The Modern Clock / A Study of Time Keeping Mechanism; Its Construction, Regulation and Repair

by Ward L. Goodrich

The wax also serves the purpose of allowing the workman to see just where he is putting his fluid and of holding it in position upon vertical surfaces or ceilings, round moldings, carved work and other places from which it will quickly run off. Only enough wax should be added to make it spread readily with the brush and after soaking it will be an easy matter to take a painter’s putty knife, a case knife, or a scraper and laying it nearly flat on the wood remove all the varnish at one operation, wiping off the knife as fast as it becomes too full. After the bulk of the varnish is off some of the fluid, without the wax, may be used upon a cloth to go over and smooth up by removing the spots and stripes of varnish left by the knife, or in moldings, etc., where the knife cannot be applied, and we have our bare wood, which, after drying and sand papering, is ready for a fresh coat of XXX coach varnish, which should dry in 24 hours and harden in a week.

A very little work and practice in this will enable the workman to rapidly and cheaply clean up and repair antiques in such a way that it will add greatly to his reputation.

To restore the gloss of polished wood it is not always the best plan to employ true furniture polish. The majority of the so-called polishes for wood are based on a mixture of boiled linseed oil and shellac varnish, made by dissolving shellac in alcohol in the proportion of four ounces of shellac to a pint of alcohol. A little of the dissolved shellac is poured on to a canton-flannel rag, a few drops of the boiled linseed oil are placed on the cloth, and the wood to be polished is rubbed vigorously. About half an ounce of camphor gum dissolved with the shellac in the alcohol will greatly facilitate the operation of polishing.

A soft woolen rag, moistened with olive oil and vigorously rubbed on dull varnished surfaces, like old clock cases, will brighten the surface wonderfully. Some workmen add a few drops of a strong solution of camphor gum in alcohol to the olive oil.

The polishing of cases is accomplished by applying several coats of the best coach painters’ rubbing varnish, when, after perfect drying, the surface is rubbed with a felt or a canton-flannel rag, folded flat, using water and the finest pulverized pumice-stone. This operation smooths the surfaces. The final polishing of such work is done by rubbing with rotten stone and olive oil with the smooth side of canton flannel. To remove the last traces of smear caused by the oil, an old, soft linen cloth and rye flour is used. Of course, fine work like we see on new cases of fine quality is not likely to be produced by one who is unaccustomed to it; a man must serve a good, long apprenticeship in the varnish finishing business before he is competent for it; and even then some polishers fail to obtain the fine results achieved by others. The great danger is that the rubber will cut through the varnish and expose the bare wood on edges, corners and even in spots on plane surfaces, before he has removed the lumps and streaks of varnish on adjacent portions of the work. Whenever the varnish is flat and smooth in any spot, you must stop rubbing there.

Black wood clocks which have become smoked and dull should have the cases rubbed with boiled oil and turpentine on a piece of soft woolen rag; afterwards polish off with a dry rag. If the gloss has been destroyed it will have to be varnished. Flow the varnish well on and use 1½-inch brush and be careful to get the varnish on even and so as not to trickle. This is easy if you are careful to keep the varnish thin and do not go over the varnish a second time after spreading it on. Thin with turpentine and put very little on the case; it is already smooth and a mere film will give the gloss. For white filling on the engraving on black cases use Chinese white or get a good white enamel at a paint store.

Gilding on wood cases is done by mixing a little yellow dry color with thin glue and painting the cases with the mixture; the color lets you see what you are doing. When the glue has dried until it is “tacky,” lay gold leaf on the painted portions and smooth down with cotton. If you have any holes do not attempt to patch them. It is easier and quicker to put on another sheet of gold leaf over the first one. After the gold is dry, it may be burnished with a bloodstone or smooth steel burnisher, or it may be left dead. Finish with colorless lacquer, very thin and smooth.

Imitation gold leaf, known to the trade as Dutch Metal, may be substituted for the gold leaf, if the latter is thought to be too expensive, but in such cases be sure to have the metal well covered with the lacquer, as unless this is done it will blacken in two or three years—sometimes in two or three months.

Bronze powder may be applied to the glue size with a tuft of cotton and well rubbed in until flat and smooth; then lacquer and dry. Never put on bronze paint, for the following reason: If we examine the bronze under a microscope we shall find that it is composed of flat scales like fish scales; if mixed as a paint they will be found lying at all angles in the painted work—many standing on edge. Such scales reflect the light away from the eye and make the work look dull and rough. If we rub these dry scales in gently on the sticky size, we will lay them all down flat and smooth, so that the work will glisten all over with an even color. Always lacquer bronzed work—yellow lacquer being the best—and put on plenty of lacquer.

Metal ornaments, when discolored, should be removed from the case, dipped in boiling lye to remove the lacquer, scratch brushed, dipped in ammonia to brighten, rinsed in hot water and dried in sawdust. They may then be lacquered with a gold lacquer, or plated in one of the gold plating solutions sold by dealers for plating without a battery and then lacquered, if bright. If they are of oxidized finish cleaning and lacquering is generally all that is necessary.