Milford chronicle., 1929-05-24
HOW AND WHERE
TO USE ENAMEL
Mary Allen.

A home of permanent charm owes
much to the proper selections of
finishes for woodwork and furniture.
There are many good products for
this purpose and each one has its
place in interior decoration, but
none is more deserving of poular-
ity than enamel. Its durability, it's
wide range of colors, and its resist
ance to dirt, all make it a valuable
aid to the homemaker.
Baseboards, window castings, and
holdings that are finished with
enamel supply pleasing and SER
viceable framework for the room,
bathroom and kitchen walls are cas-
lily kept clean, floors are protected
from hard wear, and furniture re-
quires less care. All through the
house, enamel will give service,
without renewal, for a long period
and is very easily refinished when
necessary.
New processes of manufacture
have added another virtue to the
long list of good qualities which we
have learned to associate with enam-
NAs - 10 hOW pOOOlOlC "
enamels that will dry in about four
hours, which means a great saving
of time for the painter. And not
only in their application but in 9TH
er qualities of their service. good
enamels are time-savers. No finish
is more easily taken care of. It.
requires no scrubbing-simply wipe
it off now and then with a damp
cloth and it will remain as fresh as
when it was first put on.
If a good quality of enamel fails
to accomplish satisfactory results,
the fault may be attributed to one
of three reasons. First, a badly
prepared surface; second, unsatis-
factory undertaking; and, third,
improper brushing methods.
Whether new or old the wood
must be thoroughly clean before
the application of enamel. New
wood that has never been finished
will often require a filler to make
the surface smooth. Sometimes this
is done at the factory-as in the
case of unfinished furniture, which
is generally ready to be painted,
lacquered, or enamelled when it is
purchased at the store. A paste
wood filler is used on open grain
woods such as oak, mahogany, wal
nut or chestnut. This is thinned to
brushing consistency and applied
directly to the bare wood. If it
hardens too quickly the surface
should be wiped with turpentine or
some other thinner. After the filler
has set, the excess is wiped off with
excelsior, and allowed to dry for
twelve hours. The surface is then
sandpapered smooth and cleaned off
with a rag dampened with turpen-
tine. Close-grain woods are some
times treated with liquid filler be-
fore finishing, but this is not a hard
and fast rule.
When redecorating with enamel,
the previous finish must be in good
condition to insure good results.
Cracked or scaling paint or cracked
varnish should be removed with a
paint and varnish remover. If the
varnish is in good shape, it will be
sufficient to rub off the gloss with
fine sandpaper before applying the
enamel. In this case, one coat of
fiat paint and one of enamel will
usually be enough to supply sat
isfactory finish.
New wood, or old wood that has
been scraped down, will require
three coats. The two undercoats
may be either fiat paint or enamel
with a finish of enam-
ell. If the surface is badly SCARED,
fiat paint should be used for these
coats because it has a
wonderful faculty for hiding blem-
ishes. 1t is vastly important that |
the undercoats should be just right. |
Unless they are smooth and have |
a solid look, the top coat will not |
turn out satisfactorily.
The method of brushing will have
a decided effect upon the appear
ance of the finished job. Enamel
should be flowed on with broad
sweeping strokes. The brush should
not be too full, for if the enamel is
allowed to run on, the finish will be
uneven. Redip the brush whenever
the enamel gets thin.
When purchasing enamel, always
bear in mind the particular job for
which it is to be used. There are
special enamels for furniture, for
floors and walls, and it
IS essential that the right product
should be chosen in each case.