Evening star., 1939-09-30
First Aid
For the
Aiing House
BY ROGER b. WHITMAN.

BY ROGER b. WHITMAN.
ouestion-In filling hair-une and
somewhat wider cracks In ceiling,
In preparation for calcimining,
what material and method should
be used?
Answer-Use patching plaster,
which resembles plaster paris, but
Is much slower in hardening. Cracks
should be widened With . knife to
make space for the patch, and
should be wider at the lath than
on the surface, 50 that in harden
ing, the patch will lock itself into
place. Before patching, brush the
old plaster with water. Apply the
patch with putty knife or
trowel, smoothing the surface just
before it hardens.
Cracks in Putty.
Question-What should be used
to fill the cracks in old putty that
is not in poor enough condition to
justify replacement?
Answer-Use paint; apply with .
still brush, so that 1t will be forced
into cracks. Paint q little thicker
than usual will do better Job.
Cleaning Woodwork.
Question: am using varnish re-
mover on my kitchen woodwork.
What is the best way to clean and
bleach the wood?
Answer-The action of a varnish
remover is to soften the gums and
hardened oils in the varnish, so
that they can be scraped or rubbed
Off If you are using liquid var
nish remover, the wood should be
washed with turpentine after the
varnish has been taken of. An
excellent varnish remover is the
chemical trisodium phosphate, in
the proportion of cup to the
quart of water; it is most effective
when used boiling hot. This re-
mover should be followed with clear
water. Both removers will leave
the wood clean. For bleaching you
can use a special liquid intended
for the purpose that can be had at
. large paint store.
RANT 1Or WauS.
Question-1s there q special paint
to be used for gypsum plastic paint
and for stucco?
Answer-For interior plastic paint
you can use one of the top grades
of casein paint, which comes as
paste to be thinned with water.
For exterior stucco. you can use
cement paint which is intended for
that particular job.
Furniture in Bungalow.
Question: intend to keep my
furniture in my summer bungalow
built of hollow tile blocks. There
is no cellar or heating plant in the
house. How should the wood and
upholstered pieces be protected from
the cold and damp weather?
Answer-Polish the wood furni-
ture with paste wax; applied in thin
coats and well rubbed. When clos
ing the bungalow for the season,
close all windows and doors tightly.
and cover the top of the chimney.
These precautions will reduce the
amount of dampness that might
penetrate into the house. Low
temperatures will not harm furni-
ture.
Javelle Water.
Question-Can you give me a
formula for making Javelle water?
use quite a lot of it. and it would
be a big help and convenience to
make it myself.
Answer-Dissolve pounds of
washing soda crystals in l gallon of
water. Mix 4 pounds Of chloride OF
lime In IL gallons of water. Mix
the two liquids and stir well, in an
earthenware crock Let stand for
several hours covered, syphon of the
clear liquid and add enough water
to bring to 21a gallons. Soft water
should be used throughout. For the
benefit of readers who are not IA
miliar with Javelle water as a bleach.
it should be used weak, it should not
be allowed to remain on fabric for
more than few minutes at time,
and all traces should be thoroughly
rinsed out. Otherwise the fabric
will be weakened and even destroyed.
Frosted Glass.
Question-How can I remove
frosting from window glass, 4 feet
long and 2 feet wide?
Answer-If the glass is actually
frosted; that is, if its surface has
been roughened by sandblasting, or
some similar process, there is no