A practical treatise on coach-building historical and descriptive

by James W. Burgess

1 priming coat of lead (or leather parts, 2 coats of
black varnish instead).
2 thin coats lead colour, and stopped up.
5 coats of filling up (8 coats on leather parts).
1 staining coat, rubbed down and cleaned off.
2 coats dark red colour, stopped up, and carefully rubbed down.
1 coat dark lead colour.
—
12 coats, and ready for colour.

So much for the body parts. To the carriage parts two coats of priming are laid on, which are worked in the same way as those applied to the body. All cavities are then stopped with hard stopper, to which a little turpentine is added in order to make it sand-paper easily. Two coats of quick-drying lead colour are then applied to the wood parts. The whole is then well sand-papered down, and the grain should be found well filled and smooth. A thin coat of oil lead colour is then laid on, and when dry sand-papered down; any joints or open places between the tire and felloes of the wheels are carefully puttied up with oil putty. The carriage parts are then ready for colour. This time we have applied—

2 coats of lead priming, stopped up.
2 coats of lead, thoroughly sand-papered.
1 coat (thin) of lead colour, sand-papered and puttied up.
—
5 coats, and ready for colour.

The colours are to be ground very fine, kept clean, and spread on with the proper brushes. If the panels are to be painted different from the other parts, lay on the black first, for if any black falls on the panel colour it will occasion some trouble by destroying the purity of a transparent colour. By repeatedly turning the brush over while using it, there is less liability to accidents of this kind.

The colouring of the body is finished as follows:—For the upper quarters and roof grind ivory black in raw oil to a stiff consistency, add a little sugar of lead finely ground as a drier, and bring to the required consistency with black Japan and turpentine. Lay on two coats of this, and then two coats of black Japan, and rub down. Then face off the moulding, and give a thin coat of dead black, after which apply another coat of black Japan, and flat again. The whole should then be varnished with hard drying varnish, flatted down, and finished with a full coat of wearing body varnish. The varnish should have at least three days to dry; five or six would be better. The first coat of rubbing varnish may be applied thinner than the others, in order to avoid staining the colours.

The pencils used on mouldings should be large enough to take in the whole width at once, and let the colour run evenly along, avoiding laps or stoppages, except at the corners, where it cannot be helped. Avoid the use of turpentine in varnish if possible; but if the varnish be dark and heavy, sufficient turpentine added to make it flow evenly will not hurt it. The half elastic and fine bristle brushes are better for working heavy varnish than the sable or badger.

In varnishing a body begin on the roof, bringing the varnish to within 2 or 3 inches of the outer edges. Next, the inside of doors, &c., then the arch. When these are finished, start on the head rail on one side, lay the varnish on heavy, and follow quickly to the quarter. The edge on the roof, which was skipped before, is to be coated and finished with the outside, thus preventing a heavy edge. Continue round the body, finishing the boot last.

The frames and other loose pieces about a coach should be brought forward along with the body, and not left as is often done. The frames are most conveniently handled by a device similar to a swinging dressing-glass; a base and two uprights stoutly framed together, allowing space for the frame to swing. It is held in its position by two pointed iron pins, one fixed and the other movable. This is very convenient for varnishing, as the painter can examine his work by tilting it to any angle, and thus detect any pieces of dirt, &c.

If the body is to be lake in colour, the lake should be ground in raw oil, stiff, and reduced with turpentine and hard drying varnish. The same with dross black and Indian red. Over lakes and greens two coats of hard drying varnish should be applied, and one coat of finishing.

If the body is to be blue, mix ultramarine blue with one-half raw oil and turpentine, and bring it to a workable consistency by thinning with hard drying body varnish. Give the body two coats, and after each a slight flatting; then give two more coats of the same with varnish added.