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41
The Music Trade Review
JULY 31, 1926
The Technical and Supply Department—(Continued from page 40)
Bringing Out the True Beauty of the
American Walnut in Finishing Processes
filler that is not dry has been the cause of the
majority of the finishing-room troubles."
Full Value of This Handsome Cabinet Wood Is Brought Out With Various Stain Methods, In-
cluding the High-light, Two-tone and Shaded Effects Which Are Popular
H. E. Lawrence, vice-president and treasurer
of the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., New
York, returned to the city recently after a vaca-
tion trip that took him as far as Alaska. Fol-
lowing the National Music Industries' Conven-
tion in June, during which Mr. Lawrence was
chairman of the publicity committee, he left
New York for San Francisco. From there he
went North by train, stopping off at the various
cities en route to Vancouver. Here he boarded
a steamer for Alaska and spent fourteen days
up and back. Mr. Lawrence greatly enjoyed
the trip and stated that he is "fitter than ever."
' I *HE criticism is often made that American
walnut is much too beautiful in natural
color and figure to require any staining in the
process of finishing its surface. This statement
is made principally by veneer cutters and sales-
men, who come into constant contact with wal-
nut and are making such generalities by their
easily understandable enthusiasm for the wood.
While it is true that many finishing rooms are
ruining American walnut today by applying
heavy, dark stains to its surface, there seems
to be a medium course open to finishing fore-
men especially when dealing with bleached wal-
nut and the lighter shades, which really require
a suitable stain.
This subject is discussed ably by J. Hendricks,
writing in Veneers, and several practical stains
for walnut are suggested. "The real beauty and
effect of walnut is brought to its full value," he
writes, "through the various stain methods used
to-day with the high-light, two-tone and shaded
effects, as well as through the perfect matching
of veneers with the many new designs. In the
mixing of the stain to be used, properly weigh
the amount of stain powder necessary to get
the desired shade, two or three ounzes of pow-
der to one gallon of water is the usual mixture,
and mix them in warm water, stirring thor-
oughly so as to be sure that all the powder is
dissolved. A good way to mix the stain is to
dissolve the powder in half the amount of hot
water and when throughly dissolved add the
other half cold water; the stain will then be
ready for use without waiting for it to cool off.
"Before using, it is well to choose what is
known as the natural walnut finish wher it
comes to color. A very light color must be
obtained by a bleaching process, and, unless
wanted for matching something else, is not de-
sired. Very dark finishes are not recommended,
because to obtain them it is necessary to darken
the wood with stain, which, if too dark, conceals
the natural beauty of the color and figure of the
wood. The best shades are the standard colors
and the very slightly darker shades that bring
out the natural beauty of the wood.
"When sapwood is encountered, apply regular
stain to sap parts and when dry go over entire
work with the same stain, applying thoroughly
to the wood, and see that the surface is well
covered and the stain laid off properly. After
the stain is dry give the work a wash coat of
shellac, six parts alcohol to one part four-pound
cut of shellac, and when this wash coat is thor-
oughly dry sand to a smooth surface and fill.
"An oil stain can also be used with good re-
sults, eliminating the wash coating and sanding,
but for high-class work and durability it is best
to use a water stain. To produce the high-light,
two-tone and shaded effects so popular at pres-
ent has called forth all the skill and ingenuity
of the finishing-room foreman and various
methods are used to produce these effects. For
a two-tone effect, with a design such as the
diamond shape on the doors or drawers of the
article to be stained, stain the design first with
regular stain and when dry go over the entire
article with the same stain, or if desired the
base can be dark and the design lighter. If the
general tone of the finish is light and the high-
light effect has to be obtained by shading the
surfaces, the work should be stained and then
re-stained with a stronger solution of the same
stain, or if necessary add black to deepen the
tone. Spraying this is the best method, as the
operator can shorten the sweep of the gun so
that the depth of the color gradually thins out
and allows the under color to influence the gen-
eral effect.
"If a • pigment-coater spirit stain, colored
shellac, lacquer or color varnish are applied they
should be used after the work has been filled.
In the filling of walnut, be sure the filler is well
cleaned off; this will avoid a dull or muddy ap-
pearance of the finish, and unless this is done
woods like walnut are sure to have a muddy or
dull appearance. Fill the work with a brown
filler, which can be obtained from any first-
class filler house; brush in the filler thoroughly,
allow to dry to a flat surface, then rub across
the grain of wood with a sea-moss pad and clean
up with grain, using a rag for this.
"Allow filler to become absolutely dry before
proceeding with following coats, as coating over
(t
H. E. Lawrence Returns
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
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