits of turpentine, ^ jjt.; 
 lime, the size of a base-ball, broken fine. Let the mixture 
 simmer on a stove, covered over, for two or three hours, then 
 strain through a coarse cloth. It is to remain on 24 hours, 
 then rub off with a wollen cloth and polish. 
 
 German Filling. — Fill the pores with raw tallow and 
 plaster of Paris well amalgamated before a fire in cold 
 weather. Darken, if required, with any coloring to suit. 
 When well rubbed in give a coat of shellac and French polish 
 or varnish. 
 
 Polish for Walnut Wood. — Mix with two parts of 
 good alcoholic shellac varnish, one part of boiled linseed oil, 
 shake well, and apply with a pad formed of woolen cloth. 
 Rub the furniture briskly with a little of the mixture until the 
 polish appears. 
 
 Rules the Painter Should Observe — Never eat 
 or sleep without washing the hands and face and rinsing the 
 mouth. Keep the buckets, brushes, etc., clean, so that they 
 may be handled without smearing the hands. Never sleep 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. 
 
 63 
 
 in a paint shop nor in a newly painted room. Never allow 
 paint to accumulate on the clothing or finger nails. Never 
 wash the hands in turpentine, as it relaxes the muscles and 
 injures the joints; any animal oil or even linseed oil is better. 
 Never drink water that has stood any length of time in a 
 paint shop or newly painted room. Never use spirituous 
 liquors as it unites with the mineral salts and tends to harden 
 them and causes inflammation of the parts where they con- 
 crete. Milk, sweet oil and the like should be used freely, as 
 they tend to soften the accumulated poisons and carry them 
 Q& Vinegar and acid fruits used constantly, unite. 
 
(34 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 PAPER-HANGING. 
 
 The art of putting on, or " Hanging " paper is very simple, 
 and is easily learned ; but to make a tasteful choice of paper 
 for various situations, is not so easy, hence the following re- 
 marks, which may be of service to the workman or others on 
 whom the selection of paper may devolve. 
 
 Walls to a room should be regarded only in the light of a 
 irame-work to what the room contains, and should be decor- 
 ated so as to bring into prominence and not eclipse the other 
 parts of the chamber. Nothmg destroys the effect of a room 
 so much as a handsome but starmg wall paper, or a wall so 
 profusely ornamented as to strike upon the eye to the ex 
 elusion of the rest of the decorations, thus bringing forward 
 what should be the background into the most con..picuous 
 place. A modern drawing room is always difficult to decor- 
 ate artistically, because of the taste of its builders f^r heavy 
 cornices, prominent mantelpieces, and rooms too lofty for 
 their size ; and as all these misnamed " embellishments " are 
 too costly to remove by tenants, the only plan to pursue is to 
 destroy their effect by exercising both taste and ingenuity. 
 First, with regard to the ceiling, the ornamental plaster boss 
 in Its center should be removed, and the ceiling tinted a color 
 that harmonizes with the wall paper, as no harmonies can be 
 hoped for when what produces them is surmounted with the 
 glaring white of an ordinary ceiling. The tint used must be 
 one that soffens into the wall paper, not one that contrasts , 
 thus, if the tone of the room is that of a soft grey blue, the 
 ceiling should be a clear flesh pink ; or should a grey grei 
 
NEW YORK — HENRY BOSCH COMPANY — CHICAGO 
 
 
 An exquisite example of advanced mural decoration from England ; -wall hanging and 
 crown. Suitable for reception room or boudoir. 
 
NEW YORK — HENRY BOSCH COMPANY — CHICAGO 
 
 1 
 
 r ' 
 
 "\"\ ?"£ origmatecl tke Relief ''"cut-out" 
 
 crov^n, of v^kick tkis is an excellent 
 
 example. Our line includes a variety of 
 
 aesigns and colorings suitable for any room. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS. '"' 
 
 picked out with black be the chosen color, then it should be 
 colored a subdued lemon. 
 
 Some people cover their ceilings with a whole colored 
 paper, and border it with a stencilled pattern representing th- 
 thin garlands so familiar upon Queen Anne decorations, but 
 this is a more troublesome plan than the simple coloring, 
 which answers all the purpose. The walls, if they are lofty, 
 require a high dado. These high dados give a look of com- 
 fort and " home " that is absent from the modern high pitched 
 room papered with one uniform pattern. The dado is 
 divided 3 feet to 4 feet from the ceiling, and the coloring ol 
 tlie lower portion must always be heavier than that used on 
 the upper or a top heavy look will be given to the room. 
 When many pictures are to be hung up the lower part of the 
 dado should be of a whole color, either a whole colored paper 
 or a painted wall, as pictures are only shown off upon such a 
 background. Where a whole tint is used for the lower part 
 of the dado, the upper portion should be decorated with a 
 frieze paper of a good bold pattern, but of subdued coloring 
 and of tint that harmonizes with the lower. Thus, the color 
 used about the frieze should be the same as that on the lower 
 part, but of a lighter shade, intermixed with some other colors 
 that form a harmonious link between the two shades. Con- 
 trasts must be carefully avoided, but pale pinks, blue and 
 ambers can be blended together above a subdued grey blue 
 ground. The two portions of the dado should be joined 
 together with a light wooden (black or brown) railing, or with 
 a line of paint. 
 
 The dado decoration can be altered by placing the pattern 
 paper upon the lower part and leaving the upper plain-colored 
 with or without a stencilled pattern upon it. This will suit a 
 room where not many pictures are required, or that is already 
 rather dark. Some part of the wall should always be in plain 
 
66 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 color, as the eye requires rest; and no pattern, how- 
 ever subdued in hue, can give the relief to the mind 
 that a bit of plain coloring affords, and this scarcity 
 of ornament in one part of a room is amply repaid 
 by the effect it gives to such parts as are bright and 
 should be bright. The true theory of effect is to use 
 but one or two bright colors in a room, and to sur- 
 round them by soft and subdued tints that throw 
 up and do not destroy their brilliancy ; a number of 
 bright colors placed together destroy each other, and 
 leave no impression upon the mind but glare and 
 vulgarity. Having settled upon your paper and ceil- 
 ing, have the woodwork and cornice of the room 
 painted either a shade lighter or darker than the 
 walls. The back-ground of a room being thus com- 
 pleted in a manner really to be a back-ground, furni- 
 ture will look twice as well as if it were stared out 
 of countenance by the walls, and one need hardly 
 add that all will delight in a room that throws up 
 and brings out their dresses and faces, instead of kill- 
 ing them by its glaring tints. 
 
 Measuring Quantity of Paper Required. — It will 
 now be necessary to estimate the number of rolls of 
 paper required for a room that is to be papered. Ex- 
 perienced paper hangers can, as a rule, tell the num- 
 ber of rolls by glancing at a room, but the beginner 
 will require to measure. 
 
 A single roll of wall paper contains 8 yards and 
 when trimmed is i8 inches wide. It thus contains 36 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 67 
 
 square feet. It is usually sold in double rolls of i6 
 yards. 
 
 English wall paper is 21 inches wide when 
 trimmed, and a piece or roll is 12 yards long. In- 
 grain papers are usually 30 inches wide. As there 
 are these different widths of paper it is safest to 
 order so many yards rather than by rolls or pieces, 
 unless one is sure just how many yards are in the 
 roll. Borders are sold by the yard and cut out orna- 
 ments by the piece. 
 
 As there is more or less waste it is necessary to 
 order more paper than- the wall space to be covered. 
 It should be remembered that the larger the pat- 
 tern the greater the waste will be, owing to match- 
 ing the design. 
 
 In practice the simplest plan to follow is to take 
 a roll of the paper or a stick to this width and meas- 
 ure around the room. In this way the number of 
 lengths necessary can be easily found. The next 
 step is to measure the height and see how many 
 yards of paper will be required. Always remember 
 about the waste due to the matching of the paper. 
 The pieces left over will be sufhcient to paper over 
 doors, windows, and any small odd places. 
 
 If there is a border 18 inches or more the height 
 can be taken as so much less. When only a 6 or 9 
 inch border is used it will be safest not to allow for 
 the border. 
 
 As an example, take a room 12 x 16 feet, and 9 feet 
 
68 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 high, at one end of the room is a large grille opening 
 7 feet wide and 7 foot 6 inches high, and at the op- 
 posite end are two windows each 4 feet wide, and 
 from the floor to the top of the casings the height 
 is 8 feet. 
 
 Measuring around the room gives i2-|-i6+i2 + 
 16^56, from which deduct 7+4+4=15 feet for the 
 window and grill openings, this giving 41 feet of 
 wall to be papered. 
 
 If American wall paper 18 inches wide, is to be 
 used, it will require 4i-;-i% feet=27 1-3 strips or 
 practically speaking we would say 28 strips. 
 
 As the border is 18 inches deep the strips need be 
 9 — 1%=7-!/2 feet long. Therefore, it would take 
 28x7^2=210 feet or 70 yards of 18-inch paper. 
 
 How much paper to order depends upon the de- 
 sign, and how many complete strips can be had from 
 a roll. For a plain paper, or one with a small design, 
 we would be safe in getting 9 single rolls of 8 yards 
 each as each roll would give 3 strips. On the other 
 hand if the design is large, on account of the neces- 
 sary matching it would be rather difficult to get more 
 than two matching strips from a roll, or five, at the 
 most, from a double roll ; so that for a large design it 
 would take 6 double rolls of paper for the room. 
 There is economy in using a paper of small design. 
 
 For the border, it would of course require enough 
 to go all around the room. The top of the border 
 only shows over the windows, the lower part being 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 69 
 
 u 
 
 (J ■ 
 
 m 
 
 
 — 1 -I-' 
 
 CO 
 
 
 C/5 
 
70 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 waste. If the windows or other openings went clear 
 to the ceiling, we would need no border paper for 
 that space; but if there is only a little distance show- 
 ing, it is necessary to run the border over the entire 
 length so as to preserve the symmetry of the design. 
 In this case we would need 56 feet or 19 yards of 
 border, but it is best to get 20 or 21 yards to allow 
 for some tearing or other waste. 
 
 Trimming the Paper. — Having made a selection of 
 the paper, the next thing to be done is to cut off 
 one or more of the margins. This is readily done 
 by means of scissors or rotary knives. As it is rather 
 tedious to trim the paper dry when it is always curl- 
 ing up, the majority of paper hangers trim the sel- 
 vedge after the paste has been applied, and as the 
 paper is doubled over there is only half the length to 
 cut. 
 
 In some wallpaper shops will be found a machine 
 by which the selvedge or margins may be rapidly re- 
 moved, and in some cases the paper may be pur- 
 chased already trimmed, which, of course, saves a 
 good deal of trouble. It must be remembered, how- 
 ever, that the wallpaper manufacturer left the sel- 
 vedge on for a definite purpose, that is, to protect 
 the body of the paper, and that without it there is a 
 likelihood of the paper becoming quickly soiled. It 
 should be remembered, therefore, that when one 
 buys paper ready trimmed it is necessary to take 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 71 
 
 great care in handling, so as not to dirty or mar the 
 edges. 
 
 There are two ways of hanging paper, one with 
 what is called a "butt edge," the other a "lapped 
 edge," In the former both margins are cut off, and 
 the edges of the paper must then be drawn together, 
 so as to exactly meet, the pattern of course, uniting 
 accurately. The difficulty of the beginner using the 
 butt edge is that he sometimes finds a difficulty in 
 bringing the edges to meet, and if there is a space be- 
 tween, the white wall underneath shows through. 
 Sometimes the paper shrinks after being hung, and 
 produces the same objectionable effect. To prevent 
 this it is not a bad plan to mix a little distemper to 
 match the ground of the paper, and to paint this on 
 the wall exactly where the several seams will come. 
 If, in this case, there is an opening of, say, a thirty- 
 second part of an inch it will not be noticed. In most 
 cases, however, the lapped edge is used except with 
 heavy paper and burlaps. In this case only one mar- 
 gin is cut oft*, and the paper is lapped or placed over 
 the other, care being taken to match the pattern as 
 before. The objection to lapping is that the joints 
 show somewhat conspicuously, as it will be clear that 
 there will be two thicknesses of paper instead of one 
 wherever the joints occur. A hint of importance is to 
 remember that the laps should be away from the 
 light, as this will render it less conspicuous than it 
 would otherwise be. 
 
72 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Hanging the Paper. — The paper is now supposed 
 to be cut into lengths ready to hang. The lengths 
 are rather longer than is accurately required, and the 
 beginner will find that at this point he reaches his 
 greatest difficulty, which is to paste the paper and 
 carry it while wet to the wall and hang it on in a 
 vertical position. A good plan for a beginner is to 
 take a plumb-bob (or if one is not available a small 
 weight tied to a piece of string answers for the pur- 
 pose), and mark out upon the wall vertical lines at 
 the points where the joints of the paper are to come. 
 This will at least have the effect of keeping the joints 
 upright. Place the paper face downwards on a past- 
 ing board — the kitchen table, if long enough, answers 
 well — and give it a coat of paste, taking care not to 
 apply too much, or it will brush out when the paper 
 is applied. If the table is not long enough to take the 
 whole length, as it probably will not be, paste one- 
 half, fold the end toward the centre, then carefully 
 draw the strip over and paste the end toward the cen- 
 tre, so as to meet the end already folded. In this con- 
 dition the paper will not leave any of the pasted sur- 
 face outward, and as there are at least two thick- 
 nesses, it will not be very difficult to lift it from the 
 table. At this stage before removing the paper from 
 the table the selvedge should be trimmed as already 
 mentioned. With a little care the lower portion of 
 the paper may be folded again for convenience in 
 carrying. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS "JZ 
 
 To Start the hanging commence at a projecting 
 corner of a door or window, or at any other position 
 where a mismatch will show the least. Climb the 
 step-ladder, which must, of course, be provided, un- 
 fold the upper end of the paper, place it carefully be- 
 neath the cornice and down the marked line, press 
 it against the wall with a dry brush, taking care that 
 there are no air bubbles left. Then unfold another 
 portion, and press this down also, and proceed in the 
 same way until the bottom of the length is reached, 
 when it will be found that a portion of the length 
 which was cut too long projects over the base board. 
 Draw the point of the scissors lightly across this 
 edge, which will mark the paper, pull the lower end 
 of the strip away from the wall, and cut off this su- 
 perfluous portion of the paper, and press the whole 
 back in position and brush towards the edges ; one 
 length of the paper will thus have been hung. 
 
 Before pasting the second length, see that you have 
 cut it correctly at the top to match when placing it in 
 position. Paper-hangers frequently manage this on 
 the wall itself, using the lower member of the cor- 
 nice as a guide to mark the upper edge of the length, 
 and they cut this superfluous top edge while standing 
 on the ladder. The amateur will do much better to 
 get the upper portion right before he pastes the 
 paper. Instead of a paper-hanger's brush, a cloth 
 may be used to press the paper to the wall. The 
 brushes are usually used where speed is required; 
 
74 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 but they require a little practice before one becomes 
 expert with them. 
 
 A soft hat brush makes an excellent paste brush 
 and an ordinary whisk broom answers the purpose of 
 the paper-hanger's brush if none is at hand. 
 
 In handling a pasted strip do not let the lower por- 
 tion slip down suddenly while you are working at the 
 top, otherwise it will most likely tear apart and the 
 entire strip would be ruined. 
 
 Care must be taken to keep the printed side of the 
 paper free from paste ; cleanliness is absolutely es- 
 sential to get a good job. 
 
 Where a border or frieze is to be hung, the pro- 
 ceeding is precisely similar to that already described, 
 except that the width of the paper is much less, and 
 it is, of course, hung horizontally instead of verti- 
 cally. If the reader will take care to fold his paper 
 several times after it has been pasted, he should find 
 no difficulty in handling it. It must be folded in such 
 a manner as to be unfolded piece by piece as required 
 to go around in its proper position. 
 
 Strictly speaking, a first-rate job of paper-hanging 
 requires training, and cannot be done at the first few 
 attempts. The application to the wall of a long 
 length of paper wet with paste requires practice, and 
 the reader who attempts it for the first time may be 
 a little disappointed. However, there is nothing in 
 the work of papering any ordinary room, which re- 
 quires any great skill ; a little practice is needed. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 7^:, 
 
 WALL TREATMENT FOR DINING ROOM HALL. BILL» 
 lARD ROOM. OR DEN 
 
 Friczp of Englieb stencil effect 
 
76 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 Hanging Ceiling Papers. — To hang a paper on a 
 ceiling requires a good deal of thought and planning, 
 and it is by no means as easy as hanging a paper on 
 a wall. The paper having been carefully schemed 
 out so as to show to the best advantage, the paper 
 is pasted and folded as before, and hung in the same 
 manner, excepting that a lath or stick must be used 
 as an aid in holding up the folded portion, while the 
 other end is being pressed to the surface. Before the 
 paper hanging of the ceiling is commenced, all breaks 
 and cracks should be mended in the same manner as 
 described in dealing with broken walls, while stains 
 should be painted out. When cutting the paper 
 around irregular angles, such as those which arise 
 from a bay window, the best plan is to cut the paper 
 roughly, to about the angle required, leaving it rather 
 longer than necessary, and then to mark the exact 
 line against the cornice with the point of the scissors ; 
 then to cut off the superfluous end. Even where care 
 is taken, this will sometimes cause a little trouble with 
 the paste coming against the cornice and discoloring 
 it, but this can afterwards be made good with whiten- 
 ing or coloring. 
 
 In rooms which have no pretension whatever to a 
 decorative appearance, ceilings are often papered in 
 order to strengthen them. We have seen old ceilings 
 which appeared to be about to fall oiT, kept in posi- 
 tion for years by two coats of strong paper pasted 
 over them. In this case what is known as lining 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 77 
 
 paper is used. It is sold by every dealer in paper 
 hangings, and is cheap. It must not be forgotten that 
 a ceiling must never be papered in any room in which 
 there is steam at any time. For instance, in a kitchen 
 or laundry it is entirely out of place, as the first 
 "washing day" will mean the descent upon one's head 
 of all the paper from the ceiling. 
 
 Borders and Friezes. — Sometimes in the country, 
 and even in well-built houses, rooms are found fin- 
 ished entirely without cornices. In such cases it is 
 almost impossible to produce a finished effect unless 
 a border or frieze is used. The writer is strongly of 
 the opinion that borders should be almost always 
 used in rooms large and small. They cost very little 
 and if a comparison is made between a room finished 
 without a frieze and another in which' a good design 
 is employed, the difference will be at once apparent. 
 
 Re-papering An Old Wall. — In re-papering an old 
 wall the first thing to be done is to remove the old 
 paper. Now, although that is very necessary in or- 
 der to produce a god job, as well as for sanitary rea- 
 sons, it is very frequently neglected altogether, and 
 one paper is pasted over another time after time, the 
 accumulation of dirt, decayed paste, and perhaps va- 
 rious insects, forming a most unsanitary dwelling- 
 place. The paper may be usually removed by wash- 
 ing it over with hot water, giving a liberal quantity. 
 
78 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 and allowing this to soak in, and then scraping off 
 with an old chisel or scraper. 
 
 If the paper is varnished, or is printed in oil — that 
 is, it is of the quality known as "washable" paper — 
 it may be necessary to score over the surface with a 
 chisel before applying the water, so as to give an 
 opportunity for the moisture to soak in. Commence 
 at the top, taking care not to injure the cornice or 
 ceiling, and scrape to get every particle of the paper 
 away. Sometimes plastered walls which have been 
 prepared with half a dozen or more papers are in such 
 bad condition that, when these papers are removed, 
 a considerable portion of the plaster will be pulled 
 away. In such a case it may be quite necessary to 
 leave the old paper on. In a fairly good wall the 
 paper may be removed without injury, provided that 
 plenty of water is used ; it is very probable that there 
 will be some breaks, which will require mending 
 before the new paper is applied. This can be done 
 without difficulty by means of plaster of Paris mixed 
 in small quantities at a time with a little glue water, 
 and applied with a knife or piece of wood, and 
 smoothed off to a level surface. In mending the 
 walls of an ordinary room in this way it may be 
 necessary to mix the plaster half a dozen times, as, if 
 sufficient is mixed at one time for the whole job, it 
 will be found to be set quite hard, and, therefore, to 
 be useless before the mending is completed. A few 
 drops of glycerine added to the plaster will retard its 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 79 
 
 DECORATION SUITABLE FOR A DINING OR RECEP 
 TiON ROOM 
 Paneled clado with alternating stencil ornanaents; also 
 paneled ceiling. 
 
80 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 setting, but this is not necessary if glue water is used. 
 It is best not to paper over a patched wall for several 
 days as the damp plaster is apt to stain the newly- 
 applied paper. After the plaster is dry, coarse sand- 
 paper should now be rubbed over the whole surface, 
 so as to make it as level as possible, and then the 
 room is ready for papering. 
 
 If the wall has been whitewashed or distempered, it 
 will be necessary to soak and clear this ofif and the 
 cleaned wall sized before the paper is applied. If 
 this is not done, the paper will soon peel off. The 
 sizing, consisting of a little glue added to water, 
 should also be applied to new walls. 
 
 Paste. — If one is near a source of supply, the best 
 and most convenient way is to buy the paste already 
 prepared, all that is necessary is its being thinned 
 until it is of the proper consistency. Care must be 
 taken that it is not lumpy. 
 
 There is now on the market prepared paste powder 
 that only needs the addition of cold water to make 
 an excellent paste, but if it is necessary to make a 
 paste, take two pounds of fine flour, put in a pail ; add 
 cold water, and stir it up together in a thick paste. 
 Take a piece of alum about the size of a small chest- 
 nut, pound it fine and throw it into the paste; mix 
 well. Then provide about six quarts of boiling water 
 and mix while hot with the paste until the whole is 
 brought to a proper consistency. This makes an ex- 
 cellent paste, and fit for use when cold. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 81 
 
 Cleaning Paper-Hangings.— A very good method 
 to clean paper-hangings is that used oftentimes in 
 cleaning the margins of prints. Cut into eight pieces 
 a loaf of bread two days old, and after having swept 
 all the dust from the paper-hangings, commence from 
 the ceiling downward, and somewhat lightly rub the 
 paper with a downward stroke with one of the pieces 
 of bread. Continue this around the room, and then 
 commence lower down in the same way till the whole 
 of the surface of the paper has been gone over. The 
 bread will from time to time get dirty, and it should 
 be cut off as often as required. Care should be ex- 
 ercised not to rub the paper with a cross or horizontal 
 stroke, only with the perpendicular movement of the 
 hand, or the paper may peel off the walls from the 
 joints. With careful manipulation, paper will look 
 almost as good as new. 
 
 Choosing the Paper. — We come now to choosing 
 the paper, sometimes a very formidable task. This 
 choice is usually left to "the lady of the house," prob- 
 ably on the supposition that she has better taste in 
 such matters than her husband. If the paper is of a 
 cheap grade, in most cases the wall paper dealer will 
 send a book of patterns measuring, perhaps, 24 inches 
 by 18 inches, and from these small samples the occu- 
 pier of the house is expected to make a selection. It 
 is this which gives rise to so much disappointment. 
 A small piece conveys a very little idea of the ap- 
 
 ^* 
 
82 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 pearance the room will present when the walls are 
 covered all over with the same patern, and it is far 
 better, where it is practicable, especially in the prin- 
 cipal rooms, to obtain a roll or two of those papers 
 which appear to be most suitable, and to pin them on 
 the wall, so as to gain a good idea of the appearance 
 they will present. 
 
 The following hints should be borne in mind: For 
 a small room choose a small pattern paper; never a 
 large one, which will make it look smaller still. A 
 room with a low ceiling will look higher than it is if 
 a pattern having vertical stripes is chosen. The re- 
 verse of this is true of an unusually high room, which 
 will not look so high if the paper having horizontal 
 stripes is used. "Gold" papers, or those which have 
 bronze or imitation gold, in the design, are now rarely 
 used, being rightly considered as somewhat vulgar, 
 excepting in public or important rooms. Large pro- 
 nounced patterns are usually not desirable, because 
 they detract from the repose or quiet appearance a 
 living room should present. A bedroom should al- 
 ways be papered with a cheerful design, and geomet- 
 rical figures be avoided as far as possible. 
 
 In choosing a paper for a hall or staircase, or any 
 room or apartment which is somewhat bare in ap- 
 pearance or devoid of furniture, it is always well to 
 select a hanging of bold design and somewhat vivid 
 coloring. On the other hand a room full of furniture, 
 especially if small and with many pictures on the 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 83 
 
 BEDEOOM DECORATION. 
 
 Paneled dado in chambray or linen paper giving fabric 
 effect; frieze of conventional design in cretonne or chintz 
 paper. 
 
84 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 walls, would be wholly spoiled by a bold design. 
 During the last few years there has been a distinct 
 tendency toward employing papers with little or no 
 pattern at all. At this writing ingrains are much in 
 vogue. These papers are dyed in the process of man- 
 ufacturing instead of being grounded or treated with 
 the distemper color on the surface as is usual with 
 ordinary wall papers. 
 
 An excellent effect is produced in decorating a 
 room with such a plain -ingrain, especially if a good 
 bold frieze is employed to form a finish, and take 
 away from the bare effect. The objections to in- 
 grains, however, is that they are very apt to lose 
 their color, and also that they are very difficult to 
 handle, as they are almost like blotting paper in 
 texture, and they rapidly absorb the moisture from 
 the paste. For many purposes an ingrain paper or its 
 equivalent, having printed upon it a very small set 
 design, produces good results. 
 
 In selecting papers it should be remembered that 
 it is not necessary to pay a high price in order to get 
 a good design, as the decorator of to-day finds the 
 field full of opportunities for novel and efi^ective 
 treatments that are out of the commonplace, yet at 
 the same time comparatively inexpensive. The man- 
 ufacturers of wall papers and other decorative ma- 
 terials have been vying with one another to produce 
 novel and up-to-date materials which can be used to 
 obtain original effects, and there is no excuse for the 
 
AND Px\PER-HANGERS 
 
 85 
 
 BEDBOOM DECOEATION 
 Paper giving fabric effect, relieved with narrow floral 
 
86 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 decorator with brains following in the beaten rut, 
 or for the house owner whose home does not reflect 
 any individuality of taste in the wall decorations, the 
 hangings and other features of that character. The 
 wall papers of the present season are noteworthy for 
 their artistic design and beauty of coloring, and 
 while, of course, every manufacturer is obliged to put 
 out each season a number of patterns that are showy 
 and commonplace, and intended to meet a demand 
 from an uneducated class, yet even these so-called 
 ''bread and butter" designs are better, both in their 
 drawing and coloring, than similar patterns of previ- 
 ous seasons. But almost every line of wall paper 
 shows the influence of the education along decorative 
 art lines which is being carried on by the popular 
 magazines and in the schools of the country. People 
 know a great deal more of the harmony of color, and 
 of what is good taste and what is bad, than they did 
 a few years back. They have learned that decoration 
 does not look to garish display, but depends on 
 breadth of color treatment and is effective because of 
 its simplicity. The mission and craftsman styles are 
 direct results of this revulsion of feeling against the 
 too ornate and the vulgarly tawdry display of the 
 past generation. It is true that refinement of decora- 
 tion does not necessarily need to go to such extremes 
 as this, but the popularity of these styles indicates 
 that simplicity as a keynote in decoration meets with 
 the popular approval. To meet this demand for 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 87 
 
 broad color effects, and yet at the same time to avoid 
 the use of perfectly plain papers, which are not eco- 
 nomical because they so readily show disfigurations 
 from the unavoidable knocks which the walls almost 
 always get, or the irregularity of the plaster, or stains 
 due to the action of the lime in the walls or to dirt on 
 the surface of the paper, almost all the wall paper 
 manufacturers offer a more or less extensive line of 
 fabric effects. Some of these imitate plain burlaps, 
 denims or grass cloths, while in others these effects 
 form a back-ground upon which conventional figures 
 are powdered, or a more or less intricate all-over pat- 
 tern appears in a darker tone of the background color, 
 giving the eft'ect of a woven or printed fabric. One 
 of the most popular of these grounds, for bedroom 
 decoration, is chambray, or linen effect, in almost all 
 the colors that one would see the actual goods, such 
 as blue, green, ox-blood, pink, brown — resembling, 
 in some cases, a dark unbleached linen. These cham- 
 bray papers are either used to cover the entire wall, 
 with a narrow floral or landscape border at the top; 
 or they may be used in panels, with some one of the 
 narrow "binders," or floral or ribbon and bow-knot 
 borders, that are found in almost every line of wall 
 papers. Another treatment is to use the chambray 
 paper for the lower two-thirds of the wall, capped 
 with white enamel photograph rail — a narrow shelf- 
 molding with a groove in the top for the purpose of 
 holding photographs, with a picture moulding under- 
 
88 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 neath. Above this rail there is a frieze treatment, 
 formed by using a cretonne or chintz paper of an 
 appropriate color. Many of these papers are made 
 to match imported cretonnes and chintzes that can 
 be used for the window hangings, giving a very 
 dainty and attractive room. Again, a chambray 
 paper may be used to cover the ceiling, and run down 
 upon the side walls for a couple of feet, a floral cre- 
 tonne or other figured paper being used for the base. 
 For a small room with a low ceiling a very pretty 
 effect may be obtained by running a plain chambray 
 from the baseboard to the ceiling angle, a picture 
 molding being used in lieu of a cornice. A few inches 
 below the ceiling, one of the popular ribbon patterns, 
 showing a ribbon about two inches wide with occa- 
 sional bow-knots and roses, should be neatly cut 
 from its white background and run round the room 
 as a border. The ribbon, of course, should be of a 
 contrasting color, as for example, pink on a light 
 green ground ; buff on a blue chambray, or blue on a 
 pink ground. 
 
 These chambray papers are also made with borders 
 having the effect of white applique embroidery or 
 white lace against a ground of the same fabric. Some 
 of these lace borders may be used very appropriately 
 for the purpose of forming large French panels. Or 
 in a low room, the side wall may be a plain chambray 
 with a lace border at the top and just above the base- 
 board. 
 
NEW YORK — HENRY BOSCH COMPANY — CHICAGO 
 
 A hall decoration of novel design, consisting of a plain wall, vertical band and crown, 
 all being of leatherette finish. 
 
For the LIBRARY or LIVING ROOM 
 
Jhowing the decorative possibilities of a simple eidewall and crown border, a stile and 
 lado filling being used. Tbe arrangement of panels may be varied to suit any space. 
 
NtW YORK — nt-JNKY iSUbLrt CUMPAN Y — CHICAGO 
 
 1 
 
 '^ I 'HE *"■ cut-out border is deservedly 
 
 trie most popular style or decoration 
 
 for Dedrooms. We nave an attractive 
 
 assortment, adaptable to any color scneme. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 89 
 
 Another class of papers that are much used in mak- 
 ing up original decorative treatments are what are 
 known in the trade as **clothy" effects. These are 
 two-toned papers in which small conventional figures 
 are thickly sprinkled over a background one or two 
 shades lighter in tone, giving the effect of woven 
 goods, although there is no attempt to indicate the 
 texture by overprinted lines as in tapestry or a cham- 
 bray paper. The figures are simply printed in solid 
 color upon a plain ground color. They are made in 
 all grades of wall paper from blanks or flats — a cheap 
 grade printed on white stock — to the more expensive 
 ingrains or cartridge papers and the "duplex" papers, 
 which have an ingrain face and a backing of a harder 
 surface paper. Of course, in these latter papers, the 
 resemblance to a cloth fabric is very much stronger 
 than in the lower priced goods. But in all classes, 
 the general decorative effect is excellent. These 
 papers are especially suited for dadoes, or for panel 
 fillers, or are well adapted for use with the independ- 
 ent pictorial friezes that can be obtained in such vari- 
 ety, both in the imported and American papers. 
 These friezes may also be used very satisfactorily in 
 combination with two-tone stripe papers. Some of 
 these are very beautiful, having dull stripes alternat- 
 ing with others of a silky or satin like luster. Of 
 course, the plain cartridge or ingrain papers meet 
 with much favor, but they unfortunately are very 
 apt to stain, and being colored in the pulp, instead of 
 
90 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 having the color applied to the surface like ordinary 
 papers, are very apt to run uneven in color, one edge 
 of the roll being often a shade or two lighter than 
 the other edge. As a consequence, if these papers 
 are hung just as they are cut from the roll, with the 
 same end toward the ceiling, a very disagreeable 
 streaked effect will be observed. This can be ob- 
 viated by the careful paper-hanger, who will cut two 
 lengths of paper from the roll and reverse them, thus 
 bringing the light edge of one length next to the light 
 edge of the adjoining strip, and so on. By exercising 
 care in matching the papers, the unevenness in the 
 color will not be observed. 
 
 A striped paper is well adapted to produce a pan- 
 eled effect, and the method of doing it is much sim- 
 pler than where the panels require to be carefully laid 
 out by the paper-hanger. Fig. i illustrates an effect 
 that may be produced by a striped paper to form a 
 paneled dado, or the panels may run the whole height 
 of the room. The paper is first hung as shown on 
 the right, the breadths running vertically from the 
 top line of the dado, which is usually capped by a 
 picture moulding or by a chair or plate rail, down 
 to the baseboard. The finished panels are shown on 
 the left. These are made by taking a breadth of the 
 paper, shown on the left of Fig. 2, and cutting it as 
 indicated by the line A, B, C, D, E, in a saw-tooth 
 pattern, the angles being exactly forty-five degrees. 
 In this case two strips are left on the edge of the 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 91 
 
 Fig. 1 
 
 Fig. 2 
 
92 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 paper in order to form a top and bottom border to 
 the pattern above and below the stiling of the panels, 
 but there is only need for leaving one stripe 
 the base and cap being formed by the baseboard and 
 the chair rail or picture moulding. The saw-tooth 
 paper is hung over the paper that has already been 
 hung, care being taken by the paper-hanger to get 
 the miters true, which is easily done, for all wall 
 paper is capable of shifting and stretching slightly. 
 
 Where the increased expense does not prove a det- 
 riment, grass cloth is one of the most beautiful wall 
 decorations, where broad, single color effects are de- 
 sired. This material is imported from Japan, and as 
 its name indicates, is a fabric woven from some of 
 the fine grasses or materials of that nature found in 
 that country, and mounted on light yet very tough 
 paper. The total thickness is about the same as tl\at 
 of a heavy ingrain paper. It is very pliable and just 
 as easily cut and trimmed as any high-class wall 
 paper. It comes in all the prevailing decorative col- 
 ors, and owing to its texture, there is a very pretty 
 play of color over the surface, which makes it par- 
 ticularly effective. The Avriter recently saw a very 
 attractive parlor in a suburban house, the walls of 
 which were hung with green grass cloth. About two 
 feet below the rather low ceiling a white enamelled 
 photograph and picture rail was used, that served as 
 a resting place for small pictures, plaster casts, bits 
 of pottery and other small pieces of bric-a-brac. A 
 
AND Px\PER-HANGERS 93 
 
 two-inch white molding served to break the angle of 
 the ceiling, which was tinted a cream white. The 
 plain green surface of the lower wall made an excel- 
 lent background for a number of good pictures. 
 
 In regard to cut-out ornaments, a New York wall 
 ]:)aper house has recently brought out some very 
 beautiful lithographed ornaments of this character 
 that are sold ready cut out. Those already intro- 
 duced show swags of flowers, with cupids, baskets 
 of flowers, bouquets, of roses and the like, suspended 
 within the sv/ag. These paterns are made eighteen 
 inches wide, or just the width of ordinary wall paper 
 after it is trimmed, and they can, of course, be used 
 on any color or kind of background, from a plain tint 
 or a mica or silk stripe to a chambray. Of course 
 they would not look well on a figured back-ground, 
 and being themselves printed in delicate colors, nat- 
 urally look best when used upon light back-grounds. 
 
 The pictorial friezes already spoken of can be used 
 in a great many original ways by the decorator who 
 is awake to their possibilities. We illustrate a sug- 
 gestion in wdiich a coaching frieze is utilized in the 
 decoration of a dining room. This frieze is made in 
 six-foot lithographed sections, printed in oil colors. 
 Each section is different and the complete design is 
 thirty feet long before it repeats. The sections may 
 be used indiscriminately, in any order preferred so 
 that practically there is not a continued repetition in 
 the room. 
 
94 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 In the decorative treatment illustrated, the frieze 
 forms the key-note of the design and is used as the 
 crowning feature of the tall panelled dado, which can 
 1)e made of wood, or the panels may be filled with 
 buckram or burlap and the stiling onl}; made of wood. 
 The dado is capped with a shelf molding that serves 
 as a resting place for steins and jugs, the upper por- 
 tion of the wall being hung with a grass cloth. The 
 cornice is made up of a series of arches, with plaster 
 or plastic relief shell ornaments, and under every 
 other arch is an electric-light bulb. This cornice 
 should be in ivory white, of the tone of old ivory, the 
 ceiling being somewhat lighter. The wainscot and 
 the other woodwork of the room may either be in 
 forest green or fumed oak or may be finished in white 
 or ivory enamel. 
 
 Some of the pictorial friezes are well adapted foi 
 cutting into short lengths, framing thea^ up vith 
 narrow borders of wall paper binders, and centering 
 them in the upper part of large French panels, 
 
 Pictorial friezes are made with what are known 
 as extensions. For example, on one roll Tna.y be 
 printed a series of pictures of hunters in red coais 
 leaping a five-barred fence, with a pack of hounds, 
 in full cry, after a fox or deer, while another roll is a 
 forest scene without figures. The decorator may 
 space his huntsman at will upon the wall, depending 
 upon the shape and size of the room, filling in the 
 space between them with the forest extension. The 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 95 
 
 "s — B — a e — m — m — e — m — m s" 
 
 r^j'^'^^^r^''^^^ 
 
 \ i \ 1 1 
 
 I \ 
 
 DINING ROOM DECORATION 
 
 Coaching frieze used over paneled dado, capped with shelf 
 mould; upper portion of wall hung with glass cloth; cornice, 
 a series of arch£S_with plastic relief shell ornaments. 
 
96 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 writer recently saw a den decorated with a pictorial 
 frieze of this character. The ceiling was covered 
 with a mustard yellow ingrain paper, and a breadth 
 of this paper, which was twenty-one inches wide, was 
 run round the room, instead of up and down, just 
 below the frieze. Below this was a photograph rail, 
 while the lower portion of the wall was a striped Ori- 
 ental tapestry effect, the principal color-tone of which 
 was red. This merely gives a suggestion for the use 
 of these extension friezes, which are made in many 
 different designs, and characters of subjects. 
 
 The cut-out poster friezes for dens and nurseries 
 also offer many opportunities for original treatment. 
 These come in sheets or panels, the figures from 
 which are to be cut out and arranged at will against 
 a plain ground, for in these poster pictures, back- 
 grounds are looked upon as superfluous. Of course, 
 a little ingenuity enables the decorator to tell a story 
 with the pictures that will interest children in the 
 nursery or please the grown people in the den. 
 
 Papering the Hall. — Every house that is built pre- 
 sents as a puzzling and perplexing problem to the 
 decorator in the treatment of the wall along the rake 
 of the stairs. The difficulty does not lie alone with 
 the fact that the lines are angular, because the space 
 included in a gable does not present such a perplexing 
 problem, on account of it being symmetrical. A 
 triangular space is not necessarily difficult to treat, 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 97 
 
y» HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 because a special form of ornament can always be.de- 
 signed to fill it, but the staircase wall adds to the 
 sloping line the fact that any decoration which is to 
 be employed on this wall must at the same time be 
 carried along the level walls of the hall in each story 
 and across the level spaces at the landings. Where 
 posts are introduced by the architect, they form a 
 natural break, which the decorator may take advan- 
 tage of, but, unfortunately, such posts are seldom 
 used on the flat wall surface, hence the decorator is 
 compelled to meet the problem of carrying up the 
 rake of the stairs, without a break, the same ornament 
 which is used on the hall walls, or else he must stop 
 it abruptly, without any apparent reason for doing 
 so. To add to the difficulty, in many houses the ceil- 
 ing line makes a sudden break over the start of the 
 stair where the well begins, and the side wall, which 
 is only nine feet high, suddenly becomes a blank 
 wall space of eighteen or nineteen feet in height. In 
 such a case there seems no alternative to stopping 
 the frieze at the break, even though such stoppage 
 may be difficult on account of the design being a con- 
 tinuous one, without any good method of terminat- 
 ing it. This is almost always the case with the or- 
 dinary wall paper or stenciled border, unless it hap- 
 pens to be such a pattern that a panel or other natural 
 break occurs at regular intervals. To overcome this 
 difficulty, the paper-hanger should lay out his work 
 from this break in the level, selecting the best point 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 99 
 
 STAIR HALL DECOKATION. 
 
 Panels in dado should be perpendicular and form a 
 of t)reaks or steps, as at left; the two panels shown at right 
 are faulty. 
 
100 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 for cutting the border, and run away from the stairs, 
 instead of beginning at the door and running toward 
 the stairs, letting the border stop as it wilL 
 
 Where a picture moulding is used, another difficult 
 problem is presented. If the moulding follows the 
 rake of the stairs, it serves no practical purpose, but 
 is merely ornamental ; yet if, on the contrary, it is car- 
 ried along the level, so that pictures may be sus- 
 pended from it at any point, it will run against the 
 baseboard, if continued far enough. In general, it 
 is wiser to carry the picture moulding along the 
 slope, and let it serve merely as a divider between 
 the frieze and wall or a break of the ceiling angle. 
 Where an upper third treatment is used, this prob- 
 lem of the picture moulding becomes of great im- 
 portance, and what to do with the side wall at the 
 point where the stair begins is very difficult to deter- 
 mine. It is almost impossible to lay down any gen- 
 eral rule for the treatment at this point, but the deco- 
 rator must be governed by common sense and take 
 the special conditions into account. Sometimes the 
 divisions may be made along a series of right angled 
 breaks, like large steps. 
 
 Many very attractive frieze and border designs are 
 not adapted for carrying up the rake of the stairs, 
 because they require to be vertical in order to view 
 them properly. A pictorial frieze looks absurd when 
 it is hung upon a sloping line, and so would a design 
 that introduces the Empire torch or a basket of flow- 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 101 
 
 Fig. 4 
 
 EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF DADO PANELS IN STAIR 
 HALL DECORATION. 
 
102 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 ers suspended by a ribbon. Such a design, when fol- 
 lowing the slope, gives one the feeling of being on a 
 ship at sea that has been tossed on a wave and is held 
 in the grip of a frozen storm, which prevents it from 
 ever regaining its equilibrium. Better by far to stop 
 a border of this character at the end of the level 
 stretch and let the sloping wall go undecorated. 
 Where an upper third treatment is used, the pattern 
 can, of course, always be hung vertical, and this dif- 
 ficulty is not met with. 
 
 A panel dado also presents many difficulties. For 
 example let us consider the dado shown in Fig. 3, 
 which is formed by using a two-toned stripe wall 
 paper, cutting it at the top and base in miters, to give 
 a paneled effect. If the panels are made like the 
 two shown on the right of the sketch, although this 
 presents the fewest mechanical difficulties for the 
 paper-hanger, the appearance is given of a series of 
 panels that seem to be constantly sliding down hill. 
 This fault is often met with in wood paneling, but 
 perhaps does not impress one so much in wood, on 
 account of the rigidity of the material, as it does 
 when wall paper decorations are employed. It is 
 much better to arrange the panels to form a series 
 of breaks or steps, as shown on the left. When this 
 is done it will be necessary to match up a plain paper, 
 using triangular pieces to fill in the gaps in the stil- 
 ing. The border that caps the dado also presents the 
 difficulty of mitering at a different angle than a right 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 103 
 
 EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF DADO IN STAIR HALL 
 DECORATION. 
 
 Stencil design based on Greek honeysuckle ornament. 
 
104 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 angle, and particular care must be taken, whenever 
 possible, to so arrange the break that the pattern 
 will hide the cutting. This requires considerable in- 
 genuity, but it can generally be accomplished to a 
 greater or less extent. 
 
 The advantage of this treatment is much more evi- 
 dent in Fig. 4, which shows a design that may be 
 executed either in wall paper or by means of sten- 
 cils. Here the panels are so arranged that one comes 
 above each tread of the stairs. If the panels sloped, 
 the floral figures in the centre of each would look 
 unbalanced, and this would be even more noticeable 
 in the case of a square set figure, or a heraldic pat- 
 tern or shield. While considering this design, it 
 might be well to suggest a suitable color treatment. 
 The long panels might be either in bright red, or 
 in a strong, deep, rich blue, against which as a back- 
 ground, the stencil can be done in ivory white or 
 gold bronze, either of which would show very well 
 indeed. The same coloring would be used for the 
 narrow border at the top of the dado, which takes 
 the place of a moulding. The upper wall could be 
 in a tone of gray or deep straw color. 
 
 When we come to the use of stencils, many orig- 
 inal treatments can be introduced effectively. For 
 example, we illustrate a design based on the Greek 
 honeysuckle ornament, which would look very ef- 
 fective indeed for a side wall treatment. The pat- 
 tern terminates in a series of pointed figures that rise 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 105 
 
 one above the other as they follow the slope of the 
 stairs. The vertical lines serve to connect the de- 
 sign with the baseboard in such a way as to carry 
 up the lines of the stair risers and show at a glance 
 the reason for the peculiar treatment. The band of 
 color below the ornament serves to bind the whole 
 design together. The Art Noveau style is full of 
 motives for decoration which are particularly suit- 
 able for carrying up the rake of a staircase, the long 
 stems of the flowers and the flowing lines adapting 
 themselves remarkably well to an irregular space 
 such as will be found here. 
 
106 
 
 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 ^A^^ 
 *'%? 
 
 
 » 
 
 ^mm 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 107 
 
 STENCILING 
 
 The art of stenciling is almost as old as that of 
 decoration itself, although in its earlier forms it was 
 but a crude and clumsy method for the duplicatiuii 
 of a design. Nevertheless, the idea is such an ele- 
 mentary one that it was early conceived that a de- 
 sign might be indefinitely repeated if it were cut in 
 a thin sheet of metal, or any other substance, such as 
 paper, parchment or the like, and the paint brushed 
 on the surface to be decorated, through the openings 
 or perforations left in the stencil plate. Stenciling 
 was much used in medieval work, but began to be 
 neglected in Europe at the time of the Renaissance, 
 when decorative art was copied from the classic style 
 rather than originating with the workman. The 
 churches and palaces were ornamented with original 
 paintings by great masters, while the people's homes 
 went bare. 
 
 But as time passed on and the people began to 
 grow richer, they demanded ornament in their 
 houses; and the art of stenciling was again revived 
 as a decoration. It was originally crude in design 
 and usually consisted of an attempt to imitate those 
 forms of ornament which would be difficult to paint,, 
 except in free-hand work. In order to overcome the 
 mechanical difficulties of making the stencil, the ties 
 that are necessary to hold the parts together were 
 left wherever they might be needed for strength, 
 
108 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 and hence became mere meaningless breaks in the 
 continuity of the ornament, which must necessarily 
 be touched out by hand before the design was per- 
 fect. As this added materially to the expense, the 
 ordinary stencil borders and other ornamental work 
 in moderate priced dwelling houses, and even in the 
 churches and public buildings, up to a comparatively 
 recent period, were crude in design, and inartistic in 
 character and finish. 
 
 When Japanese art began to be popular, about 
 thirty years ago, it was found that these clever little 
 brown men of the East had carried the art of stencil 
 cutting and reproduction by means of stencils to a 
 stage of perfection which we have been unable to 
 equal even yet. The most intricate ornamental de- 
 signs, pictures of men, birds and fishes, are all repro- 
 duced by means of stencils, with a delicacy that the 
 clumsier fingers of the Western peoples cannot hope 
 to imitate. Nevertheless our designers h-ive been 
 able to study the principles of design used by the 
 Japanese, and by applying them, the art of stenciling 
 has advanced wonderfully within the past score of 
 years. It was seen that the Japanese so designed 
 their ornaments which were to be reproduced by 
 stenciling that the ties formed a natural part of the 
 design, rather than a break across places which 
 should be continuous. In other words, they adapted 
 the design of their ornament to the limitations of the 
 stencil, instead of making an attempt to produce or- 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 109 
 
 nament by stenciling that is adapted only for free- 
 hand reproduction. The growth of the New Art, 
 which had its origin with William Morris and has 
 since been wonderfully developed both in England, 
 Germany and France, and has been the actuating 
 spirit in the Mission and the Craftsman styles in this 
 country, has given a great impetus to stencil decora- 
 tion, since the spirit of the new art is to let the con- 
 struction be frank. 
 
 Stencil decoration, although a mechanical method 
 of reproduction, is nevertheless capable of greater in- 
 dividuality in both its treatment and its execution 
 than any other method of ornamentation except 
 actual free-hand painting. Not only is it possible for 
 the decorator to design and cut his own stencils to 
 suit the requirement of the work in hand, and so im- 
 press his own originality on their design — a thing 
 he cannot do with wall paper or other applied orna- 
 ment but by varying the color and the methods of 
 
 handling the brush, he can produce many different 
 treatments with the same stencil, and can change the 
 effect very much in different parts of the same room, 
 when desirable. The interest taken by decorators 
 and the public alike, in this new art of stenciling, has 
 made it possible to obtain high class cut paper sten- 
 cils adapted to all purposes and in almost all the 
 period styles. There are several stencil designers, 
 principally in New York and Chicago, who make a 
 business of supplying decorators with these stencils. 
 
110 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 ready cut, and who not only issue catalogues con- 
 taining large numbers of designs which will be cut 
 and supplied on short notice, but who will also de- 
 sign a special decoration for any room and will fur- 
 nish all the necessary stencils for it as well as a color 
 scheme, if desired. 
 
 Using the Stencil. — The stencils used by decorators 
 are usually cut from a tough manila paper that has 
 been treated so that it will not be affected by either 
 oil or water color paint. A tough and not too heavy 
 paper should be selected, such as architects use for 
 making detailed drawings, and saturated with boiled 
 linseed oil, after which it should be hung up until 
 thoroughly dry. Then a thin coat of shellac varnish 
 should be applied to both sides of the paper. This 
 treatment makes the paper very tough and durable, 
 while the shellac makes it impervious to the color. 
 Some painters use an ordinary oil paint instead of 
 shellac. Ready prepared paper may be bought, if 
 the designer does not care to go to the trouble ol 
 making it for himself. Where stencils are subjected 
 to a great deal of rough use, such as those used in 
 railroad car shops that are employed for lettering 
 freight cars, they are sometimes made of shadecloth 
 or of this material fastened to a paper backing by 
 means of shellac, and then painted both on the face 
 and back. These stencils, however, lack the delicacy 
 of the cut paper stencils first described, because their 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 111 
 
 EFFECTIVE STENCIL DESIGNS FOR FRIEZES. 
 
112 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 greater thickness makes it more difficult for the op- 
 erator to get the brush down into the corners of the 
 design, which therefore lacks sharpness. 
 
 In using a border or frieze stencil, a chalk line 
 should first be snapped around the room as a guide 
 line. Some decorators prefer to use charcoal instead 
 of chalk, because the latter leaves a mark of a some- 
 what greasy nature, which is difficult to erase, while 
 charcoal may readily be dusted off. Moreover, the 
 chalk has a tendency to cause peeling in the paint. 
 Where a design is continuous, as in the case of a 
 border, it is sometimes the custom to punch four 
 quarter-inch holes, at the corners of a rectangle, the 
 sides of which are the repeat lines of the design, pro- 
 duced above and below the pattern, as guides or reg- 
 ister marks, the same as are used in color printing. 
 This is needed when two or more stencils of differ- 
 ent colors are used; but where only a single stencil 
 is employed, it is not required if the same opening 
 occurs at both the right and the left ends of the sten- 
 cil. It is merely necessary to see that the opening 
 at the left exactly covers the last portion of the or- 
 nament to the right of that already stenciled, in or- 
 der to get the distance that the stencil is to be moved 
 to the right; while notches cut in the edges of the 
 stencil to the right and left, and kept on the chalk 
 line, will insure the pattern running straight or level. 
 In any but the smallest patterns the stencil should be 
 secured by two or more push pins or thumb tacks 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 113 
 
 to insure that it is not moved during the operation of 
 stenciling. 
 
 In order to insure sharp outlines, the stencil must 
 be cleaned off occasionally with a rag dampened with 
 turpentine or benzine, if using oil paint, or with a 
 rag dampened with water if using water color. Lay 
 the plate face down on a piece of clean paper laid 
 
 Fig. 5 
 
 Fig. 6 
 
 on a table, exposing the smeared side of the stencil, 
 and gathering the rag into a bunch so that the edges 
 will not catch on the stencil, rub carefully with a 
 circular movement. When the work is finished, the 
 stencil should be carefully cleaned before putting 
 away. 
 
 The brushes used for stenciling should have flat 
 
114 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 or square ends, and are indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. 
 Special brushes are made for the purpose by all man- 
 ufacturers of paint brushes. For small work, where 
 a special brush is not obtainable, a shaving brush 
 may be cut off so as to have a flat end. For large 
 stencils, special brushes are made, shaped like 
 shown in Fig. 6. In any case, the handle should be 
 short, the brush being held between the thumb and 
 middle finger, with the fore finger on the end of the 
 handle. Held in this position, the workman is soon 
 able to judge by the sense of touch whether the paint 
 is being properly applied or not. Japanese brushes 
 made of soft fine hair can be obtained that are much 
 better than ordinary bristle brushes. 
 
 Whether oil or water colors are used, the paint 
 must be mixed stouter or thicker than for ordinary 
 painting, or say about the consistency of thick cream 
 or thin paste. The paint must not be very quick dry- 
 ing, except for textile fabrics or other surfaces that 
 have not been newly painted. The paint must be 
 strained through wire gauze or cheese cloth before 
 using, in order to avoid lumps of any kind. 
 
 The stencil brush, which must be clean and dry, 
 to begin with, is dipped lightly in the paint and then 
 rubbed two or three times on a pallette or piece of 
 stout paper that must be kept handy, in order to 
 remove any surplus paint in the brush. The paint is 
 applied by a gentle hammering or tapping of the 
 brush, known as "stippling." The brush must not be 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 115 
 
 DECORATIVE SCHEME FOR DOOR, ART NOUVEAU 
 STYLE. 
 
116 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 rubbed as in ordinary painting or the color will be 
 scraped off and carried under the edge of the sten- 
 cil, giving smeared or wooly edges, such as one sees 
 on boxes when they have been carelessly lettered by 
 means of brass stencils. The stippling should be 
 started on the largest openings, where too much 
 color on the brush will not be so disastrous as it 
 would be on the smaller openings and the brush must 
 be worked from the edges toward the centre in every 
 case. Whenever practicable, keep the edge of the 
 opening under the brush, and never brush toward the 
 edge or the color will run under it. The smaller de- 
 tails of the design should be finished with a very 
 moderately charged brush. Before lifting the sten- 
 cil, it should be carefuly examined to see whether 
 any place has been left uncolored, especially in the 
 sharp corners and angles. Defects of this kind are 
 much more apparent after the stencil has been lifted 
 than before, so great care must be exercised. The 
 plate must be lifted very carefully, after the pins 
 have been removed, in order to avoid sliding the 
 stencil over the wet paint and producing streaks and 
 smears. 
 
 Very beautiful effects can be obtained by the use 
 of two colors on the same stencil, using two brushes 
 and blending one color into the other. Or different 
 parts of the design may be stenciled into different 
 colors. Odd and beautiful effects are sometimes ob- 
 tained by wiping out a portion of the color, here and 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 117 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ® ® & ® ® 
 
 ^'^ 
 
 t ' 
 
 4 W 
 
 . V 
 
 4 ^^ 
 
 ^1' 
 
 .^ ^b M ^4 
 
 4^ V» 
 
 ^t V 
 
 1^ >V» 
 
 
 
 ;f 3^/C <y!j/C -*^ 
 
 ■■ 
 
 ^^— [ 
 
 , 
 
 'v. 
 
 
 'r 1 
 
 
 Hi 
 
 ^ 
 
 I 
 
 V 
 
 
 4 •" 
 
 
 H 
 
 . J, 
 
 ,' < 
 
 
 
 * ( r 
 
 
 ^^^^1 
 
 <■ . ^ 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 ^H^^^^^H 
 
 ' » / 
 
 
 t '» 
 
 ' / 
 
 
 
 I^H 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^Hb 
 
 
 ^ . 
 
 > 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 , 
 
 \ 
 
 ' 
 
 
 ^H^^B 
 
 s \ 
 
 f 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^^^^^1 
 
 ' (, 
 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 , ' ' 
 
 
 
 ; 
 
 >' , "' 
 
 
 ■Hi 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 g^^^^g 
 
 . 
 
 ■ 
 
 T]SE OF TALL, NARROW PANELS TO FORM a HIGH 
 WAINSCOT 
 
 Panels formed b;y scotia mouhlings ot hardwood, upper 
 pan stenoiled with stiff conventioaal roses, a moulding used 
 at basf- of '-ovf- cornicfc 
 
118 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 there, by means of a soft cotton rag held over the 
 thumb. This must be done while the stencil plate 
 still remains on the work. 
 
 Stenciling may also be done by means of a spray- 
 ing apparatus. This gives very soft results, especially 
 with water colors. Where the special apparatus 
 made for this purpose is not obtainable, an atomizer, 
 such as is used for spraying perfumes, can be em- 
 ployed. It can be obtained at small cost at any drug 
 store. For this, a thin and very fluid color will be 
 needed to avoid clogging, and Diamond dyes have 
 been recommended. 
 
 Cutting Stencils. — Before cutting a stencil, the de- 
 sign should be transferred to the stencil paper by 
 means of a carbon transfer sheet, such as is used for 
 duplicating on the typewriter. This is laid, face 
 downward, on the stencil sheet, and the design is 
 pinned down above it, face upward. Its outlines are 
 then followed with a sharp, hard lead pencil. On 
 removing the design and carbon sheet, the outlines 
 will be found transferred to the stencil sheet. The 
 cutting must be done with the sharp point of a knife, 
 held in the position indicated by Fig. 7, always cut- 
 ting toward the operator. The surface to cut on 
 must be either a sheet of glass or zinc, the former 
 being preferable. An oilstone must be kept at hand 
 and the knife sharpened frequently. A pocket knife 
 with a short, stiff blade, of the shape indicated, may 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 
 
 119 
 
 be used for cutting. A shoe knife, or one of the 
 knives used by bookkeepers for erasing, can be em- 
 ployed if desired. A clean, sharp cut must always 
 be made, and the stencil paper should be turned as 
 the work progresses. 
 
 Fig. 8 indicates a sheet of stencil paper with a de- 
 sign of a modified fleur-de-lis cut in it, while Fig. 9 
 shows the same design as it would appear when 
 stenciled. 
 
 Fig. 7 
 
 Suggestions for Simple Stencils. — While stencil 
 decoration may be of the most elaborate character, 
 it will be sufficient, for the purpose of this book, to 
 illustrate only a few simple stencils, rather as types 
 than for any other purpose. A number of narrow bor- 
 
120 
 
 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 ders are shown by Fig. lo. "A" shows a border 
 made up of a series of circles, alternately larger and 
 smaller. These can either be cut out by a knife, as 
 already described ; in which case they will be slightly 
 irregular, or they may be punched with steel punches 
 that can be obtained in a number of sizes, varying 
 by an eighth inch in diameter. In making a stencil 
 plate for a border of this kind, from a foot to eighteen 
 
 ^^ 
 
 Fig. 8 
 
 Fig. 9 
 
 inches should be made, in order to save time in sten- 
 ciling. 
 
 A very useful border, that can frequently be com- 
 bined with other designs as a part of an elaborate 
 frieze, is shown at "B." "C" gives a hint for another 
 border of a simple type that is capable of many varia- 
 tions. Diamonds or squares may take the place of 
 the triangular figures, or three or more bars may be 
 employed, instead of two, as shown. 
 
AND PAPER-HANGERS 121 
 
 Mosaic patterns are specially adapted for simple 
 stenciling, types of them being shown by "D." 
 These may be further elaborated into Greek fret and 
 other complicated designs, all based on the repetition 
 of squares. For work near the eye the squares 
 should be from a half to three-quarters of an inch. 
 These few borders will show that it is possible to 
 build up quite elaborate schemes of decoration from 
 
 »i^i<^i^i«:^i^ 
 
 Fig. 10 
 
 very simple elements, when used in differing combi- 
 nations or arrangements. 
 
 A type of stencil that is very effective is known 
 as the background stencil, because the background 
 is stenciled in, and the design stands out upon it in 
 the ground color to which the stenciling has been 
 applied. E shows a simple border of this type that 
 
122 
 
 HINTS FOR PAINTERS 
 
 is very effective. A lattice pattern may be made up 
 of the same general character. Fig. ii is a much 
 more elaborate border, based on the principle of the 
 background stencil. In a design of this kind, care 
 must be exercised to make it of such a character that 
 the strength of the paper will not be impaired by 
 too much cutting away. Angles projecting into the 
 openings must also be avoided as much as possible. 
 It will be noticed that any design suited for a back- 
 
 FlG. 11 
 
 ground stencil is also adapted for executing in fret- 
 work. 
 
 We have hinted in this book at only a few of the 
 possibilities that can be achieved by the painter and 
 paper-hanger who uses modern inexpensive mater- 
 ials, and have endeavored to suggest how easy it is 
 for the man with ideas to get results out of the 
 commonplace. In the various full page plates given 
 in this book the reader will see many examples of 
 artistic decoration that can be done with a moderate 
 expenditure of money. 
 
NEW YORK — HENRY BOSCH COMPANY — CHICAGO 
 
 An impressive arrangement suitable for dining room or library. Dado of Lin-0-"WalI. 
 Upper work an imported paper of unusual merit. 
 
WE BASE OUR CLAIMS 
 
 to your consideration on the greater 
 numoer of exclusive novelties rouna in 
 our stock of Wall- Hangings and our 
 ability to adapt tkem to your maividual 
 requirements. 
 
 Xne decorative treatments illustrated 
 kerem only suggest tbe possibilities of 
 tke Boscn line. 
 
 \A/ e nave tne knowledge, tne experi- 
 ence, and a Avell-nign limitless variety 
 of designs and colorings to secure any 
 effect you may desire. 
 
 Tke best service we are capable of 
 -will be freely placed at your disposal. 
 
 Henry Bosch Company 
 
 890-892 Broadway, New York 
 521-525 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago 
 
Workshop Companion 
 
 PART II 
 
 A Continuaticn of the First Part, 
 
 Containing Subjects Not Discussed 
 
 in the Earlier Volvime 
 
 By John Phin, Ph. D. 
 
 128 PAGES (5x7 inches) 
 Handsomely Bound in Cloth 
 
 price: 50 CENTS 
 
 Sent post-paid on receipt of price 
 Your money back if you are not pleased 
 
 yjrHESE two volumes form a practical cyclopedia of 
 IJL valuable recipes and directions for the mechanic. 
 ^^ Unlike many books of recipes this is not a mere 
 collection of newspaper clippings but a series of origi- 
 nal treatises on various subjects about which it is hard 
 to obtain reliable information in any but expensive 
 books. 
 
 The subjects treated in Part II include Adamantine 
 or Boron Diamonds; Aquarium, how to stock and care 
 for it; Mosaicum; Authorship, how to write for the 
 press; Babbitt metal for bearings; Balloons; Bast; Bed- 
 bugs; Birch Bark Oil; Birdlime; Brunswick Black; 
 Bladders; Cadmium; Cameos ; Case-hardening; Cast- 
 ings and Patterns ; Chamois; Court Plaster; Crucible: 
 Diamond; Dubbing; Ebony; Eelskin; Engravings; 
 Fluxes; Care of Furniture; Lutes; Gut; Gutta Percha; 
 Care of Hands; Care of Harness; Ice Houses; Night 
 Lights; Nails; Luminous Paint; Paint for exposed iron; 
 Repairing Paintings; Plaster Casts; Putty; Razor 
 Strops; > Smoke Stains; Sponges; Sulphur Casts; 
 Thatched Roofs: Veneering: Waterproofing: White 
 Metal; Wood Polishing, Zinc Coloring, etc. 
 
 Industrial Book Co/* 
 
 178 FOLTON STREET 
 NEW YORK 
 
H 
 
 HARDWOOD FINISHER 
 
 A SIMLB TREATISE PREPARED 
 FOR PAINTERS, CARPENTERS, ETC. 
 
 By C. GODFREY 
 
 109 PAGES (5 X 7 inches) 
 FULLY ILLUSTRATED 
 Handsomely bound In cloth 
 
 PRICE, 50 CENTS 
 
 Sent post-paid on receipt of price 
 Your money back if you are not pleased 
 
 OST mechanics who have had no experience in preparing 
 wood for hardwood finish do not care to try it for fear 
 of failure ; but we can assure such that if they follow 
 closely the methods laid down in this book they will be aston- 
 ished and gratified at the results. 
 
 Directions are given at length for the preparation of the 
 wood and the application of "fillers," with some good and 
 sound advice regarding these important operations. Hints 
 on fixing hardwood finish so that nail or screw heads cannot be 
 seen are clearly presented, and the whole practice of scraping, 
 rubbing and polishing given with a clearness and simplicity 
 that the beginner may readily understand. 
 
 Rules and directions for finishing in natural colors, and in 
 antique, mahogany, cherry, birch, walnut, oak, ash, redwood, 
 sycamore, pine and all other domestic woods ; also for dyeing, 
 gilding and bronzing, together with tested recipes for the pre- 
 paration of the various stains, fillers, polishes, etc; 
 
 The book is useful to cabinet makers, carpenters, painters, 
 decorators, coflSn manufacturers, wood turners, etc., etc. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 Fulton Street NEW YORK 
 
HINTS FOR CABINET-MAKERS 
 
 A BOOK OF HINTS AND PRACTICAL 
 INFORMATION FOR CABINET- 
 MAKERS, UPHOLSTERERS 
 AND FURNITURE MEN 
 GENERALLY 
 
 130 PAGES (5x7 inches) 
 
 Fully Indexed 
 
 Handsomely Bound in Cloth 
 
 Price, 50 Cents 
 
 Sent post=paid on receipt of price 
 Your money back if you are not pleased 
 
 ^ThIS book contains an immense amount of the most 
 ^ useful information for those who are engaged in 
 the manufacture, superintendence, or construction of 
 furniture or woodwork of any kind. It is one of the 
 cheapest and best books ever published, and contains 
 over one thousand hints, suggestions, and methods ; 
 and descriptions of tools, appliances, and materials. All 
 the recipes, rules and directions have been carefully 
 revised and corrected by practical men of great ex- 
 perience, so that they will be found thoroughly trust- 
 worthy. It contains many of the recipes recently sold 
 at from $5 to $500. 
 
 The book gives a description of all kinds of 
 finishing, with full directions therefor ; varnishes, pol- 
 ishes, stains for wood, dyes for wood, gilding and silver- 
 ing, recipes for the factory, lacquers, metals, marbles, 
 pictures, engravings, glues, pastes, raising veneers, 
 bruises in furniture, polishing marbles, saw sharpening, 
 to prevent belts slipping, marking tools, moths in 
 carpets, solder, removing ink stains, etc., etc. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 Fulton Street 
 
 New York 
 
HOW TO MIX PAINTS 
 
 A SIMPLE TREATISE PREPARED TO 
 
 MEET THE WANTS OF THE 
 
 PRACTICAL PAINTER 
 
 By 
 
 C. GODFREY 
 
 64 PAGES (5x7 Inches) 
 
 Fully Illustrated 
 
 Handsomely Bound in Cloth 
 
 Price, 50 Cents 
 
 Sent post-paid on receipt of price 
 Your money back If you are not pleased 
 
 ^JTHIS book is intended for those who have not had 
 iH the benefit of a long training and experience in 
 mixing colors. 
 
 Simple and clear directions are given so that by a 
 little practice the reader may be able to mix the var- 
 ious tints and shades of reds, blues, yellows, browns, 
 greens, grays and colors made from blacks, japans, etc. 
 
 Besides the directions for mixing paints, notes are 
 given about tints and shades, use and care of brushes, 
 hints on displaying colors to show customers, color 
 harmony, etc. 
 
 This book will be found an exceedingly handy 
 companion for both amateur and practical painters. 
 
 The information given in this book will save in 
 time and material more than its cost the first day a 
 painter has it in use. It is practical, simple, reliable 
 and handy, as a very complete index enables one in- 
 stantly to find the directions for mixing any tint or 
 shade, or to know if the color can be had in dry pow- 
 der form without the necessity for mixing, 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO* 
 
 178 Fulton Street New York 
 
The Workshop Companion 
 
 A COLLECTION OF USEFUL AND 
 
 RELIABLE RECIPES, RULES, 
 
 PROCESSES, METHODS, WRINKLES 
 
 AND PRACTICAL HINTS 
 
 By 
 
 John Phin, Ph. D. 
 
 164 PAGES (5x7 inches) 
 Handsomely Bound in Clotb 
 
 PRICE 50 CENTS 
 
 Sent post-paid on receipt of price 
 Your money back if you are not satisfied 
 
 THE following synopsis of the contents will give an idea of the value 
 of this practical book:— Abyssinian gold ; accidents ; alabaster, how 
 to work, polish and clean; alcohol, alloys, rules for making; amber; 
 annealing and hardening glass, copper, steel, etc.; arsenical soap, beeswax, 
 blackboards, how to make; brass, how to work, polish, color, varnish, clean, 
 etc.; brazing and soldering, bronzing; burns, how to cure; case-hardening; cat- 
 gut, cements, general rules for using; copper, working, welding; coral, artifi- 
 cial; cork, working; crayons for blackboards; liquid cuticle; etching copper, 
 steel, glass; eye, accidents to; fires, to prevent; fireproof dresses; fly papers; 
 freezing mixtures; fumigating pastils; gilding; glass, cutting, drilling, turn- 
 ing, fitting stoppers, removing tight stoppers, powdering, packing, imitating 
 ground glass, washing glass vessels, etc.; guns, to make snoot close, to keep 
 from rusting, to brown the barrels of, etc.; handles, to fasten; inks, rules for 
 selecting and preserving; ink eraser; inlaying; iron, forging, welding, case- 
 hardening, zincing, tinning, etc.; ivory, to work, polish, bleach, etc.; javelle 
 water; jewelry, care of, cleaning, etc.; lacquer, how to make and apply; laun- 
 dry gloss; lights, signal and colored; lubricators, selection of ; marble, work- 
 ing, polishing, cleaning; metals, polishing; mirrors, care of, to make; nickel, to 
 plate with; noise, prevention of; painting bright metals; paper, adhesive, bar- 
 ometer, glass, tracing, transfer, waxed, etc.; paper, to clean, take creases out 
 of, remove water stains, mount drawing paper, to prepare for varnishing, 
 etc.; patina; patterns, to trace; pencils, indelible; pencil marks, to fix; pewter; 
 plaster-of-Paris,how to work; poisons, antidotes for; polishing powders, pre- 
 parations and use ; resins; saws, how to sharpen; sieves; shellac; silver, clean- 
 ing, etc.; silvering, etc.; size, preparation of various kinds of ; skins, tanning 
 and curing; stains, to remove from all kinds of goods; steel, temperingand 
 working; tin, methods of working; varnish; voltaic batteries; watch, care of ; 
 waterproofing; whitewash; wood floors, waxing, staining and polishing; wood, 
 staining; zinc. 
 
 industrialTbook CO. 
 
 178 Fulton Street 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
HOW TO READ PLANS 
 
 A VALUABLE NEW BOOK 
 
 By Charles G. Peker 
 
 60 PAGES (5x7 inches) 
 
 43 DRAWINGS IN TEXT 
 
 8 LARGE FOLDING PLATES 
 
 Handsomely Bound in Cloth 
 
 PRICE, 50 CENTS 
 
 Sent post paid on receipt of price. 
 Your money baclc if you are not pleased. 
 
 lANY building mechanics are handicapped from getting 
 more pay because they are unable to read plans and 
 work from a drawing. 
 
 Of course the best way is to learn how to draw ; 
 but many mechanics cannot afford the time for the necessary 
 practise. It is for these men that this book was prepared, as 
 the author simply explains the meaning of the various lines, 
 plans, views, elevations, sections, scales, blue prints, devices, 
 symbols, etc., to be found on a set of plans. 
 
 Each subject is taken up and explained and illustrated 
 separately, and then a full complete set of architect's plans for a 
 frame house is taken up and explained so that the reader will 
 be sure to understand how to read plans. 
 
 The book is finely illustrated by 43 illustrations in the text, 
 and 8 large folding plates giving the full plan of a 6 room frame 
 house. This set of plans alone is worth many times the cost of 
 the book ; an architect would charge at least $25 for their equal. 
 
 The useful suggestions, hints, etc., in this book will make 
 it of value to even those who understand how to draw as well 
 as those who do not. 
 
 It is one of the most valuable books ever got out for build- 
 ing mechanics, as its information means increasing a man's 
 salary. It is pretty safe to say that to the man who cannot read 
 a drawing now this book will mean at least $50 more pay during 
 the first year he has it. 
 
 INDUSTRIALr BOOK CO. 
 
 178 Fulton Street 
 
 New York 
 
Practical 50c. BooRs 
 
 npHE books described below are up-to-date man- 
 * uals written by practical men who know how to 
 state difficult matters in the simplest language, so that 
 the books can be successfully used for home study. 
 
 These books are nearly all i2mo in size, well 
 printed on good paper, and artistically bound in 
 cloth, and are finely illustrated wherever the subject 
 needs it. Any book sent postpaid on receipt of price. 
 
 SHORT CUTS IN CARPENTRY 
 
 By ALBERT FAIR. 90 pages, 75 illustrations. 
 
 The book contains remarks about the carpenter and his 
 work, a large-folding plate showing the interior of a house with 
 each part named, the use of geometry, mitering, bending 
 mouldings around circles, rake mouldings, kerfing, brackets 
 for coves, use of the steel square, u«e of 2-foot rule, use of glue, 
 working hardwood, hanging and fitting doors and windows, 
 laying floors, dish d fioors,~^ roof framing simply explained, 
 br.ces, hoppers, etc. 
 PRACTICAL HOUSE FRAMING 
 
 By AL'«ERT FAIR, 100 pages, 100 illustrations. 
 
 Expl.iins how to lay out and erect balloon and braced 
 frames, sizes of joists, trussing, partitions, floors, bay windows, 
 towers, bracing, together with remarks on fire-stops, sheathing, 
 clap-boarding, etc. All explained in the simplest language, 
 finely illustratod, including a large foldmg-piate giving the 
 names of the various sills, studs, plates, rafters, etc. 
 HINTS FOR CARPENTERS 
 
 By ALBERT FAIR, 90 pages, 100 illustrations. 
 
 This book brings together some of the best schemes on 
 making special tools, such as the carpenter needs for doing his 
 work. Describes various kinds of scaflblding, tool-boxes, door- 
 holders, besides many other little hints that will lessen work 
 both in laying out and erecting. 
 
 STEEL SQUARE AS A C AjLCULATI NG MACHINE 
 By ALBERT FAIR, 80 pages, 25 illuotrations. 
 
 This book gives simple directions for using the common 
 steel square for the solution of many complicated calculations 
 that occur in tiie everyday work of Carpenters, Builders, 
 Plumbers, Engineers, and other Mechanics. 
 A NEW SYSTEM OF HAND RAILING 
 
 By an Old Stair Builder, 64 pages, fully illustrated. 
 
 Tells how to cut hand-railing for circular and other stairs, 
 square from the plank, without tlie aid of a falling mold. 
 STAIR BUILDING MADE EASY 
 
 By DAVID MAYER, 128 pages 111, illustrations. 
 
 Gives a full and clear description of tne art of building the 
 bodies, carriages, and cases for all kinds of stairs and steps. 
 STEEL SQUARE POCKET BOOK 
 
 By D. L. bTODDARD, 1.59 pages, 150 illustrations. 
 
 The size of this book enables it to be carried in the pocket; 
 hence tlie carpenter can always refer to it for the method of 
 finding the different cuts used in roof framing, stair work, 
 hoppers, towers, bicycle tracks, etc. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
Practical Carpentry 
 
 f\ l/aldjable f/eu/ Booi^ 
 
 By WM. A. RADFORD 
 
 Assisted by 
 Wm. Reuther and Alfred W. Woods 
 
 2 LARGE VOLUMES 
 
 600 Pages, (6x9 inches) 
 
 400 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Price, $2.00 Per Set 
 
 Sent fiiepaid on Receipt of Price 
 
 PRACTICAL CARPENTRY is a brand new book that 
 is practical from start to finish. Written in simple language 
 that a carpenter can understand. No complicated formulas, 
 but everything explained in simple language. 
 
 PRACTICAL CARPENTRY shows the best and quick- 
 est methods for laying out roofs, rafters, stairs, floors, hopper 
 bevels, mitering, coping, splayed work, circular work, in fact it 
 covers all sorts of carpentry and joinery work, from the laying 
 of the sill to the interior finish, vdth complete illustrations 
 showing all the details and explanations about how the work 
 is d< ne for windows, cornices, doors, roofs, porch work, special 
 chapters showing faulty and good construction,woodwork joints, 
 how to file saws, how to figure out a truss, stair building sim- 
 plified, ? chapter on modern building construction telling all 
 about the different kinds of framing, together vrith a thorough 
 treatise on geometry for the use of the carpenter. 
 
 PRACTICAL CARPENTRY is elaborately illustrated 
 by over 400 special drawings expressly ma,de lor this book, and 
 these plainly show all the details and ai£ aloae worth more 
 than the price of the book. 
 
 Each volume of PRACTICAL CARPENTR.Y contains 
 50 designs of modern low cost houses, showing perspectives 
 and fioor plans. 
 
 Either volume can be had separately at one dollar eac'4. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
Cbe Steel Square 
 
 mi m 
 
 Uses..... 
 
 JL Tnhnik f aui Jnnk 
 
 Wm. 
 
 By WM. A. RADFORD 
 
 Assisted by 
 Reuther and Alfred W. Woods 
 
 2 LARGE VOLUMES 
 
 000 Pages, (G X 9 inches.) 
 
 ^00 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Price, $2.00 Per Set 
 
 Sent Prepaid on Receipt of Price 
 
 THE STEEL SQUARE is a brand new book from 
 cover to cover, just published. The largest and most complete 
 book on the subject ever published. Written in plain, simple 
 language that every workman can understand from start to 
 finish. Information of value that has appeared in former books 
 on the subject appears in this book, but all simplified and 
 better explained. It is a complete Encyclopaedia about the 
 Steel Square. 
 
 TH E STEEL SQUARE is a practical book showing 
 how the square is used for the laying out of all sorts of rafters, 
 finding the length of jacks, hips, and vaUeys; hopper bevels, 
 calculating, measuring, etc. 
 
 This book covers the subject of roof framing from start to 
 finish, from a simple roof to complicated hips and valleys and 
 tower work. 
 
 THE STEEL SQUARE contains special chapters 
 showing how the square is used in laying out stair work and 
 hea^^ timber framing, showing how the square is used for laying 
 out mortises, tenons, shoulders, braces, etc. 
 
 THE STEEL SQUARE is very elaborately illus- 
 trated by over 300 special drawings that have been expressly 
 made for this book. They will show you plainly how to do the 
 job without wasting time and money on cutting and trying. 
 
 Each voluQie of The STEEL SQUARE contains 50 designs 
 of modem low cost houses, showing perspectives and floor 
 plans. 
 
 Either volume can be had separately at one dollar each. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
Traming 
 
 Framing 
 
 HOUSE fRAMINC 
 BAi^N FRAMING 
 ROOF FRAMING 
 
 Describing l)OU$e, 
 Barn § Roof framing 
 
 By WM. A. RADFORD 
 
 338 Pages (6x9 inches.) 
 
 182 Illustrations 
 
 PRICE $1.00 
 
 Sent Prepaid on Receipt of Price 
 
 ** FRAMING " is the largest, the most complete and 
 the most instructive building book ever written. It deals with 
 tlie subject of "Framing" in its multitude of forms and designs 
 in a most thorough manner. Nothing is omitted that will help 
 and guide on the construction of houses, barns, roofs, etc., 
 while particular care has been taken to exclude any and every 
 method of framing that has not been given a thorough and con- 
 vincing test by experienced builders. 
 
 Practical information is the keynote of " FRAMING " 
 
 By practical, we mean information that can be successfully 
 applied to the every day work of the average carpenter, builder 
 and contractor, as well as the more intricate forms of framing 
 that come less often but about which it is necessary to be fully 
 posted. The book presents problems as they have been 
 worked out by well-known architects and the man on the job. 
 
 " FRAMING " is illustrated with over 100 pages of 
 detail drawings, diagrams, detail plates, etc., including many 
 pages of full-page plates never before published, reproducing 
 architects' original drawings, and al§o details of buildings in all 
 stages of construction. 
 
 " FRAM ING " is the largest book on this subject that 
 has ever been published. No book attempting to treat this im- 
 portant part of construction has ever before so successfully 
 covered the ground. Every phase, part and detail of framing a 
 house, a roof, a barn or other structure is given and treated fully 
 and exhaustively, with complete details showing each successive 
 step to be taken. 
 
 " FRAMING " is practical in that it shows the easiest 
 and most common-sense way to do the work. It does not con- 
 fine its descriptions to one person's ways or views, but shows 
 many examples of each kind of framing, all of which have 
 been fully tested by experienced workmen and can be relied 
 upon to be absolutely correct. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
made 
 
 Roof f raiiiin0 s 
 
 A PRACTICAL SYSTEM OF 
 
 H- MODERN METHODS h- 
 
 By Owen B. Maginnis 
 
 164 Pages, (6x8 inches) 
 
 100 Illustrations 
 
 PRICE, $1.00 
 
 Sent Prepaid on Receipt of Price 
 
 THE carpenter or builder who will study the methods de- 
 scribed in this bonk will realize the constructive value of 
 every piece of timber wliich enters into a framed roof and 
 will understand how to lay out every piece of timber used with- 
 out wasting valuable time and material cutting and trying. 
 
 The language used is that of a practical workman— scientific 
 phrases and confusing terms have been ad voided where possible 
 —and everything has been made so plain that any one who will 
 faithfully study this book will understand it from beginning 
 to end. 
 
 Any intelligent mechanic will be able to save at least ten 
 times the cost of this book in time and material during the first 
 few weeks that he has it in use. 
 
 The following synopsis will give a faint idea of the charac- 
 ter and scope of this book : 
 
 The Principle of the Roof ; Laying Out and Framing a Simple 
 Roof; Hip and Valley Roofs; Roofs of Irregular Plan; Square 
 Pyramidal Roofs ; Pentagonal Roof; Hexagonal Pyramidal Roofs; 
 Conic il Roofs; Conical Roofs Intersected by a Pitched Roof; 
 Octagonal Roofs; Circular Dome; High-Pi tched Roof ; Mansard 
 Roof; Hemispherical Pomes; Elliptic Dome; Circular Molded 
 Roof; Gothic Square Roof of 4 Centre Section; Trussed Roof of 
 Moderate Span on the Balloon Principle; to Frame a Roof of 
 Unequal Heights of Pitches and Plates; Hip and Valley Roof 
 of Unequal Pitch ; To Frame a Roof of Unequal Lengths of 
 Rafters; Ro-f with Pitched Ridges ; Round-House Roof ; Fram- 
 ing cantilever Ro fs; Roof with an Elliptic Plan and Straight 
 Ridge; Church Roof Construction; Bow Truss; Studio Roofs; 
 How to Build a Cir ular Framed Tower with a Molded Roof: 
 Miscellaneous Details and Suggestions. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 

 Cement l>ou$e$ 
 
 HU Bow Co Build Cbem. 
 
 
 The Best and Largest Book 
 of Its Kind Ever Published 
 
 170 Pages (8 x 11 inches.) 
 
 ^Elaborately irilustrate& 
 
 Hrttstically JSoimb 
 
 PRICE $1.00 
 
 SENT POST PAID ON RECEIPT OF PRICE 
 
 THIS large book contains illustrated details of 
 cemen't construction— standard specifications for 
 cement— standard specifications for concrete blocks 
 —general information concerning waterproofing, 
 coloring, aggregates, mixtures, paving, reinforcing, 
 foundations, walls, steps, sewer pipes, tile, chimneys, 
 floors, porches, use of concrete on the farm, etc., 
 together with 
 
 PERSPECTIVE VIEWS and FLOOR PLANS of 
 
 87 CEMENT PLASTER AND 
 CONCRETE BLOCK HOUSES 
 
 All houses illustrated with half-tone cuts, printed 
 on fine enameled paper. 
 
 The illustrations show the houses exactly as they 
 will look when built and give a very clear idea of their 
 appearance. All the floor plans are shown, giving 
 the location and dimensions of all rooms, closets, 
 porches, etc., with detailed information as to both 
 interior and exterior. 
 
 The houses illustrated range from the small to the 
 medium large in size, such as will appeal to the aver- 
 age man or woman who intends to build a home. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
stores d flat Buildiitds 
 
 J\ Brand new BooR 
 m$t off the Press 
 
 82 Pages (8 x 11 inches.) 
 ELABORATELY ILLUSTRATED 
 
 ■. ARTISTICALLY BOUND 
 
 PRICE $1.00 
 
 Sent Post Paid on Receipt of Price 
 
 ABSOLUTELY the first and only book of its kind 
 ever published. No more valuable book could 
 possibly be imagined for the use of any one contem- 
 plating to build for their own use or as a safe and 
 profitable investment. 
 
 The latest ideas in Two, Four, Six, and Nine 
 Family Flat Buildings, Stores, Lodge Hall, Bank 
 Buildings, Double Houses, etc. , contammg 
 
 PERSPECTIVE VIEWS and FLOOR PLANS of 
 
 57 STORES AND FLATS 
 
 Bank Buildings and Double Houses in different con- 
 structions ; cement plaster, concrete block, brick, 
 stone and frame. Every building illustrated was de- 
 signed.by a licensed architect standmg at the head 
 of his profession who has made a study of economy of 
 construction. Perspective views and floor plans of 
 each and every design are shown, giving a picture ot 
 the completed building and detail drawings ot the 
 interior arrangement. Included in this collection ot 
 designs are a "large number of stores and bank build- 
 ings suitable for the small town or village as well as 
 the large city. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
Garages 
 
 Jind l)Ow to Build Cbem 
 
 (^UKAGES 
 
 AND HOW TO BUiLD THEM 
 
 THE ONLY BOOK OF ITS KIND 
 JUST PUBLISHED 
 
 158 Pages (8 x 11 inches) 
 
 Elaborately Illustrated 
 
 iAriistically Bound 
 PRICE $1.00 
 
 Sent Postpaid on Receipt of Price 
 
 EVERY Auto owner is vitally interested in the subject of 
 where to keep his machine. The most convenient place 
 is on your own property in a private garage the archi- 
 tecture of which is in keeping with your house. 
 
 This book is the only one of its kind and shows a standard 
 collection of New, Original and Artistic Designs for Up-to-date 
 Private and Public Garages adapted to Frame, Brick, Stone^ 
 Cement, Stucco, or Concrete . Construction together with Esti- 
 mates of Cost. 
 
 55 DESIGNS OF GARAGES 55 
 
 are shown by perspective views and floor plans giving 
 dimensions, etc. Also remarks on GARAGE CONSTRUCTION ex- 
 plaining the advantages of each form of constniction and giving 
 details about the manner of erection, selection of materials, 
 hints on supervision, etc., etc. 
 
 There is also an extensive chapter on GARAGE EQUIPMENT 
 and ACCESSORIES in which is described tlie construction and 
 operation of turn tables; ga oline storage and pumping; oil 
 cabinets; constructing a repair bencli and tool cabinet; lockers; 
 rules to prevent freezing of water in cylinders, radiators, etc. ; 
 washing apparatus; lighting apparatus; etc. etc. 
 
 It is just the book to give you important points and ideas if 
 you are about to bui^d a garage. Its information will save you 
 money. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
Practical Barn Plans 
 
 KAI)R)UD"5 
 
 OUT BUILDINGS, STOCK 
 SHEDS, POULTRY HOUSES. ETC. 
 
 150 Pages (8x11 inches) 
 
 ELABORATELY -h ^ 
 -I- -r ILLUSTRATED 
 
 ARTISTICALLY •!« 4- 
 ^ ^ ^ 4. BOUND 
 
 PRICE, $1.00 
 
 Sent Postpaid on Receipt of Price. 
 
 BETTER farm methods require better buildings, 
 not necessarily expensive ones, but buildings 
 that are well planned and properly adapted to the 
 work for which they are intended. This book de- 
 scribes and illustrates a large number of dairy barns, 
 general farm barns, horse barns, cattle sheds, poultry 
 houses, silos, ice houses, granaries, corn cribs, wagon 
 sheds, tank houses, smoke houses, hog houses, etc. 
 
 Not only one plan of each, but many of each are 
 shown, with all the latest inventions and contrivances 
 for saving time, money and labor. 
 
 ELEVATIONS, PERSPECTIVES and PLANS of 
 
 150 PRACTICAL BARN BUILDINGS 
 
 are reproduced on a large scale sufficient to guide any 
 carpenter and builder in the construction of same. It 
 is a book which should be in every farm home. 
 
 Each and every plan in Practical Barn Plans is 
 
 accompanied by a lengthy written description, ex- 
 plaining and giving the details of the drawings, and 
 so worded and arranged, numbered and indexed, 
 that it can be readily understood by anyone who 
 reads it. 
 
 INDUSTPvIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
NOV 24 1911 
 
 CP^ Ideal Bomes ?==S3 
 
 SIZE of Book 8 X 11 inches, 
 bound in English cloth, 
 cover embossed and print- 
 ed in two colors. All houses 
 illustrated with half tone cuts 
 on the very finest enamel paper. 
 The illustrations show the 
 houses exactly as they will 
 appear when built, and no 
 liberties have been taken to 
 make them appear otherwise. 
 All the floor plans are shown, 
 giving the size and location of 
 all rooms, closets, porches, etc.. 
 so that ideas are given as to 
 both the interior and exterior of 
 these 100 homes. 
 
 PRI CE $1.00 POST PAID 
 
 C;ottibinea liouse ana Barn Plans 
 
 Two massive books bound in one and illustrated with over 
 twelve hundred Copper Half Tone Plates and Zinc Etch- 
 ings which were drawn especially for this work. It con- 
 tains over 300 houses, barns and farm buildings, designed and 
 drawn by the best architects and selected for their popularity 
 with the Building Classes, The houses illustrated were selected 
 for their excellence, practical designs and economical arrange- 
 ment. Perspective Views and Floor Plans being shown d.m- 
 ple e, together with estimates of cost. The farm buildings in 
 this book are illustrated by large drawings of floors, sides, ends 
 and frame work, together with perspective view^s sufficient to 
 guiae the contractor or builder in the construction of any of the 
 buildings described. 
 
 PRI CE $1,00 POST PAID 
 
 ^ ^ Jlmerkan Bomes ^ ^ 
 
 CONTAINING 100 designs of 
 low and medium priced 
 houses, never before illus- 
 trated, and has met with pheno- 
 menal success. The designs are 
 all original, practical and up- 
 to-date, and have been drawn by 
 licensed architects. It is beauti- 
 fully bound in English cloth, 
 embossed in three colors, 2.56 
 pages, size C3^ x 8 inches. The 
 houses illustrated are medium 
 in price, and such as 80 to 90 per 
 cent, of the people of the United 
 States wish to build to-day. 
 
 PRICE $1.00 POSTPAID 
 
 INDUSTRIAL BOOK CO. 
 
 178 FULTON STREET 
 
 KEW YORK 
 
^w 
 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 ^UaJ^ 
 
 ^c 
 
One copy del. to Cat. Diw zrH^ 
 
 NOV 
 
 7A \'^' 
 
 pMr^w^sm