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MlLLER'5 
 
 M 
 
 ^ "Boss 
 ** : Painters' 
 Guide. 
 
 SIXTH AND REVISED EDITION. 
 
 ^ 
 
 j/^'^ 
 
 A Treatise Upon the Home Manufacture of Paints, 
 
 Oils, Varnislies, Dryers, 4&c. Instructions in 
 
 All Branches of House, Sig^n and Carriag^e 
 
 Painting', Paper Han^in^, <&:c. 
 
 FOR THE PRACTICAll^^lW 
 
 /published by /d / ^/ V^ 
 
 R. C. TvlIIvLER & CO., 
 
 Xenia, Ohio, 
 
\ ■ J''^"" 
 
 '^m 
 
 Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1894, by 
 
 R. C. MILLER, in the office of the LiDrarian of 
 
 Congress at Washington. 
 
 / 
 
 \^ 
 
 0\-.' 
 
 ^ 
 
Frefocse:. 
 
 The following pages prepared by the author have 
 been carefully revised, and with the experience 
 which we have had with the five previous editions, . 
 we are now satisfied that our effort will meet with 
 the approval of the Practical Painter. We are not 
 vain enough to say that we know it all, and that this 
 little book is perfect, but we do know it has a vast 
 amount of very valuable practical information be- 
 tween its covers, and we dedicate our humble effort 
 to the craft hoping that it may have in the end a 
 tendency towards the elevation of our noble calling. 
 
<7^y(9iU\ 
 
 THE BO^^ pAIWTERg' IJUIDE. 
 
 ^'1»^r(!r<^aQg^^yc!>^ 
 
 THE HARMOl^Y AND I>IS€ORD OF COL.OR2S. 
 
 Very many, calling themselves decorative artists, 
 ignore the laws of nature, which control in the matter 
 of harmony and contrast. Practically, they act upon 
 the theory! that colors may be arranged in a scheme, 
 with a view to answer the caprice of the artist or his 
 patron. He goes on arranging colors in his own work 
 upon the theory or supposition that a certain tint or 
 shade will look well on a given feature or part of his 
 work, without reference to its collocation in regard 
 to other colors. On the contrary, harmony or dis- 
 cord in color depend not on the will or caprice or 
 personal taste of any one, but is based on certain 
 unchangeable laws. These are a matter of study 
 and experience. By these terms, harmony and dis- 
 cord, we understand, colors placed side by side, will 
 alter the effect ol each other, or completing one an- 
 other will heighten the effect of each. Persons 
 familiar with this subject can by so arranging colors 
 or objects of familiar use, with reference to color, in 
 furnishing or fitting up apartments, in dressing, or 
 decorating walls, as to produce, even with the great- 
 est simpHcity, a more agreeable effect than is possible 
 
Miller^ s ^^ Boss^^ Painters' Guide. 
 
 with the most extravagant expenditure without a 
 sense of harmony and discord. The art of deter- 
 mining by the eye alone, which are the colors giving 
 pleasing effects when placed in combination and 
 contrast, or those which do not, is a gift which com- 
 paratively few persons possess. Painters who have 
 this gift or talent are usually successful in their craft ; 
 for by means of it they are not only able to please 
 their patrons by, or through the artistic beauty of 
 their work, but are successful for the additional 
 reason that they do not have to resort to '^ Paint and 
 try methods,'' in mixing and contrasting colors or 
 shades, saving to themselves, thereby, in both time 
 and material, and enabling them to do work under 
 just so much of an advantage. 
 
 Knowledge is power in this case, and you will 
 find that it is a money savmg one at that. 
 
 In order to aid those who do not possess this gift, 
 it may be proper to say that scientific observers have 
 formulated a system by means of which pleasing 
 combinations and the best results can surely be had, 
 without doubt, and the unpleasant, as well as un- 
 profitably bad arrangement of colors be avoided. 
 
 In order that an intelligent and practical idea of 
 this all-important subject may be arrived at, the fol- 
 lowing selections upon the subject of Harmony, 
 also Discord has been added to this book with the 
 hope that it will satisfy the painter in as practical 
 way as our limited space will allow without entering 
 into a discussion upon the merits or demerits of con- 
 flicting theories. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 THE PRINOlPIiE OF HARMONY. 
 
 The Rainbow or Solar Spectrum is prol)ably 
 the prettiest arrangement of color in nature. It is 
 the foundation on which has been built the theory of 
 color harmony. The rainbow is simply light ana- 
 lyzed into its elements, that is, its colors. Newton 
 taught that these elements cr colors were seven, viz : 
 Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and 
 Red. Later observers have, however, narrowed 
 these elements down to three, Red, Blue and Yellow. 
 These three then are the only essential colors because 
 having these, all other colors can be made from them. 
 
 Primary Colors are the pure elemental colors, 
 blue, red, yellow. 
 
 Secondary Colors result from combining equal 
 parts of any two primaries, as orange, green. 
 
 Tertiary Colors result from combining two 
 secondaries, as russet or citrine. 
 
 In the rainbow we see the three primary colors all 
 at once, or simultaneously, partly pure, partly in 
 contrast and combination, hence the law : That a 
 full harmony of contrast requires the presence of 
 yellow, red Siud blue, in prismatic proportions, namely: 
 of yellow, 3 ; of red, 5 ; and of blue, 8 parts respect- 
 ively, i. e. parts of surface or depth of color, and 
 not of weight of material It is in conformity with 
 this law that blue looks pretty with orange, a fact 
 which the gentler sex very well, knows, and their 
 judgment is worth much in this matter. Orange is a 
 secondary color, being composed of red and yellow, 
 
8 Miller^ s ^'Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Both of these colors the eye detects in its composi- 
 tion and instinctively calls up blue to combine or 
 contrast with them. 
 
 This color, when furnished completes the harmony 
 because the three primary colors are present and 
 visible to the eye, although two of them (red 
 and yellow ) are in combination ( in the orange ) and 
 only one (blue) is pure. It is blue therefore, which 
 is complimentary to orange. 
 
 In like manner red and green form an agreeable 
 contrast, and for the same reason, viz: two of the 
 primaries are in the gree7t ( blue and yellow ) the 
 only primary lacking of the three is red, therefore 
 red is a complimentary color to green. 
 
 Violet and Yellow are compHmentary for the 
 same reason, because the eye detects the presence of 
 red in violet, and requires yellow to contrast or com- 
 bine with them. 
 
 A complimentary color may now be defined to 
 mean any color which, ivhen placed in combination or 
 contrast with another color, fills or completes the natural 
 karmony with that color. 
 
 The Natural Harmony being understood to be 
 the harmony resulting from a siinultaneous view of the 
 three essential or primary colors of the solar spectrum, 
 blue, red and yellow. This simultaneous view com- 
 prehends the viewing of either colors in their pure 
 state when in juxtaposition, as blue with red or 
 yellow, or when any two of them are mixed, and the 
 resultant color ( a secondary ) is placed in combina- 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 tion with the remaining third primary, as orange and 
 blue, green and red, or violet and yellow. 
 
 Every color, hue, tint or shade has its own com- 
 pliment, and the law which is applicable to one is 
 applicable to all. 
 
 Hues are modifications of color by other colors. 
 
 Tints are produced by adding white to colors or 
 hues. 
 
 Shades are produced in like manner by adding 
 black. 
 
 Tones signify colors or hues mixed with varying 
 mg proportions of either white or black. W/iiYe 
 weakens or reduces the tone. Black dulls them. 
 
 Complimentary Colors not only furnish the 
 greatest contrasts, but they mutually help and 
 strengthen each other. 
 
 Non-Complimentary colors when in juxtaposition, 
 either mutually help each other, or, one is improved 
 while the other is injured; or, they mutually injure 
 each other. An example of the first class is found 
 in yellow and blue. Of the second case, in blue 
 and bluish-violet, and of the third case in blue and 
 violet. 
 
 White and Black are comphmentary. 
 
 In order to further assist in this direction we refer 
 you to the following which will give a more definite 
 idea of the general effect, as seen through the spec- 
 trum. 
 
 discord of colors 
 
 I. Two simple colors. — Red and Yellow. Red 
 
10 Miller's ''Boss'' Pointers' Guide. 
 
 appears darker purple, because the indigo rays are 
 imparted to it from the yellow ; yellow appears green- 
 ish, because green rays are imparted to it from the red. 
 
 Yellow and Blue. — Yellow takes away the 
 orange rays from the blue and appears reddish ; blue 
 absorbs the indigo rays from the yellow and appears 
 darker. 
 
 Blue and Red. — Blue appears greenish from the 
 effect of the green rays of the red; red, on the con- 
 trary, from the orange rays of the blue, appears 
 yellowish. 
 
 2. A compound color and a primary color, the 
 latter being contained in the former : — 
 
 Red AND Orange. — Red absorbs the blue rays 
 from the orange and appears blueish violet; orange 
 is influenced by the green rays of the red, and ap- 
 pears yellowis-h, i. e. lighter. 
 
 Red and Violet. — Red beside violet appears 
 yellower, because it receives the yellow rays from 
 the latter ; violet appears darker because greenish 
 rays are absorbed by it. 
 
 Orange and Yellow. — Orange loses from its 
 yellow and appears redder; the yellow appears more 
 greenish. 
 
 Green and Yellow. — Green loses its yellow and 
 appears darker, more blue ; the yellow is influenced 
 by the reddish rays of the green and appears reddish, 
 i. e. orange. 
 
 Green and Blue. — The green appears lighter, 
 more yellow, as if it were faded ; the blue appears 
 reddish alongside of the blue, i, e. like violet. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 11 
 
 Violet and Blue. — The violet loses its blue and 
 assumes a reddish appearance in comparison with 
 the blue, i. e. greenish. 
 
 3. Two compound colors which have one pri- 
 mary color in common. 
 
 Orange and Green. — Both colors contain rays 
 of yellow, and each loses some of tint by contact, 
 the orange appearing more red, and green more 
 blue. 
 
 Green and Violet. — Both of these colors have 
 blue in common, and hence by contact each loses its 
 appearance, the green becoming more blue and the 
 violet more red. 
 
 Violet and Orange. — These two colors have the 
 red rays in common, which are lessened by contact, 
 the violet becoming more blue, while the orange 
 appears more yellowish. 
 
 PHE]^OM£XA OF ORADUAIi CONTRAST, 
 
 It has been stated in our remarks on the harmony 
 and discord of colors that red reflects green rays, 
 and the green reflects the red rays ; that all colors 
 have their completing or complementary shades, 
 which may be observed by the eye. This statement 
 will be confirmed in the following : If one fixes his 
 eyes for some time on a red object, and then quickly 
 looks away or closes the eye, it appears just as if the 
 same object appeared before him in green. Simi- 
 larly, a green object, when stared at, produces a red 
 effect when the eye looks away. When one looks at 
 
12 Miller's ^^ Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 a blue object for some time there is produced in the 
 eye the sensation as if one saw an orange object, 
 and, contrawise, an orange-colored object appears as 
 if it were blue. 
 
 When these colors are seen singly, as for 
 instance, in the form of flowers, or some other 
 ornamentation on a light-gray back-ground, and 
 closely watched for some time, it will be found that 
 after a while the gray ground will appear slightly 
 tinged by the complementary color. In the same 
 way with — 
 
 Red, the gray ground is tinged greenish. 
 
 Green, the gray ground is tinged reddish. 
 
 Blue, the gray ground is tinged orange. 
 
 Orange, the gray ground is tinged bluish. 
 
 Violet, the gray ground is tinged yellowish. 
 With wall-papers and woven fabrics these facts have 
 been noticed, and have even led to serious disputes. 
 Thus, for instance, at Paris, in a factory of wall- 
 papers, a case occurred in which a color mixer was 
 found fault with for having used a greenish gray 
 instead of an ash gray as a back-ground for a pattern 
 of red flowers and garlands. His justification how- 
 ever, was at hand, in the shape of a remnant of the 
 gray pigment, which, when examined by itself, was in 
 reality of an ash gray tint. It was Chevereul, the 
 distinguished chemist and director of the Gobelin 
 Manufactory of Paris, who related the previous case, 
 and the difliculty was settled by his showing that the 
 red flowers imparted the greenish tint to the gray 
 ground. 
 
Miller' s ' ' Boss ' ' Pain ters' G ukle. 1 S 
 
 COMPOUNDING OF COLORS. 
 
 It would be an endless task to enumerate all the 
 colors formed by the mixture of the various pigments. 
 I will, therefore, give the simplest method of mak- 
 ing the various tints, leaving the painter to exercise 
 his judgment in regard to other tints not mentioned. 
 Every painter knows that it would be foolish to at- 
 tempt to give the exact proportion of the various 
 colors, hence, I will not attempt it, but will submit 
 the following receipts for mixing, which will serve as 
 a good general guide at least, for it is impossible to 
 lay out arbitrary rules owing to the variation in the 
 strength of pigments; and, therefore, it will be nec- 
 essary for the student to practice or experiment with 
 his mixing, taking the receipt here given as a base 
 or starting point. 
 
 FOR SIGN DECORATIVE AND CARRIAGE PAINTING. 
 
 Bismarck Brown. — Three parts of burnt sienna, 
 two parts chrome yellow, and one part rose lake. 
 
 Bottle Green. — Dutch pink and Prussian blue 
 for ground, then glaze with yellow lake. 
 
 Brown. — Three parts red, two black and one 
 yellow. 
 
 Bronze Green. — Five parts chrome green, one 
 of black and one of umber. 
 
 Brick Color. — Two parts of yellow ochre, one 
 of red, and one of white. 
 
 Canary Color. — Five parts white, two parts 
 lemon yellow. 
 
14 Miller^ s '^Boss^^ Painters' Guide. 
 
 Clay Drab. — Equal parts of raw sienna, raw 
 umber, and white lead ; tint with chrome green. 
 
 Chocolate Color. — Five parts of burnt umber, 
 one part of carmine or lake. 
 
 Copper Color. — One part vermilion, two of 
 yellow and one of black. 
 
 Chestnut Color. — Two parts of red, one of 
 black and two of chrome yellow. 
 
 Citron. — Three parts of red, two of yellow and 
 one of blue. 
 
 Cream Color. — Five parts of white, two of yel- 
 low and one of red. 
 
 Claret Color. — Two parts carmine, and one of 
 ultramarine. 
 
 Carnation Red. — Three parts carmine lake, and 
 one of white. 
 
 Coaching Red. — Light Enghsh Vermilion without 
 glazing. 
 
 Chamoline. — One part lemon yellow, three parts 
 raw sienna and five parts of white. 
 
 Deep Buff. — Five parts yellow ochre, two parts 
 white, one part red. 
 
 Drab Color. — Nine parts of white and one of 
 umber. 
 
 Dove Color. — Equal parts of red, white, blue 
 and yellow. 
 
 French Red. — Indian red lightened with ver- 
 milion and glaze with carmine. 
 
 Fawn Color, — Eight parts of white, three of red 
 and three of chrome yellow. 
 
Miller^ s '' Boss^^ Painters^ Guide. IS 
 
 Flesh Color — Eight parts of white, three of red 
 and three of chrome yellow. 
 
 Gold Color. — White and raw sienna, tinted. 
 
 Green. — Blue and yellow or black and yellow. 
 
 Grass Green. — Three parts yellow and one of 
 Prussian blue. 
 
 Jonquil Yellow. —Mix flake white and chrome 
 yellow, and add a little vermiHon or carmine. 
 
 Lead Color. — Eight parts of white, one of blue, 
 and one of black. 
 
 Light Buff. — Yellow ochre lightened with white. 
 
 Lemon Color. — Five parts lemon yellow and two 
 of white. 
 
 Lilac. — Four parts red, three of white and one of 
 blue. 
 
 London Smoke. — Two parts umber, one of white 
 and one of red. 
 
 Light Grey. — Nine parts white, one of blue £ id 
 one of black. 
 
 Maroon Color. — Three parts of carmine and two 
 of yellow. 
 
 Olive Yellow. — Three parts of burnt umber and 
 one of lemon yellow. 
 
 Oak Color. — Eight parts of white and one of 
 yellow ochre. 
 
 Olive Color. — Eight parts of yellow, one of blue, 
 one of black and one of red. 
 
 Pearl Color. — Five parts white, two of red and 
 one of black. 
 
 Pea Green. — Five parts of white and one of 
 chrome green. 
 
IS Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Purple. — ^Four parts of red, three of white and 
 two of blue. 
 
 Peach Blossom. — Eight parts of white, one of 
 red, one of blue and one of yellow. 
 
 Portland Stone. — Three parts raw unaber, tRree 
 of yellow ochre and one of white. 
 
 Plum Color. — Two parts of white, one of blue 
 and one of red. 
 
 Quaker Green. — Three parts of chrome green, 
 one part of black, one part of red and one of yellow. 
 
 Rose Color. — Five parts of white and two of 
 carmine. 
 
 Snuff Color. — Four parts of yellow, and two of 
 Vandyke brown. 
 
 Salmon Color. — Five parts of white, one of yel- 
 low, one of umber and one of red. 
 
 Straw Color. — Five parts of white, two of yellow^ 
 and one of burnt umber. 
 
 Tan Color. — Five parts of burnt sienna, two of 
 raw umber. 
 
 Stone Color. — Five parts of white, two of yellow 
 and one of burnt umber. 
 
 Tea Color. — Raw umber, blue and chrome 
 green, mix to suit the desired shade. 
 
 Violet. — Red, white and blue to suit. 
 
 Yellow Lake. — Equal parts of umber and white, 
 add a small quantity of yellow, and tint with lake. 
 
 FOR HOUSE WORK. 
 
 Ashes of Roses. — White tinted with lead color 
 and lake. 
 
Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Brilliant Green. — Add emerald green to white 
 lead. 
 
 Bright Green. — Add Paris green to white lead. 
 
 Buff. — Add yellow ochre to white lead. 
 
 Brown. — Add red to black. 
 
 Chestnut. — Add white to brown. 
 
 Chocolate. — Add yellow to brown. 
 
 Cream. — White tinted with red and yellow. 
 
 Drab. — Add umber to white lead. 
 
 Dark Green. — Add black to chrome yellow. 
 
 Flesh. — Add carmine to straw. 
 
 French White. — White tinted with purple. 
 
 French Gray. — White tinted with black and 
 purple. 
 
 Lead Color. — Add lamp-black to white lead. 
 
 Maroon. — Yellow ochre, red and white. 
 
 Orange. — Add vermilion to chrome yellow. 
 
 Olive. — Add chrome yellow, blue, black and red. 
 
 Purple. — Add red to light blue. 
 
 Pearl. — Add blue to lead color. 
 
 Pearl White. — White tinted with blue and purple. 
 
 Pea Green. — Add chrome green to white lead. 
 
 Peach Blossom. — Venetian red and white. 
 
 Russet. — Yellow ochre and Venetian red. 
 
 Rose OR Pink. — Add carmine or lake to white 
 lead. 
 
 Straw. — Add chrome yellow to white lead. 
 
 Silver Gray. — Add lamp-black and indigo to 
 white lead. 
 
 Salmon. — Add red, umber and yellow, to white 
 lead. 
 
^S Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Stone. — Venetian red, lamp-black, chrome yellow 
 and white. 
 
 Stone, [For Inside Work,] — Umber, black, red 
 and white. 
 
 Stone, [For Rough Work.] — Yellow ochre, brown, 
 black and white. 
 
 BUKAB1.E COL.ORS FOR OUTSII>E WORK. 
 
 Venetian Red, Indian Red, 
 
 Chrome Green, Roman Ochre, 
 
 Chrome Yellow, Yellow Ochre, 
 
 Prussian Blue, Oxide of Iron, 
 
 Antwerp Blue, Spanish Brown, 
 
 Intense Blue, Ivory Black, 
 
 Lamp-black. 
 Do not use for outside work, umber or sienna as 
 they are transparent colors and will soon loose their 
 briUiancy. 
 
 If I were asked what colors or kinds of paints are 
 best for exterior work, I would say in all cases use 
 such colors as can be made from mineral or earth 
 paints, with as little white lead or zinc as possible. 
 We know that ochres, Venetian red, metalics, and 
 even whiting, will hold to the oil, or the oil will hold 
 to them longer than either lead or zinc when exposed. 
 These, therefore, must be more durable for outside 
 work. 
 
 WHITE IiGA]> AXB ZIXC. 
 
 The carbonate of lead is the purest form of man- 
 ufactured white lead known to the trade, and it is 
 therefore used by all painters where great body or 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 19 
 
 covering quality is desired. This form of lead, when 
 ground pure in linseed oil, is not permanent, it 
 eventually succumbs to the action of solar heat. . It 
 would last much longer if painters were to use a 
 coarse grade which would admit the oil to surround 
 the particles, thus affording a clinch or bind for the 
 oil, when the duration of both oil and lead would be 
 extended. It is a great mistake to suppose that be- 
 cause acetic acid is used in corroding lead that it 
 remains to act upon other substances, for the simple 
 fact of its union with the oxide of lead is lost in the 
 carbonates of white lead, and when levigated and 
 ground it is pure carbonate and not an acetate of 
 lead. The grinding of white lead to a fine impalpa- 
 ble powder has a great deal to do with its stability 
 when compounded with oil and exposed to the 
 weather. It will last longer when stained or colored 
 with earthy mixtures, but when applied as a white 
 paint to surfaces of sunny exposure, it will chalk in 
 two or three years. At this stage its decay is rapid, 
 and if not recoated it will soon be blown or washed 
 away. The causes which tend to the rapid decay of 
 the carbonate of lead and oil is solely due to the 
 constituent gases of which they are composed. The 
 oil is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, 
 and when applied as above in thin coatings on exter- 
 iors of buildings the oil in drying absorbs oxygen 
 from the air, and the white compound becomes hard 
 and firm to the touch. The afhnity of the oxygen 
 in the oil to that in the air is fatal to the solidity of 
 the mixture or paint, though the oil by it becomes a, 
 
^0 Miller's ''Boss'' Pninters' Guide. 
 
 solid. The action is not like that of the volatile 
 oils, but instead it absorbs or takes from the atmos- 
 phere large volumes of oxygen, and by it disengages 
 the carbon and hydrogen, leaving a disintegrated 
 mass of lead and resin. This tendency of seed oils 
 is further demonstrated by the spontaneous combus- 
 tion of various substances when besmeared with 
 these oils. Therefore, if there is no other protector 
 present, pure white lead is sure to be left to the 
 mercy of the elements. The use of raw or boiled 
 linseed oil as the vehicle to bind the lead, makes but 
 very little difference in the lasting qualities, but the 
 harder the oil dries the more durable the lead will 
 be. The process of oxidizeing the lead cannot be 
 improved to any extent or advantage to the painter 
 and as to corroders, the mode now used is about the 
 same as the old Dutch process. Climatic influences 
 increase or^lessen the durability of white lead, de- 
 pending upon their nature. In semi-tropical coun- 
 tries the oil disintegrates so rapidlyjthat^white lead 
 paint will not be serviceable more than half the time 
 that prevails in a more temperate zone. The hard- 
 ness of oxide of zinc has induced^many painters, ^as 
 well as some manufacturers, to incorporate the zinc 
 with lead, in order to have an article which will in- 
 crease the durability of the carbonatejof lead, i There 
 is yet no formula^by which^,the proportions can be 
 reli-^d on, for some^ think a mixture compounded 
 with one-half zinc, and others that a one-third pro- 
 portion would be sufficient to harden without affect- 
 in": the body of the lead. In this latter view we are 
 
Miller's ^' Boss'^ Painters' Guide. 21 
 
 inclined to admit it as a corrective in sunny expos- 
 ures. In such cases a small proportion of blanc de 
 zinc^ thoroughly stirred into a mixture of pure white 
 lead will, no doubt, change the nature of its chemis- 
 try sufficiently to give to the compound a more last- 
 ing effect. 
 
 HOUSE PAINTING. 
 
 rui.es of paintik^g. 
 
 The following general rules in painting may be 
 followed with advantage : 
 
 1. Let the ground of your work be properly 
 cleaned, prepared and dry. 
 
 2. See that your colors are equally well ground 
 and duly mixed. 
 
 3. Do not mix much more nor any less than is 
 necessary for the job on hand. 
 
 4. Keep the paint well mixed while the job is 
 going on. 
 
 5. Have your paint of due thickness, and lay it 
 on equally and evenly. 
 
 6. Do not apply a succeeding coat of paint before 
 the preceeding one is entirely dry. 
 
 7. Do not use Hghter color over a darker one. 
 
 8. Do not add dryers to colors long before they 
 are to be used. 
 
 9. Avoid using any excess of dryer, or a mixture 
 of different sorts. 
 
 10. Do not overcharge your bursh with paint, 
 nor replenish it before it is sufficiently exhausted. 
 
22 Millers ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 11. Begin with the higliest part and proceed 
 downward with your work. 
 
 12. Keep your burshes in good condition ; do not 
 let them lay out to dry. I have a trough filled with 
 water th it I keep them in. When putting brushes 
 away be careful that the bristles are all straight. 
 
 13. Keep your pots cleaned; your ladders, etc., 
 painted. 
 
 OUTSIDE PAIIifTi:5fO. 
 
 This book is not intended for the amateur painter. 
 Consequently I will not go into all the minor details 
 of how all classes of housework should be done, but 
 will give some ideas that, perhaps, will be of some 
 benefit to the practical workman. I find, in my ex- 
 perience, that on some jobs it takes more time to get 
 at the -work than it does to do it, consequently the 
 painter is obliged to devise speedy ways and means 
 of getting at the work. I will give some of my ways 
 — they may be odd to some, but new to others. 
 
 Window Sash sometimes takes more time than all 
 the balance of the outside work, and in priming, if 
 you take them one by one, it requires considerable 
 labor. A better way is to get two glass boxes and 
 lay the sash on them, flat, with the munnions down, 
 one the top of the other evenly; put as many on 
 the boxes as you can reach down, and it will be the 
 same as painting the inside of a box; use a 4-inch flat 
 brush. I sometimes give sash two coats the same 
 way before glazing, which will also save time, and 
 the work does as well if you are careful and do not 
 
Miller^ s ^^Boss^' Painters' Guide. 23 
 
 get the sash dirty while glazing. One good coat will 
 do for the tracing. In painting old sash run around 
 the stiles, letting the tracing go lor the first coat ; 
 then trace the second coat. 
 
 Brackets and scroll-work should always be primed 
 before they are put up ; and you will save time by 
 giving them two coats, using the same color that the 
 work will be finished in; then in the finishing coat 
 you can leave edges. 
 
 Blinds. — If they are pivot or revolving slats lay 
 the blind on the trestle, with the bar down ; then 
 pamt the top side of the slats; then turn the slat over 
 and paint the other side, then paint the stiles and the 
 edge next to you ; then turn the blind over and you 
 will find both sides of the slats painted. Paint the 
 bar, then the edge-slats; then in next the stile ; then 
 the slats; then set it away up side down, and wipe 
 up all the runs, etc. 
 
 SWINGING SCAFFOI.I>. 
 
 It is a well known fact that the swing is a great im- 
 provement on the old style way of doing work, and 
 for the information of the uninitiated, I will give a 
 description of how to rig and work them. A 40 foot 
 fall is enough for doing all ordinary work, unless it 
 be in large cities w^here buildings are tall, but I will 
 speak of a 40 foot swing. The two ropes should be 
 not less than ^ of an inch in thickness and 160 feet 
 long, each, with double-pulley blocks abovt , and 
 single blocks below. The stirrup should be made of 
 
24 Miller's ^'jBoss" Painters^ Guide. 
 
 rope, and I would recommend to have as litde iron 
 about the rigging as possible. A ladder will do for 
 the stage by covering it with boards. There are 
 various modes of rigging on the building. One is the 
 out-rigger, which is used only when the roof is flat. 
 Let the out-rigger ( a scantling 3x4 and 16 or 18 feet 
 long) project over the cornice about 4 inches, and 
 fasten the tackle to it with ropes; some have an iron 
 ring on the out-rigger, on which to hook the tackle, 
 but I prefer rope. 
 
 For general purpose I find the cornice hooks the 
 best, they can be rigged the quickest. I have a pair 
 that I have been using for a number of years, and I 
 have not yet found the building that 1 could not use 
 them on. They are made of 5^ by 2 inch wagon 
 tire iron, and bent edgeways; with a hole in the 
 lower end to hook the tackle into. They ar-e large 
 enough to go over a very large cornice, and are 
 shaped something in this style : 
 
 The top part is round a^nd sets on a block that has 
 a hole sunk about half an inch in it. The block is 
 5x16 inches, and i}4 inches in thickness. Pine will 
 do. I use them for working in gutters or on cornices. 
 I also have another set to work on shingle roofs. 
 
Miller^ s '' Boss'^ Painters' Guide. 2S 
 
 They are made of hard wood and the same size as 
 the others. On the top is the pivot hole, and on the 
 bottom are Httle spurs to keep them from slipping. 
 
 TOP SIDE. BOTTOM SIDE. 
 
 \ 
 O ..5 INCHES. 
 
 16 INCHES. 
 
 They can be worked on gables, even if the roof be 
 steep, and does not injure the shingles. I have also 
 another set for slate roofs, that have rubber fastened 
 to the bottom of the blocks. They are larger, -ioxi8 
 inches. 
 
 The swinging scaffold is certainly a great improve- 
 ment on the ladder mode of getting at the work, and 
 in the eyes of some requires a ^^ sailor" to work it, 
 but I would rather work off a swing on a building 3 
 stories high, than off a 16-foot ladder j for there is 
 less danger of getting hurt, and it is not near so tire- 
 some. Two good hands on a swing scaffold can go 
 over as much surface in a day as four equally good 
 hands can, in the same time, off of ladders. Hands 
 are sometimes apt to become alarmed when doing 
 gables, but if the swing is pulled up well and well 
 braced out from the wall there is no danger. I have 
 worked a step ladder on the stage to get at the points 
 of gables, chimneys, &c. Set the foot of the steps as 
 far out on the swing as you can, and lean the top 
 against the wall. 
 
 BRICK WA1.L.:PAINTIN0. 
 
 New walls should be well rubbed down with a 
 
2S Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Ouide. 
 
 brick and brushed off with a stiff broom the first 
 thing, then they are ready for the 
 
 First Coat. — Yellow ochre and raw oil, with suffi- 
 cient dryers to dry it. If the job is to be finished 
 red, add a little Venetian red to the ochre. Do not 
 go over again until it is thoroughly dry, which will be 
 in two or three days. Give it more time if you can, 
 because you will save time and material. 
 
 Second Coat.— Use raw oil and one-third turps if 
 you wish the job to stand out well in the finishing. 
 Some go so far as to say there should be no turps 
 used in any of the coats for outside work, but I differ 
 with them so far as the second coat is concerned. If 
 the wall is to be red, use Venetian red, or, if it is to 
 be stone color, mix the color as near what the finish 
 is to be as you can. In this coat you are to do all the 
 puttying-up as you go. When this coat is dry and 
 there are dead or soft bricks, it would be well to coat 
 them over with fiat color very thin and quick drying. 
 
 Third Coat. — Boiled oil and the color in which 
 the work is to be finished. If red, use Indian red or 
 English Venetian, and if stone color nse % WZ and 
 y^ WL. The third coat should be worked as stiff as 
 you can conveniently work it. 
 
 FL.A.TTI1VG BRICK WAL.I.S. 
 
 The painter is sometimes called upon to do work 
 of that description. Coat the wall first and second 
 coat, same as previous article on brick wall painting. 
 The '' flat color " should be worked very quick, and 
 you must be careful not to leave laps. Two, three. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 27 
 
 or more men should wo^k together and carry the 
 reaches in such a manner as to avoid making any 
 laps. ^'Flat" color is without gloss, or dead color. 
 If you wish a dead flat use ail turps, but that would 
 be hard to work. The '^flat" color properly pre- 
 pared and put on should be applied within a short time 
 after the last oil coat has become dry. This permits 
 the '' flatting " to adhere firmly and become a part of 
 the oil coat, merely deadening the gloss; in this way 
 there is no more danger of the weather having effect 
 upon it than on a gloss, or even so much. The flat- 
 ting is thus rendered less liable to change in color 
 and more pleasant to the eye, as the roughness and 
 imperfection of the wall are not so conspicuous. 
 
 For brick wall. The work should be laid off in 
 half bricks with chalk line, so as to put in the head- 
 ers on a line, one above the other alternately. To 
 do the aligning, use the common brick wall aligning- 
 brush, which is about five inches in length; the 
 brush with which to put in the headers is about two 
 inches long ; the straight edge, five feet in length and 
 two inches in width, and one-quarter inch in thick 
 ness, with a sharp beveled edge. 
 
 PenciUng requires no ordinary skill, but oftentimes 
 the boss-painter in small localities is called upon to 
 do work of the kind, and is very often put to his 
 wits' end to know what to do about it. One man in 
 Michigan wrote to me that he had worked at painting 
 for 40 years and had never been called upon to paint 
 
28 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 
 a brick wall, and 1 know from the tone of his letter he 
 is a practical painter. Penciling is very hard to do 
 off of ladders, unless you rig a scaffold with them, 
 which is done by standing two ladders alongside of the 
 wall, lashing the tops to the cornice. Get a good, 
 stout plank and have one end on one ladder and the 
 other end on the other ladder. The swinging scaf- 
 fold is the best if you have one. For color use white 
 lead, oil, and japs enough to dry it, also turps enough 
 to keep it from running. If you are inexperienced 
 in that class of work, commence at the back of the 
 house, or do the chimneys first, and by the time 
 you get around to the front your work will be better. 
 
 WKATHER BOARDING OR SilDIXG. 
 
 In all classes of work it has been my idea to clean 
 the work the first thing, and I find that it is the only 
 way to do a good job. After cleaning, shellac all the 
 knots and sappy places; then prime; then clean off 
 and putty up all holes, cracks, etc. The color for 
 the second coat should be as near the color that the 
 finish is to be, as possible, and should be freshly 
 mixed. Avoid using old fat colors, as there is dan- 
 ger of the next coat crawling. Use a little turps in 
 this coat. I will say right here that a bad habit some 
 painters have, is to try their color to see if it is the 
 right shade on a few boards, in th'e most prominent 
 place on the front of the house and where it is 
 always sure to show. I would recommend the back 
 or side of the house, or some less conspicuous place, 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 29 
 
 than the front, that is, if it is necessary to try the 
 color at all. 
 
 If the house is to be trimmed with different shades 
 finish the cornice first, then you will avoid spoiling 
 any work below by sprinkling, etc., the weather- 
 boarding, carrying everything with you as you come 
 down as near as you can, and avoid laps. Use 
 boiled oil for the third coat, and as heavy as you can 
 conveniently work it. 
 
 MOL.I> STAIXS. 
 
 The stains should be well wet with cider vinegar. 
 Let stand for a few hours, then wash with alum 
 water and sulphur. I have sometimes shellaced the 
 spots after washing. 
 
 OliAZIXO. 
 
 In fitting in the glass always put the bow side 
 down, and|in no case force the glass into its place, 
 (ilass should have room to contract and expand 
 with the weather, so if you fit the glass in the sash 
 tight it will be apt to break when it begins to expand 
 with the heat of the sun, more especially large 
 lights. Avoid driving in unnecessary tins, as 
 they sometimes cause trouble in the way of break- 
 age. Four points or tins are enough for ordinary 
 small fights, and should be driv- 
 en in the manner as shown in 
 the diagram : 
 
 All large lights should be bedded in, which is 
 done by running the putty in the munnions before 
 
30 Miller's '' Boss '\ Painters' Guide. 
 
 setting the glass. The putty for that purpose should 
 be free from lumps and well kneaded. Do not bed 
 the large plate glass that are set in with mouldings ; 
 they should be back puttied. One inch lap is suf- 
 ficient for skylight glazing, and at thejlaps the glass 
 should not touch each other, but should be separated 
 by a piece of tin bent in the shape of an S, thus : 
 
 Two tacks over the lap are enough to hold the 
 light in its place. They should be bedded. 
 
 When you wish to cut glass lay it on the table with 
 the bow side down, then place the straight edge in 
 its position and run the diamond along, holding it in 
 an even position all the way. If you do not think 
 that you have a good cut tap lightly the opposite 
 side directly under the cut, then when you have it 
 started it can be easily split. 
 
 INSIBi: AVORK. 
 
 Is usually done in ''flats," sometimes dead, some- 
 times egg-shell. Whites I would recommend to work 
 ''dead," as they are less liable to turn yellow. But 
 if you wish an egg-shell finish put a little damar var- 
 nish in it; use no oil. It is not always advisable 
 where tints are used to work the color "dead," for 
 in that case more material is used, for the oil helps 
 to make the body, consequently the material will go 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 31 
 
 further. It is useless to enter into minute details as 
 to how all the various kinds of inside work should 
 be done, but will give my way of doing some of the 
 more important kinds oi work. 
 
 Gloss White, sometimes called porcelain white, 
 Florence white, etc. It is useless to tell the practi- 
 cal painter that he should clean all the dust and dirt 
 out of the room first, but it is necessary at times. I 
 have known some of the best workmen in the country 
 to prime the work and then clean up afterwards, but 
 by so doing it causes more sandpapering and clean- 
 ing to be done. I will now treat on how a first class 
 job is to be done. This is a class of work that must 
 not be hurried. 
 
 ist. Clean all the work. Get all the dust and 
 dirt out of the room ; do not leave a speck of dust on 
 the work or floor, use a good stiff bristle duster for 
 that purpose. 
 
 2d. Coat the work with shellac varnish. 
 
 3d. If pine, size all the knots and sappy places 
 with quick drying gold size, then lay on a leaf of 
 gold or silver. That is the only reliable way I have 
 ever known of killing knots. 
 
 4th. Coat the work with white lead mixed with 
 turps and oil, half and half. Give this coat a suffi- 
 cient time to dry. 
 
 5th. The putty should be white lead, whiting and 
 japan. Putty up all the holes, cracks, etc. Let the 
 work stand until the putty begins to harden, then 
 sandpaper all the work in the room, then dust off and 
 
32 Miller's '^ Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 sweep the floor. Right here let me say, some work- 
 men will rub down a door and frame, paint, then go 
 to the next and rub it down and dust it off, throwing 
 dust all over the work they have just done, but that 
 kind of work will not do. 
 
 6th. Coat the work with half white lead and 
 half zinc, almost dead flat. 
 
 7th. This coat should be all zinc of the best 
 quality; French green seal is what I would recom- 
 mend. Put it on with a soft hair-flatting brush, and 
 make it cover as well as you can. Work the color 
 dead flat. This coat should be allowed to become 
 hard. 
 
 8th. Now all depends upon the judgment of the 
 workman. The work must have, a good, white 
 body, before it receives the final rubbing. If the 
 work is net clear enough put on another coat of the 
 same as the last, but not so heavy. Do not put that 
 coat on until the work is thoroughly dry, then let the 
 work get hard, the harder the better ; then sand- 
 paper. Use No. I. If the work is not dry it will 
 roll under the paper, and also gum up. Rub all 
 brush marks down smooth ; be careful not to rub the 
 edges bare, but if you do, touch them up with color. 
 
 9th. Egg-shell gloss, that is zinc mixed with turps 
 with one-half damar varnish. See that your color is 
 clean, if not run it through a fine strainer. Use well 
 ground Cal. Magnesia, or patent dryer, in this and 
 the previous coats, except the first. Do not use 
 japan as it is apt to stam the work. 
 
 loth. Rub down lightly with very fine sand-paper. 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. S3 
 
 The work should be hard, the harder the better, for 
 if it is any way soft the varnish will go in dead, and 
 will necessitate one or more coats of damar. 
 
 The damar for this coat should be stained a little 
 with the zinc, and should be flowed on quick. Look 
 sharp for runs ; if you see them start wipe them up 
 before the varnish sets, for if you do not it will then 
 be too late. I have put water in the varnish to pre- 
 vent its running, but it is not advisable, as it does 
 not do the varnish any good. It is sometimes neces- 
 sary to give the work a second coat of damar, but do 
 not do it until the previous coat is thoroughly dry, 
 which will take about three days. If there are any 
 runs cut them off with a sharp chisel. 
 
 White lead can be used the same as zinc but does 
 not look so well. 
 
 The same rules should be observed in doing all 
 grades of gloss work. When doing work in tints, 
 you should be careful to use the same color all the 
 way through. 
 
 MANTEIiS AN© BASE. 
 
 In some localities where the room is finished in 
 gloss white, mantels and base are done black. To 
 do that and make a good job, I would recommend 
 the following directions : 
 
 First Coat. — Ochre, ^; white lead, i^, mixed 
 with oil i^, and turps, ^, with enough dryer to 
 dry it. 
 
 Second Coat. — Ochre, fz] white lead, }i, with 
 enough black O to make a dark lead color. Mix 
 
34 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 with TT and rubbing varnish. This coat should be 
 worked heavy, so as to form a good body to rub 
 down. 
 
 Third Coat. — After plastering all the holes with 
 quick drying varnish putty, rub down thoroughly 
 with fine sandpaper, or, if you have time use lump 
 pumice stone. Coat with drop black ground in 
 japan, such as carriage painters use. Mix with TT 
 and a little rubbing varnish, enough to give it an 
 egg-shell gloss ; thick enough to cover well. 
 
 Fourth Coat. — Same as above, except add a little 
 more varnish, then rub down with hair cloth, and 
 coat with best coach varnish. 
 
 Let each coat get thoroughly dry before adding 
 another. If the base caps are to be white, be care- 
 ful not to sprinkle the white work. 
 
 PAINTING PLASTERED WAEES. 
 
 Walls that have never been painted should be 
 thoroughly cleaned and rubbed down ; then give 
 them a coat of glue size, then putty up ail the holes 
 and cracks. The putty for that purpose is made of 
 whiting and glue water. Use no oil. In the large 
 holes when the putty is dry you will have to reputty, 
 as it will shrink more or less. Avoid using oil putty 
 in this class of work, as the putty is apt to strike 
 through. For oil finish — first and second coats half 
 and half oil and turps ; third coat all oil. If you 
 have a bad wall or rough ceiling I would advise you 
 to stripple. It is very easily done. If you have no 
 stippling brush a bristle dusting brush will do. 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters Guide. 
 
 Pounce each stretch as you do them with the point 
 of the brush. You must be careful to pounce it all 
 over evenly, and leave no holidays. Varnished ceil- 
 ings and side walls are passing out of date. I do 
 not advise them, for when you use zinc mixed with 
 oil it is almost impossible for the inexperienced to 
 tell the difference. But when it is necessary to have 
 varnish finish, first coat should be almost flat; second 
 coat two-thirds turps and half varnish, and for the 
 last or varnish coat use almost clear varnish. Put 
 enough color in it to stain it. The wall can be im- 
 proved by running a stencil border around the room. 
 
 STAIRWAYS. 
 
 It is best to prime or fill the steps and risers before 
 they are put together, especially if they are hard 
 wood, and are to be finished in oil or varnish. Also, 
 clean and fill the balusters and string board. Time 
 is saved by even giving the balusters the second coat 
 before they are put up. 
 
 It is very often the case that in the finish of a 
 house that the stairway is left until the last thing, 
 and then is rushed through in too big a hurry to 
 make a good job, but my advice is to carry them 
 along with the other work, so as to give each coat a 
 chance to dry. 
 
 il^^'See article on varnishing. 
 
36 Miller's '^Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 VARNISHING. 
 
 FINISHING HARDWOOD. 
 
 The decoration of interiors by hardwoods, or 
 their imitations, is fast growing in favor, an*d as much 
 of its beauty depends upon the finish of varnish, or 
 filling of the grain to make a smooth and durable 
 piece of work, I have started out with this article to 
 tell the reader how he may finish the wood in a satis- 
 factory manner. There is more than one road to the 
 same goal, and if I were to fully describe the methods 
 employed by painters to form a smooth surface on 
 the various woods, the article would be too long, 
 and, possibly, not one-half so instructive, so I will 
 content myself by giving directions for doing the 
 work as done by the majority, and not those emanat- 
 ing from the manufacturer of some patent filler. 
 The first thing in order, when about to put a finish 
 on to wood, is to fill as fully as possible the pores. 
 The wood having been nicely smoothed down with 
 scraper and sandpaper, and thoroughly dusted. 
 Then it is ready for the 
 
 FILLING. 
 
 When I have the time I use filling made from a 
 leceipt obtained from the Guide. But if I have no 
 time I use Wheeler's filler. The filling I work medium 
 heavy, and coat over, say about one-half of a door 
 at a time, and when it commences to set, then com- 
 mences the rubbing. I usually use excelsior shav- 
 ings. In my experience I have found that it is best 
 
Miller's ^'Boss^^ Painters' Guide. 
 
 to rub the work until it is dry, and the harder the 
 better. Another thing that will be a help to some : 
 The filling will sometimes dry before you have it all 
 rubbed off. If that is the case, wet it with turps, 
 and it will rub down all right. Pick all the filling 
 out of beads and moldings, using a paddle sharpened 
 to fit the places. It is much better to fill all casings, 
 molds, etc., before they are put up, also doors. 
 
 PUTTYING. 
 
 The putty should be made of white lead, colored 
 with chrome yellow, Venetian red and burnt umber. 
 Match as near as you caij. Crowd the putty into all 
 holes, rutting it off with the knife. Then with a rag 
 dampened with turps, rub all putty stams off. Go 
 all over the work with No. i % sandpaper, rubbing 
 down everything well, and dust off as you go. After 
 the putty has stood long enough to become dry, then 
 the work is ready for the 
 
 VARNISH. 
 
 Right here I wish to say that you can save 20 per 
 cent, of labor if you will clean up everything in the 
 room free from dust and dirt. Sprinkle down the 
 floor and close up everything so that there will be no 
 dust flying in the room. Do all this before you put 
 on any varnish. I have seen some painters do a 
 door and then go to the next one along side of it and 
 dust off, throwing dust all over the work just finished. 
 But that kind of work will not do. I use a chisel 
 pointed, 3 inch soft bristle flat brush for large sur- 
 faces, and a i J^ inch flat for moldings, edges, etc. 
 
SS Milkr's ^' Boss'^ Painters' Guide. 
 
 Flow Iree, and do as little rubbing as possible. • For 
 this coat use quick drying rubbing Varnish. This 
 should stand until it gets hard so that you can cut it 
 down with No. i sandpaper. If the varnish is dry 
 the sandpaper will not gum up. The next coat 
 should be a good quality of rubbing varnish and 
 should be flowed on free. If the varnish is too 
 heavy, thin a Httle with turps, but do not get it too 
 thin, as this is the body for the finishing coat. If 
 there is money enough in the job, cut it down with 
 pulverized pumice stone and oil ; but if not, cut 
 down with hair cloth. This should be done with 
 great care. See that the woric is cut down smooth, 
 and don't spare the elbow grease. Clean up every- 
 thing free of dust, and sprinkle the floor for the last 
 coat. This should be the best coach varnish, and 
 should be put on just as it comes from the can, with- 
 out being thinned. Turps will kill the gloss. Flow 
 on free, and look sharp for runs. 
 
 HARD OIL. FIWISH.. 
 
 There are a number of ways of putting up this 
 kind of work. In the first place fill the wood with 
 the filler, then rub down and putty up, dust off" well, 
 then flow on the hard oil, and when dry cut it down 
 with No. o sandpaper and flow on another coat. 
 When dry cut it down with pulverized PS and sweet 
 oil. If you wish a poHshed job flow on another coat, 
 making one of filler and tjiree of hard oil. This last 
 coat must get hard, then polish with rotten stone and 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 39 
 
 BO with woolen rag, and chamois to do the cleaning 
 with. 
 
 Another Way. — Get a good body with rubbing 
 varnish or common copal ; then cut the gloss of with 
 BO and PS. This is the usual way furniture is fin- 
 ished, and is a very cheap one. 
 
 HARD \VOOI> FINISH ANI> FIJLL.INO. 
 
 Very few persons desire a high gioss on inside 
 work, so there is very little need of varnish for this 
 purpose, still a high gloss may be used sparingly 
 with a most happy effect, especially in large rooms, 
 on raised moldings, etc. The finisher, himself, must 
 always be the judge as to how the work should be 
 done. In kitchens, pantries, etc., where it has to 
 be cleaned often, especial pains should be taken that 
 it be done well, that it may stand the wear. The oil 
 will have to be used principally. Chambers, etc., 
 where greater care is usually taken in the selection of 
 wood, and the surface is less exposed to friction, we 
 can leave it, as far as the color is concerned, the 
 same as it is left by the carpenter. The first thing, 
 of course, is the proper preparation of the surface. 
 The surface may be rough and the grain raised by 
 moisture. If such is the case go over it carefully 
 with No. o or I sandpaper, taking care always to 
 sandpaper in the direction of the grain. Hammer 
 marks, if found, should be touched a few times with 
 a moist sponge until they come up even with the 
 other surface. 
 
40 Miller's '' Boss^' Painters' Guide. 
 
 OIL. POL.I8I1 09r WOOD. 
 
 Fill the grain with SH varnish or wood filhng ; 
 give two or more coats, sand down and apply two or 
 three coats of oil polish ; when thoroughly dry rub 
 with tripoU and water until a polish is secured. 
 Again cut the pohsh with fine PS and water and 
 polish with sweet oil and rotten stone. The French 
 method is to use powdered tripoli and BO to bring 
 up the polish. The following is also a good way : 
 
 When the first coat of varnish is dry, it should be 
 well rubbed over with pulverized pumice stone and 
 water, or, in some cases, if clean and smooth, with 
 a bunch of curled hair, to remove the greasy gloss, 
 otherwise the subsequent coat would ' 'crawl, '^ ''pit'' 
 or "enamel." The rubbing done, a thorough wash- 
 ing or dusting is the next thing in order, so that the 
 second coat of varnish will be in good condition. 
 "Hard oil finish" is recommended for varnishing 
 hard wood, and I have every reason to believe that 
 it will serve a good purpose in any place, where 
 there is no chance for water to be spattered over it, 
 for it being a sort of quick and hard-drying resin 
 varnish it will turn white under such a situation. The 
 varnish being dry, rub every part of the work with 
 pulverized pumice stone and water to make it smooth 
 and lustreless, wash clean and dry off with a chamois 
 skin. If there be any parts that are to be glossy, 
 flow over them a third coat of varnish, or polish 
 them. To polish such work, there are preparations 
 in market under the name of furniture polish, but an 
 easy plan is as follows : 
 
Miller^ s ''Boss'' Painters^ Guide. 41 
 
 Take a long piece of list or coarse flannel, and roll 
 it up in a wad, like a roll of tape ; over this, wrap a 
 piece of soft linen several times doubled up. Sew it 
 on tightly and form a sort of handle by tying up a 
 round wad. Next, pour out in a shallow dish some 
 shellac varnish, dip the flattened side of the woolen 
 wad into it and let it become well saturated. Now, 
 holding the wad face up, drop upon it a Httle boiled 
 oil. Proceed to rub the work in a circular direction, 
 doing a little at once. Rub it lightly until the wh®le 
 surface is covered ; repeat this, putting on a little 
 shellac and a litde oil, but let each coat dry well or 
 be rubbed dry, and do not put on too much of the 
 liquid at one time. Keep the wad free from dust, as 
 the polish depends much on the softness and cleanli- 
 ness of the rubbing cloth. On parts, where the wad 
 cannot be well used, a piece of flannel will answer. 
 The polish thus given will be found superior to the 
 lustre of the varnish, for it may be handled without 
 injury, and then, also, if the lustre dies out, a few 
 rubs of the moistened flannel with a drop or two of 
 oil will renew it. 
 
 The principal thing in finishing hardwood is the 
 filling of the grain. Scraping varnish, that is, a 
 cheap resinous varnish is used by some, but consid- 
 ered by many as too expensive and tedious. In 
 filling the grain by this plan, the wood is first var- 
 nished over three or four times, then when thor- 
 oughly hard, the varnish is scraped off with steel 
 scrapers, leaving the pores in the wood well filled 
 with varnish. Umber, Venetian red, whiting, flour, 
 
4,2 Miller'' s ''Boss^^ Painters^ Guide. 
 
 Starch and silica are all used for filling the grain of 
 wood, but I believe that the plan recommended, 
 with corn starch as a base, is the best. Shellac 
 varnish is extensively used for the finishing of wood 
 and I have done some good work with it, but care 
 should be had to purchase a good quality. The 
 finest finish on flat work I have ever yet seen, was 
 done by first filling the wood with Wheeler's filler, 
 then varnishing with three coats of hard oil finish 
 befofe alluded to, the final polish being made by 
 rubbing with rotten stone and sweet oil. Almost 
 every varnish manufacturer makes a filler for wood 
 and full instructions are given with the material, and 
 while some of these are excellent, there are others 
 not worth using. 
 
 The imitation of hardwood by the use of wood 
 filling, or pigments, as well as the enriching of real 
 woods, demands a few words. There are parts of 
 a piece of work that, sometimes, may be colored a 
 shade or two darker, and give it a very good effect, 
 and this should be done with transparent material or 
 glazing. Asphaltum thinned with varnish to a glaze, 
 put over mahogany or rosewood will make a hand- 
 some color. Carmine, lake and umber glazings, 
 also, will improve any dark wood. Permanent wood 
 filling — in two shades — may be put over pine wood 
 to make an excellent black walnut color, or to stain 
 it in any desired shade by mixing the light and dark 
 grades in different proportions. Umber mixed with 
 varnish and turpentine make a good walnut color. 
 When woods are thus stained, the finish is given in 
 
Miller^ s '' Boss'^ Painters' Guide. 43 
 
 the same manner as on hardwood, but with all the 
 pains which may be taken, the imitation of hard- 
 woods by stains never reaches the beauty of the 
 simon pure article. One of the causes of poor work 
 in this line, is the almost invariable adulteration of 
 the materials used with oil or turpentine, and it does 
 seem strange that the house painter thus insists in 
 putting into his varnish something which destroys it. 
 It flattens or fails to fill up, and then turn all the 
 blame on the varnish maker. Another cause is the 
 disregard given to the preparation of the work as 
 the rubbing with sandpaper or pumice stone, or the 
 dusting off. . But I believe that by following out the 
 directions above given that a fair result ^will be 
 assured. 
 
 VARNISHIIVO PINE. 
 
 White or yellow pine I consider about as nice 
 wood as you can work on and when finished properly 
 looks about as well as any of the fancy woods. I 
 have made a good gloss on yellow pine with two 
 coats of varnish without filling. White pine should 
 have three coats, one of filling and two of varnish. 
 Sometimes shellac is used for filling, and where 
 you wish to put up a cheap job, a good heavy 
 coat of white glue size can be used to good advan- 
 tage. When you go to do the varnishing over it, 
 you must be sure that it is good and dry. The clean- 
 ing off process is a matter of great importance, for if 
 the wood is not well cleaned before the varnish goes 
 on the work will not look well. I have seen some 
 
44- Miller^ s '^ Boss*^ Painters' Guide. 
 
 painters use a carpenter's plane to get a pencil mark 
 off the work, but it always makes the job look worse 
 than to leave; the mark on, because pine will become 
 weather stained more or less, according to the time 
 it is exposed to the atmosphere. Then when the 
 spot is dressed off it will show bright and new, while 
 all the rest will show the weather stain. To test this 
 matter, get a fresh dressed board and lay it where 
 the air will strike it ; lay a small block upon it and 
 let them remain for a few days, and you will find a 
 bright spot where the block laid while the balance 
 shows up weather stain. 
 
 Another plan I have seen some painters. work, and 
 that is a vigorous use of sandpaper. The result is 
 about the same, only the job will look worse, because 
 the sandpaper will rough up the wood and make it 
 fuzzy. I will try and tell you how I get the work 
 clean. I first use the duster and dust all off that will 
 come off, and if there is any mortar or mud on the 
 work, I clean it off with the knife, then it is ready 
 for the varnish or filler, (we will say varnish). If it 
 is a door that you have to do, start in with the pan- 
 els ; have a rough woolen rag with you and where 
 there are pencil, or other marks, rub the rag over it 
 vigorously while the varnish is wet, then rub the 
 brush over it to straighten out. You will find that it 
 will take but very few rubs with the rag to get a pen- 
 cil or other mark off. I very seldom use filling for 
 pine, either white or yellow, but start in with good 
 rubbing copal and finish with coach. I contend that 
 both the first and second coats should have not less 
 
Miller^ s "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 45 
 
 than three days to dry, before the next coat is ap- 
 plied. This plan should be more particularly ob- 
 served when you want to finish in hard oil, for in it 
 you should give each coat as much time as possible 
 to dry. Much can be said with profit on the subject 
 of rubbing. I do most of the rubbing on the first 
 coat, using No. i sandpaper ; rub down everything 
 smooth, then dust off well. Sprinkle down the floor 
 and put on the second coat. This coat should be 
 rubbed with hair cloth or sea grass, or if you want to 
 make an extra job of it rub down with pumice stone, 
 but where pumice stone is used an extra coat should 
 be applied, making four coats in all. Yellow pine 
 does not require so much varnish as other woods, as 
 it is usually full of resin, and in consequence the 
 pores are already filled. 
 
 GRAINING. 
 
 One cannot reasonably expect to become proficient 
 in the art of graining save by a regular course of 
 training under the guidance of a skilful master, but 
 it is within the power of the average painter to per- 
 form work of this character that may well pass in- 
 spection, when done with care and the observance of 
 a few plain rules, such as I propose offering in this 
 article. In the first place the amateur must not at- 
 tempt too much in the way of embellishment or 
 effect, but must confine himself to the execution of a 
 neat, plain and substantial job, taking care to mix 
 colors properly and to have his ground work smooth 
 and in good condition for operating upon. 
 
46 Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 If the woodwork be old painted work, it must be 
 rubbed down with sandpaper until smooth and even, 
 all the cracks puttied up with hard drying putty 
 [mixed with Japan to quicken its drying] and a coat 
 of ground color applied. This must be mixed with 
 nearly all turps, as the less oil enters into the grain- 
 ing the less will be its liability to crack after being 
 varnished. 
 
 The grainer, as a general thing, is never satisfied 
 with any job that he does but lets it pass, because, 
 nine times out of ten, he is not paid sufficient to 
 justify himself to put in more time on the work, con- 
 sequently the work is butchered. 
 
 The tools necessary to do graining of the various 
 kinds are as follows : 
 Oak. — I set steel combs. 
 
 I sash tool. 
 
 I rubbing-in brush. 
 
 Rubber combs to suit fancy. 
 Walnut ; Rosewood, Maple, ^'c. — 
 
 Long hog^s-hair over-grainer. 
 
 Tube camels hair over-grainer. 
 
 Camels hair pencil. 
 
 Sponge. 
 
 Blender. 
 
 Rubbing-in brush and tool. 
 
 Stippling brush, [duster will do.] 
 
 Flat Fitch. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 47 
 
 COIiORSi. 
 
 Vandyke brown in oil and distemper. 
 
 Raw and burnt sienna in oil and distemper. 
 
 Raw and burnt umber in oil and distemper. 
 
 Lager beer, oil turps and japan. 
 
 Rosewood Ground. — Do not use lead for prim- 
 ing, use ochre. Second coat; use Venetian red 
 with a little chrome yellow in it, and tolerably flat. 
 Use for last coat, American vermilion with a little 
 chrome yellow in it. Work it almost dead flat. In 
 preparing your ground see that your work is well 
 rubbed and puttied before graining. 
 
 Grain. — Vandyke brown thinned with lager beer 
 should be used for the over grain. Some use vine- 
 gar, but it does not work as well as the beer, and it 
 should be diluted with sugar and water. The growths 
 should be put in with the brown in oil. Use a fitch 
 for the growths ; the over grainer and pencil for the 
 grain, which, after it is dry, thin down and put on a 
 glaze over all. Shade as you go. Then varnish 
 when dry. 
 
 Black Walnut Ground. — Mix as near a dove 
 color as you can, as follows : white lead, chrome 
 yellow, Venetian red, burnt umber and very little 
 black. 
 
 Grain. — Stipple with burnt umber 3 parts, raw 
 sienna i part ; thin with beer. A common duster 
 will do to stipple with. Work in the growths with 
 burnt umber on oil ; with pencil blend them out well, 
 and when dry put on thin glaze in oil ; add a little 
 raw sienna to the umber. Wipe out with rag. Put 
 
48 Miller's '' Boss^' Painters' Guide. 
 
 in dark, heavy knots with a fitch or small sash tool. 
 It is done by twisting the brush around, and with 
 very Httle practice is easily done, and sets off the 
 work to good advantage. When dry, varnish. 
 
 White W^alnut Ground. — Dark buff or russet 
 color. Stipple with raw umber in beer. Put in 
 growths with raw umber 3 parts, burnt umber and 
 raw sienna i part, in oil, and when dry thin down, 
 glaze and shade. 
 
 In graining walnut woods, use the flat overgrainer 
 brush and pencils. 
 
 English Walnut Ground. — Very light buff. 
 Stipple with burnt umber in beer. Overgrain with 
 Vandyke brown in oi]. Thin down, glaze and shade 
 with the same. Varnish when dry. 
 
 Oak Ground. — Light buff. White lead, chrome 
 yellow and very little Venetian red. Grain with 
 burnt umber, raw sienna and very httle burnt sienna 
 in oil and turpentine, half and half; add a little 
 beeswax dissolved in oil. Beer will answer. Use 
 the steel comb ; and also get a piece of rubber about 
 4 inches long, 2 inches wide and % inch thick, and 
 cut notches in it about yl inch apart. Use the rub- 
 ber for the heavy growths. After using the rubber 
 draw the steel comb diagonally across the work. Use 
 soft canton flannel over the thumb nail to wipe out 
 the lights, hearts, etc. When dry shade with same 
 color; throw in shades with rubbing-in brush and 
 tool; wipe out with rag. I can give you no designs, 
 but would advise you to study the wood, and do not 
 try to beat the one that made it grow. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 49 
 
 Pine Ground. — Light buff. Grain with burnt 
 sienna in oil. 
 
 Maple Ground. — Same as oak. Grain with raw 
 umber in beer. Use the points of your fingers to 
 make the bird eyes, by tapping them sHghtly on the 
 wet color, and a flat varnish brush to make the curls, 
 etc., also, overgrainer to make the growths. 
 
 MACHINE ORAIICIXO. 
 
 It is very easy to do this class of work, if the work- 
 man has but a shght knowledge of graining and the 
 proper manipulation of the colors to be used. 
 
 The process of making the machine is as follows : 
 Get a piece of oak, ash, or walnut that has a nice 
 grain. The piece should be about 2 feet in length 
 by 8 inches in width. Plane it down smooth. Raise 
 the grain by wetting it with warm water on both 
 sides. If you put it m the sun to dry, turn it over 
 every few minutes to avoid warping. Tack a strip 
 on the sides and ends, or what is usually called side- 
 boards, to keep the composition from running off the 
 mold. The composition is made as follows : 3 ft)s. 
 common G ; let it soak in enough water to cover it 
 until it is soft. Put it into a kettle and let it boil very 
 slowly; keep stirring all the while until all the He is 
 dissolved, then add 3 pints of New Orleans molasses. 
 Oil the mold, then pour the composition warm into 
 the mold (which should be set level) until it is about 
 J^ inch thick; lay a piece of canvass on the top of it 
 evenly, and when dry lift it^out, cut the edge square, 
 
so Millers ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 and when it is dry it is ready for use. Place the 
 pattern on a rocker the size of the pattern, coat the 
 face of the pattern with graining color, using a soft 
 brush and press it on to the door. 
 
 It will cost you but little to experiment to make 
 good work with it. 
 
 STAIN ORAINI]\G. 
 
 In addition to the art of imitating the graining of 
 woods, marbles, etc., by oil colors, there are methods 
 of bringing out with effect and beauty, as well as of 
 preserving the natural graining of woods, etc., and 
 also of imitating, heightening and improving them 
 artificially, though less practiced are not less in- 
 genious or worthy of attention from the grainer, it 
 being desirable to heighten and preserve the natural 
 beauty of the woodwork as by artificial painting to 
 imitate them or hide their defects. For bringing out 
 the natural grain of woodwork where it is of sufficient 
 beauty, it is enough to apply successive coats of dry- 
 ing oil or to varnish the naked work till it bears out, 
 which is sufficient for ordinary joiner's work, but for 
 the nicer cabinet work, in which the choice orna- 
 mental woods are employed, French polishing is nec- 
 essary, which is performed with a spirit varnish con- 
 taining lac, applied by rubbers with linseed oil, and 
 is now so common as to have become a distinct busi- 
 ness. 
 
 In other cases graining may be performed on the 
 naked wood with transparent colors in turpentine or 
 water, which, when dry, may be varnished or French 
 
Miller^ s ''Boss^' Painters' Guide. 51 
 
 polished, or the same may be done on the ordinary 
 woods previously stained of the colors of the more 
 valuable sorts. A beautiful variety of graining may 
 be executed with acids on plain wood brought out 
 by heat, in which way the nitrous acids or aqua fortis 
 applied affords amber and yellow shades; and the 
 sulphuric acid yields shades of a dusky and darker 
 hue, so as together imitate the various hues of the 
 tortoise shell, etc., after which the work is to be 
 cleaned off and varnished or polished. 
 
 FliOAT MARBL.£IZIXG. 
 
 This is the same process by which iron or slate 
 mantels are done, and I have done wood the same 
 way with very pleasing results. 
 
 1. Give the wood a good body; see that it is well 
 rubbed down, and finish with the ground you wish. 
 
 2. Have a tank, 3 inches deep, large enough for 
 the work to go in. Fill the tank with water, add 2 
 ounces of gum tragacanth for every gal. of water. 
 
 3. Mix your colors with TT, add a very little RO, 
 put colors in bottles, add i teaspoonful of beef gall, 
 shake up well; sprinkle the colors evenly on the 
 water. When you have the colors arranged satisfac- 
 torily, dip the work in evenly; when dry, varnish. 
 
 The workman should have a good idea 01 the 
 stone of which he is to imitate the colors, general 
 
52 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 formation of veins, etc. Paint the ground-work, and, 
 when dry, coat with slow drying color, then work in 
 your veins, etc. 
 
 ITALIAN MARBLE. 
 
 Tools. — Camels hair pencil, feather, blender and 
 sponge. 
 
 Ground. — Black. 
 
 Working Colors. — Cold tint for bright veins 
 burnt sienna, white and yellow ochre, oil, turps and 
 japr.n. 
 
 Scramble out, in patches, with thin white lead, 
 with a sponge; blend; then with the hair pencil 
 trace in the large dark veins with burnt sienna, then 
 with the yellow ochre, and lastly with the gold tint, 
 running the lines over each other, yet all having the 
 same general direction. It will be seen, from the 
 specimens, that these veins are series of irregular 
 loopholes and patches of light, crossed and connected 
 by sharp, crinked and angular lines, the whiter lines 
 being the sharpest. 
 
 When veined and dry, glaze with very thin as- 
 phaltum, in patches, to give it depth. Then varnish, 
 and, if desired, poHsh. 
 
 Tools.- — Same as for Itahan, only fitches are used 
 instead of pencils. 
 
 Ground. — Black. 
 
 Grain Color. — White, yellow ochre and green. 
 
 Scramble in large flakes of white with the sponge, 
 and blend. 
 
Miller's ^'Boss^^ Painters' Guide. 53 
 
 Trace in the other tints in veins, something similar 
 to Itahan, only less veins, and more heavy, being 
 done in large, irregular circles. Blend softly. 
 
 SIENXA. 
 
 Tools. — Same as above. 
 
 Ground. — White and raw sienna. 
 
 Grain Color. — Raw umber, raw sienna, white 
 and black. 
 
 Cloud it over with a thin buff tint, in patches, 
 using a sponge. 
 
 Vein with raw umber for dark, and raw sienna 
 and black, mixed to a green tint, for the lights. 
 
 The form and character of this is similar to verd- 
 antique, only the rings are more regularly round. 
 
 Blend lightly, and varnish when dry. 
 
 WHITE. 
 
 Ground in the work, white; and while the last 
 coat is wet, light a tallow candle and smoke the work 
 in spots, and run lead-colored veins from spot to 
 spot. 
 
 ORAIICITE. 
 
 Ground. — Dark dove color. 
 Grain Color. — White black and Venitian red. 
 Sprinkle evenly with brush by hitting it with a 
 stick. 
 
54 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 STAINS. 
 
 TO MAK£ REI> 8ABf]>£RIS STAIN. 
 
 Fill a bottle of any size a little more than one- 
 quarter full of red sanders, then fill the bottle up 
 with AC. The AC extracts the color from the Sand- 
 ers, and the liquid is called sanders stain, or red 
 Sanders stain. The more red sanders you put into 
 the bottle the stronger will be the stain, while it can 
 at any time be diluted with AC to make lighter 
 shades. The longer it remains in the bottle the 
 more color will be extracted. Always strain it 
 through a piece oi thin muslin before throwing the 
 grounds away. Ask for red sanders at any drug 
 store. It is a red wood-dust. Ten cents a pound is 
 what I have been paying at all wholesale druggists. 
 Do not ask for less than half a pound, or you may 
 be charged a high rate. 
 
 TO MIX SANI>£RS STAIX WITH ASPHAL.TUM 
 VARNISH. 
 
 If you pour red sanders stain in with asphaltum 
 they will not mix of themselves, but by adding TT 
 sufficient to thin to a proper consistency, the TT will 
 cause both stains to unite. The sanders gives the 
 red shade, and the asphaltum gives the dark — more 
 or less of either will give the required shade accord- 
 ing to the strength. 
 
 N. B. — The stronger the red sanders stain is made 
 the less of it will be required to give sufficient red 
 
Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 and of course the less AC will be used. It requires 
 very little sanders to get red enough. It is the liquid, 
 not the grounds of the red sanders you mix with the 
 asphaltum. The grounds are, as stated in making 
 sanders stains, thrown away. After mixing these 
 two stains you hdd better strain it to take the dross 
 from the asphaltum. 
 
 ON MIXING AOAIN. 
 
 Red sanders stain can be mixed with umber 
 ground in oil or turpentine. TT will mix it with all 
 other colors, and it is better and more of a mahogany 
 or rosewood red than all other stains. TT will also 
 mix asphaltum with umber, and make it adhere to 
 the wood better. In fact a number of practical ex- 
 periments can be made with sanders and asphaltum 
 mixed with many other colors, turpentine mixing 
 them either with oils or alcohol colors, and of course 
 with turpentine colors. 
 
 WOOD STAINS. 
 
 Light Woods to Mahogany. — Mix red sanders 
 stain and asphaltum stain (see mixing stains), and 
 when it is the desired color apply with a brush. Do 
 not have the stain too thick. If the wood is not 
 stained sufficiently red to suit your fancy, you may 
 put red sanders stain in the varnish, and every coat 
 of the stained varnish will make the wood more red. 
 
 N. B. — The stronger the red sanders stain is made 
 the less it takes to color the varnish. And thus you 
 use less AC, which is at present prices the most ex- 
 
56 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 pensive article you have to get. Thin the varnish 
 when you mix stain with it for first coat; by so doing 
 you can spread the color more evenly ( in mixing 
 stains and varnishes). . 
 
 Walnut to Light Mahogany. — With either a 
 rag or brush rub over the wood a coloring of red 
 Sanders stain, and you have a perfect mahogany. 
 And by either oil finishing or varnishing, the color 
 will be brought out. Red sanders dries almost im- 
 mediately, and can be finished right off. 
 
 N. B. — Some walnut wood is light, some dark; 
 consequently make the stain strong or weak to suit 
 the wood. You can at any time give more coloring 
 to wood if necessary by mixing stain with the varnish, 
 even after varnish has been applied to the wood. 
 
 Walnut to Dark Mahogany. — First go over the 
 work with asphaltum stain, then with the sanders ; 
 be sure you do not have the asphaltum too thick or 
 the work will be too dark. 
 
 Another Mahogany Stain. — Dragon's blood 
 used the same as red sanders, but it is too expensive 
 and does not stand so well. 
 
 Again. — By applying aquafortis diluted with water 
 to dark new woods it will make a mahogany, but I 
 don't recommend it, as aquafortis is expensive and 
 dangerous. 
 
 To Darken Mahogany. — Use sal soda or lye, 
 but do not have it too strong; dilute with water. 
 This is to make light mahogany into dark Spanish. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 57 
 
 MIXING STAINS WITH VARNISHER. 
 
 Red Sanders stain and asphaltum stain can be 
 mixed up with varnish. If the varnish is made from 
 turpentine, they will mix readily. If made from oil 
 or alcohol, turpentme will cause the asphaltum to 
 mix. 
 
 Knotty Pine Mahogany. — Mix whiting with 
 warm water to consistency of thick white wash, put 
 in as much Venetian red as will give it a red ap- 
 pearance; now mix in sufficient dissolved glue as 
 will make the mixture adhere to the wood. By 
 giving the wood two coats of this mixture the flaws, 
 knots, etc. , will be hidden, and when well dry, rub 
 off the loose sizing, then varnish with red sanders 
 stain in the varnish, and you will have a very good 
 appearing stain. Brown umber or any color may be 
 used in the above sizing to suit the fancy for colors, 
 or to darken the mahogany. 
 
 Walnut for White Wood. — A solution of equal 
 parts of permanganate of potash and sulphate of 
 magnesia applied to white wood by means of a brush 
 will produce an excellent brown color, resembling 
 walnut. A second coat may be required after the 
 first coat is dry. 
 
 Walnut Again. — Burned umber, burned sienna 
 and boiled linseed oil ground fine. This is not dur- 
 able, as the oil or varnish is required to protect it 
 from coming off. 
 
 Walnut Again. — One ounce gum asphaltum, 
 three or four ounces turpentine, one ounce boiled 
 
58 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 linseed oil and Venetian red to color red — an old 
 way. 
 
 Imitation Black Walnut. — Poplar or white 
 wood treated as follows will assume the appearance 
 of finest black walnut. The wood must be dry and 
 warm and then coated once or twice with a strong 
 aqueous solution of extract of walnut peel. When 
 half dried, the wood is brushed with a solution, com- 
 pounded of one part by weight of bichromate of 
 potassa in five parts of boiling water and after drying' 
 thoroughly is rubbed and polished. The stain pene- 
 trates to the depth of from one-twelfth to one-sixth 
 of an inch. 
 
 For Rosewood. — Dissolve two ounces pulverized 
 extract of logwood in one pint of boiling water ( bel- 
 ter let it boil till it is dissolved). Apply two coats 
 to the wood while hot, and to make the rosewood 
 grain, stripe it according to fancy, when dry, rub off 
 all the black you can with a rough cloth. 
 
 Rosewood Again. — Half pound of red sanders 
 and half pound logwood, boiled in one gallon o\ 
 water for one hour; strain and add half ounce of 
 powdered AN; go over the wood with this while 
 hot, and when dry form dark streaks with logwood 
 without red sanders, boiled in the same proportions. 
 The dark streaks can be made black by adding one- 
 quarter of an ounce of green copperas to the gallon 
 of a pure logwood stain. You can shade the first 
 mixture by proportioning the red sanders and log- 
 wood in the first stain. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 59 
 
 BEAUTlFUIi SHADES ON lilOHT C0I40RED WOODS, 
 
 Can be made by holding a flat piece of red hot iron 
 close to the wood, so as to scorch it irregularly; also, 
 by heating sand as hot as you can and throwing it on 
 the wood in uneven thickness. This will bring out 
 very beautiful shades. 
 
 Cherry. — Rub over the light wood the red Sand- 
 ers stain, and it will be a good cherry, but do not 
 have the stain too strong, or it will be too red. 
 
 Cherry Again. — Boil one ounce annate in 12 
 ounces rain water ; when the color is well extracted 
 put in a bit of potash the size of two peas, and keep 
 it on the fire a half hour or longer. This raises the 
 grain. 
 
 Satin Wood. — Can be obtained with very light 
 Sanders stains on light woods. It must only be 
 tinged. 
 
 STAIXS FOR VENEERS. 
 
 Red. — Brazil wood, fourteen parts; alum, four 
 parts ; water, eighty-five parts. Boil. 
 
 Blue. — Logwood, seven parts; blue vitriol, one 
 part ; water, twenty-five parts. Boil. 
 
 Green. — Verdigris, one part; vinegar, three^parts. 
 Dissolve. 
 
 Yellow. — French berries, seven parts; water, ten 
 parts; alum, one part. Boil. 
 
 Purple. — Logwood, eleven parts; alum three 
 parts : water, twenty-nine parts. Boil. 
 
 Apply the above with a rag, hot, (except the 
 green). These stains will raise the grain, and must, 
 
60 Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 of course, be rubbed down before varnishing. They 
 will not be suitable to go over old varnish, but are 
 good for old veneers. 
 
 Remember This. — It is impossible to give the 
 quantities in many receipts. Sometimes you pur- 
 chase things with more coloring matter, and less 
 would be required. The liquids are sometimes of a 
 higher proof, and in a thousand and one ways you 
 may go wrong if exact quantities were given. Ex- 
 periment with a very little, and do not spoil or waste 
 any large quantity. This refers to shades of stains 
 mostly. 
 
 Staining Floors, Old and New. — To half a pint 
 of asphaltum varnish, add two tablespoonfuls of 
 umber (ground in oil ) ; thin this with boiled oil and 
 turpentine (half as much oil as turpentine); then 
 shade with red sanders stain, and by mixing a little 
 turpentine varnish, it will wear better. Apply with 
 a brush, not too thick, and mix in a little japan dryer 
 to dry the varnish. 
 
 Orange Stain. — Use vermilion or carmine mixed 
 with chrome yellow, and be sure and have a good 
 full yellow, or it will look poor and watery. 
 
 Salmon Stain. — Dutch pink and red sanders 
 stain. 
 
 Flesh Color. — Can be made by using different 
 quantities of Dutch pink and red sanders stain. 
 
 Purple Stain. — Lake united with Prussian blue 
 or carmine. 
 
 Purple. — To a pound of good chip logwood, put 
 three quarts of water, boil for an hour, then add four 
 
Miller^ s ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. SI 
 
 ounces of pearlash and two ounces of indigo com- 
 pounded. 
 
 SIGN PAINTER'S DEPARTMENT. 
 
 liETTERING. 
 
 A Roman letter is the standard. No painter need 
 boast of any accomplishment with more pride than 
 to be able to make a good Roman letter. When he 
 can do that he has laid the foundation for the mak- 
 ing of all kinds of letters. 
 
 Letters are composed of stems, curves and dashes. 
 A stem is upward and downward strokes. A curve 
 is a part of a perfect or imperfect circle. A dash is 
 a horizontal line. Stems are of two kinds : first, a 
 narrow stem like the first and third stem of an M; 
 second, a broad stem is like the second and fourth 
 stem of an M. A curve is like an O or the right 
 stem of B, R, P, etc. A dash is like the line that 
 connects an H, A, etc., and forms what is called the 
 bierd of a letter. The body of a letter is from out- 
 side to outside of the stems. A light stem is called 
 an up-stroke, a heavy stem is called down -stroke. 
 An up-stroke should correspond with the bierd. The 
 body of the letters should all be of the same bread\:h. 
 An I is the only exception. 
 
 The eye is naturally educated to divide letters by 
 space. When a wide letter is placed with narrow 
 ones, it destroys the harmony, for the eye delights 
 in harmony as well as the ear. There is another 
 
S2 Miller's ''J^oss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 vulgar habit. That of making the lower curved stem 
 of the R, to set in. That is a deformity. Some 
 men stutter or hsp to be attractive, or knock one eye 
 out or cut off a leg or a finger. These are violations 
 of the rules of nature. In music we have seven 
 natural sounds. A single sound, such as a pig 
 squealing, is terrific ; but three pigs squealing in one, 
 three and ^wq, the sound is in unison and destroys 
 the harshness; therefore, harmony will render de- 
 lightful the most disagreeable objects or sounds either 
 to the eye or ear. So in making any kind of a letter 
 be careful of uniformity in space and size. Any one 
 who can make a Roman letter can make a Block or 
 Antique. But letters are tco much in the habit of 
 being too monotonous. The first thing is to look at 
 the signs in the neighborhood, and then use your 
 best judgment what style of letter will be most suit- 
 able. A name should be in Roman whenever space 
 will admit of it. An ornamental letter is easily 
 made. First select a leaf or scroll for a stem and 
 make every heavy stem ahke. I always made an 
 ornament of my own. I find but few good script 
 capitals in any book. They are deformed, the 
 up-strokes are heavy, when in fact they should be 
 light. It is just as much out of place as it would be 
 in making a Roman letter. People who adopt such 
 a departure have no regard for order. The main 
 feature is uniformity. The best brushes are camel's 
 hair and sable ; not too long or too short, and should 
 be the full size of a light stem, so that one line will 
 complete a stroke. 
 
Miller^ s ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 63 
 
 THi: MJBTHOO OF I.ETT£RIIVO. 
 
 rFULL ROMAN. 
 This analysis is that of the Roman alphabet proper, 
 usually denominated the full Roman, and by printers 
 ^''upper case/' It is the most perfectly formed of 
 ^11 the alphabets, making no departure from strictly 
 geometric rules, but adhering in every particular to 
 lines which are either perfect curves or straight lines. 
 Many Roman alphabets so called, such as the straight 
 Roman, the Chicago Roman, etc., are not correctly 
 speaking the true, from the fact that the curves are 
 not perfectly constructed, varying from a true circle. 
 In this analysis we have adopted a method in very 
 general use by the best authorities on this subject, 
 each letter being placed upon a frame work of five 
 spaces in height and five in width. 
 
 Thus giving to the student a just proportion of the 
 letters as compared one with another, and also en- 
 abling him to increase or diminish the size of the 
 squares. By this method the letters can be extended 
 or contracted by changing the proportion ot the 
 width of the squares as compared with their height. 
 
64 Miller^ s ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 - -- ^ 
 
 and the letters can also be placed at any angle. The 
 working scale or size of square should always be equal i 
 to the width of the body or stem oi the letter. It will 
 be seen that the letters differ very materially in width, 
 as for instance: A, C, D, G, M, O, Q, R, T, V, Y, 
 Z, and the character &, are all full letters, that is the 
 height and width correspond ; while in B, F, H, L, 
 N, P, S, U and X, the breadth is 4-5 of the height, 
 and in W the breadth is greater by 2-5 than the 
 height. 
 
 The body of the letter should be 1-5 of its height, 
 except in the ,curved letters, when it should be 
 widened a trifle, as otherwise it would have the ap- 
 pearance of being thinner, owing to the fact that the 
 space between the curved Hues always appears less 
 
 than that between straight lines. The fine lines 
 should be hair lines, and when a scale of one inch is 
 used, that is in five inch letters, this line should not 
 be over one line, or j^ inch in size. The width or 
 spread of the small curves ( sometimes called grace 
 lines) should be ^ the width of the body of letter, 
 and the spurs should project as much further, thus 
 together equaling 1-5 of the height of the letter. In 
 some cases it is necessary to make the curves and 
 spurs at the bottom of the letter a little longer than 
 at the top. 
 
 The A is a full letter, the outside oblique lines 
 should be drawn from a point i-io the width of the 
 letter, to the right of the center upon the upper Hne ; 
 the cross line should be a little below the center of 
 the letter ; the grace hues and spurs upon the hair 
 
Miller's ^^ Boss'' Painters' Guide. 65 
 
 line should be made heavier than those upon the 
 body. 
 
 The B is a four-fifths letter; the cross line should 
 be placed a trifle above the center, thus making the 
 lower curve a little longer than the upper, and giving 
 the letter stability of form ; the curves can be made 
 with compasses, by using the points marked with 
 crosses as centers; the width of the body of the 
 curves should be a trifle more than 1-5 of the height 
 of the letter. 
 
 The C is a full letter; the outside line is the cir- 
 cumference of a perfect circle; the inside curve can 
 also be drawn with compasses by changing the center 
 illustrating a crescent. The body of the letter should 
 be a Httle more than 1-5 of the height, and the 
 heaviest part should be below the center, the per- 
 pendicular Hne on the head should be a little within 
 the circle, so that the lower part of the letter will ap- 
 pear broader than the upper part. 
 
 The D is a little less than a full letter ; the large 
 curve is a perfect arc; the inner curve can be made 
 by changing the center and using the same radius as 
 for the outside curve; the body of the curve should 
 be a trifle wider than the upright body. \ 
 
 The E is a four-fifths letter ; the lower should be 
 a little longer than the upper; the grace lines of the 
 heads should be long and made with perfect curves ; 
 the perpendiculars of the lower head should be ex- 
 tended a little longer than the upper; the center 
 piece should project just one-half of the distance to 
 
66 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 the outside of the letter, and be placed a little above 
 the center. 
 
 The same rules apply to the F, which is a four- 
 fifths letter, with the exception that the perpendicular 
 of the center pieces should be a little longer than in 
 the E. 
 
 The Gr is a full letter and the rules for making it 
 are the same as for the C, with the exception that 
 the greatest width of the body should be directly at 
 the center of the letter ; the lower right hand part of 
 it should be fully one-fifth of the width of the letter 
 and the horizontal line should be drawn a little below 
 the center, and extend from the center to the same 
 distance outside of the letter as the spurs. 
 
 The H is a four-fifths letter; the cross line should 
 be placed above the center, and the lower grace lines 
 should be a trifle longer than the upper. 
 
 The I is one-fifth of the height; the lower curves 
 should be a little longer than the upper. 
 
 In the proportions of the J authorities differ, some 
 giving it four-fifths and others three-fifths of its 
 height. In this analysis I give it as a three-fifths 
 letter, the ball is two-fifths of its height, and should 
 be an oval in form. 
 
 The K is a full letter; the body is one-fifth of the 
 height. From the upper inside point of the body 
 draw an oblique line to the lower right hand corner 
 of fifth space ; then form a point on the body two- 
 fifths of the height of the letter from the bottom line, I 
 draw another obfique line to the upper right hand 
 
Miller's ''Boss-' Pointers' Guide. 67 
 
 corner of the fourth space on the upp'er line, a more 
 definite understanding can be had from studying the 
 letter. 
 
 The Ij IS a four-fifths letter ; the perpendicular line 
 of the arm sliould be about one-half the height of the 
 letter, the same as in the F. 
 
 The M is a full letter. The middle lines should 
 meet the lower line at a point three-fifths of the width 
 from the right hand of the letter; the small curves on 
 the hair line should be heavier than on the' other 
 letters. 
 
 The N is a four-fifths letter ; the grace lines should 
 correspond with those of the M; the left hand one, 
 however, should be a trifle heavier than the right 
 hand. 
 
 'The O is a full letter, and can be made by follow- 
 ing the rules for making the G. 
 
 The P is a four-fifths letter. The cross line should 
 be at the center of the height of the letter ; the curves 
 can be made with compasses, and the body of the 
 curves should be a little more than one-fifth of the 
 width of the letter. 
 
 The Q is a full letter, and is made the same as the 
 O ; the tail should extend to the outside limit ot the 
 letter to the right, and should be at least onie-fifth of 
 the height of the letter below the hne ; and it will be 
 found well not to vary much from the line of beauty 
 in its formation. 
 
 The K is made the same as B or P, with the ex- 
 ception that the tail is extended, making it a full 
 letter. The shape of the tail varies with different 
 
OS Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 authorities, either being brought down to a horizontal 
 base and finished with a spur, or curved at the end ; 
 in either case the general outline should be the Hne 
 of beauty. 
 
 The S is the most beautiful and the most difficult 
 letter of the alphabet to form correctly. It is a four- 
 fifths letter, and it is formed by two lines of beauty. 
 The upper half should be a little smaller than the 
 lower half. A convenient manner of drafting this 
 letter is as follows : Take as centers, points three- 
 tenths of the height of the letter, from the left hand 
 upper corner and right hand lower corner, describe 
 two circles and connect arcs. This is not absolutely 
 correct, yet it will serve as a guide to untrained 
 hands, and from it can be formed a perfect letter by 
 changing the curves a little. 
 
 The T is a full letter. The upright lines should 
 be two-fifths the height of the letter, and the grace 
 lines should correspond with those of the E and F. 
 
 The U is a four-fifths letter. The hair line on the 
 right, with the grace lines corresponding with those 
 in the N. The curves at the bottom are made with 
 a radius of two-fifths of the height of the letter. 
 
 The V is a full letter. The hair line, with the 
 grace line, is formed similar to those in the U. The 
 point where the oblique lines meet on the lower line 
 should be equally distant from the outside limit of 
 the width of the letter. 
 
 The W occupies more space than any other letter, 
 being a seven fifths letter. The points on the lower 
 line for the meeting of .the obhque lines should be 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 69 
 
 two-fifths of the height of the letter from each side, 
 and the body of the second V should occupy the 
 middle space of the upper line. This can best be 
 understood by studying the plate. 
 
 The X is a four-fifths letter, formed simply by an 
 oblique cross. Care should be taken, however, to 
 have the upper half a Httle smaller than the lower 
 half. 
 
 The Y is a full letter. The upright part of the 
 body should be just one-half the height of the letter, 
 but the point where the hair line connects with the 
 body should be a Httle above the center of the letter: 
 
 The Z is a full letter. The lower arm should oc- 
 cupy the whole width of the letter, but the upper 
 arm should be about one line shorter. The perpen- 
 dicular lines from the arms should be about two-fifths 
 of the height of the letter, the right hand one being 
 a trifle longer. 
 
 The character & occupies a full space. In the 
 form of this character authorities differ very materi- 
 ally. It is an abbreviation of the Latin word £f, 
 meaning and, and was originally a perfect represen- 
 tation of the letters £ and /, but time has changed 
 its form so that its original signification can scarcely 
 be distinguished. The form given here is\ the most 
 popular, as well as the most graceful, and coming 
 nearest to the original can be made as follows : With 
 a radius equal to about three-tenths of the height of 
 the character describe an arc of three-quarters of a 
 circumference from the left hand termination of the 
 arc with a loop form a curve ending in an oval, this 
 
70 Miller^ s '^Boss^' Painters^ Guide. 
 
 forms the E; from the other extremity of the arc 
 draw a line of beauty to tlie upper line of the space, 
 this forms the cross of the t and completes the char- 
 acter. The body of the curve should be one-fifth 
 the height oi the letter. 
 
 LOWER CASE ROMAN. 
 
 The small class or lower case Roman letters are 
 not so universally employed by sign-writers as the 
 capitals, yet there are times when a knowledge of 
 their forms and proportions is very important, es- 
 pecially with designers and draftsmen. 
 
 Painters vary considerably in formmg these letters, 
 yet the proportion of the height should always be 
 preserved, in order to form well balanced and grace- 
 ful characters. It will be observed that the propor- 
 tion of these letters differs a little from that of the 
 capitals. In all of the full space letters, b, c, d, e, 
 g, k, o, p, q, V, y and z, the height is a trifle greater 
 than the width; the body of the b, d, f, h, k and 1 
 extend three spaces above the line, and that of the t 
 two spaces; the body of the g, j, p, q and y extend 
 three spaces below the line ; the m and n are 7-5 
 space letters. The body of each letter should be 1-5 
 of the height of the letter. The f, j and r are 3-5 
 space letters, and the 1 and i 1-5 space letters. 
 
 The curve of all the letters, with the exception of 
 those of the a, lower part of the g, and the s, can be 
 made with the compasses. The spurs should extend 
 at least i-io of the height of the letter; the small 
 curves or grace lines may be used or not, as tastes 
 dictate. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 71 
 
 The capital dipthongal characters AL and CE oc- 
 cupy an 8-5 space each, and are made according to 
 the rules for the capitals, except that the body of the 
 E is incorporated as a 1-5 part of the A and O. The 
 lower case dipthongal characters also follow the rules 
 for the small letters, the character a^ occupying an 
 8-5 space, and the oe a 9-5 space. 
 
 In addition to the Full Roman there are other 
 forms of the Roman letter, among which a few of the 
 most popular are the Straight Roman, Chicago 
 Roman, Italic, and Antique or Old Style. It will 
 be needless to give a full analytical plate of each of 
 these forms, as the analysis of the Full Roman will 
 answer as a guide for their construction. 
 
 THE STRAIGHT ROMAN 
 
 Differs from the Full Roman from the fact that the 
 outlines of the body of the letter are straight lines, 
 the small curves or grace lines which characterize 
 and beautify the full letter being dispensed with; this 
 letter is also slightly contracted in width, being as a 
 rule about 4-5 of the height. The C, G, K, O, Q, 
 T, X and V should, however, be nearly full space 
 letters, and the M and W should occupy about a 6-5 
 space. The lower case letters of this style differ from 
 those already given only in the fact that the grace 
 lines are not used. 
 
72 
 
 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 BLOCKS 
 
 The finished block, either round or square, will be 
 given the same space as the Roman. 
 
 The unfinished block will occupy the same space, 
 except the |\/| and \^, which will require one-fifth 
 more space, the | one-third ihe space. The rule for 
 the formation of all letters is as follows : 
 
 DIAGRAM. 
 
 E : : j 
 
 C : : L_ 
 
 : D : : D 
 
 E : : ! 
 
 B 
 
 Bl 
 
 a a — Top and bottom lines. 
 
 b b — The space the letter occupies. 
 
 c — Center line. 
 
 d d — Body lines. 
 
 e e — Used only in block letters. 
 
 In laying off work avoid using the lead pencil. I 
 would recommend the use of soft chalk, which can 
 be rubbed off easily when finished. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 73 
 
 A good way to space a sign that is to be painted 
 on a brick wall, is to follow a mortar joint for top 
 and bottom lines. Count the number of bricks run- 
 ning through and divide by the number of letters and 
 spaces. For example you wish to paint the word 
 GROCERY. You havc here seven letters ; give 
 one-half of a space at each end ; which would make 
 eight letters and spaces; and the sign is 20 bricks 
 long. The size of the space for each letter would be 
 2j^ bricks, and i}^ bricks at each end. The same 
 rule can be observed on board work, by measuring 
 the length of the line and dividing into feet and 
 inches. 
 
 TO OIL.]> ON GL.ASIS. 
 
 Size : Take a piece of isinglass about the size of 
 a twenty-five cent piece, and put in a pint of rain 
 water scalding hot; stir until the isinglass is dis- 
 solved, then filter through filter-paper ; then add one 
 tablespoonful of good whisky; let stand one day 
 before using. This size will keep a year in a bottle 
 corked up. It will work much better when it has 
 stood two or three weeks. 
 
 Good, clear white G will answer if you have no 
 isinglass. 
 
 It is sometimes very convenient for the house 
 painter to know how to do a job of glass-gilding, and 
 after a little practice it can be done very successfully 
 by following the directions here given. In the first 
 place good work cannot be done on poor glass. If 
 plate glass cannot be had, then the best French glass 
 
74 Miller's '^ Boss^' Painters' Guide. 
 
 should take its place, for to the purity of the glass 
 do we owe the greater part of the brilliancy of the 
 work. Having secured the glass, proceed to clean 
 it thoroughly with whiting and water, polishing it on 
 the wrong side with tissue paper. Apply the size 
 plentifully to the glass with a clean camels-hair 
 spalter, and with a tip throw on leaf somewhat in 
 excess to the space needed for the work, and when 
 this is done let the whole dry, setting it up edgewise. 
 When dry, take refined cotton and rub briskly until 
 the desired lustre is obtained. If most of the leaf 
 has been rubbed away, no matter, the lustre has 
 been obtained. Now lay a second coat in the same 
 manner as the first. When dry go over it again with 
 cotton, lightly, touch up all the bare spots with leaf, 
 by wetting with the breath. When done it is ready 
 for the design, which must be drawn on paper, 
 pricked and pounced on the gold in a reverse 
 position, for the same is to show from the opposite 
 side of the glass. Having pounced it, proceed to 
 paint out the whole design with drop black in J apan, 
 except such places as may need coloring or to be 
 flatted. Then wash off the surplus gold with water. 
 If the sizing is a little too strong add a trifle of naptha 
 to the water when washing. Such places as are to 
 be colored can now be attended to. If flat gold is 
 to form any part, the space left for it is to be laid 
 with ordinary varnish-size and leaf laid in the ordin- 
 ary manner, which on the opposite side in contrast 
 with that which is burnished will be very dead or flat. 
 Do all shading backwards, and when this is dry all 
 
Miller's '' Boss^' Painters' Guide. 76 
 
 is done, and if glass, tools, water and roon:i are clean, 
 a fine job may be expected. Silver leaf is worked the 
 same way. 
 
 TO OIL.I> ON WOOD, «fec. 
 
 First get a body with flat paint, not less than three 
 coats on wood, or two on tin or iron, rubbed down 
 smooth. If it is a sign you wish to gild avoid laying 
 off with lead pencil, use the soft chalk, then brush 
 off with duster. 
 
 For Size, use old fat linseed oil, the older the 
 better, mixed with orange chrome yellow; put a little 
 best Japan in it, thin with TT. Let stand lo hours, 
 or until it is tackey, then gild. 
 
 There are various methods practiced by painters- 
 in laying gold leaf. The old method required the 
 use of a ^^Tip," cushion and gold-knife. The tip is 
 a camels-hair brush or lifter, made from two layers of 
 pasteboard, between which a small quantity of cam- 
 el's hair is laid flat and the parts glued together. The 
 cushion is simply a piece of chamois skin stretched 
 tightly over one side of an oblong piece of wood six 
 by eight inches, a layer or two of woolen cloth <3r of 
 cotton is, however, first fastened to the board. The 
 gold-knife has a long narrow and flexible blade with 
 wooden handle and is worthless for any other than 
 the purpose intended. The gold-book is held in 
 the left hand and a leaf ol the book is carefully 
 turned back which exposes a leaf of gold, which is 
 pressed upon the cushion by a dexterous reversal of 
 the hands. Should the leaf wrinkle, a puff of the 
 
7 a Miller^ s ^'Boss^^ Painters^ Guide. 
 
 breath directly from above it, will usually straighten 
 it. Next, with the gold-knife cut the leaf into the 
 widths required for the work, and by means of the 
 tip lift so much as the hairs will cover, and apply to 
 the "size," beginning at the outer end of the hair. 
 
 The tip must be drawn over .the hair or beard oc- 
 casionally in order to cleanse it from small particles 
 of gold, and to slightly grease it. Ornaments, letters 
 and scrolls are usually gilt from the book direct. 
 Another mode is to remove the gold-leaf to an empty 
 book, the leaves of which have been slightly greased 
 with soap or beeswax, after which the book is cut up 
 into the required widths, and the gold is laid on by 
 exposing and applying it from the cut pieces. 
 
 OII.DIXO FRAMES. 
 
 This class of work requires more appliances than 
 the general run of house painters have. I use gold 
 lacquer, and sometimes good coach varnish, for size. 
 Bronze may be used with good success by coating 
 over it with clear white SH varnish. 
 
 L.IQUI]> GOIiI> FOR CHINA BFCORATIOX. 
 
 Powdered gold, which is prepared by grinding 
 gold leaf with white honey on a porphyry slab until 
 reduced to the finest possible state of division ; this 
 is mixed with a thick gum arable and powdered borax. 
 With this mixture the design is traced on china, etc., 
 and baked in a hot oven. The gum is then burnt 
 and the borax vitrified, and at the same time the gold 
 is fixed on the china. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 77 
 
 FI^OC^K ABri> SIIIAL.T. 
 
 If it is a gold sign that you wish to flock or smalt 
 use slow drying colors and very thick, taking care 
 that the color is not fat or greasy, or it will spread 
 and show a rough edge. To flock or smalt other 
 work, see that the work is flat where you do not 
 want the flock or smalt to stick. When the color is 
 on sift the flock or smalt over the work evenly, let 
 it remain for two or three hours, when you can clean 
 it off. 
 
 SMAL.TS. 
 
 I would recommend you to make your own smalts, 
 You can do it at a cost of about one cent a pound. 
 Any good, fine sand will do. See that it is clean, 
 put y^ gallon sand in a kettle, heat it hot; keep 
 stirring until it is dry, then put in about 2 ozs. of 
 mixed color — the color that you wish — (the color 
 should be mixed in good BO ) — keep stirring until 
 all the sand is colored even, then spread it out in the 
 sun to dry, stir it up occasionally and it is ready for 
 use. If you wish you can add a small quantity of 
 pulverized glass or glass frosting. 
 
 TO S1L.TER ON CJL.ASS. 
 
 I. Dissolve 12 grains of RS in boiling water; 
 then add, while boiling, 16 grains of NS, having 
 been previously dissolved in one ounce of water ; 
 continue the boiling for ten minutes; then add water 
 to make 12 ounces. 
 
78 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 2. Dissolve I ounce of NS in to ounces of water ; 
 then add liquor ammonia until the brown precipitate 
 is nearly, but not quite dissolved; then add i ounce 
 alcohol and sufficient water to make 12 ounces. 
 
 To silver, take equal parts of Nos. i and 2, mix 
 thoroughly, then pour upon the glass in the same 
 manner the photographer applies his solutions, or it 
 may be applied with a brush. It should be applied 
 to the glass while its surface is wet, and should pre- 
 viously be carefully cleaned with soda and rinsed 
 down with clean water. Distilled water should be 
 used for making the solutions. About two drachms 
 of each will silver a plate two inches square. The 
 solution should stand and settle for two or three days 
 before being used; it will keep a long time. 
 
 fiHIBOSiSIXO BY BRUSHINO OUT Ol^ GLASS. 
 
 On the flashing side of the glass, or any side if 
 plain glass, lay a coating of asphaltum mixed with a 
 little red lead. When dry place the stencil plate on 
 the glass, and with the use of a stencil brush rub a 
 little soap upon the edges of the stencil plate. This 
 will make the stencil air tight and prevent the TT 
 [which is afterwards used] getting under the edges 
 of the plate and leaving a ragged outline. With 
 similar brush dipped in TT rub off the asphaltum, 
 Hft off the stencil and wash away the deposit left by 
 the soap and TT in co/d water. It is now ready for 
 the acid [fluoric acid] to " bite off," when the orna- 
 ment will have a sharp, clean outline like the stencil. 
 Add 4 ozs. of vitriol to i pint of acid. 
 
Miller's " Boss'^ Painters^ Guide. 79 
 
 BG8T IJfllTATIO]^ OF ETCHING. 
 
 Grind sugar of lead in damar varnish with TT to 
 the consistency of cream. Write the word or orna- 
 ment on the glass, and when set or nearly dry go 
 over with dark gold bronze ; when thoroughly dry 
 back with light. 
 
 A very pretty sign on glass is got by blending 
 the letters with copper, gold and silver bronzes, and 
 back with some rich color. 
 
 FI.UORIC ACID- HOW TO MAK£ IT FOR ETCHING, 
 
 Fluoric [sometimes called hydrofluoric] acid can 
 be made by the fluor or Derbyshire spar, pulverizing 
 it and putting it into sulphuric acid, which will eat 
 or dissolve it. 
 
 Druggists do not generally keep this acid, but can 
 get it in the principle cities. It costs about 75 cents 
 per ounce, which will be sufficient to do about $50 
 worth of work. It is put up in gutta-percha or lead 
 bottles, and must be kept in them when not in use,. 
 Glass bottles, of course will not hold it, as it will dis- 
 solve the glass. 
 
 Olass-Crrindlii^ for Transoms, Slide Eights, Etc. 
 
 After you have etched the design and wish to 
 show it off to better advantage, take a flat piece of 
 brass and flour of emery and keep it wet. You can 
 grind the light in a very short time. Be sure the 
 glass is laid flat on a level table. 
 
so Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 PREPARATION FOR SHEET ZIN€. 
 
 The sign painter is often called upon to paint a 
 sign on sheet zinc, and when this sign is exposed to 
 the weather a length of time the paint frequently' 
 peels off, especially when ground with white lead. 
 I would recommend the following wash to make the 
 paint adhere : 
 
 2 parts chloride of copper, 
 
 I part nitrate of copper, 
 
 I part sal amonirc, 
 
 I part hydrochlorac acid. 
 Mix in 75 parts water and apply to the zinc a day 
 before the paint is applied. 
 
 The above mixture can be kept ready for use for 
 any length of time by keeping it well corked in a 
 bottle. Shake it well before using. 
 
 JAPAX SSIOXS. 
 
 These signs, in various sizes, are playing a great 
 part in sign painting, and when properly executed 
 they make neat and pretty signs. But so few work- 
 men will study how to avoid certain difficulties at- 
 tending the execution of a neat tin sign. 
 
 For instance, in laying off, they will either use a 
 lead pencil and make indelible marks, or [as I have 
 see an old sign painter do], use a piece of wire or 
 needle and scratch the japanning completely off the 
 tin, causing the same to rust, and givuig the whole 
 sign an old and dingy appearance shortly after ex- 
 posure to the weather; others draw patterns on pa- 
 
Miller's '^Boss'^ Painters' Guide. Si 
 
 per, chalk the back of the paper, and trace it on 
 their tin by means of a pencil or sharpened piece of 
 wood; this mode is too tedious. It requires about 
 the ssme time to lay off the sign that it should to 
 have it sized in, and ready for gilding. 
 
 In my experience I have found the following mode 
 the most practical and expedient, as it leaves the 
 sign without mark or scratch to mar its appearance. 
 
 Take your tin, clean it well with soft cotton, then 
 take the chalk crayon, lay off your sign, and if the 
 chalk will leave some heavy marks on some places, 
 take a Badger hair blender and dust the whole off 
 again; your tin will then be ready for sizing. To 
 mix your size, take 2 ounces of English wearing body, 
 and 2 ounces of American rubbing varnish, add ^ 
 ounce of fat oil and enough yellow to give it body. 
 Size in the evening and gild in the morning. 
 
 The size mixed in this way will not run into the 
 chalk crayon marks, but will make a neat and sharp 
 edge of your lettering, and a harder surface than oil 
 size. The chalk marks will disappear by cleaning 
 your gold entirely, and no mark of any kind remain. 
 
 CREEPING. 
 
 Grounds that have stood for some time, especially 
 in cold weather, the paint is very apt to crawl on it. 
 
 To prevent it various modes have been adopted, 
 such as rubbing with a wet cloth, breathing on it, 
 etc., all of which takes the time of the workman. I 
 find that the best remedy is adding a few drops of 
 
82 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 spirits of ammonia to the color. Be very careful 
 not to get in too much or it will destroy the paint. 
 
 SIZE FOR €AWVAS. 
 
 Use common ^lue size for all ordinary work, but 
 fbr clear white transparencies, use white wax dis- 
 solved in TT. Sometimes starch is used with good 
 effect. 
 
 l,ETTKRIJfG OX CAJ^VAS. 
 
 The color should be mixed with copal varnish or 
 hard oil varnish. No oil should be used. Short 
 hair badger fitches are the best brushes to use on 
 muslin work. Bristle brushes for coarse canvas. 
 
I: 
 
 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 S3 
 
 PAPER HANGING. 
 
 TOOI.S. 
 
 There is no branch of the business where there 
 has been more improvement in the way of tools than 
 in paper hanging. In years gone by the tools of the 
 trade were very few and simple. A white-wash 
 brush for pasting, shears for trimming, a towel for 
 rubbing down, and the kitchen table for the paste 
 board. At the present time the object is to get on 
 as many bolts of paper in a day as possible, and 
 have the days work to look well, but no man can 
 paper a room at the prices that are now" being paid, 
 and make wages unless he is supplied with the mod- 
 ern tools to do the work with; and for the benefit of 
 uninitiated we will give a description of the tools 
 now in use, and how they are used. 
 
 Paste Brush. — 
 The brush has long 
 bristles and when 
 dipped into the paste 
 will hold up enough 
 paste to do a strip 
 about nine feet long 
 with the one dippmg. 
 The object of this is 
 to paste the strip as soon as possible and then get it 
 on the wall before the paste has time to strike 
 
 PASTE BRUSH. 
 
84 
 
 Miller^ s ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 through the paper. The pasting should never be 
 done until you have every thing ready to hang the 
 strip. A strip of brown blank or thin white should 
 be put on the wall as soon as they are pasted. A 
 short bristle brush will not flow^ on the paste pro- 
 perly. 
 
 RUBBIING DOWN BRUSH. 
 
 Rubbing Down Brush. — This is a very useful 
 brush to the paper hanger and should be well taken 
 care of. Ah^ays wash it out when through of an 
 evening. 
 
 Trimmer. — This is 
 indispensable for 
 good work. All fine 
 paper should be trim- 
 med on both edges 
 and butted. To use 
 the trimmer, paste 
 the strip and fold 
 each end about half 
 way, so that each end will meet in the centre, being 
 
 TRIMMER. 
 
Miller^ s ''J5oss" Painters' Guide. 85 
 
 careful that the fold is a true one. Lay the straight 
 edge on the line that is to be trimmed and roll the 
 trimmer along the edge with a steady movement. A 
 strip of zinc about four inches wide and the length 
 of your straight edge should be fastened to the paste 
 board for the knife to roll upon. A shoe knife is 
 sometimes used for trimming but does not do good 
 work. 
 
 Apron. — Should be made of good heavy bed 
 ticking. The apron should come well up under the 
 chin so as tQ protect your shirt front ; and down a 
 little below the knees. A large pocket in front a 
 little above the waistband of your pants ; this is for 
 the rubbing-down brush and roller. A strong loop 
 should be sewed on just below the right hip, for the 
 scissors. A pocket should also be on the left side 
 for the two loot rule. A shoe knife is sometimes 
 carried in the large pocket for trimming around 
 frames and base. 
 
 Paste Board. — One of the most important tools 
 of the paper hanger. There are such a large variety 
 of them that we will not attempt a description of 
 them in our limited space. We will state however 
 that the main object to be attained in the construc- 
 tion of the paste-board is to get them into as compact 
 space as possible. 
 
8S 
 
 Miller's ''Boss'^ Painters^ Guide. 
 
 Roller. — This tool is used to roll down the edges. 
 In using this tool you avoid soiling the edge of the 
 paper and get all parts down to the wall, and should 
 be used on all good work. 
 
 Chalk Line, — Plumb-bob, rule, shears, edging 
 knife and the scrapper about completes the list of 
 tools for the first-class paper hanger, except the 
 
 Tool Box. — No first-class paper hanger will do 
 without the tool box. This is made of light but 
 durable material, about 14 inches in length and 8 by 
 8 inches in height and width, with a handle on the 
 top so that it can be carried the same as a valise. 
 Each owner will paint and decorate his tool box 
 according to his fancy. All the small tools are kept 
 in the box. 
 
 Cleaning the Wall. — 
 To clean off old paper, wet 
 it thoroughly first. You can 
 not get it too wet. If there 
 is more than one coat of paper 
 on the wall, go over the 
 entire room with water then 
 give it another coat, begin- 
 ning at the first starting 
 point. You will save time 
 by letting each coat rest 
 before applying another. It 
 
 I 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guick. 87 
 
 is sometimes necessary to go over the room with the 
 wetting four or five times before it is soaked through 
 to the wall. When it is soaked through use the wall 
 scraper. The handle should be about two feet long. 
 If the paper is well soaked it will peel right off. 
 
 TO PAP£R A ROOM. 
 
 Hang the ceiling first always. If you are not an 
 expert, it is best to snap a line, distance from the 
 angle of the ceiHng and side wall, one half inch less 
 than the width of the paper you wish to hang. Hang 
 to this Hne thus leaving one-half inch of the entire 
 strip to lap on the side wall. The ends should also 
 be trimmed to lap on the side walls one half inch. 
 One-half inch is sufficient, as a wider lap sometimes 
 shows through a delicate border. If you succeed in 
 getting the first piece on straight, you will have no 
 trouble with the others. 
 
 Trim the paper close to the pattern on one side 
 and measure the length of the strip required ; lay 
 the roll on the right hand end of the paste board ; 
 pick the figures that you wish to work by, then cut 
 through it, unroll to the left and cut through the 
 same figure at the end of each strip. After cutting 
 a sufficient number of strips for the room, turn the 
 paper over with the blank side up, get the paper 
 even on the board with the untrimmed side on the 
 side of the board that you wish to stand while past- 
 ing and about two inches from the edge of the board. 
 Slip the top strip over to the edge of the board and 
 commence pasting on the right, holding the paper in 
 
88 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 its place with the left hand. Fold the ends over 
 until they meet in the middle. Commence in the 
 corner or in the most convenient out-of-the-way place 
 where the lap will not show. A strip of paper when 
 pasted should be put on the wall as soon as possible. 
 In hanging the finer grades of paper you should trim 
 after the strip is pasted. Avoid getting paste on the 
 hands; keep all your tools clean. 
 
 In hanging on the ceiling it is best to have a roll 
 in the left hand to keep the paper out flat. Some 
 paper hangers have a piece of broom handle or some 
 other round stick of wood just the width of the 
 paper in length. A light roll of paper will do as 
 well, and I think better, because it is more conven- 
 ient to get. Paste the end down on the roll so as to 
 have a smooth face. Hold the roll in the left hand 
 in the center of the strip, then peal the end down and 
 with the right hand place the end of the strip on the 
 ceiling in its proper place, and with the left hand 
 guide to a proper match, holding the roll square with 
 the edge. If the strip is started at a proper match 
 there will be no trouble to run it on. Slide the roll 
 along the strip holding it square so as to keep the 
 wrinkles out. 
 
 The side wall paper should be started at the side 
 of a door or window frame that is out of the way of 
 a miss-match. If there is a square top base, it is a 
 good idea to trim the paper to fit with a knife; the 
 knife will also be found handy in trimming around 
 frames. A continuous match over and under win- 
 dow frames is not always necessary and is sometimes 
 
Miller's '' Boss^' Painters' Guide. 89 
 
 left until the last. I think that it is best to finish up 
 all as you go. 
 
 PASTE FOR PAPER HAIVGIXG. 
 
 Good sound wheat flour should be used if you 
 wish good paste. I have never seen any substitute 
 used with any success. 
 
 No. I. Is generally used and will answer for 
 most paper. The quantity for about one day's 
 work is as follows : beat up four pounds of good 
 white wheat flour in cold water — enough to form a 
 stiff batter, beat it well to take out all the lumps, 
 have it about as thin as batter. Have boiUng water 
 ready and pour it gently over the batter, stirring 
 rapidly at the same time.' Notice when it begins to 
 change to a cream color and commences to swell, 
 then stop pouring, as it is done. Paste should stand 
 at least ten hours before using. Do not use it while 
 hot. Let it stand for about one hour, then put about 
 a pint of water over it to keep it from skinning over 
 the top. Do not make any more than )^ou wish for 
 the present job. You will find that there is no econ- 
 omy in making a large lot, unless it can be used in 
 the next two or three days. 
 
 No. 2. The same as No. i, except add about 
 three ounces of A. N. 
 
 No. 3. This paste is seldom required, unless you 
 have a very bad wall — one that has been white- 
 washed a number of times. Mix the same as in No. 
 I, add about two ounces of K. N. dissolved in boil- 
 ing water, also one ounce of S. L. Carbolic acid 
 will keep paste from souring, also, common salt. 
 
90 Miller- s '' l3oss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 !§i]ZI]^0 FOR WAI.L.S. 
 
 The walls should be thoroughly cleaned and all 
 the cracks and holes filled with plaster of Paris be- 
 fore they are sized. The size is weak glue water, 
 the strength according to the condition of the wall. 
 In making the size, let the glue soak over night in 
 cold water and add hot water until all is dissolved. 
 Where the walls have been white-washed it is some 
 times advisable to size with vinegar diluted with 
 water according to the condition of the wall. The 
 acid of. the vinegar will counteract the alkali in the 
 lime. 
 
 TO PUT our lilNCRUSTA WALTON, 
 
 One- third glue and two-thirds paste worked as 
 warm as you can work it, also very thick. Rub 
 down the same as paper. 
 
 SIZ£ FOR PAPER. 
 
 The size for paper that is to be varnished should 
 be made of good clear white glue and add about 
 one-third corn starch. Do not attempt to put it on 
 until it is cooled off or chilled. It should be worked 
 very quick. Work the size free from the brush and 
 do as little rubbing as possible. Avoid runs. 
 
 FRFISCO OR DISTEMPER PAINTING. 
 
 The carbonate of lime or whiting employed as a 
 basis is less active than pure lime of fresco. The 
 vehicles of both modes are the same and their prac- 
 tice is often combined in the same work. Water is 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 91 
 
 the common vehicle, and to give adhesion to the 
 tints and colors in distemper painting and make them 
 keep their place, they are variously mixed with the 
 size of glue. Too much of the glue disposes the 
 painting to crack and peel from ground, while with 
 too little it is friable and deficient of strength. In 
 some cases the glue may be abated or altogether 
 dispensed with, by employing plaster of Paris suffi- 
 ciently diluted and worked into colors, by which 
 they will acquire a good surface and keep their place 
 in the dry with the strength of fresco, and without 
 being liable to mildew, to which animal glue is dis- 
 posed and to which milk and other vehicles recom- 
 mended in this mode are subject. Of more difficult 
 introduction in these modes of painting is beeswax, 
 although it has been employed successfully in each 
 of them, and in the encaustic of the ancients who 
 finished their work therein by heating the surface of 
 the painting till the wax melted. That would be 
 rather a slow process for the present day. 
 
 Never work the color while warm, and do not dis- 
 solve the glue by means of heat if it can be avoided. 
 The brushes for this class of work should be first- 
 class long bristle brushes. The stencil is very exten- 
 sively used in this class of work ; hand work accord- 
 ing to the prices now paid does not pay. It is so 
 now that anyone that can draw a straight line and 
 has a set of stencils — that person is a fresco painter. 
 
92 Miller's '' Boss^' Painters' Guide. 
 
 POU]!^€i: PATTERNS FOR WAL.1.S, CEILiINGS, *&€. 
 
 For pounce, medium heavy roll drawing paper is 
 the best for ceiling, or where the pounce pattern is 
 to be large, any kind of thin tough paper will answer. 
 
 Tools. — The straight edge, dividers, a few sticks 
 of charcoal ( that made from grapevine is considered 
 the best, ) and a medium grade lead pencil, com- 
 prise the tools for sketching. 
 
 With the straight edge first draw two center Hnes 
 at right angles across the paper, then on one side of 
 center line, sketch in one half of the scroll or orna- 
 ment, in a bold, free, off-hand manner with charcoal. 
 Trace these lines carefully with lead pencil, correct 
 all curves or angles where necessary, and dust off the 
 charcoal. If the design proves satisfactory retrace 
 the pencil marks with charcoal and fold the sheet 
 inward on the center line ; rub the paper on the 
 back lightly and you have a faint outline of the other 
 half of the design, which may be speedily com- 
 pleted with the lead pencil. 
 
 Now do not grasp an old blunt pin and punch 
 away at the design until it resembles a porous plas- 
 ter, but procure a slim, sharp needle, and shape a 
 piece of soft wood about the size and shape of a 
 sharpened lead pencil for a handle. By placing the 
 point of the needle against some hard wood the nee- 
 dle can easily be pressed into the handle. You can 
 save enough time in pricking one good sized pattern 
 to make a tool of this description, and with proper 
 usage it will last a lifetime. 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 93 
 
 Pricking the pattern is an awkward job if held in 
 the hands, and good work is rarely accompHshed in 
 that way. To do it neatly and easily, spread the 
 pattern on a smooth cloth cushion ; but as cushions 
 are unusual furniture for the paint shop and not 
 always convenient to get, take the next best thing 
 you can get hold of, which may be a woolen jacket 
 or even an old pair of overalls rolled into a suitable 
 bundle. 
 
 If the needle be driven straight through into the 
 cloth, it makes a clean-cut hole and the pattern will 
 work equally well from the bottom side. Whiting 
 tied up in some coarse thin cloth is most commonly 
 used for a pounce bag, but for a Hght ground work, 
 use powdered charcoal. 
 
 A tracing wheel that pricks twelve holes to the 
 inch, with long slira teeth is the best, and may be 
 procured of any dealer in saddlery hardware. A 
 smooth soft-wood board is the best to prick on. 
 Unfold the paper after pricking and lightly sand- 
 paper the reverse side to remove the raised portion, 
 forced through by the teeth of the wheel, which, if 
 neglected will obstruct the holes. Pounce with 
 whiting. Rose pink is suitable for light colors. 
 
 STEBTCII. PATTERNS. 
 
 For stencil patterns use linen tracing cloth. The 
 design may be drawn with lead pencil, and with 
 good taste and judgment the ties may be so placed 
 as to require no touching up or connecting. Cut on 
 glass with a sharp penknife held perpendicularly, or 
 
94 Adiller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 nearly so; This done, give two coats of shellac on 
 each side and you will have a pattern that will last a 
 long time. It should be carefully cleaned after using. 
 
 The paint to be used should be made quite thick 
 and sufficient oil used to prevent setting too quickly. 
 Spread a small quantity of the color on a palette or 
 board and rub the brush several times over it. Care 
 must be taken not to get to much color in the brush as 
 it will press under the edges of the pattern and make an 
 unsightly blot. Small patterns may be held in posi- 
 tion with one hand, but larger ones will require to be 
 fastened with a couple of needles or fine tacks. 
 With a little practice, the most beautiful clear-cut 
 designs can be executed and several colors employed. 
 
 A good working gold-size for stenciling is made of 
 English varnish and japan gold size thickened with 
 tube chrome yellow. Equally clean work may be 
 done with it as with paint. After this becomes tacky 
 apply either gold leaf or bronze in the usual way. 
 (See article on gilding.) After using the brush, wash 
 with benzine or turpentine and afterwards with soap 
 suds and rinse with clear water*and it is ready for use 
 again. All colors for stenciling should be mixed with 
 about as much turpentine as oil, and can be used 
 very sparingly. A common mistake with the unin- 
 itiated is using the color too freely, which causes 
 blots and ragged edges. To overcome this difficulty, 
 I would recommend giving the brash a few brisk 
 rubs on a piece of board after it has been dipped in 
 the color and bef'^re it i^ npn^ied to the work. This 
 will distribute ;lic cjIuj'lvjuI / on the brush or roller 
 
Miller's ['Boss'' Painters' Guide. 95 
 
 and give uniformity of color and clear cut edges to 
 rhe finished ornament. 
 
 Much can be said of the stencil, as it now enters 
 largely into almost all classes of decoration. We 
 will mention some that may be of advantage. A 
 oorder around a sign, a border around a banner, dis- 
 play sign, an ingrain paper, ceiling decorated with 
 corners, extension mould and center, also border on 
 the side wall. The same for a painted wall. A 
 neat pattern for glass frosting for Halls, Churches 
 &c. , a roseatte in the panel of the cornice of a large 
 house. A roseatte at the cap of outside window and 
 door frames, panel of a wagon, panel of a door, &c. 
 
 If you wish patterns write to R. C. Miller & Co., 
 Xenia, Ohio, and you can get them at reasonable 
 rates. 
 
 CARRIAGE PAIWTIXG. 
 
 The main object to be attained is to get a good 
 foundation to work upon. In working rough stuff 
 carriage painters get too much oil in it, and it does 
 not dry; and when they go to rub it down, it rolls up. 
 
 The methods of mixing rough stuff are as various, 
 almost, as the faces of the painters who are required 
 to mix it. The chief requisite is to select certain 
 coarse gritty pigments, such as yellow orche, French 
 umber or English filling. Whatever paint is selected, 
 it is of vital importance that the paint should be 
 ground exceedingly fine. The liquids required are 
 confined to Japan, oil, turpentine and varnish, and 
 they must be selected and proportioned according to 
 
.96" Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 the time allowed for the rough stuff to harden. 
 Japan hastens, and oil retards the drying. The fol- 
 lowing receipts have been tested and are known to 
 be good. 
 
 1. English filling, 5 lbs.; keg lead, i lb.; mixed 
 into a stiff paste with equal parts of either gold size 
 or best brown japan, and three day rubbing varnish; 
 add a gill of raw oil. 
 
 2. Yellow ochre or French umber, 5 lbs.; keg 
 lead, i^lbs.; mix stiff with japan and add a gill of 
 raw oil, and half a pint of the bottoms of wearing 
 varnish. 
 
 3. Burnt umber, 3 paits, silica, 2 parts, yellow 
 ochre i part; mix stiff in either brown japan or gold 
 size, and bottoms of wearing body varnish. 
 
 The above receipts produce tough, durable coat- 
 ings, but for lightning dryers, omit the oil and oil 
 lead. 
 
 The carriage painter will save labor by using clean 
 color varnish and brushes; always strain your color 
 before using; never mix more than is sufficient for 
 immediate use ; never draw from the can more var- 
 nish than is necessary, and if you have any left do 
 not put it back in the can without straining. 
 
 The methods of doing work of this class are va- 
 rious. I will endeavor to explain my method. First 
 clean off the work; get it free from grease and dust; 
 rub down all rough places ; and then give it a good 
 coat of rough stuff; let it get dry. Then plaster it 
 well with putty, which is made as follows : If it is an 
 old job, or new, and you have but Httle time; use SP 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Giudc. 97 
 
 mixed into a stiff paste with rubbing varnish, with a 
 Httle good japan, (use no oil). When dry cut it 
 down with sandpaper, then flow on two coats of flat 
 color, the last coat with a little rubbing varnish in it ; 
 then cut it down with PS ; then coat with rubbing 
 varnish with very little color in it; then cut all down 
 until it is level, when it is ready for striping, then 
 flow on the finishing varnish. 
 
 A quick way to do an old job that has a good body 
 but is dull and cracked, is as follows, take salts of 
 ammonia dissolved in water and wet the parts to be 
 cleaned with it, and cut down with lump PS until 
 you are through the varnish. If the ammonia is strong 
 enough, you can peal it off with the putty knife. 
 The am'monia will have noj^ffect only on the varnish, 
 and will not effect the body color, after the job is 
 cleaned, care should be taken to wash all the ammonia 
 off of the job, with water. When dry, plaster bare 
 spots, holes, &c., then cut this down when dry 
 enough, coat with Flat Black, then color and varnish. 
 Then hair down and coat with finishing varnish. A 
 job done in this manner can be done in five days. 
 This method we do not recommend only where 
 persons will have cheap work done, and if they will 
 have it, it stands you in hand to give it to them, if 
 you don't, some one else will. 
 
 TO MIXIXO STRIPING COIiORS. 
 
 Take one part rubbing varnish, two parts finishing 
 varnish, and one part turpentine. Bottle it up, shake 
 it well, and set away for a few days. 
 
98 Miller's "J5oss" Painters' Guide. 
 
 With the exception ot the lakes, which are slow 
 dryers, this vehicle will dry as quickly as any mix- 
 ture that can be produced, with advantage also of 
 free working color. For carmine and lake, add a 
 few drops of japan to the quantity of vehicle required 
 to mix the color. During the summer season when 
 the painter is daily called upon to perform miracles 
 almost in ^'rushing out" work, the above mixture 
 will be found far superior to the usual one of japan 
 and turpentine, where tube colors in oil are used. 
 
 Quick color should be kept in small pans of tin 
 andiStoneware, rather than in a tough mass on a 
 palette board to be worked down with the pencil. 
 Grind the color to about the consistency required 
 and keep in a seperate pan, turpentine, containing a 
 small proportion of varnish or japan. By this plan, 
 dryer is added to each fresh pencilful of color, the 
 pencil behaves better and the stripes run on as freely 
 and with as good edges as when color is mixed with 
 oil. . Last, but not least, the color is not so liable to 
 * Vash-up" when japan and turpentine are employed. 
 
Miller'' s '' Boss^' Painters' Guide. 99 
 
 KALSOMINING. 
 
 Kalsomining — or, as it is sometimes written " cal- 
 cimining " — is, after all, but a high-sounding name 
 for painting walls in distemper, '^distemper '' itself 
 being a corruption of the French word detrempe — or 
 soaked, in plain English. 
 
 Distemper painting produces very beautiful effects 
 on walls and ceilings, the tones having a certain 
 peculiar softness that it is impossible to imitate with 
 oil colors even when flatted. Wall paper owes its 
 principal beauty to the fact that it is printed in water 
 colors or distemper. 
 
 To do a good job in kalsomining the wall must be 
 in good condition to receive the application ot the 
 water paint. Few walls are generally in the 
 right condition. Finger-marks or grease will show 
 through the work when finished if they are not 
 killed out. Fly-specks like-wise will prove trou- 
 blesome unless removed. Old kalsomine must be 
 removed by washing. To do this is easy enough if 
 you will follow the method mentioned below : Take 
 a pail of warm water and sponge; soak the latter, 
 squeezing out most of the water, then procede to 
 wipe the wall down to the plaster-of-paris finish. 
 By keeping your sponge rather dry you need never 
 drop any water on the floor. Have another pail, in 
 which you can occasionally clean your sponge. 
 Always commence by wiping off the ceiling first, 
 
100 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 then the top of side walls, and last the bottom of 
 these. Those trying this method of cleaning off old 
 work will never return to the old dirty, dusty scrap- 
 ing so much in vogue in many places. If there be 
 any cracks or breaks in the walls, they should care- 
 fully be stopped with a mixture of plaster-of-paris 
 and lime. By adding a little glue-water to the mor- 
 tar, it will not set so quickly, and will give the work- 
 man more time properly to finish his patching. We 
 would urge the necessity of using the best brushes 
 attainable, as it is impossible properly to do a job 
 with poor tools. 
 
 ^' If the walls are old ones that have been white- 
 washed, dissolve about one pound of potash in about 
 three-quarters of a pail ot water, and with an old 
 brush wet the old lime ; then with a wide putty-knife 
 or scraper you can take the old lime off and leave 
 the surface in a condition to receive the kalsomining. 
 Any defects, such as breaks or old nail holes must 
 be repaired with freshly mixed plaster-of-paris and a 
 little slacked lime. For a first-class job in white or 
 hard-finished walls, use French zinc, or for common 
 work, Spanish whiting. The quantity of sizing to 
 be used is as follows : One pound of the best white 
 fish-glue, well cooked, to twenty pounds of material." 
 
 A good method of preparing the kalsomine is to 
 slake or soak it over night, after having well stirred 
 it ; the next morning, or when needed, add to it the 
 glue, first dissolved in warm water, bringing it to the 
 appearance of milk, and so that when applied to the 
 wall it does^not clot or appear as if oily; If the former 
 
Miller's^'' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 101 
 
 effect is noticed, there is not enough water ; if the 
 latter, there is too much water. When of the proper 
 consistency, dissolve through a rag bag, some ultra- 
 marine blue. This only when using whiting; the 
 zinc does not need it. For a pure white wall, the 
 French zinc is the best. If put on the walls proper- 
 ly, it will have a gloss that cannot be secured with 
 any other material. 
 
 For kalsomining in tints, use distemper colors. 
 They can be bought already ground. Distemper 
 colors are colors ground in water, without any size. 
 It is best to try your mixture on a shingle, and after 
 it is dry you will know if it has just enough size and 
 is of the proper shade. When applying, begin by 
 doing the outside of the molding on the ceiling, if 
 there is any, then the center piece, and proceed by 
 applying the mixture with a regular kalsomining 
 brush. Do not allow your kalsomine to dry on you, 
 but go quickly from one end of the ceiling to the 
 other, working with the tips of the brush and always 
 working up with the new what has already been 
 done on the lap. 
 
 There are other methods of doing the work, also 
 in the mixture. We give the following which may 
 be of interest. 
 
 CAIiSOMINE FINIISH. 
 
 Take lo lbs. PW, or gilders' whiting, best quality, 
 add boiling water and stir until the liquid appears 
 like thick milk, now mix in liquid G one-half pound, 
 a good clean quality, stir it thoroughly. You must 
 
102 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 add hot water in sufficient quantities to make the 
 liquid flow freely from your brush; while applying 
 stir well. Calsomine will not work smooth if too 
 much G is added and is liable to crack. When ap- 
 plying your calsomine dip the brush often and only 
 deep enough to take so much as the hair will retain, 
 and spread on a light, good covering coat. 
 
 Soak the G over night, one-half pound to 2 quarts 
 water, set the vessel in a kettle of boiling water to 
 cook properly without scorching ; when dissolved add 
 another quart of water to it. A good calsomine or 
 white-wash brush is necessary to produce good work. 
 
 The best and finest work done in calsomine is 
 done with WZ, white with water or G sizing, the sur- 
 face to be applied to be clean and smooth. For the 
 walls use one pound of fine white G to fourteen 
 pounds WZ. Dissolve the G by placing the G pail 
 in boiling water. After you have mixed your WZ 
 with enough warm water to render it the consistency 
 of cream, or a little thicker, it must flow freely from 
 the brush, and is only necessary to have a body 
 sufficient to cover with an even finish. A good cal- 
 somining brush is indispensible for good work. Col- 
 oring matter can be added and a desired tint obtained, 
 making in many cases a beautiful satin-like finish. 
 The WZ in itself renders a fine finish but care must 
 be observed in applying it; have everything about, 
 clean and free from dust. Do not attempt to work 
 calsomine while warm. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 103 
 
 KAL.Si01IIXK. 
 
 Whiting 4 lbs., glue 2 lbs. Stand the glue in 
 water over night, mix the whiting with cold water 
 and heat the glue until dissolved and pour it into the 
 other, hot. Make of proper consistence to apply 
 with a common white-wash brush. 
 
 KAI.SOMINE, AGAIN. 
 
 PW 6 lbs., WZ 3 lbs.; glue, 6 ozs. Stand the 
 glue in water over night, or until the glue is dissolved. 
 Do not warm the glue if you can avoid it, but if 
 necessary to save time do not work it while it is 
 warm — put in a lump of ice so as to chill it. This 
 can be made any desired shade or tint by adding any 
 pigment, so that they are fine. Do not put in the 
 glue size until all the pigments are well broken with 
 water. 
 
 lilME FOR KAL.SOMINIXC}. 
 
 y2 bushel CC, i lb. SC, >^ lb. ZS, i gallon of SW. 
 For brick work exposed to damp, the following will 
 be found to work well : ^^ peck of fresh well burnt 
 CC with SW sufficient to make thin paste, run 
 through strainer, add i lb. SO, which has been dis- 
 solved in boiling water ; make a thin paste of i lb. 
 of RF, j^ lb. G, mix with the compound while hot, 
 add J^ lb. of SA dissolved in water, stir all together, 
 and let stand for one week, or longer. 
 
 The following can be more easily prepared, and 
 is very good : 
 
 Take ^ bushel of CC, and put it in a kettle, put 
 
104 Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 water in to make a thick paste, add i gallon RO 
 boil well for one hour. Then let it stand over night, 
 or the longer it stands the better. When you wish 
 to use it, take out enough for your job, add glue size 
 enough to give it a body, and also coloring matter to 
 give it any desired tint; apply with kalsomine brush. 
 
 FILLERS. 
 
 WOOD FII.IilNG. 
 
 I lb. CS, i^ pt. BO, % pt. Japan, ;^ lb. PS, i 
 gill SH varnish ; mix well together. For dark wood 
 add a very little burnt umber ; thin with B or TT ; 
 apply with a stiff brush ; let it stand until it sets ; rub 
 off with excelsior shavings or rags ; get all out of the 
 corners with sticks or putty knife. 
 
 I have used this filler for a number of years and 
 can recommend it to the trade. For light woods use 
 more SH varnish and less Japan, unless your Japan 
 is very good. 
 
 A FIL.I.£R FOR POROU8 HARD WOODiS. 
 
 Use good BO and CS stirred into a very thick 
 paste, add a little Japan then reduce with TT. For 
 dark ash and chestnut, use a litde raw sienna ; For 
 walnut, burnt umber and a slight amount of Vene- 
 tian red; for bay wood, burnt sienna. In no case 
 use more color than is required to overcome the 
 white appearance of the starch, unless you wish to 
 
Miller's ''Bosa'' Painters' Guide. 105 
 
 Stain the wood. This filler is worked with brush 
 and rags in the usual manner. 
 
 Let it dry for 48 hours, or until it is in condition 
 to rub down with No. o sandpaper without much 
 gumming up, and if an extra fine finish is desired 
 fill again with the same materials, using less oil but 
 more Japan and TT. The second coat will not 
 shrink, it being supported by the first coat. When 
 the second coat is hard, the wood is ready for finish- 
 ing up in any desired style or to any degree of 
 nicety, by following up the usual methods. This 
 formula is not intended for rosewood and will not be 
 satisfactory if used therefor. 
 
 A OOOI> FILiIiER. 
 
 2 qts. TT, I qt. BO, % pt. Japan, i^ lbs. PS 
 pulverized, 3 lbs. PW, i lb. French yellow, 2 lbs. 
 plaster Paris, i lb. LRG. This filler is worked with 
 brush, rags and excelsior shavings in the usual man- 
 ner. It must be worked quick, as it sets fast. For 
 dark woods add a small quantity of burnt umber 
 and B sienna. 
 
 A CHEAP FII.L.ER. 
 
 If you have a job that you have to' put through in 
 a short time, make a strong size out of common (x 
 and common starch, half and half; dust off the 
 work well ancj size, and when dry rub down with 
 sandpaper ; dust off again and it is ready for either 
 paint or varnish. Before coating over this filler be 
 
106 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 sure that it is good and dry. A damp day will not 
 do to use it. 
 
 PUTTY, 
 
 For ordinary varnished wood must be mixed with 
 a little oil and Japan ; also add some rubbing var- 
 nish. Have it so that it will dry quick. Color it to 
 match the wood. For pine, chrome yellow, burnt 
 sienna and whiting. Ash, — use the same, except 
 add a little burnt umber. White walnut — use the 
 same. Black Walnut — whiting, burnt umber and 
 black. In using the putty be careful to clean off ail 
 the surplus from around the outside ; do it with sand- 
 paper or a rag dipped in turps. 
 
 PCTTY rOR WOOD THAT IS TO BE TARNISHED. 
 
 For puttying inside work, take ^ SW, }{ beeswax, 
 j^ RN; powder the RN very fine, mix it with the 
 SW, then melt the beeswax in ^ oil and j^ TT; put 
 all together in an old sauce pan and heat gradually, 
 stirring and mix in color. For walnut, match with 
 burnt umber and burnt sienna or Venetian red ; for 
 light woods but little, if any color beside the ingre- 
 dients. After thoroughly heated and mixed take off 
 and let cool, enough to thicken up for working on a 
 board oiled or covered with whiting; work it into 
 rolls about an inch in diameter. In using, have a 
 candle or lamp and a round pointed knife; heat the 
 knife and fill the holes quickly, leaving hole round 
 full; rub off with a bit of sandpaper. After an 
 hour or two this putty will match the wood perfectly 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 107 
 
 and will never swell nor shrink, and after a little 
 practice the work can be done just as quick as with 
 ordinary putty. If you are hurried for time and are 
 obliged to use shellac, use white shellac; this leaves 
 the wood clear and does not have that nasty, sickly 
 look as when brown shellac is used. 
 
 SLATING FOR BLACKBOARDS. 
 
 There are quite a number of ways of doing this 
 class of work. I find that the great secret in put- 
 ting up a good blackboard is to use no oil of any 
 description in any of the coats. If it is a plastered 
 wall or board you wish to slate, first give it a coat of 
 G size, then rub it down hghtly with fine sandpaper ; 
 then give it a coat of SH varnish and LP enough to 
 give it a fair body. If on wood omit the sizing but 
 use paint for priming. Then give two coats of either 
 of the following : 
 
 jFi'rsL 2 quarts AC, j4 lb. SH, i}4 drachms LP, 
 20 drachms UB, 6 ozs. powdered PS. 
 
 Second, i gallon AC, i lb SH, )4 lb. IB, 5 ozs. 
 EF, 4 ozs. UB. 
 
 Third. Take equal parts of PS and LR and 
 grind them in a mixture of TT and best VS ; add 
 enough LP to make a dark color, then thin with TT 
 until it is perfectly fiat. Apply with a brush and 
 blend over. 
 
 Fourth. I gallon WN, i lb. SH, 4 ozs. LP, 4 
 
108 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 ozs. UB, i^ lbs. SP, 2 ozs. PS and powdered eme- 
 ry. The WN is cheaper than AC and does as well. 
 
 Fifth. I gallon SH varnish, 4 lbs. black M, 2 
 lbs. SP. 
 
 All the above must be kept well stirred while using 
 them, and when you are through put up what you 
 have left in a bottle and cork it up, and it will keep 
 for a long time. If at any time the slating is too 
 thick, thin with AC. 
 
 DRYERS. 
 
 HOW TO MAKE AI^TD HOW TO USE THEM. 
 
 With respect to drying the well-known additions 
 of sugar of lead, litharge and sulphate of zinc, either 
 mechanically ground or in solution for light colors, 
 and japanners gold size or oils boiled upon htharge 
 for lakes, or in some cases, verdigris and manganese 
 for dark colors, may be resorted to when the colors 
 or vehicles are not of themselves sufficiently good 
 dryers alone, but it requires attention, as an excess of 
 dryers renders oils saponaceous, is inimical to dry- 
 ing and injures the premanent texture of the work. 
 Such colors, however, dry badly from not being suf- 
 ficiently edulcorated or washed, and many are im- 
 proved in drying by passing through the fire or by 
 age. Sulphate of zinc as a dryer is less efficient 
 than the acetate of zinc, but is to be preferred with 
 some colors. It is supposed, erroneously, to set the 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 109 
 
 colors running, which is positively not the case, though 
 it will not retain those disposed to it, because it lacks 
 the property which the acetate possesses of gelatiniz- 
 ing the mixture of oil and varnish. These two 
 dryers should not be employed together, as frequent- 
 ly, directed as chemical action takes place and the 
 two new substances are formed, one of which, is per- 
 fectly insoluble, and the other poor in its drying 
 properties. The state of the weather and atmosphere, 
 exert a great influence upon the drying of paints, 
 oils, etc. The oxygenating power of the direct rays 
 of the sun renders them peculiarly active in drying 
 oils and colors, and was probably resorted to before 
 dryers were thought of. The atmosphere too, is 
 imbued with the active matter to which its drying 
 power may be attributed. The ground may also ad- 
 vance or retard drying, because some pigments, united 
 either by mixing or glazing, are either promoted or 
 obstructed by their conjunction. Artificial heat also 
 plays an important part. 
 
 The various affinities of pigments occasion each 
 to have its more or less appropriate dryer and it 
 would be a matter of useful experience if the habits 
 of every pigment in ihis respect were ascertained. 
 Dryers of less power than the above, such as the 
 acetate of copper, massicot, red lead, and the oxide 
 of manganese, to which umber and the cappagh 
 browns owe their drying qualijties, and others might 
 come into use in particular cases. Many other acci- 
 dental circumstances may also effect drying. Dryers 
 should be added to pigments only at the time of 
 
110 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 using them, because they exercise their drying pro- 
 perties while chemically combining with the oils em- 
 ployed, during which the latter becomes thick or 
 fatten, and render additional oil and dryer necessa 
 ry when again used. Acetate of lead dissolved in 
 water, spirits of turpentine, may be used as a dryer 
 of oil paints with convenience and advantage in 
 some cases. In the employment of dryers it will be 
 necessary to guard against the following : 
 
 [a] Not to add dryers to those pigments which 
 dry well of themselves. 
 
 [b] Not to employ them in excess, which only 
 retards the drying. 
 
 [c] Not to add them till the color is to be used. 
 
 [d] Make use of only one kind at a time. 
 
 [e] Impurity of the pigments sometimes retards 
 drying, in which case it should be washed. Another 
 point should be observed and that is, that one coat 
 of paint should be thoroughly dry before another is 
 applied, for if the upper surface of paint dry be- 
 fore the surface beneath, it will shrivel by the expan- 
 sion and contraction of the under surface as the oil 
 evaporates and dries. Overloading with paint will 
 be attended with the same evil, and if the upper sur- 
 face be of hard or brittle varnish, cracking of the 
 paint will be the result. Always avoid using old fat 
 paint that is to be varnished over, and always put 
 your dryer into your pamt before breaking up or 
 thinning. 
 
Miller^ s '^ Boss^^ Painters^ Guide. Ill 
 
 DRYINO PROPERTY OF r.INSIi:i:i> OIL.. 
 
 The activity ( drying power ) of pure linseed oil is 
 represented — according to M. Chevreul — by 1,985, 
 and oil treated by manganese with an activity of 
 4,719, yet when they are mixed the sum of the activ- 
 ities (drying powers) will be 30,828. There are 
 substances which increase the drying property of 
 pure linseed oil, and others, which seem to retard the 
 drying. Experiments made by M. Chevreul ehcited 
 the following facts, namely : 
 
 " Linseed oil with one coat appHed upon glass was 
 dry after 17 days." 
 
 " The same oil mixed with oxide of antimony, 
 took 26 days to dry. In this case the oxide of anti- 
 mony was an anti-dry er^ 
 
 '' Linseed oil mixed with oxide of antimony, and 
 applied upon a cloth painted with pure white lead, 
 was dry after 14 days." r 
 
 ** The same oil mixed with the arseniate of pro- 
 toxide of tin was not hard after 60 days." 
 
 " Oak wood appears to possess the anti-drying 
 property to a high degree ; poplar to be less anti- dry- 
 ing than oak, and Norway fir less than poplar." 
 
 '^ Experiments proved that a first coat of linseed 
 oil on oak was dry only on the surface after 32 days; 
 and three coats took 159 days to dry." 
 
 ''Three coats on poplar wood dried in 27 days, 
 and on Norway fir in 23 days." 
 
 ''One coat of linseed oil given upon surfaces of 
 copper, brass, zinc, iron, porcelain and glass, was 
 dry in every case after 48 hours." 
 
112 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 M. Chevreul believed that a substance may be dry- 
 ing or anti-drying under different circumstances. He| 
 claims that metallic lead is drying towards pure lin- 
 seed oil; and white lead which is well known as pos--| 
 sessing drying properties, is anti-drying towards Hn- 
 seed oil applied upon metalic lead. 
 
 JAPAN DRYER— BEST UUAEITY. 
 
 RO I gallon, and put into 3-4 lb. SH, 1-2 lb. |l 
 LRG, 1-2 lb. LR, 6 ozs. SL. Boil in the RO until '' 
 all are dissolved, which will require about 4 hours; 
 remove from the fire, and when very near cool add i 
 gallon TT, and stir it up well, then it is done. B 
 can be substituted for TT if you wish. 
 
 JAPAN DRYER, XO. 1. 
 
 RO r gallon, 3-4 lb. SH, 2 lbs. M, i lb. ZS. Boil 
 about 4 hours, and when very near cool add i J^ 
 gallon B. 
 
 JAPAN DRYER, NO. 2. 
 
 9 gallons of RO, lo lbs. LRG, lo lbs. LR, 7 lbs. 
 black oxide of M. Boil all together ; then add 30 
 lbs. Kowery gum, and when near cool add 35 gal- 
 lons TT. This is a good dryer and can be depended 
 upon. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 113 
 
 VARNISHES. 
 
 In the proper manipulation of varnish, lies, to a 
 considerable degree, the secret of its presenting full- 
 ness and brilliancy. The same make of varnish 
 applied by two different methods of brushing will 
 often present so great a difference in beauty as to 
 give the impression that one body was finished with 
 an A No. i grade, while the other will appear to be 
 quite the opposite. Finishers, who flow on heavy 
 coats of varnish and spread it over a considerable 
 space before they level it up, as a rule, produce the 
 best work, and are the least liable to lay , in com- 
 plaints about seediness, brush marks and runs. 
 Cleaning off the work before varnishing is an item 
 of importance. 
 
 CAUTION RESPECTIITG THEjMAKlNG OF V ARXISH. 
 
 As heat in many cases is necessary to dissolve the 
 gums^used, the best way when practicable, is to use a 
 sand bath, which is simply placing the vessel contain- 
 ing the varnish in another filled with^sand and place 
 on the fire. 
 
 COMMON OIE TARNISH. 
 
 RN 3 lbs., drying oil, y^ gal. Melt together, and 
 add, when removed from the fire, a^quarts of warm 
 oil of TT. 
 
114 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 
 
 COMMON TURPENTINE VARNISH. 
 
 This is merely clear pale RN dissolved in oil of 
 TT, usually 5 lbs. of RN to 7 lbs. of TT. This re- 
 quires but very little heat. 
 
 COPAE VARNISH. 
 
 15 lbs. pulverized RN dissolved in one gal. of dry- 
 ing oil, I pt. Japan, if the oil does not dry it, 2 gals. 
 B, I gal. TT; i qt. WN. It will be necessary to 
 heat the drying oil to dissolve the RN. An elastic 
 varnish can be had by adding 3 ozs. of R cut in 
 small pieces and dissolved in RO by warming. See 
 that it is well dissolved, then strain and add to the 
 above. 
 
 BOI>Y VARNISH FOR COACH PAINTERS. 
 
 Eight pounds of fine gum anime, two gallons of 
 clarified oil, three gallons good turpentine ; boil slow- 
 ly for four hours. 
 
 OEOSS VARNISH. 
 
 Take i gal. RO, boil for one hour, then add 4 lbs. 
 RN, stir till dissolved ; add i gal. TT, 3 ozs. GC 
 dissolved in one pint of AC. 
 
 COMMON VARNISH. 
 
 5 lbs. pulverized RN, j^ lb. beeswax, i^ gal. 
 RO, %' lb. M. Boil for one hour, thin with TT or 
 B until warm. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'^ Painters^ Guide. 115 
 
 I>AMAR VARNISH. 
 
 One of the difficulties to overcome in making a 
 clear colorless varnish is the milky opacity usually 
 present when dissolving the gum in oil of turpentine. 
 This opacity is owing to moisture being present in 
 the gum, and not certain parts of the gum remain- 
 ing undissolved, as is commonly supposed. The 
 moisture having first been driven off, a clear, color- 
 less solution results. Many of the imperfections of 
 a poor article are owing to the presence of this same 
 moisture. The cracking is largely owing to this, as 
 little bubbles are often formed, hence the uneven sur- 
 face. They also cause the varnish to spring. To 
 prove this it is only necessary to procure a small 
 quantity of the best Damar the market affords, add 
 to it one drop of water, and it is at once changed to 
 one of inferior grade. The varnish manufactured 
 by the following process the author found to be col- 
 orless, perfectly transparent, dries quickly, a high 
 gloss, and will not crack, peel, or become tacky. 
 The main object is to remove the moisture. This 
 can be done by evaporating a solution of the gum, 
 or drying it first. To do this a porcelain lined kettle 
 is necessary, in which place the gum and heat over 
 a slow fire. Great care must be taken to keep the 
 gum from taking fire. The author's plan has been 
 to have a cover loosely fitting the kettle, its edges or 
 rim covered with cotton having been saturated to a 
 slight degree with water, and the cover suspended by 
 a cord over the kettle. In case of fire it can be low- 
 ered at once and the flame extinguished immediately. 
 
116 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 In making the varnish, five parts of the gum should 
 be taken to four parts of the oil of TT, or 85 ozs. of 
 the gum to every four gallons of the oil of TT. . 
 
 MIXTURE OF VARNISHES. 
 
 When different varnishes are mixed they should 
 always be allowed to stand for several days before 
 using, to give them time to assimilate. 
 
 OOOI>, WHITE, HARI> TARXISH. 
 
 One quart of good AC, 10 ozs. gum sandarach, 2 
 ozs. gum mastic, ^ oz. gum anime. Dissolve in a 
 clean can or bottle by shaking often until dissolved, 
 and strain. 
 
 WHITE, HAR1> TARXISH. 
 
 Dissolve gum anime in nut oil, boil it gently as 
 the gum is added, giving it as much gum as the oil 
 will take up, and while cooling dilute it with pure 
 turpentine ; this will do for the ground, also for the 
 japanning for white. It takes some time to harden, 
 but it is durable. 
 
 JET BEACK VARNISH. 
 
 To make a jet black varnish for small wood hand- 
 les, that will make them smooth and shining and 
 hard and solid, so that they will not get dim by 
 handling or lose their gloss, take of asphaltum, three 
 ounces; boiled oil four quarts; burnt umber, eight 
 ounces, and enough oil of turpentine to thin. The 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 117 
 
 three first must be mixed by the aid of heat, and the 
 turpentine gradually added — out of doors and away 
 from fire — before the mixture has cooled. The work 
 dry, is given several coats, each being hardened in 
 a japanner's oven. The last coat may be rubbed 
 down — first with tripoH applied on a soft cloth, then 
 with a few drops of oil. 
 
 TRA]»SPARENT VARXISHES. 
 
 The following recipes have been selected from 
 various sources, and to the best of our judgment, but 
 we do not undertake to say that there are no inac- 
 curacies, either of substance or proportion. We be- 
 lieve our selection is a careful one, as we have 
 rejected those which have appeared to us unsuitable 
 either from promising to be bad color or demanding 
 too difficult manipulation. Many of the ingredients 
 appear in different recipes, in conjunction with 
 others and in a different proportion. In making ex- 
 perimental trials, the simplest mixtures should first 
 be selected, and then additions made and their 
 effects noticed. An acquaintance with the values of 
 the component parts will thus be most quickly 
 attained. 
 
 SPIRIT VARJSriSHES. 
 
 T. Gum sandarach, lo oz; gum mastic, 4 oz; 
 
 camphor, J^ oz. ; digest with 24 oz. alcoh©!, 64 o. p. 
 
 2. Gum sandarach, 4 oz. ; gum mastic, 8 oz. ; 
 
 opaiba balsam, 4 oz. ; white turpentine, 6 oz. ; 
 
118 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guiclc. 
 
 spirits of turpentine, 8 oz. ; alcohol, 5 quarts. Di- 
 gest at a low heat. 
 
 3. Mastic and sandarach each 4 oz. ; alcohol 36 
 oz. When dissolved add 8 oz. Canada balsam, and 
 dissolve it by the help of gentle heat and frequent 
 shaking. 
 
 4. Sandarach, 8 oz. ; mastic, 4 oz. ; Canada bal- 
 sam, 4 oz. ; alcohol, 2 pints. Make as last. 
 
 5. Sandarach, 5 oz. ; mastic, i oz. ; gum anime, 
 y^ oz. ; alcohol, i pint. Dissolve by gentle heat in 
 a clean vessel. 
 
 6. Gum sandarach, 8 oz. ; clear turpentine, 3 oz. ; 
 alcohol, ij4 pint; gum mastic, 5 oz. ; gum juniper, 
 8 oz. ; turpentine, i oz. ; alcohol, 2 quarts. 
 
 7. Sandarach, 6 oz. ; elemi, 4 oz. ; anime, i oz. ; 
 camphor, ^4 oz. ; alcohol, i quart. 
 
 8. Dissolve 2 oz. of orange shellac in 16 oz. of 
 rectified spirits of wine. This varnish possesses the 
 characteristic color of shellac, and consequently is 
 not fit ior work containing any purity in the whites of 
 colors. To bleach it, add 4 oz. of freshly burned 
 animal charcoal, and boil it for a few minutes in a 
 water bath. The charcoal should decolorize it. To 
 know if this has been effectually performed filter a 
 portion of it through a piece of silk, and again 
 through white blotting paper. If this portion be 
 colorless the whole may be treated in the same way. 
 If not clear enough add more charcoal and repeat 
 the boiling. A similar varnish may be made with 
 bleached shellac, which does not require the employ- 
 ment of charcoal, but it will be found that bleached 
 
Miller^ s ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 119 
 
 shellac is not quite so readily soluble as the natural 
 product. 
 
 TlIRPENTllifE TARNI.S11EIS. 
 
 1. Boil gum of turpentine till brittle, then pow- 
 der and dissolve in spirits of turpentine. 
 
 2. Canada balsam, 6 oz. ; white resin, 6 oz. ; 
 spirits of turpentine, i quart. Dissolve. 
 
 3. Canada balsam, 2 oz. ; spirits of turpentine, 4 
 oz. Warm and stir until the balsam is dissolved. 
 
 4. Canada balsam and spirits of turpentine of 
 each, I oz. This is also known as crystal varnish. 
 
 5. Best and whitest resin, 8 oz. ; spirits of tur- 
 pentine, I pint. Powder the resin, and warm by 
 means of a water bath until dissolved. 
 
 6. Take of gum mastic of fine quality, 8 oz. ; of 
 turpentine, i pint. Set in a sand bath to dissolve. 
 
 7. Damar gum, 5 oz. ; gum mastic, ^ oz. ; 
 gum sandarach, 2% oz. ; spirits of turpentine, % 
 pint Digest in a water bath until dissolved, stirring 
 or shaking it occasionally. 
 
 We have purposely omitted from the foregoing 
 recipes, all varnishes containing gum copal, on 
 account of the special requirements for fusing, it 
 being quite unlikely to be employed by those who 
 make varnish for their own use. The oil varnishes 
 we have also not given, on account of their slow 
 drying qualities ; nevertheless, drying oil may be an 
 advantageous addition, in small quantities, to any 
 turpentine varnish that may prove too brittle. 
 
 For window transparencies, a varnish containing 
 
120 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 pale drying oils is of great importance ; for bein^ 
 thin and easily bent, they are very liable to be injured 
 if the varnish is not tough. Some of the above var 
 nishes, with the addition indicated, may prove use 
 ful; but we recommend in preference, the employ 
 ment of good coach body varnish, sufficientl] 
 diluted with turpentine to enable it to be laid evenh 
 on the thin paper. This varnish consists of copal, 
 drying oil and turpentine, commoner qualities hav 
 ing a portion of gum anime in their composition. 
 
 We cannot close this article without again caution 
 ing our reader against the risk of fire, etc. We 
 recommend any experiment in heating the solvents 
 to be conducted out-of-doors until their nature is sc 
 thoroughly understood that the experience and con 
 fidence gained enable the operator to work with then 
 quite safely in a closed apartment. 
 
 VARXISH FOR FAl^CY WORK. 
 
 An excellent varnish for hanging baskets or for leatb 
 er-work is made of half a pound of asphaltum to one 
 pint of turpentine. Let it stand covered over-night 
 before using. Card-receivers and watch-receiven 
 can be made out of butternut-shells and varnished 
 with this preparation. It is useful also for cones anc 
 acorns. 
 
 STOVE VARXISH. 
 
 A brilliant black varnish for cooking and gasoline 
 stoves: Asphaltum, two pounds; boiled linseed oil, 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 121 
 
 one pint ; oil of turpentine ; two quarts. Fuse the 
 asphaltum in an iron pot, boil the linseed oil, and 
 add while hot ; stir well, and remove from the fire. 
 When partially cooled, add the oil of turpentine. 
 Some makers add driers.. 
 
 Varnish needs air and ventilation to enable it to 
 dry. A simple proof of this is that varnish in an air- 
 tight can remains liquid ; exposed to the air, it be- 
 comes skinned-over. A varnish room ought never 
 to be '^ air-tight." It is no particular virtue that a 
 varnish requires many hours or days to dry. It 
 might dry in twenty-four hours and harden in forty- 
 eight and still wear well. That it doesn't is because 
 it is composed largely of oil or because the room is 
 too air-tight. Ventilation is one ot the important 
 requisites of the varnishing-room, though drafts must 
 be avoided. 
 
 COMIWEOX VARIVISH FOR ORAX£ FRONTS, «fec. 
 
 Asphaltum varnish with enough ivory black in it 
 so that it will cover well. Do not mix more than 
 you wish to use at one time, for when it stands long 
 it does not do so well. 
 
122 Miller's ''Boss'' Pointers' Guide, 
 
 OILS. 
 
 PURE OII.S. 
 
 I am often asked as to ^' the best sort of oils " to 
 use with paint. Even postal card rephes to the in- 
 quiries are expensive. I will say here that no better 
 oil exists than that which is pressed out of the seed. 
 
 I do not recommend the use of adulterated oils, 
 but there are cases where the painter is obliged to 
 use a cheap article, owing to the condition of the job 
 he has on hand, and the price that he gets for it, and 
 it is well enough for him to know how to prepare the 
 oils himself if it is to be done at all. I would recom- 
 mend the buying of the pure unadulterated linseed 
 oil and fix it up to suit the occasion, and I submit 
 the following receipts for that purpose. 
 
 TESTS FOR EIXSEED OIE. 
 
 Pure linseed oil is a yellow, oily liquid, having a 
 slight, peculiar odor, a bland taste, and a neutral re- 
 action. When exposed to the air it gradually thick- 
 ens, acquires a strong odor and taste, and finally 
 solidifies. Its specific gravity is about 0.936. It is 
 soluble in 5 parts of absolute alcohol, and in 15 parts 
 of ether. It does not congeal above 4 degrees F. 
 
 It imparts a yellow color to alcohol on being agi. 
 tated with it, and yields with the alkalis a very soft 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 123 
 
 soap. In contact with fuming nitric acid it ignites, 
 but when agitated with nitric acid, of a specific grav- 
 ity T.33, it turns green, and afterwards brown. It is 
 said that cod-liver oil is sometimes used to adulterate 
 linseed oil. The following test for this adulterant 
 has been recommended : Take 10 parts by weight, of 
 the suspected oil, mix it in a small cylindrical glass 
 tube with 3 parts of crude nitric acid, agitate the 
 mixture well, and allow it to rest. If cod-liver oil is 
 present the layer at the top will assume a dark brown 
 to blackish brown color, while the acid at the bottom 
 varies from bright orange to orange or dark yellow. 
 
 If the oil is pure it becomes, during the agitation, 
 first sea green and afterwards dirty greenish yellow, 
 the acid being bright yellow. As Httle as 3 per cent, 
 of cod liver oil can be detected by this method. 
 The following tests have been recommended : Mix 
 in a two drachm vial, at ordinary temperature, ( not 
 below 60 degrees F.) equal volumes of linseed oil, 
 either raw or boiled, and nitric acid of 1.40 specific 
 gravity. Shake well about one-half minute, and then 
 set aside to let the oil separate from the acid. The 
 strata will then have the following color : 
 
 Raw oil, pure — Upper strata, light cinnamon 
 brown ; lower strata, colorless. 
 
 Raw oil, with 5 per cent, resin oil — Upper strata, 
 light cinamon brown ; lower strata, straw color. 
 
 Raw oil, with 1 2 per cent, resin oil — Upper strata, 
 blackish ; lower strata, colorless. 
 
 Boiled oil, pure — Upper strata, cinnamon brown; 
 lower strata, colorless. 
 
124 Miller\^ ''Boss'' Pninters' Guide. 
 
 Boiled oil, with 5 per cent, resin oil — lower strata, 
 straw color. 
 
 Boiled oil with 12 per cent, resin oil — Uppei 
 strata, dark olive ; lower strata, deep straw color. 
 
 Boiled oil, with 50 per cent, resin oil — Uppei 
 strata, blackish ; lower strata, light orange. 
 
 BLEACHING OIL. 
 
 The painter may do this by simply setting a bottle 
 of pure oil on the window sash, where it will get the 
 sunshine. By artificial methods, the oil is subjected tc 
 heat, treated with acid, and afterwards washed with 
 steam. 
 
 ]>ARK COIiOBED BOILEB OIL.. 
 
 Simmer with frequent stirring, i gal. RO with ^ 
 lb. LRG, powdered, until a skin begms to form, 
 then remove the same and when it has become cold 
 and has settled use off of the top. 
 
 BOILED OIL FOR CLEAR WHITE WORK. 
 
 Mix one part binoxide of M in coarse powder, but? 
 not dusty, with 10 parts of RO. Keep it gently 
 heated and frequently stir for about 20 hours, or 
 until the oil begins to turn to a reddish color. 
 
 ELASTIC. 
 
 ID gallons B, 5 gallons RO, 2 pounds RN, i 
 pound R, 5 pounds BX, 5 gallons SW, and dissolve 
 the RN and R in one gallon of RO, over a slow fire, 
 
Miller^ s "Boss'^ Painters' Guide. 125 
 
 the R having been previously cut in small pieces. 
 Allow it to stand until it becomes thoroughly dissolv- 
 ed. Also dissolve the BX irt the SW ; then mix all 
 together, and it will be ready for use. 
 
 The BX and SW can be left out if desired. This 
 combination is largely used by manufacturers of 
 ready mixed paints. 
 
 COMBINATION OILS FOR MLIXIN© PAINTS. 
 
 First Kind.^ — Twelve gallons, or one hundred 
 pounds of melted RN, three gallons of crude petro- 
 leum oil, fifteen gallons of B. 
 
 Second Kind. — Twelve gallons, or one hundred 
 pounds of melted RN, three gallons of crude petro- 
 leum naptha, ten gallons RO. 
 
 Third Kind. — For reducing RO or mixing paint 
 — one hundred pounds of No. 2 RN, eighteen gal- 
 lons best B (or enough to make it work with a brush,) 
 two gallons of crude petroleum oil, two gallons 
 re-run parafiine oil, four gallons of RN oil or fish oil 
 if RN oil cannot be obtained; can mix one gallon 
 of this No. 3 kind with one gallon RO, and it is 
 better than all linseed oil for outside work. You can 
 \ depend on the above. 
 
 COMPOSITION Olli FOR MINERAL. PAINT. 
 
 Barns, Fences, Roofs, Iron Work, Etc. — 
 I bbl. CT, I bbl. FT, i bbl. B, 50 lbs. ASL, 10 gal. 
 AS ; mix cold. In cold weather it will be necessary 
 to use more B than in warm. SW may be added in 
 place of the mineral, which will give a gray. 
 
126 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 ABUI^TERATIO]^ FOR Oil.. 
 
 Fish oil, oderless B or CSO can be used to adul- 
 terate linseed oil. 
 
 LW can be used in priming rough work, half and 
 half. 
 
 DRYINO Olli. 
 
 Equal to Patent Dryer. RO, 2 gal, add 
 LR, LRG, and umber, of each 4 oz., add SL and 
 ZS 2 oz. each. Boil slow for four hours. 
 
 PAINTS. 
 
 PATEJfT READY MIXED PAINTS. 
 
 We do not recommend the use of any cheap article 
 of paints, but there are times when the painter is ob- 
 liged to use it. While it is not our mission to discuss 
 the merits or demerits of any one brand of the so- 
 called Patent Ready Mixed Paints^ we will state 
 some points that may be of use to our readers, so 
 that they in their intercourse with their patrons can 
 talk intelligently on this subject. 
 
 I St. It has not the body of lead. 
 
 2nd. It might not chalk off as some brands of 
 lead does but the fact remains that if it does not 
 chalk off, it will either crack or peel. 
 
Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 127 
 
 3rd. If you are to have an adulterated paint, why 
 not mix it yourself, when you know what you are 
 using, and have a better and cheaper paint without 
 buying the cans and fancy labels. 
 
 4th. If you mix your own paints you will not 
 need to go to the expense of keeping a stock of all 
 colors on hand. 
 
 We will give our readers some formulas for their 
 consideration so that if necessary you can mix to 
 please yourself. 
 
 ist. — TOO lbs. white lead in oil, 3 gallons % 6 25 
 
 100 lbs. WZ ''5 " 7 25 
 
 22 gallons oil, raw, 22 '' 13 20 
 
 30 gallons, $26 60 
 Cost per gallon, '^'^yz cts. 
 
 2nd. — 100 lbs. white lead in oil, 3 gallons... $ 6 25 
 100 lbs. WZ, dry, 5 " ... 6 50 
 
 33 gallons oil, raw, ZZ '^ ... 19 80 
 
 41 gallons, $34 55 
 Cost per gallon, 83^ cts. 
 
 3rd. — 100 lbs. white lead in oil, 3 gallons... $ 6 25 
 
 100 lbs. WZ, dry 5 '' ... 6 50 
 
 50 lbs. PW, dry 3 "• ... i 50 
 
 42 gallons RO, 42 " ... 25 20 
 
 53 gallons $39 45 
 Cost per gallon, 74}^ cts. 
 
128 
 
 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 4th. ^50 lbs. 
 
 white lead 
 
 in 
 
 oil. 
 
 i^^gal. 
 
 ..$ 3 I2l^ 
 
 100 lbs. 
 
 WZ, dry, 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 ( ( 
 
 •• 6 50 
 
 50. lbs. 
 
 PW, dry, 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 i( 
 
 .. I 50 
 
 30 gal. 
 
 RO, 
 
 
 
 30 
 
 i i 
 
 .. 18 00 
 
 10 gal 
 
 LW, 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 i i 
 
 5 
 
 Cost per gallon, 57 cts. 
 
 49 >^ gal 
 
 , $29 i7>^ 
 
 5th, — 100 lbs. WZ, dry, 5 gallons $ 6 5c 
 
 50 lbs. PW, dry, 3 " 
 
 SO lbs. YO, dry, 3 - 
 
 10 gal. RO, 10 '' 
 
 30 gal. elastic oil, 30 '^ 
 
 51 gallons. 
 Cost per gallon, 42 cts. 
 
 I 
 
 50 
 
 I 
 
 50 
 
 6 
 
 00 
 
 6 
 
 00 
 
 $21 5c 
 
 Thus we could continue until we had the cost 
 down to almost nothing, but we have given only the 
 very best and most durable coloring matter such as 
 black, red, yellow, blue, &c, can be added to the 
 above so as to get any desired shade that you wish. 
 Changes can be made in any direction you w^ish, 
 such as adding more WL, or leaving it out, or more 
 or less of any of the other articles as occasion re- 
 quires. 
 
 The ready mixed paints that are now to be seen in 
 the stores for sale, with flashy labels, lauding their 
 excellent qualities, do not contain an ounce of lead, 
 and but very little linseed oil. Lead, as all painters 
 know, would go to the bottom, and there form a hard 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 129 
 
 cake in course of time. The principle pigment used 
 in nine-tenths of the so-called paints is WZ and PW 
 with umber — black, red, yellow, &c., to ^ive them 
 the proper shade. The vehicle used is the elastic oil. 
 
 SUBSTITUTE FOR WHITE EEA1>. 
 
 WZ 75 lbs. dry, MR 30 lbs. Mix well together; 
 run it through the mill, or, if you have no mill, a fine 
 stramer. If you want a clear white or tint job use 
 RO and TT, half and half. For plastered walls (in- 
 side) you will find that you will have a much better job 
 than you would by using pure white lead, as the work 
 stands out better and finishes like varnish-work. If 
 you wish a rough, cheap job, use the elastic oil for 
 first and second coats. The MR can be left out, and 
 PW or BT substituted. Do not put any dryer in 
 until you are ready to use the paint. 
 
 Substitutes for White Lead. — Native barytes 
 or barium sulphate, is mixed with pulverized stone, 
 coal and tar, and exposed to an intense heat, so as to 
 convert it into barium sulphide. The latter, being 
 soluble, can be dissolved out, and to the clear so- 
 lution is added a corresponding quantity of zinc 
 chloride in solution. To the solution of barium 
 chloride, I added white vitriol ( zinc sulphate ), when 
 a precipitate of barium sulphate will be formed, and 
 zinc chloride left in solution, which latter can be fil- 
 tered and again employed to precipitate barium 
 sulphide. 
 
 The two precipitates, obtained as above, namely, 
 zinc sulphide and barium sulphate, are well washed 
 
130 Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 mixed, dried, heated to a cherry red, then thrown 
 into cold water, and finally ground in water and 
 dried. The white pigment thus obtained covers well, 
 and is well suited to mix with oil, as a substitute for 
 lead, especially where sulphur compounds exist or 
 may be generated. 
 
 XX will be found to answer. It has a good body 
 and is very durable, either inside or out but does not 
 do so well on plastered walls as the WZ. 
 
 ADUI.TERATI0:N^ for white IiEAI>. 
 
 To 50 lbs. white lead add 25 lbs. WZ dry, arid 25 
 lbs. PW or BT. You will find that the paint will 
 still have a good body and will reach as far as 300 
 lbs. of all pure lead. Mix the WZ and P W ( or BT ) 
 first and run through the mill or strainer, then put 
 the lead in after breaking it up. Use pure RO and 
 TT for inside work half and half. 
 
 A CHEAP PAINT FOR ROOF WORK. 
 
 50 lbs. mineral paint— ochre, brown or venitian 
 red, which ever is convenient — 50 lbs. PW and 50 
 lbs. road dust. Then mix with oil and run through 
 the mill, and if ground fine will do for priming or 
 second coating any kind of rough work and is very 
 durable. 
 
 By adding )4 bushel of ASL, and thinning wit 
 half oil and half sweet milk, you will have a stil] 
 cheaper paint. 
 
 1 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 131 
 
 FIRE PROOF PAI]»T. 
 
 70 ibs. WZ, 30 lbs. ASL, 50 lbs. WL, 10 lbs. ZS. 
 Mix the WZ and ASL together and grind in the 
 elastic oil, then add 1 gal. 35 degrees SG, then the 
 WL and ZS. Stir well. This will make a white 
 paint, and if you wish the color changed, add any 
 pigment that you wish to get the shade you desire. 
 
 You have about as much paint in the above to go 
 about as far as 300 lbs. of pure white lead, at a cost 
 of about one third. 
 
 ORFEX PAINT. 
 
 I. 5 lbs. YO, dry/ i lb. orange chrome, dry; 4 
 oz. Prussian Blue ; grind in oil. 
 
 II. 5 lbs. YO dry; 2 lbs. canary chrome ; 5 lbs. 
 MR ; 6 oz. Prussian blue ; grind in oil. 
 
 III. 5 lbs. YO, dry; 4 lbs. orange chrome; 3 oz. 
 Antwerp blue; grind in oil. This makes a very 
 clear color, which you can make either light or dark 
 at pleasure. If you wish to make it lighter, add 
 more chrome or YO ; if darker, add more blue. 
 This recipe is worth its weight in gold, as you will 
 find after using it. 
 
 Use No. I for first and second coats, or No. 2 for 
 the first and second coats and finish with No. 3. If 
 you have no mill, get the colors ready ground in the 
 same proportion as the dry. 
 
 ECONOMY IX MAKING COEORS. 
 
 Prussian Blue. — First. Take nitric acid, any 
 buantity ; and as much iron shavings from the lathe 
 
132 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 as the acid will dissolve ; heat the iron as hot as cart 
 be handled with the hand, then add to it the acid ini 
 small quantities as long as the acid will dissolve it.. 
 Second. Take prussate of potash, dissolve it im 
 hot water to make a strong solution, and mix suf- 
 ficient of it with the first to the depth of tint required. 
 
 Another Method. — A very passable Prussian 
 blue is made by taking the sulphate of iron ( cop- 
 peras and prussate of potash, equal parts of each, 
 and dissolve in water, then mixing the two together.) 
 
 Chrome Yellow. — First. Take SL and PW, oi 
 each 5 lbs., dissolve them in hot water. Second. 
 Take bi-chromate of potash, 6^ ozs., also dissolve 
 it in hot water. Each article to be dissolved sepa- 
 rately, then mix all together, putting the bi-chromate 
 last. Let stand 24 hours and drain off the water. 
 Let it dry and it is ready for use. 
 
 Chrome Green. — Take PW, 6% lbs., SL and 
 blue vitriol each 3^ lbs., AN 10^ ozs., best soft 
 Prussianlblue and chrome yellow, of each 3^^ lbs. 
 Mix while dry, then add i gallon of water, stirring 
 well. Let stand three or four hours, or until it set- 
 tles, then drain off the water, let it dry, when it will 
 be ready for use. 
 
 A Good Green. — Take unslaked lime of the best 
 quality; slack it in hot water, then sift it through a 
 fine seive, then add a strong solution of AN water. 
 Then color it with bichromate of potash and sulphate 
 of copper until the color suits your fancy. 
 
 Another Method. — Blue vitriol 5 lbs., SL 6^ 
 lbs., arsenic 2^ lbs., bichromate of potash i^ lbs. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 133 
 
 Mix dry then add three pints water ; mix well ; let 
 stand for three or four hours, then drain off the 
 water. It is dangerous to handle. 
 
 When any of the above mixtures have stood as 
 mentioned, all that is necessary to drain off the water 
 is to place the preparation into a muslin bag for that 
 purpose, then expose the mixture to the air to dry 
 for use. Glass, stone or wood vessels only should be 
 used, as the acids soon work upon the iron, tin 6t 
 copper, giving a tinge not desired to the color ; and 
 also observe that if water is mixed with strong acids 
 it must be added slowly, especially in tight vessels, 
 by means of the great heat which is set free by the 
 combination. 
 
 ADUIiTJERATIOBTS THAT MAY BE US£D IN MIXIIf G 
 PAINTS. 
 
 In case that you have a rough job and want to get 
 a good body upon it at a small cost, use for the first 
 coat LW, or the contents of the dissolvent keg, add- 
 ing a little SP, or anything that you may have in the 
 way of a pigment to fill the pores. 
 
 Dust of the road is very good after it has been 
 well cleaned. You can carry it right through the 
 first, second and third coats. 
 
 To clean the road dust, first get a large tub filled 
 with water, then put the dust into it, making it about 
 as thick as second coating. • Let it stand for a day or 
 two, until it is settled. Drain the water off the top, 
 and you will find that the coarse sand is at the bot. 
 tom and the fine on top, which, after drying will be 
 
134 Miner's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 ready for use. This has a good body and makes a 
 durable pigment. It can be used to adulterate any 
 dark color. 
 
 WATERPROOF OIL. RUBBER PAINT. 
 
 Dissolve 5 pounds of india rubber in i gallon of 
 BO by boiling. If this is too thick, reduce with 
 BO ; if too thin use more rubber. Especially appli- 
 cable to cloth, but valuable for any other material. 
 
 WATERPROOF RUBBER PAIXTS FOR OVERCOATS, 
 
 ETC, 
 
 Get one old worn out rubber boot, put into a ket- 
 tle with one gallon RO. Boil slow until the boot is 
 dissolved. Then strain, add 3 ozs. of black oxide of 
 M. If too thin add more rubber; if too thick, add 
 more oil, or you can thin it with TT. 
 
 The above can be used m place of R, where it 
 occurs in other recipes. R is very expensive. 
 
 HOW TO MIX wats<:r with paint. 
 
 Take SA 3 oz., caustic lime 3 oz. , dissolve in one 
 gallon of SW ; then stir in gradually }^ gallon RO ; 
 let stand for three or four days. Take one part of 
 this mixture and mix with two parts of RO. It is 
 now ready for use. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. ISS 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 RECIPE FOR EUMIlVOlJSi PAINT. 
 
 Sulphide of calcium (Canton's Phosphous ) mixed 
 with any varnish, will produce what is known as 
 luminous paint 
 
 Luminous Paint Again. — Take loo parts of 
 resin oil, which is to be boiled in a suitable pan with 
 30 parts of freshly slaked, raising the heat by degrees. 
 This mass is at first lumpy, then becomes tougher 
 and afterwards passes into a thin liquid. At 300 de- 
 grees Fahr,, the entire surface of the liquid becomes 
 luminous in the dark. At 380 Fahr. bluish whie 
 light is very strong in the dark. Objects dipped in 
 the liquid remain luminous for some time. Care 
 should be taken in the making of this paint, and 
 those who are unskillful should not attempt it. There 
 are several estabhshments who make a good quality 
 that is on sale at all first class paint stores. This 
 paint is used extensively by secret societies who 
 have an emblem of mortality in their initiatory work. 
 Give the emblem a coat of SH. Then coat when 
 dry with the luminous paint, not to exceed two coats, 
 one good coat if put on properly will do. Expose 
 the object to a strong light during the day and if pos_ 
 sible give it strong light on up to the time you wish 
 to use it. Place the object in the position that you 
 
136 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 wish, and shut out all the light from the room, and 
 you will then have a good effect. , The darker the 
 room is the better. 
 
 PAINT SKINS— TO SAVE AND REDUCE TO OIL.. 
 
 Dissolve Sal Soda, )4 lb. in i gallon SW. 
 
 The skins that you have can be pu^ into the above. 
 Let stand 4 or 5 days, then put them into a kettle and 
 boil them, adding sufficient oil to thin to a proper 
 consistency for painting or straining. 
 
 DISSOL.VENT FOB PAINT SKINS. 
 
 2 lbs. concentrated lye, 5 lbs. unslaked lime to 15 
 gal. of water. Put in the skins and dirty buckets, 
 stir them up occasionally. When the skins are dis- 
 solved pour off the lye-water and the paint in the bot- 
 tom will do for priming rough weather boarding or 
 brick walls. Do not throw the water away as it will 
 do for another lime by adding more lye to it. 
 
 TO SOFTEN PUTTY AND REMOVE PAINT. 
 
 To destroy paint on old doors, etc., and to soften 
 putty in window frames, so that the glass may be 
 taken out without breakage or cutting, take equal 
 portions of SO and quick lime, and with water, mix 
 them into a thick paste. Coat the work with 
 this, allowing it to stand about an hour, when it 
 must be thoroughly washed with water. This is a 
 speedy method of removing old paint, but it must be 
 
Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 137 
 
 used with caution. That is to say, the coating must 
 be removed at the instant that solution has taken 
 place, otherwise the wood will be furred up, and 
 alkali deposited in its fibers to the subsequent detri- 
 ment of the painting. 
 
 GL.ASS FROSTIXG OR CRYSTAI.IZINO. 
 
 Dissolve ES in gum-arabic water; let stand over 
 night, and after cleaning the glass off well, flow the 
 solution on so that it will not run ; lay the glass flat 
 if convenient, and when it commences to set, take a 
 pointed stick and dot it in rows to suit the taste ; 
 put the dots about i yi inches apart. If you wish it 
 colored, use analines — red, blue, green and gamboge 
 for yellow or gold color. 
 
 FROSTIBiO OliAISS. 
 
 The Scientific American of recent date gives the fol- 
 wloing method of frosting glass without the use of paint. 
 Clean the glass and moisten it with ordinary hydro- 
 floric acid. As soon as the frosting is satisfactorily 
 completed, wash off with water. 
 
 I have not tried the above but think that it will 
 work. 
 
 TO P£ARl4 OR CRYSTAL.IZE TIN. 
 
 Take sulphuric acid, 4 ozs. ; soft water, 2 or 4 ozs. , 
 according to the strength of the acid; salt i oz., mix. 
 Heat the tin quite hot over a stove or heater then 
 with a sponge, wet it with the mixture, washing off 
 directly with clean water. Dry the tin; then varnish 
 with Damar varnish. 
 
1S8 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 - 
 
 £BONIZIXO. 
 
 How to make woods, such as cherry, mahogany 
 etc., look like ebony is often desirable, and a cor- 
 respondent gives the following directions : 
 
 To imitate black ebony, first wet the wood with a 
 solution of logwood and copperas, boiled together, 
 laid on hot. For this purpose two ounces of logwood 
 chips, one and one-half ounces of copperas to a quart 
 of water will be required. When the work has be- 
 come dry, wet the surface again with a mixtue of 
 vinegar and steeling two ounces of steel filings in one- 
 half pint of vinegar. When the work has become dry 
 again, sand-paper down until quite smooth. Then 
 oil and fill in with powdered drop-black mixed in the 
 filler. Work to be ebonized should be smooth, and 
 free from holes, etc. The work may receive a light 
 coat of quick drying varnish, and then be rubbed 
 with finely pulverized pumice-stone and linseed oil 
 until very smooth. 
 
 JAPAX FL.OW FOR T\1S ANI> IROBT. 
 
 Take gum sandarac i lb. ; balsam of fir, balsam 
 of tolu, and acetate of lead, ol each 2 ozs., and lin- 
 seed oil % pint. Put these into a suitable kettle, 
 over a slow fire at first, then raise to a higher heat 
 until all are melted; now take from the fire and when 
 a little cool stir in spirits of turpentine, two quarts, 
 and strain through a fine cloth. This is transparent, 
 but by the following modifications any or all of the 
 various colors are made from it. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 139 
 
 , Black. — Melt asphaltiim, 2 ozs., in spirits of tur- 
 pentine y2 pint, then rub up Prussian blue, y^ oz. 
 with a little of it, mix all well and strain; then add 
 the whole to one pint ot the first above 
 
 Blue. — Take indigo and Prussian blue, both finely 
 pulverized, of each ^ oz, spirits of turpentine, i 
 pint. Mix well and strain. Add, of this to i pint 
 of the first until the color suits. 
 
 Red. — Take spirits of turpentine ^ pint, add 
 cochineal ^2 oz. ; let stand 15 hours and strain. 
 Add of this to the first to suit the fancy. 
 
 Yellow. — Take i ounce of pulverized root of 
 cucuma and stir off into i pint of the first until the 
 color suits, let stand for a few hours and strain. 
 
 Green. — Mix equal parts of the blue and yellow 
 together, then mix with the first until it suits. 
 
 Orange. — Mix a , little of the red with more of 
 the yellow, and the first, as heretofore, until suited. 
 
 In this simple way you get all the various colors. 
 Apply with a brush. 
 
 Chinese Gold Lacquer. — An excellent imitation 
 of this celebrated gold lacquer may be prepared by 
 melting two parts of shellac and one of copal, so as 
 to form a perfect fluid mixture, and then add two 
 parts of alcohol. The vessel is then to be removed 
 from the fire and a tenth of the bulk of the whole 
 of the oil of turpentine gradually added. The ad- 
 dition of a solution of turpentine or gum gamboge 
 for yellow and of gum dragon for red will improve 
 the color. The Chinese apparently use tin-foil as a 
 ground for lacquer varnish. 
 
140 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Furniture Polish — For renovating furniture is 
 made by mixing one pound each of olive oil and oil 
 of amber with one ounce of tincture of henna. This 
 mixture should be kept in a stoppered bottle. The 
 wood is renovated by being briskly rubbed with a 
 piece of raw cotton dipped in this mixture, and 
 rubbed. dry with a dry cotton rag. 
 
 Thinning Thick Color of any kind when taken 
 from the can, beat it thoroughly before adding liquid; 
 then add a small portion at a time, thoroughly mixing 
 after each addition, until the desired consistency is 
 obtained. If a thinner is added m a large quanity, 
 no amount of stirring or beating will break the lumps, 
 and straining will be necessary. This rule applies to 
 almost every thick paste or mass. Keg lead can be 
 mixed quickly and nicely in this way. 
 
 Varnishing Undried Letters. — Where a job is 
 to be hurried out and a coat of finishing varnish put on 
 while the lettering is still not dry, take some shellac 
 and with a soft large-sized camel's-hair pencil coat 
 the letters over. The shellac will dry in a few min- 
 utes, and the lettering be as good for varnishing as 
 if done a week. 
 
 Violin Varnish. — Twelve parts sandarac, six 
 parts of shellac, six parts mastic, one hundred and 
 fifty parts ninety-five-per-cent. alcohol, six parts 
 Venice turpentine. Mix and dissolve warm. 
 
 To Frost Glass. — The frosting of glass to keep 
 out the sun is done by using the following paint : 
 Sugar of lead well ground in oiL applied as other 
 
 I 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 141 
 
 paint, then pounced, while fresh, with a cotton dus- 
 ter. When partially dry, with a straight edge laid 
 upon the sash, run along by the side of it a stick 
 sharpened to the width of the Hne in any figures or 
 squares you choose. 
 
 Lamp Black has been known to take fire spontan- 
 eously. This should be stored in moderate quantities 
 in a place where little damage can occur from its 
 combustion, and in tin cans tightly covered. 
 
 Gilding on Satin and Cloth. — A strong ising- 
 glass solution is applied with a camel's-hair pencil; 
 when dry, a coating of gold size, on which, when 
 tacky, the leaf is laid, and then pressed with a piece 
 of soft chamois leather. 
 
 To Stencil on Distemper Paints. — To have a 
 color in distemper work sharp, and one that will not 
 spread, mix as much color as is required to a stiff 
 paste with linseed oil. When well mixed or ground, 
 lay the color on a heavy coarse brown paper for an 
 hour or more. This will absorb the fatty and sticky 
 portion of the oil, and prevent any danger of spread- 
 ing. It may then be thmned with turpentine to the 
 proper consistency. 
 
 Polished Floors. — A remarkable innovation has 
 been made — that of the application of soluble glass 
 to floors, the waterglass being previously colored if 
 desired. It gives a polished, smooth and han Jsome 
 surface. The seams are first filled with a cement of 
 waterglass and gypsum. Successive coats of water- 
 glass of the consistency of syrup are applied with a 
 
142 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Stiff brush. A higher finish is given by pumicing off 
 the last layer and then putting on a new coat of oil. 
 
 Rebronzing of Gas-Fixtures. — A convenient' 
 preparation for rebronzing gas-fixtures is made by ! 
 mixing bronze powder with any transparent varnish- 
 say amber, gum damar or copal. Do not mix more 
 than you are going to use at once, because most 
 bronze powders act as powerful dryers, and what you 
 have left of the mixture soon becomes hard and use- 
 less. It is better to put a little of the varnish into a 
 small fiat saucer and some of the loose powder next 
 into it, and mix with the brush while you are using 
 it, as a painter mixes colors on his palette. 
 
 Coloring Oak. — There is no doubt that the tak- 
 ing out of some of the dark color of your ammonia 
 stained oak is due to the action of light. Under 
 general circumstances light is antagonistic to the dark 
 hue of oak, for an old piece after being planed loses 
 some of the mellow tone it had at first. 
 
 To Use Bronze Powder. — Mix with rubbing 
 varnish to a stiff paste, then thin with turps to the 
 proper consistency to use with a brush. 
 
 To Make a Good Cement for Sticking Porce- 
 lain Letters on Glass. — Mix starch, sixty parts; 
 finely pulverized chalk, one hundred parts. Mix 
 with equal parts of water and alcohol with the addi- 
 tion of thirty parts of Venice turpentine, taking care 
 to agitate the mass with a stick so as to insure its 
 homogeneity. 
 
Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 143 
 
 Another Way. — Mix a stiff putty with white lead 
 and good coach varnish. 
 
 A Good Putty for Iron. — Take zinc white 
 (dry), work it up into a stiff paste with silicate of 
 soda or silicate of potash. 
 
 Glycerine Putty. — This is made of good thick 
 glycerine and white lead and litharge. It hardens 
 in fifteen to forty-five minutes, and withstands water 
 and acids. It should be used warm and freshly 
 made. 
 
 Keep Plenty of Paint and Varnish Pots. A 
 set of paint and varnish pots should be kept in lye 
 continually. A small paint-shop should have from 
 half a dozen to a dozen pots all the time, and they 
 should be clean, while a large shop will need two 
 dozen or more. 
 
 I don't believe in throwing in and taking out a pot 
 every time one is needed. VVhen one set is taken 
 out of the lye quite free from paint or varnish, then 
 put in another set ; or if those you take out are not 
 clean enough, then put them back again. 
 
 There is no sense in keeping on hand a lot of pots 
 filled with old paint that is no longer of any use. 
 
 Metal-Back Gilding on Glass. — Pounce the 
 design on the outside of the glass with a pricked pat" 
 tern ; gild solid, as usual ; coat with glass gold size, 
 and let dry. Coat the solid^gilding with da mar var- 
 nish ; let it stand till tacky ; then lay on tin foil, lap 
 the edges and smooth it down hard with a palette- 
 knife. Reverse the pricked pattern to read back- 
 
144 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 ward, and pounce the letters on the solid tin foil;] 
 cut the lines of the letters through to the glass with 
 a sharp-pointed knife ; use an iron ruler for the 
 straight lines, and cut curves as in cutting stencils. 
 Carefully pick out all surplus foil; press the letter 
 edges where needed ; clear the glass of damar with 
 turps, and shade on edge to suit. Many sign-writers 
 do not know this method. 
 
 To Remove Paint Stains from Clothes. — 
 Chloroform is an excellent medium for the removal 
 of paint stains from the clothes, etc. It is found that 
 portions of dry white paint which resisted the action 
 of ether, benzole aud bisulphide of carbon . re at 
 once dissolved by chloroform. If the paint is fresh, 
 turpentine or alcohol will remove it. 
 
 Mixture for Cleaning Furniture. -Cold-drawn 
 linseed oil, i quart; spirits of wine, and vinegar, ^ 
 pint each ; butter (terchloride) of antimony, 2 ounces ; 
 spirits of turpentine, i^ pint. This mixture requires 
 to be well shaken before it is used. A little of it is 
 then to be poured upon a rubber, which must be 
 well applied to the surface of the furniture ; several 
 applications will be necessary for new lurniture, or for 
 such as had previouly been French poHshed or rubbed 
 with bees' wax. 
 
 Furniture Polish. — Dissolve 4 ounces best shel- 
 lac in 2 pints 95 per cent, alcohol; add to this 2 pints 
 linseed oil, and i pint spirits turpentine; when mix- 
 ed, add 4 ounces sulphuric ether, and 4 ounces am- 
 monia water; mix thoroughly. Shake when used, 
 
Miller^ s '^ Boss^^ Painters' Guide. 145 
 
 and apply with a sponge lightly. This is an excel- 
 lent article, especially where the varnish has become 
 old and tarnished. 
 
 Polishing Paste. — Take 3 ounces white wax, ^ 
 ounce Castile so^-p, i gill turpentine. Shave the 
 wax and soap very fine and put the wax to the tur- 
 pentine ; let it stand 24 hours ; then boil the soap in 
 I gill water, and add to the wax and turpentine. This 
 has been highly recommended. 
 
 Furniture Polish. — Bees' wax, ^ pound; alkanet 
 root, 14 ounce ; melt together in a pipkin until the 
 former is well colored. Then add linseed oil, and 
 spirits of turpentine, of each ^ gill; strain through a 
 piece of coarse muslin. 
 
 Furniture Paste. — Turpentine, i pint; alkanet 
 root, ^2 ounce; digest until sufificiendy colored, then 
 add bees' wax, scraped small, 4 ounces ; put the ves- 
 sel into hot water and stir until dissolved. If wanted 
 pale, the alkanet may be omitted. 
 
 To Wax Furniture. — In waxing, it is of great 
 importance to make the coating as thin as possible, 
 in order that the veins of the wood may be distinctly 
 seen. The following preparation is the best for per- 
 forming this operation. Put 2 ounces white and yel- 
 low wax over a moderate fire, in a very clean vessel, 
 and, when it is quite melted, add 4 ounces best 
 spirits of turpentine. Stir the whole until it is en- 
 tirely cool, and you will have a pomade fit for wax- 
 ing furniture, which must be rubbed over it accord- 
 ing to the usual method. The oil soon penetrates 
 
146 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 the pores of the wood, brings out the color, causes 
 the wax to adhere better, and produces a lustre equal 
 to that of varnish, without being subject to any of its 
 inconveniences. The polish may be renewed at any 
 time by rubbing it with a piece oi fine cork. 
 
 Composition for Soft or Light Mahogany. — 
 Boil together cold drawn linseed oil, and as much 
 alkanet root as it will cover, arid to every pint of oil 
 add I ounce of the best rose pink. When all the 
 color is extracted, strain it off, and to every pint add 
 J-2 gill spirits of turpentine. This will be a very 
 superior composition for soft and light mahogany. 
 
 Varnish for Engraving on Glass. ^t- Wax, i 
 ounce, mastich, ^ ounce, asphaltum, ^ ounce, tur- 
 pentine, ^ drachm. 
 
 Etching Varnishes. — White wax, 2 ounces, 
 asphaltum, 2 ounces. Melt the wax in a clean pip- 
 kin, add the asphaltum in powder, and boil it to a 
 proper consistency. Pour it into warm water, and 
 form it into balls, which must be kneaded, and put 
 into taffeta for use. Or : White wax, 2 ounces, 
 Burgundy pitch, y^ ounce, black pitch, ^ ounce. 
 Melt together, and add by degrees 2 ounces pow- 
 dered asphaltum, and boil it till a drop cooled on a 
 plate becomes brittle. 
 
 Etching Fluid for Copper. — Aquafortis, 2 
 ounces; water, 5 ounces. Mix. 
 
 Etching Fluid for Steel. — Iodine, i ounce; iron 
 filings, ^ drachm ; water, 4 ounces. Digest till the 
 iron is dissolved. Or : pyroligneous acid 4 parts by 
 
Miller's ^'Boss'^ Painters' Guide. 147 
 
 measure; alcohol, i part. Mix, and add one part 
 double aquafortis (specific gravity 1.28). Apply it 
 from ij4 to 15 minutes. 
 
 To Make Colored Prints Resemble Oil Paint- 
 ings. — Take of Canada balsam, i ounce; spirit of 
 turpentine, 2 ounces; mix them together. Before 
 this composition is applied, the drawing or print 
 should be sized with a solution of isinglass in water, 
 and, when dry, the varnish should be applied with a 
 camel's hair brush. 
 
 India-rubber Varnish. — Digest in a closed ves- 
 sel, at a gentle heat, i ounce India-rubber shavings 
 in I pint of rectified mineral naptha, or benzole 
 then- strain it. This dries very badly and never gets 
 perfectly hard. 
 
 Tough India-rubber Varnish. — Dissolve by 
 heat I ounce India-rubber in 1 quart of drying oil. 
 This dries very tough in about 48 hours. 
 
 Flexible Varnish. — Boil 3 ounces dried white 
 copperas, 3 ounces sugar of lead, and 8 ounces lith- 
 arge, in I gallon linseed oil; stir constantly until it 
 strings well, then cool slowly and decant the clear 
 portion. If too thick, thin with quick-drying lin- 
 seed oil. 
 
 To Color Rattan Furniture Black. — Apply a 
 strong solution of extract of logwood; when dry, 
 brush the surface, and then add a weak solution of 
 bichromate of potash. Should gray spots appear, 
 reapply to them the last solution and rub the surface 
 with a woolen cloth. 
 
148 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 To Transfer Prints to Glass. — First coat the 
 glass with damar varnish or else with Canada bal- 
 sam mixed with an equal volume of oil of turpentine, 
 and let it dry until it is very sticky, which takes half 
 a day or more. The printed paper to be transferred 
 should be well soaked in soft water ahd carefully laid 
 upon the prepared glass, after removing surplus 
 water with blotting paper, and pressed upon it, so 
 that no air bubbles or drops of water are seen under- 
 neath. This should dry a whole day before it is 
 touched; then with wetted fingers begin to rub off 
 the paper at the back. If this be skilfully done, al- 
 most the whole of the paper can be removed, leaving 
 simply the ink upon the varnish. When the paper 
 has been removed, another coat of varnish will serve 
 to make the whole more transparent, 
 
 To Varnish Drawings, or any kind of Paper 
 OR Card Work. — Dissolve i ounce best isinglass in 
 about I pint of water, by simmering it over the fire ; 
 strain it through fine muslin, and keep it for use. 
 Try the size on a piece of paper moderately warm. 
 If It gHstens, it is too thick, and requires more water ; 
 if it soaks into the paper, it is too thin, and needs 
 more isinglass; it should merely dull the surface. 
 Then give the drawing 2 or 3 coats, letting it dry be- 
 tween each, being careful (particularly in the first 
 coat ) to bear very lightly on the brush ( which should 
 be a flat cameFs-hair), from which the size should 
 flow freely ; otherwise, the drawing may be damaged. 
 Then take the best mastich varnish, and with it give 
 at least three coats. This is the method used by 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 149 
 
 many eminent artists, and is found superior to any 
 that has been tried. 
 
 To Etch on Glass. — Etching with hydrofluoric 
 acid on plate glass is practiced now to a very consid- 
 erable extent. The French manufacturers especially 
 producing splendid ornamental effects by this pro- 
 cess. The drawings to be imitated or etched on the 
 glass are first made on stone or plate and then printed 
 on unsized paper with an ink consisting principally 
 of a solution of asphaltum in oil of turpentine made 
 with the aid of heat, to which some substance is 
 added which shows a more or less crystalline struc- 
 ture on cooling, as stearic acid, spermaceti, naphtha- 
 line, parafifine. The mixture is strained and rapidly 
 cooled with constant stirring; it is the only kind of 
 coating wh ch thoroughly resists the action of the 
 corrosive acid. The printed paper is laid flat with 
 the blank side on water, to which from lo to 25 per 
 cent, of muriatic acid has been added, and as soon 
 as the lines show signs of softening the negative 
 printing is transferred to the glass by a slight pres- 
 sure; when the paper is removed, the picture will 
 adhere to the glass, and this is afterwards exposed to 
 the fluoric vapors in leaden troughs. 
 
 To Remove Paint Stains from Clothes. — 
 Chloroform is an excellent medium for the removal 
 of stains of paint from clothes, etc. It is found that 
 portions of dry white paint, which resisted the action 
 of ether, benzole, and bisulphide of carbon, are at 
 once dissolved by chloroform. If the paint is fresh, 
 turpentine or alcohol will remove it. 
 
150 Miller^ s ^^ Boss^^ Painters' Guide. 
 
 To Take Stains Out of White Marble. — Take 
 I ox-gall, I wine-glass soap lees, ^ wine-glassful 
 turpentine ; mix and make into a paste with pipe 
 clay. Put on the paste over the stain and let it 
 remain for several days. If the stain is not fully 
 removed a second application will generally prove 
 sufficient. 
 
 German Receipt for Coating Wood with a 
 Substance as Hard as Stone. — Melt together 40 
 parts of, chalk, 50 resin, and 4 linseed oil ; to this 
 should be added i part oxide of copper, and after- 
 wards I part sulphuric acid. This last ingredient 
 must be added carefully. This mixture, while hot, is 
 appled with a brush, and forms, when dry, a varnish 
 as hard as stone. This is an excellent application to 
 protect posts, tubs, or other wooden articles which 
 are set in the earth. 
 
 To Make Transfer Paper. — To prepare transfer 
 paper, take some thin post or tissue paper, rub the 
 surface well with black lead, stove polish, vermillion, 
 red chalk or any other coloring matter; wipe this 
 preparation well off with a piece of clean rag, and it 
 will be ready for use. 
 
 To Remove the Varnish from Oil Paintings, 
 ETC, — Varnish and dirt can be removed by washing 
 over with a weak solution of carbonate of ammonia, 
 wiping it off with a sponge wetted with water as soon 
 as it has fulfilled its object; if allowed to remain too 
 long it will injure the oil colors. Another way is to 
 spread a thick coat of fuller's earth over the surface 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide, 151 
 
 of the varnish, leaving it on long enough to soften it; 
 it may then be removed by washiug. 
 
 Paints Suitable for Iron. — The paints made 
 from iron oxides are the best preservers of iron, viz : 
 Spanish Brown, Venetian reds, Indian reds, Purple 
 browns, and Colcothars. Oxide of zinc ranks next 
 in importance to those named. 
 
 An Eye for Color. — Worth, the man Mantua- 
 maker of Paris, is said to keep an aviary of birds, 
 from the varied plumage of which, he copies color 
 effects. 
 
 To Paint Zinc. — A difficulty is often experienced 
 in causing oil colors to adhere to sheet zinc. Boett- 
 ger recommends the employment of a mordant, so 
 to speak, of the following composition : i part 
 chloride of copper, i of nitrate of copper, and i of 
 sal-ammoniac are to be dissolved in 64 parts of water, 
 to which solution is to be added i part of commer- 
 cial hydrochloric acid. The sheets of zinc are to be 
 brushed over with this liquid, which gives them a 
 deep black color ; in the course of 12 to 24 hours 
 they become dry, and to their now dirty gray sur- 
 face a coat of any oil color will firmly adhere. Some 
 sheets of zinc prepared in this way, and afterwards 
 painted, have been found to withstand all the 
 changes of winter and summer. 
 
 Metals all Yield Pigments. — From Arsenic is 
 obtained Kings-yellow and Orpiment; Cadmium 
 yields a vivid yellow, called cadmium yellow; Cobalt 
 gives as cobalt-blue and smalt. From Copper is 
 
152 Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 produced Emerald green and Verdigris; Iron is 
 drawn upon, and gives bountifully the pigments 
 known as Venitian-red, Indian-red, Mars-yellow and 
 Mars-orange ; ( Mars is an old name for iron.) Lead 
 furnishes White-lead, Kremintz, Flake and China- 
 white; Patent-yellow, red-lead and Orange-mineral; 
 Mercury adds to the painter's list of colors, the brill- 
 iant red known as Vermilion; Zinc gives us a beau- 
 tiful white, called Zinc white. 
 
 White Used by the Egyptians and Romans. — 
 The white employed by the Egyptians, is supposed 
 by Mereniee to have been simply plaster of Paris 
 ( sulphate of lime ) mixed with a certain glue or 
 mucilage. 
 
 To Paint Whitewashed Walls. — When the sec- 
 ond coat of glue size is dry, paint as follows : Mix the 
 first coat of paint in the proportion of one gallon of 
 raw linseed oil to 15 pounds white lead, ground in 
 oil, and i gill of dryer. Second coat: i gallon raw 
 linseed oil, 25 pounds white lead, ground in oil, and 
 j4 gin dryer. (The lead should be the best.) Then 
 finish in either gloss or flat color, the same as if it 
 were wood work with one good coat of priming. 
 Shade all coats oi paint, as near as you can, to the 
 color you wish to finish in. Mix the third and fourth 
 coats the same as the first, that is, about the same 
 thickness for a gloss finish, and a Httle thinner for a 
 flat finish. 
 
 Flexible Paint for Canvas. — Dissolve 2^4 
 pounds good yellow soap, cut in slices in i^ gallons 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 153 
 
 boiling water; grind the solution while hot in 140 
 pounds good oil paint. 
 
 Durable Black Paint for Out-Door Work. — 
 Grind powdered charcoal in linseed oil, with suf- 
 ficient litharge as drier ; thin for use with well-boiled 
 linseed oil. 
 
 Green Paint for Outside Work. — Add to the 
 black paint, according to the last receipt, sufficient 
 yellow ochre to make the shade of green required. 
 This is preferable for garden work, to the bright 
 green paint generally used, as it does not fade. 
 
 Turnbull's Prussian Blue. — Ferricyanide (red 
 prussiate) of potassium, 10 ounces; Solution of pro- 
 tosulphate of iron, i pint; water 3 pints. Dissolve 
 the ferricyanide of potassium in i part of water, and 
 add the solution, gradually, to the solution of potos- 
 ulphate of iron previously diluted with the remainder 
 of the water, stirring the mixture during the addition. 
 Then filter the liquid, and wash the precipitate on 
 the filter with boiling water until the washings pass 
 nearly tasteless. Lastly, dry it, and rub into fine 
 powder. It may also be made by adding protosul- 
 phate of iron to a mixture of yellow Prusiatic of 
 potash, chloride of soda, and hydrochloric acid. 
 This, mixed with water, makes an excellent blueing. 
 
 Prussian Blue. — Percyanide, ferrocyanide, or 
 ferroprussiate of iron. Commercial Prussian blue is 
 made by adding to a solution of prussiate of potash 
 ( or of prussiate cake), a solution of 2 parts alum 
 and I part sulphate of iron, washing the precipitate 
 
154 Miller^ s ^^ Boss^' Painters^ Guide. ^ 
 
 repeatedly with water to which a little muriatic acid 
 has been added, and exposing it to the air until it 
 assumes a deep blue color. A purer kind is made 
 by adding a solution of persulphate or perchloride of 
 iron to a solution of pure terroprussiate of potash. 
 
 Gilding Ivory. — Immerse it in a solution of nitro- 
 muriate of gold, and then expose it to hydrogen gas 
 when damp. Wash it afterward with water. 
 
 To Make Paint Without Oil or Lead. — White- 
 ing, 5 pounds ; skimmed milk, 2 quarts; fresh slack- 
 ed lime, 2 ounces. Put the lime in a stone ware 
 vessel, pour upon it a sufficient quantity of the milk 
 to make a mixture resembling cream; the balance of 
 the milk is then to be added; and lastly the whiting 
 is to be crumbled upon the surface of the fluid into 
 which it gradually sinks. At this period it must be 
 well stirred in, or ground as you would other paint, 
 and it is fit for use. There may be added any color- 
 ing matter that suits the fancy, to be applied in the 
 same manner as other paints, and in a few hours it 
 will become perfectly dry. Another coat may then 
 be added, and so on until the work is done. This 
 paint is of great tenacity, bears rubbing with a coarse 
 cloth, has little smell, even when wet, and when dry 
 is inodorous. It also posesses the merit of cheap- 
 ness, the above quantity being sufficient for 57 yards. 
 
 Black Stains for Immediate use. -Boil j4 pound 
 chip logwood in 2 quarts water, add i ounce pearl- 
 ash, and apply it hot to the work with a brush. 
 Then take J4 pound logwood, boil it as before in 2 
 
Miller's ^' Boss'' Painters' Guide. 155 
 
 quarts water, and add ^ ounce verdigris and ^2 
 ounce green copperas; strain it off, put in y^ pound 
 rusty steel filings; with this, go over the work a sec- 
 ond time. 
 
 To Stain Wood Like Ebony. — Take a solution 
 of sulphate of iron (green copperas), and wash the 
 wood over with it 2 or 3 times; let it dry, and apply 
 2 or 3 coats of a strong hot decoction of logwood; 
 wipe the wood, when dry, with a sponge and water, 
 and polish with linseed oil. 
 
 Bright Yellow Stain. — Wood need not be 
 stained yellow, as a small piece of aloes put into the 
 varnish will have the desired effect. 
 
 To Stain Boxwood Brown. — Hold the work to 
 the fire, that it may receive a gentle warmth; then 
 take aquafortis, and with a feather pass over the 
 work until it changes to a fine brown (always keep- 
 ing it near the fire ) ; then oil and pohsh it. 
 
 Cane Staining. — ^y the following simple process 
 canes and similar sticks may be stained a rich brown. 
 Dissolve a few grains sulphate of manganese in sufB- 
 cient water to take it up; moisten the surface of the 
 cane with it, and hold it over the flame of a spirit 
 lamp close enough to scorch it. By care, the whole 
 surface may be brought to a uniform rich brown, or 
 beautifully variegated by heating some parts more 
 than others ; thus varying the color from white to the 
 deepest black. The color will appear dull at first; 
 but on oiling it with raw linseed oil, and rubbing it 
 with a smooth piece of hard wood, it will be beau- 
 
156 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 tifuUy developed. Give the cane no other finish, 
 unless it be another oiling some days after the first. 
 
 Clarified Linseed Oil for Varnish. — Heat in 
 a copper boiler 50 gallons of linseed oil to 280 de- 
 grees Fahr.; add 2^ pounds of calcined white vit- 
 riol, and keep the oil at the above temperature for 
 y^ hour; then remove it from the fire, and in 24 
 hours decant the clear oil, which should stand ior a 
 few weeks before it is used for varnish. 
 
 Preparation of Linseed Oil for Making Oil 
 Varnishes. — In the manufacture of oil varnishes, 
 one of the most important points is the use of good 
 drying oil. Linseed oil for this purpose should be 
 pale, limpid, brilliant, scarcely odorous, and mellow 
 and sweet to the taste. 100 gallons of such oil are 
 put into an iron or copper boiler capable of holding 
 150 gallons, and gradually heated to a gentle simmer 
 for 2 hours, to expel moisture ; the scum is then care- 
 fully removed, and 14 pounds scale litharge, 12 
 pounds red lead, and 8 pounds powdered umber (all 
 carefully dried and free from moisture), are gradually 
 sprinkled in ; the whole is then kept well stirred, to 
 prevent the dryers sinking to the bottom, and the 
 boiling is continued at a gentle heat for 3 hours 
 longers ; the fire is next withdrawn, and in 24 to 36 
 hours, the scum is carefully removed, and the clear 
 oil decanted from the bottom. This forms the best 
 boiled or drying oil. 
 
 Clairified Oil for Varnish. — When boiled oil 
 is used for making varnish, and a still further clarify- 
 ing is deemed advisable, it is placed in a copper pan 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 15 T 
 
 holding from 80 to 100 gallons, and heat gradually 
 applied till the scum rises, after removing which the 
 oil is allowed to boil for about 2 hours, when it is 
 dosed with calcined magnesia, in the proportion of an 
 ounce to every 4 gallons of oil, but added by degrees 
 and with occasional stirrings. This being completed, 
 the oil is again boiled briskly for about an hour, and 
 then, the furnace being drawn, allowed to cool. 
 When the temperature is sufficiently reduced, it is re- 
 moved to leaden cisterns, where it is stored till fit for 
 use. 
 
 Boiled Oil for Varnishes. — Mix 100 gallons 
 linseed oil and 7 pounds calcined white vitriol ( sul- 
 phate of zinc ) in fine powder, in a clean copper, 
 boiler; heat it to 285 degrees Fahr., and keep it at 
 that temperature for at least an hour, constantly stir- 
 ring it; then allow it to cool; in 24 hours decant the 
 clear portion, and in 3 or 4 weeks rack it for use. 
 
 Ordinary Carriage Varnish. — Sorted gum 
 anime, 8 pounds; clarified oil, 3 gallons; litharge, 5 
 ounces ; dried and powdered sugar of lead and white 
 copperas, of each 4 ounces; boil as last, and thin 
 with oil of turpentine, 5^^ gallons. 
 
 Oil Copal Varnish. — Pale hard copal, 2 pounds; 
 fuse, add hot drying oil, i pint ; boil as before di- 
 rected, and thin with oil of turpentine, 3 pints, more 
 or less, as found necessary. Very pale. Dries 
 hard in 12 to 24 hours. 
 
 Best Pale Carriage Varnish. — Pale African 
 copal, 8 pounds ; fuse, and add clarified linseed oil, 
 
158 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 '2% gallons; boil till very stringy, then add dried 
 copperas and litharge, of each y^ pound; boil as be- 
 fore directed, thin with oil of turpentine 5^ gallons; 
 mix while hot with the following varnish, and imme- 
 diately strain the mixture into a covered vessel: 
 Gum anime, 8 pounds ; clarified linseed oil, 2 ^ 
 gallons ; dried sugar of lead and litharge, of each y^ 
 pound ; boil as before, thin with oil of turpentine, 
 5 ^ gallons, and mix it while hot with the last var- 
 nish as above directed. Dries in 4 hours in summer 
 and 6 in winter. Used for wheels, springs and 
 carriage parts of coacljes and other vehicles, and by 
 house painters, decorators, etc., who want a strong, 
 quick-drying and durable varnish. 
 
 Tin-Roof Painting. ^ — To allow a new tin roof to 
 become rusty before being painted is like closing up 
 the bunghole of a barrel and letting the liquid flow 
 from the spigot. A rough surface secures the paint 
 better, but gives the tin a start toward rusting, and 
 the rust will sooner or later destroy it. This is based 
 on the fact, and proved by experience, that iron once 
 started to rust will continue on to rust when water or 
 dampness is present, until in time it is entirely de- 
 stroyed, even though the best of paint is laid on to 
 protect it. 
 
 In these days, when the lowest and most unscrupu- 
 lous bidder usually receives the contract to build, 
 the painter can hardly be blamed for ' ' closing the 
 bunghole " by means of cheap iron or ore paint, and 
 allowing the tin, that should be protected, to waste 
 through the spigot by rust. It is by far the better 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 169 
 
 way to repaint the roof when the paint is too much 
 flaked off, then to permit the tin roof to rust. The 
 main cause of paint flaking or peehng off tin is owing 
 to the pohshed surface, as no polished metal will pro- 
 perly hold paint. This accounts for painters prefer- 
 ring a sHghtly rusted roof to work upon, because it 
 fastens the paint better, although at the same time 
 damages the tin. When iron ore pamt hardens, it 
 contracts, hardens and loses its hold on polished sur- 
 faces, which increases to an astonishing degree in 
 cold weather, when the least vibration will loosen its 
 hold. 
 
 Waxing Floors. — Melt a half pound of resin, in 
 drying oil, then add one pound of beeswax, and 
 when well mixed thm with turpentine. Apply it with 
 a pad made of coarse flannel or felt, and polish with 
 a hard brush and a soft rag. 
 
 IMPROVED PAPIER-MACHE PROCESS FOR PAPER- 
 INO FEOORS. 
 
 A durable and mexpensive method of employing 
 papier-mache as a substitute for mattings, carpets, 
 oil cloths and other floor coverings has been intro- 
 duced, the simplicity of the process being also an 
 additional advantage in its favor. After the floor 
 has been thoroughly cleaned, the holes and cracks 
 are filled with paper putty, made by soaking a news- 
 paper in a paste made of wheat flour, water and 
 ground alum ; that is, to one pound of such flour are 
 added three quarts of water and a tablespoonful of 
 ground alum, these being thoroughly mixed. With 
 
160 Miller'^ ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 this paste the floor uniformly, and upon this a 
 thickness ot manila or hardware paper is placed, 
 or if two layers are desired, a second covering of 
 paste is spread over the first layer of manila paper, 
 and then the second thickness of paper is put on and 
 the whole allowed to decome perfectly dry; on this, 
 being accomplished, another surface of paste is ad- 
 ded, succeeded by a layer of wall paper of any style 
 or pattern desired. On the work becoming entirely 
 dry, it is covered with two or more coats of sizing, 
 made by dissolving one-half pound of white glue in 
 two quarts of hot water and when this has dryed a 
 coat of ^'hard oil finish varnish," nothing more being 
 required after the latter has had time to become thor- 
 oughly dry in every part. 
 
 PERMAXEXT SIZE FOR KAESOMIXE, «feC. 
 
 Dissolve in 20 gallons of boiling water 3 lbs. SA,, 
 together with i lb. of BX ; then add to it, stirring 
 well at the time, 5 lbs. RN, having been previously 
 mixed with 2 lbs. B, the whole kept boiling contin- 
 ually till the RN is dissolved. This composition 
 dissolved in the proportion of i lb. to 30 lb. of 
 water is to be mixed together with a G solution — 
 made by dissolving 10 lbs. of G in 30 lbs. of SW — 
 then boil both solutions together for about 10 min- 
 utes, then run through a strainer. The above will 
 do for plastered walls that you mtend to paint or 
 kalsomine. 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 161 
 
 PERMANENT SIZE FOR WAEE PAPER, OR WOOI> 
 THAT IS TO BE VARN1S1IEI>. 
 
 I lb. white G, let soak 24 hours m enough SW to 
 cover it, then add 2 gallons boiling SW, i pint WN. 
 Mix well together. This can be relied upon to keep 
 without souring. Common G will do for rough 
 work. Common starch is a good size forwall paper ; 
 also corn starch for fine work. 
 
 WATERPROOF GEUE. 
 
 Take of gum sandarach and mastic and white tur- 
 pentine, of each i oz., alcohol i pt. Dissolve the 
 gums in the alcohol, using heat if necessary, then 
 add the turpentine, and have ready a very thick 
 glue, I pint, in which there has been added }4 oz. 
 of isinglass dissolved. Make the alcoholic solution 
 boiling hot by having it in a pan inside of a kettle, 
 or another pan of water, then slowly add the hot 
 glue, stirring constantly till thoroughly mixed. 
 Strain through a cloth. It is to be applied hot. It dries 
 quickly and becomes very hard and surfaces of wood 
 united with it do not separate when immersed in 
 water. This will do to size wood that is to be var- 
 nished, but will require thinning down when used for 
 that purpose. . 
 
 JAPANNING. 
 
 Coat the work with good clear black Japan and 
 place it in an oven heated to 250 degrees.* The 
 oven must not have direct communication with the 
 open fire, as the evaporation of the volatile spirits of 
 
1S2 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 the varnish mixed with the air, makes an explosive 
 compound. Use a furnace outside of the oven. 
 Make the oven of brick or iron. If you have steam 
 at 60 lbs. pressure, you can make a steam coil on 
 the bottom of the oven to answer your purpose, 
 and which is far safer. Small articles have been 
 japanned with fair success by using an ordinary cook 
 stove oven. If the goods are of a kind that will 
 bear dipping, you can thin the turpentine. You will 
 have to make a few experiments to get your japan 
 and oven just right. 
 
 STKAM PIPES, Etc. 
 
 Coat with color desired ground in japan, thinned 
 with good body varnish and TT, several thin coats. 
 Use no oil. 
 
 SMOKE STACKS. 
 
 Coal tar put on while warm will do. But a better 
 way is to make a paint with BO, LP and finely 
 ground plumbago, which, if applied properly will 
 keep its color fairly on heated iron work. 
 
 FREXCH POEISH. 
 
 The following are both French pohshes : 
 r. SH, 3 lbs; WN, 3 pts. Dissolve. 
 2. SA 2 lbs. ; powdered mastic and sandarac of 
 each I oz. ; copal varnish, ^ pint ; spirits oi wine, 
 I gallon. Digest in the cold till dissolved. 
 
Miller's '*J5oss" Painters^ Guide. . 16S 
 OIL.£I> €L.OTHI]%'0. 
 
 For a solution for making the yellow oiled cloth- 
 ing that teamsters wear instead of rubber coats and 
 pants, dissolve i oz. of beeswax in i pint of the best 
 boiled linseed oil over a gentle fire, applying when 
 cold, with a piece of rag, rubbing it well in, and 
 afterwards hanging up to dry, which will take about 
 3 days. Also for a solution for making aprons that 
 are used in slaughter houses; they are soft and plia- 
 ble, black on one side and show the canvas color on 
 other side, but will not let the water soak through. 
 Let 4 oz. India rubber in pieces be softened in 8 oz. 
 oil of turpentine, then add 2 lb. of boiled oil, and boil 
 for two hours over a slow fire. When dissolved, add 
 6 lb. boiled linseed oil and i lb. of litharge, and boil 
 until an even liquid is obtained. Apply warm. 
 
 CONTRACTING. 
 
 There are times that the painter cannot go all 
 through a house and measure everything in it that is 
 to be painted. I have made bids on work inside of 
 ten minutes, never having seen the innerior. The 
 method I have is to average all inside work thus : 
 I side ot door and frame, i side of window and 
 frame, i base board, i mande. If they are all meas- 
 
16i Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 ured up, the average wiil be five yards apiece, at 20 
 cents per yard would be $1.00 Count the number 
 of sides and multiply by $1.00 and you will have the 
 cost of all work. 
 
 Outside Work. — To get at the number of yards 
 there are of wall or weatherboard, I would suggest 
 the following method: Add the number of feet front 
 and rear to the feet in length ( both sides). Multiply 
 this by the average height. Divide the product by 
 9, which will give the number of yards to be pamted. 
 
 For Example — Front 30 feet 
 
 Rear 30 ^' 
 
 Side 40 ** 
 
 Side 40 " 
 
 140 
 Multiply by average height 25 
 
 700 
 280 
 
 9)3500 
 
 Square yards 389 
 
 In some sections it is not customary to count in 
 windows and doors soHd. The painter should have 
 extra for all outside doors and windows. Windows 
 will average three yards ; doors and casings five 
 yards. If you think you can do the work for 20 cts. 
 per yard, the windows would be 60 cents apiece, 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 165 
 
 then multiply by the number of windows. The door 
 should be $i, which also multiply by the number of 
 doors. 
 
 Cornices should be measured i 1-2 times for the 
 girth if it is plain and one color, but it more than one 
 color, one girth for each additional color. The 
 measurer must make allowance for the position of 
 the cornice, if it is a hard one to get at, allow for it 
 accordingly. 
 
 Cornice with blocks — two girths. 
 
 "" " "- and brackets — if the brack- 
 ets are not very close together, give it two and a half 
 girths. 
 
 Cornice with blocks, brackets and molded panels 
 —3 girths. 
 
 Barge boards, if 6 inches wide, should count one 
 foot. 
 
 Corner strips, carpets strips, hook strips, gas and 
 others pipes, should count as one foot. 
 
 Blinds, the height, one time, width, three times. 
 
 Lattice, height one time, width four times. 
 
 Scroll wrok on verandas should be measured solid 
 for each side. 
 
 Sash solid for each side. 
 
 Cutting edges of all descriptions inside and out, 
 four inches. 
 
 Cupalos and other high work should have double 
 measurement. - 
 
166 Miller's "Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 Weatherboard edges should be counted as i inch. 
 
 Base board from 5 to 8 inches should count as one 
 ioot. 
 
 Capped base, one and one-half feet, with two col- 
 ors if ID inches, 2 feet; if over 10 inchts, more in 
 proportion. 
 
 Fencing should be counted solid on both sides. 
 
 Picket fence, 4 feet high, one yard to foot. 
 
 Iron fence, 3 feet high, one yard to foot. 
 
 BlliliS OF PRtCEiS FOR PAHfTINO, Ac. 
 
 NEW WORK AND FURNISH MATERIAL. 
 
 Surface work, square yards, i coat, loc 
 
 Surface work, square yards, 2 coats, i8c 
 
 Surface work, square yards, 3 coats, 25c 
 
 Brick walls, square yards, i coat, 15c 
 
 Brick walls, square yards, 2 coats, 25c 
 
 Brick walls, square yards, 3 coats, 35c 
 
 Varnishing same as painting. 
 
 OLD WORK. 
 
 Surface work, square yards, 2 coats, i8c 
 
 Brick wall, square yards, 2 coats, 20c 
 
 Brick wall, penciling, square yard, loc 
 
 Ground g^ning, and one coat of varnish, square 
 
 yard 60c 
 
 Graining, 35c 
 
 GLAZING. 
 
 Priming and glazing sash, glass 10 inches in 
 Jength, 5c 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 167 
 
 Add I cent for each two inches up to 24, after 
 which add 1 cent for one inch. Bedding and back- 
 puttying charge double rates. When putly is of a 
 different color, charge in proportion to the extra 
 labor, which is generally one half more. If the 
 painter furnishes the glass, charge 10 per cent, of 
 cost of breakage. 
 
 RE-GLAZING. 
 
 Charge same for the labor that the glass costs. 
 
 LETTERING. 
 
 Plain letters on board, per foot 20c 
 
 Shaded, one color, on board, per foot... 25c 
 
 For each additional color, per foot 5c 
 
 Plain lettering on muslin, per foot i oc 
 
 Plain lettering on wall, per foot i8c 
 
 Large lettering on wall, per foot. 25c 
 
 Charge for the ground by the square yard. 
 
 Gold lettering on board, small, per foot 50c 
 
 " over 6 in. " 60c 
 
 '' flock or smalt " ,,.. ...75c 
 
 " on glass, small '' 60c 
 
 " '* large " 75c 
 
 shade! " .80c 
 
 " " blend shade, $i.ooto$i,2S 
 
 Gilding per book Soc 
 
 A book of gold has 25 leaves in it, 3^^ inches 
 square or 12^ inches or 308 inches to the book. 
 A good gilder will make it reach 310 on flat work ; 
 sign work 300; there being so much more waste in 
 
168 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 that class of work. It is always best to count the 
 leaf 9 inches and allow the }^ inch for waste. 
 
 I paper of bronze will go over 4 square feet. 
 
 I pound of flock will cover 5 yards. 
 
 I pound of smalt will cover i yard. 
 
 CARRIAGE PAINTING. 
 
 New buggy, plain finish $15 00 
 
 New buggy, fine finish......... $18 00 to $25 00 
 
 New carriage, plain finish $20 00 
 
 New carriage, fine finish ^^25 00 to $35 00 
 
 Spring wagon, new, plain finish $12 00 
 
 Spring wagon, new, fine finish $15 00 to $25 oc 
 
 For old w^ork, one fourth less than new. 
 
 WJEKOIIT.S AXO MEASUB£IS OF PAINTS. 
 
 The figures here given are the results of careful 
 experiments, and will prove as nearly right as it is 
 possible to make them. 
 
 Weights. — Turpentine, i gal,, weight, 5 lbs. 
 
 Varnish '^ '' 8 lbs. 
 
 Lmseed oil " ''7/4 lbs. 
 
 Japan " *' 9 lbs. 
 
 Pure Lead Mixed '' " 20 lbs. 
 
 priming woodwork. 
 
 I lb. of pure lead will prime..... 4 sq. yds. 
 
 I lb. aduherated lead " S/4 " 
 
 I lb substitute lead " 8 '' 
 
 I lb. ochre will prime 7 ** 
 
Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 169 
 
 PRIMING BRICK WALL. 
 
 ij^ lb. lead will prime i sq. yd. 
 
 The other paints the same in proportion. 
 
 On plastered walls yon can calculate on the mater- 
 ial going i^ times as far as on wood work and if the 
 walls are hard finish it will go still farther. 5 lbs. 
 substitute will finish a ceiling 15x15, giving it three 
 coats and you will have a much better job than if you 
 use lead. 
 
 PAINTERS COLIC. 
 
 MEDICAIi. 
 
 Iodide of Potassium, one-half ounce. 
 
 Sytup of Sarsaparilla, six ounces. 
 
 Mix and take one teaspoonful four times a day. 
 
 The above recipe is one used by the entire profes- 
 sion, as a cure for lead poisoning, and is considered 
 the best in use by the most eminent authors. It is a 
 well known fact that lead poisoning is exceedingly hard 
 to control, from two reasons. First, it is most insid- 
 ious in its approach, and has thoroughly pervaded 
 the system before the unfortunate victim is aware of 
 its existence; and secondly it is like the chains of 
 malaria, the victim must eith'er give up his trade or 
 be constantly exposed to the cause of his malady. 
 
170 Miller's ''Boss'' Painters' Guide. 
 
 For the prevention of the poison, I would recom- 
 mend first of all, cleanliness in every particular; reg- 
 ular baths in cold water ; the avoidance of too con- 
 stant wearing of the clothes saturated with white lead ; 
 the working in close shops. A close attention should 
 be paid the diet, the bowels kept regular, and open 
 air exercise should be constantly observed. A paint- 
 er who makes his trade a life-work should leave his 
 shop at intervals, not too far apart, and remain away 
 from the poison long enough each time for his system 
 to free itself from any invasion that has already been 
 made, and I feel quite sure that if the above obser 
 vations be strictly followed, there will be no '^paint- 
 er's colic." 
 
 KEY. 
 
 Be careful of the Key, and try t© become familiar 
 with it; and if at any time the Key is lost, and you 
 wish another, send lo cents to my address and you 
 will receive one. 
 
 I 
 
WHEN vou.... "THIMK" 
 
 "Wood Filler, 
 
 M 
 
 "Colors 
 
 M 
 
 "Brushes, 
 
 >> 
 
 —OR. 
 
 OTHER PAINTER'S MATERIALS 
 
 WE WANT TO HAVE YOU 
 
 ALSO "THINK" 
 
 (( 
 
 GHIGAGO WOOD FINISHING GO." 
 
WE OFFER.... 
 
 TO THE DISCRiniNATING PAINT 
 TRADE A COMPLETE LINE OF 
 
 HOUSE PAINTER'S GOODS-Notable for their ex 
 cellency. 
 
 FINEST QUALITY PREPARED PAINT. 40 years 
 before the public. Pleases the most exacting. 
 
 COLORED HOMESTEAD PAINT-In Paste Form. 
 Convenient, Economical and Very Durable. 
 
 TINTING AND GRAINING COLORS of Superior 
 Fineness, Purity and Strength. 
 
 DISTEflPER FRESCO COLORS. 
 
 R. Coinplete Variety of pilleits, Stains, Bnatnels, 
 and Deeot^ative Goeds. 
 
 WE 
 
 MAKE 
 
 PAINT FOR EVERY PURPOSE. 
 
 In our Dry Color Work^, ^^^e produce colors of surpris- 
 ing brilliancy, fineness, evenness of texture and 
 strength. 
 
 Write for Color Cards, Prices and Samples. 
 
 THE ALSTON MANUFflCTURlNG CO., 
 
 ESTABueHED, CHICAGO, ILL. 
 
''JL LONa 
 
 Filled, by McCLOSKETS LIQUID ROYAL 
 WOOD FILLER. All close-grain woods are 
 also mied perfectly with it. It is cheaper and 
 better in every way than Shellac, and saves 
 AT LEAST ONE COAT OF VARNISH. For 
 all light colored woods, use the "' LIGHT ^' 
 Filler; for staining and tilling at one opera- 
 tion, use one of the STAINS AND FILLER 
 COMBINED .'—Mahogany, Cherry, Natural 
 Cherry, Rosewood, Oak, Antique Oak, Walnut. 
 
 b:ett:eii 
 
 Are given in McCLOSKETS VARNISHES 
 than in any other wake. Painters can save 
 money, time and trouble by using our hard 
 Oil Finishes, Amber Finishes, Japans, and 
 other standard varnishes. 
 
 L. J. MXLOSKEY & CO., 
 
 VARNISH MAKERS, 
 
 30th and Locust Streets, Philadelphia, U. S. A. 
 
 Send foi» Cifeulan uiithi Sample Bloeks fittaelned. 
 
SEAM 
 ROLLERS. 
 
 FLAT FACE. 
 
 BEVEL EDGE. 
 
 THEY are Little Beauties, neat and well made. The 
 ^ handles are polished Apple-wood ; the nietalic parts 
 nickel, and the rollers polished hard-wood. Rose-\^ood 
 or Cocoa Bolo, 65c. Box-wood and Dog-wood, 60c. 
 Celluloid, 75c. 
 
 WALL SCRAPER. 
 
 For removing old paper from 
 the wall. Has no equal. Made 
 from best saw steel, with four- 
 inch blade. Price 65c. 
 
 Shear, Paste and Smoothing 
 Brushes. Everything you need 
 in your work. 
 
 C. F. CRETORS &, CO., 
 XENIA, OHIO. 
 
H. cd ^ ^, ^ ^ to ^ 
 
 
WATCH E5.» 
 
 IF YOU WANT A WATCH, either in Gold, Solid 
 Silver or Filled Gold Cases, at lower prices than 
 at any other Jewelry house in the land, write to 
 
 W. 5- FAWCETT, 
 
 JEWELER, 
 
 XENIA, OHIO, 
 
 FOR PRICE=LIST. 
 
 SOLID SILVER STEn=WlND American Watches, with 
 either Elgin, Waltham or Springfield movements, 
 from $10 to $50. 
 
 FILLED GOLD CASES, Warranted for 20 years, with 
 any American Movement desired, from $15 to $75, 
 according to grade of movement. 
 
 NICKLESTEM= WINDING WATCH, from $3.50 to $10 
 
 ALSO, SPECIAL BARGAINS in $12, (Filled Gold 
 Cases,) Watches. 
 
 GOODS SENT UNDER THE BROADEST GUAR= 
 ANTEE /or time and durability to any address, ex- 
 press paid, and not to be paid for until they are 
 examined and satisfaction assured. 
 
 Reference: — Xenia National Bank, Xenia, Ohio, also, 
 author of '^Painters' Guide." 
 
INDEX. 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 A 
 
 Adulterations for Oil 126 
 
 Adulterations for White Lead ... 130 
 
 Alston Manufacturing Co 172 
 
 B 
 
 Blackboards 107 
 
 c 
 
 Compounding of Colors 13 
 
 Carriage Painting 95 
 
 Creeping 81 
 
 Copal Varnish 114 
 
 Common Varnish 114 
 
 Cheap Paint for Roofs 130 
 
 Contracting 163 
 
 Measurements 163 
 
 Bills of Prices 166 
 
 Glazing 166 
 
 Re-glazing 167 
 
 Lettering 167 
 
 Carriage Painting . 168 
 
 Chicago Wood Filler Co 171 
 
 Cretors, C. F. & Co .176 
 
 D 
 
 Discord of Colors 9 
 
 Durable Colors 18 
 
 Drying Property of Oil 11 1 
 
 Damar Varnish , 115 
 
INDEX. 
 
 E 
 
 Etching, Imitation of 79 
 
 Embossing on Glass 78 
 
 Economy of Making Colors 131 
 
 Ebonizing 138 
 
 Etching on Glass . . • • * 149 
 
 F 
 
 Flatting Brick Walls 26 
 
 Finishing Hard Wood 36 
 
 Fluoric Acid — How to Make 79 
 
 Flock 77 
 
 Fire Proof Paint 131 
 
 Furniture Polish 145 
 
 French Polishes 162 
 
 Fawcett, W. S 176 
 
 Or 
 
 Glazitfg .20 
 
 Graining 45 
 
 Glass Grinding 79 
 
 Gilding on Wood 7$ 
 
 Gilding on Glass 73 
 
 Gilding Frames 76 
 
 Green Paint 131 
 
 H 
 
 House Painting 21 
 
 Hard Oil Finish 38 
 
 Hard Wood Finish and Filling 39 
 
 I 
 Inside Work 30 
 
 J 
 
 Japan Signs .8a 
 
 Japan Flow 138 
 
 Japanning 161 
 
 K 
 
 Kalsomining 99 
 
 Key 170 
 
 L 
 Lettering 61 
 
INDEX, uL 
 
 Liquid Gold 76 
 
 Lincrusta Walton 90 
 
 Lettering on Canvas 82 
 
 Lime for Kalsomine 106 
 
 Luminous Paint 135 
 
 M 
 
 Mold Stains 29 
 
 Machine Graining 49 
 
 Mixing Stains with Varnish 57 
 
 Method of Lettering 63 
 
 Marbleizing 51 
 
 Marbleizing Float 51 
 
 Mixing Water with Paint ... . 134 
 
 McCloskey, L. J., «& Co • • I73 
 
 O 
 
 Outside Painting 22 
 
 Oil Polish 40 
 
 Oil Varnish 113 
 
 Oil Clothing 163 
 
 P 
 
 Phenomena of Gradual Contrast 11 
 
 Penciling 27 
 
 Plastered Walls 34 
 
 Paper Hanging . 83 
 
 Papering a Room .... 87 
 
 Paste for Paper Hangers 89 
 
 Pounce Patterns 92 
 
 Putty 106 
 
 Paints 126 
 
 Pure Oils 122 
 
 Polishing Paste . 145 
 
 Painting Whitewashed Walls 152 
 
 Prussian Blue 153 
 
 Paint for Sieam Pipes 162 
 
 Paint for Smoke Stacks 162 
 
 Priming Woodwork 168 
 
 Priming Brick Walls 169 
 
 Painter's Colic 169 
 
 R 
 
 Rules of Painting 21 
 
 Ready Mixed Paints 126-172 
 
 Ridgely Trimmer 175 
 
INDEX. 
 
 S 
 
 Swinging Scafifold 
 
 Stairways 
 
 Sign Painting 
 
 Stains 
 
 Stain Graining 
 
 Stains for Veneers 
 
 Smalts 
 
 Silver on Glass • . 
 
 Sizing Walls 
 
 Size for Paper 
 
 Size for Canvas 
 
 Stencil Patterns 
 
 Striping Colors 
 
 Slating for Blackboards , 
 
 Size for Kalsomine 
 
 Size for Paper to be Varnished . . 
 
 Seam Rollers 
 
 T 
 
 The Harmony and Discord of Colors 
 
 The Principle of Harmony 
 
 Turpentine Varnish, Common 
 
 Tests for Oil 
 
 V 
 
 Varnishing Pine 
 
 Varnishing 
 
 Varnishes 
 
 Weather-boarding or Siding 
 
 White Lead and Zinc 
 
 Waterproof Oil Rubber Paint 
 
 Waxing Furniture 
 
 Waterproof Glue 
 
 Weights and Measures of Paints 
 
 Wood Filler 171 
 
 Wall Scrapers 
 
 Watches 
 
 •A 
 
 
 Zinc Sheet — How to Paint . , 
 
 i.26 
 
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