Graining and Marbling / A Series of Practical Treatises on Material, Tools and Appliances Used; General Operations; Preparing Oil Graining Colors; Mixing; Rubbing; Applying Distemper Colors; Wiping Out; Penciling; The Use of Crayons; Review of Woods; The Graining of Oak, Ash, Cherry, Satinwood, Mahogany, Maple, Bird's Eye Maple, Sycamore, Walnut, Etc.; Marbling in All Shades.

by F. Maire

34. What are the requisites necessary to make a good graining color in oil?

35. What is said about the transparency of the colors used in preparing graining colors?

36. What substances may be added to colors to produce more transparency?

37. How may stock megilp be prepared for future use?

LESSON VIII.
MIXING GRAINING COLORS IN DISTEMPER, RUBBING IN, ETC.

38. When the colors have been properly ground in water or in distemper, as they are usually called, it is but little trouble to thin them out for use with stale beer or vinegar. Many grainers prefer to use dry colors when they have been finely dry ground, and they work as well as the distemper colors. They are much more economical to use, and for that reason will always be preferred if for no other. Some, however, are hard to mix up dry and it is preferable to buy these ground in distemper, as, for instance, Vandyke brown and ivory black.

39. It frequently happens during warm weather that the color dries so fast that the operator cannot possibly finish his work while the color is in a right condition, so he must resort to some means to prevent this hasty drying. The addition of glycerine will retard it for a good while, as glycerine is a good absorbent of water.

40. To prevent this rapid drying of graining colors in distemper many means are used, some too complicated and really no better than the one named in the preceding paragraph; wetting the wood with water into which a little sugar has been dissolved is another means to the same end. Afterward use the regular distemper mixture over it.

RUBBING IN.

41. This is the name that is given to the operation of laying on the oil megilped color previous to the graining. The professional grainer usually has a helper who works ahead of him and “rubs in” the color, while he follows him up with the wiping or combing. When the color is mixed and thinned just right there is no difficulty in its application. The brush should be any good, partly worn, or at least well broke in oval, or flat paint brush. In the flat the 3-inch size will be found the most convenient.