Yellow: Auramine 4 parts, sulphate of soda 10 parts, mixed in water.
Black: Nigrosine black, four ounces, dissolved in one gallon of boiling water.
When wanted for use, these analines may be diluted with water. The rule is, an ounce of analine to the gallon of water to form a working stain. Or to a pint of the stock solution, as it is called, you may add three pints of water.
15. Oil Stains.—It will be found that quicker work can be done with oil stain than with water colors. For that reason, oil stains are also used a great deal as a dipping stain. In preparing oil stains, the best mineral or earth pigments to dissolve with turpentine are Van Dyke brown, chrome green, burnt and raw sienna, and lamp black.
16. Shellacking.—There are two kinds of shellac, orange and white. The white shellac is orange shellac that has been bleached. The purpose of shellac as commonly understood is to give a quick coat over the stain. The thin coat formed serves as a protector for the stain and also as an undercoater for the following coat of varnish. In this way at least one coat of varnish is eliminated and a great deal of time saved because the shellac dries within a few minutes. To thin shellac use denatured alcohol.
On cheaper toys a coat of shellac only may be used as a covering for the color stain. If orange shellac is used it will be found that it effects the color of the stain used. White shellac also produces a slight change in color and for this reason many working with toys will use a good clear varnish instead.
17. Varnishing.—Two or three coats of varnish will produce a very durable finish. The first coat of varnish ought not be quite as heavy as the succeeding coats. If the varnish is of extra heavy body it should be reduced slightly for the first coat. The best varnish reducer is thin varnish. To prepare this reducer, take one part varnish (the same varnish to be reduced), and two parts of turpentine. Shake these together well and let stand twenty-four hours before using. This will reduce the consistency of the varnish without tearing down the body as pure turpentine would. The first coat of varnish should be allowed to dry thoroly before the second coat is applied.
Oil varnishes made from good hard gums, pure linseed oil, and turpentine, are the most valuable. In using turpentine to thin varnish care should be taken that adulterated turpentine is not used. To play the game safe it is advisable to use a little benzine, for it will not injure the varnish, but will evaporate entirely, and not flatten the varnish as turpentine does.
18. Points on Varnishing.—(1) The less varnish is worked under the brush the better its luster. (2) Use clean brush and pot, and clean varnish. See that the surface is clean before beginning to varnish. (3) Allow a coat of varnish plenty of time for drying until it becomes hard.
19. Colored Varnish.—Colored varnish is that in which a proportion of varnish is added to the pigment and thinned. The base is usually an earth color such as ochre, sienna, venitian red, Van Dyke brown, umber, lamp black, etc.