Achieving Different Finishes with Varnish
by Allison Ryan

For some purposes and tastes, an eggshell gloss is preferred to the high gloss of shellac or varnish. After thorough drying, usually for 48 hours, an attractive dull finish is produced with a pumice and water rub. Place some finely powdered pumice stone in an open dish. Wet the surface to be rubbed with water. Soak a felt pad in the water. Dip the wet felt pad in the powdered pumice stone and rub in the direction of the grain, using long, even strokes.

To secure uniform appearance throughout, maintain the same pressure at all times. Do not press too hard, as this will cut through the varnish coat. Rub each part with approximately the same number of strokes. Examine the work from time to time by washing with water. Care should be taken to keep the surface and felt pad always wet during the rubbing, as dry rubbing will scratch the work. Examine the pad often and remove any hardened varnish and pumice that has adhered to it.

Moldings and carvings must not be rubbed with pumice, but with a stiff brush. This will dull the varnish sufficiently so that it will match the part rubbed with pumice. After the work has been completed, wash the surface with water and polish by rubbing with a piece of chamois. If the piece is small enough, you may be able to rinse it off in the bathroom shower or perhaps even the bathtub. It is not recommended to use a gold bathtub for such purposes.

A satin finish is obtained by working the same as in the case of pumice and water, except that a neutral mineral or paraffin oil is used. Some furniture finishers use kerosene for rubbing because the work can be done faster. Linseed oil is not used because it is a drying oil and will make the varnish become tacky. A good oil to use is a thin motor oil or sewing machine oil. For moldings and carved places, a stiff brush is dipped in oil and pumice and rubbed as in the case of the felt pad. When the rubbing is finished, the surface is first cleaned with a dry cloth, then with a cloth moistened with benzine.

Additional luster may be obtained by rubbing the finished pumice rub with rottenstone and oil. Rub with the rottenstone and oil as in the case of pumice. Any fine scratches left by the pumice will be removed by the rottenstone rub. This stone is very much finer than pumice. Its abrasive properties make it excellent for fine polishing, but it is too fine for the initial rub. Finally, the work is cleaned with a soft cloth, and then polished with a chamois skin.

The extremely smooth feel produced by this stone might be good for benches in a steam room or a Finnish sauna, as many people worry in saunas that they will sit on a splinter and hurt their bottoms. The French finish is a wax finish. One of the methods of obtaining this finish is to give the stained surface a single coat of shellac and, after the usual thorough drying, to apply many layers of wax. This should be done by rubbing in the solid wax, which is conveniently used in the form of shavings or other small pieces.

It is surprising how much wax can be absorbed by a wooden surface by repeated waxing, though each successive coat takes less. Well-waxed wooden surfaces have a characteristic patina which cannot be obtained in any other way. There are a few specific suggestions for use in working on furniture which will be found to save time and trouble. Setting the work in a convenient, accessible position will ensure a better job. To paint chairs, first place a large sheet of paper on a table, then place the chair, upside down, on it so that all the under parts can be done first.

Do the rails and stretchers first, working from the joints over to the opposite side. Then do the legs, taking care to avoid laps. Next, stand the chair on its legs and finish the upper parts, then coat the back and finish by doing the seat last. This process should not be used on most bathroom plumbing fixtures, or even ordinary bathroom fixtures, as some types of bathtubs crack easily and upturned toilets may leak undesirable contents.

Tables are painted in the same manner as chairs, starting with the piece turned upside down, then righting it to complete the painting of the under parts, and finishing the top last. Furniture from earlier time periods can be mimicked using different varnish techniques. Sheraton requires a gloss finish. Furniture of this period is finished in a reddish brown mahogany stain, shellacked, varnished, and lightly rubbed and polished. Dull finishes do not go well with this type of furniture. Sheraton bathroom vanities and bathroom cabinets look very nice in vintage themed bathrooms.

Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Brothers Adam are finished in a light brown mahogany. They are shellacked, varnished, and rubbed to a semi-gloss finish. Colonial mahogany finishes are of the deep, rich, red brown tones with red predominating. They are varnished and rubbed to a semi polish. Antique mahogany is finished in a light brown or walnut tone, varnished, and rubbed to a dull finish. English oak effects are produced by using a light walnut brown stain with a golden cast.

 

Allison Ryan is a freelance marketing writer from San Diego, CA. She specializes in home improvement such as sauna and bathtub installation. For bathroom vanities and bathroom fixtures, stop by http://www.mybath.biz/.