Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-06-25
Artist1s Mechanics.
A yoIng workman stood the other day
in the finishincraom of ono NJ the preatast

A yo'lng workman stood the other day
in the finishing room Of one OF the greatest
manufactures Of milling machinery IN the
world. Before him upon u bench were
pots Of vsrnish, brushes, pieces Of sand
paper, and zinc tray. On one side of
the tray was 3 piece Of ordinary putty,
nd scattered srouAf the tray were little
piles of different coloi-d lead, sucn rs
is used in mixing paint. The young
workman washed his hands, and taking
up piece of putty the size of a pea,
poured q drop of linseed oil on If, and
then rolled it lightly through pile of
blue powder. kneadIng the little ball
between his fingers It changed IN color
to q dark blue. Turning to a piece OF
one OF the machines by his side he
thrust the bit of putty into one Of the
holes where q nail had been driven,
pressed it down, ran knife between the
wood and his thumb, cutting the putty
of even with the wood, and then stepped
back and critically examined the Job.
The colored putty was q little lighter
than the wood around il.
"Varnish viii bring the wood out,
though" SAID the workman when the
difference IN color was suggested to him.
1T will dsrken the putty, too"
"What is the woodi'
''OrdInary whitewood, or rather extra
ordinary whitewood. A good deal of the
lumber We use Is cut IN swamps and
swamp whitewOod Is often colored.
These machines are intended for exhibi-
ton at far, and Of course we put more
work on them. We uee this colored
whitewood in preference 10 black walnut
OF cherry, or some Of the more expensive
woods, because 1t is comparatively rare
and because we think 1t is handsomer.
Look at that piece, for instance" said the
young man, taking up board from his
bench. The board was q foot wide and
three feet long, and had been vanished on
one side. Under the varnish the wood
glowed and blazed like an autumn sunset.
Every color of the rainbow was there, and
they were blended into each other II re-
markable manner. Unlike the knotty,
wavy lines Of curly maple or French
walnut, the gram was straight and the
colors ran with the grain. The wood was
es beautiful as 1t was unique.
Ordinary putty" said the young work.
man, "would only spot the woods and at
tract attention TO the nail hoies. This
idea is, you see, TO hide the naIl-holes by
blending the putty with the wood. Every
nsIl-hole IN this piece Of machinery could
be filed with ordinary putty In five min
Htes. 1t will take well on TO day to do
this. There are hardly ever two holes, as
you will see, where the color Of the wood
is the same. There are often two or three
different colors around one niil-hoie Diff
ferent putty has TO be made for each
hole"
"a man must be a good deal Of an srtIst
TO do that work. sugges' ed bystsnder.
''Oh, don't know about that said the
young man, laughing and flushing. "Ot
course, he must know just TO what extent
varnish will change the color of the wood
and affect the putty, and also have some
sort of an eye for color. / like the work,
and take more pains with it than some
would, l suppose. The first time used
this co.ored putty was on the machines we
seLt to the Centennial Exhibition. 1 nearly
ruined one of them, by not counting on
the change which the varnlsh would
make