Beautiful cabinets, work-boxes, work-tables, fire-screens, &c., may be painted in imitation of ebony inlaid with ivory by the following means:—Let your screen be made of an elegant form, but merely of common white wood or deal, prepared as below.
Composition for the Surface of Wood.—Steep one ounce of glue in a pint of cold water all night; throw off the water in the morning. Take six ounces of finest white lead in powder, mix it by degrees in a mortar, with about half a pint of cold water, till it is perfectly smooth, then place it, along with the glue, in a clean pan. Add half a pint more water; set it on the fire, stirring constantly till it boils. Let it boil three minutes; take it off, and pour it into a stone jar, and continue to stir it occasionally till cold. When cold, but before it congeals, take a clean paint-brush, and paint your screen with the composition. When it is quite dry, rub it over with sand-paper, to make it quite smooth; then give it another coat of the white composition, repeating the rubbing with sand-paper as before. Repeat this same process five or six times, until you obtain a smooth, equal, white surface. When that is accomplished, dissolve the fourth of an ounce of isinglass in a quarter of a pint of water; when cold, but liquid, give the screen a coat of it with a clean brush, and do not use the sand-paper after it.
To Ornament the Screen.—Lay a sheet of black tracing-paper on the screen, with the black side downwards; then place a pattern above it, with the right side uppermost; place a weight here and there, to prevent it slipping; then trace over the outline with a rather blunt stiletto. On removing the paper, you will find the outline of the pattern transferred to the surface of the screen. Trace over the outline, and shade, in lines, with a fine camel's-hair pencil dipped in Newman's lamp-black; fill in with the same.
Varnish.—Place four ounces of rectified spirit of wine in a wide-mouthed bottle; add one ounce of gum sandarac, a quarter of an ounce of gum mastic, and a drachm of camphor, all in powder. Put a stopper in the bottle, set it near a fire, and shake it occasionally. When all the gums are quite dissolved, add one ounce of oil of turpentine; then strain through muslin into another clean, dry wide-mouthed bottle. Let it stand a day or two before using.
Mode of Varnishing.—Take a large clean new varnish-brush, dip it into the bottle, and then cover over all your screen with it. When perfectly dry, give it another coat, and so on till it has had six coats; let it remain untouched for two days; rub it smooth with sand-paper; then give it two more coats of varnish, and repeat the rubbing, being careful to wait between each coat till the last is dry, and not to rub with sand-paper sooner than two days after varnishing, and never give more than two coats of varnish in a day—one in the morning, another at night. When you think it looks clear and sufficiently thick, give it another coat without using the sand-paper after it; let it stand four days; then rub it all over with pounded rottenstone, and wipe it off with a wet cloth; after which take a little Florence oil and hair-powder, and polish with your hand.
No. 67. TOILET CUSHION,
No. 68. THE HELEN CAP.
No. 69. SCREEN,
No. 70. HEARTSEASE