Evening star., 1943-12-23
About the House
Bv Marparef N0,ceII

Il hare bought an unpdinted
dressing table and bench for my
12-vedr- old daughters bedroom,
nhich contains maple furniture.
mould like to DdrniSh or stain
this table and bench to blend in
or match the maple furniture.
Please tell me hoiD to do it, Uhdt
materials to buy and ho1D much.
Mrs. c. s."
For your supplies get a pack of
fine sandpaper, a Small-sized can of
maple OIL stain, pint of turpen-
tine cor the wartime substitute
for it,, a pint of shellac and two
pinch brushes. First of all go over
the whole surface of the furniture
with sandpaper to smooth it COM
pletely. Be sure to make your
strokes with the grain of the
wood, as any cross grain action will
scratch the surface.
Then try your maple Oil stain on
the back of the table. in an incoh-
spicuous place. Let it dry. You
will probably find it is too dark to
match your other furniture. If so,
dilute it with turpentine to the
proper shade. Then paint all over
the table and bench with the stain,
being careful not to overlap. Garry
the brush with the wood grain in
long, straight strokes, as any swirls
or cross-strokes will show.
Give the stain several hours to
dry. If the color is bit light
you may go over it with another
coat of stain. Dilute the shellac
with one part of wood alcohol to
two parts of shellac. Paint on two
coats of this. giving it one hour
to dry between coats.
Let this dry for "a hours Sand
1t down gently with very fine sand
paper and then wax it to finish.
You may find that the paint man
will shake his head no" to turpen-
tine, shellac and wood alcohol He
will be able to give you substitute
turpentine. If you don't want to
use the substitute shellac and cam
not get the alcohol. finish with wax
right on top of the stain, skipping
the shellac. This will not give a
hard. durable finish-but if you keep
the furniture waXed and polished it
will protect the surface until such
time as you may get the other ma
terials.
I'VE hare an old henhouSe at
the back OF our yard ,Uhich 1pe
plan to fir up for q garden house.
We found that it 7Uds too incon-
renient to bring all the tools in
and out of the basement last
summer While 1Ue ,Uorked on the
Dictory garden VIII you oiDe us
a general working idea OF 1Uhat
should be done and Uhere to
build in iDhdt?
"Mr. T. w. s."
First Of all make a door. or double
doors, which will open wide enough
for the wheeled tools, wheelbarrow,
hose. etc, to be taken in and out
easily. II there is no window in the
henhouse plan one on wall nearest
the door for your work and potting
bench, and the other wall to hold
all the tools on pegs and racks.
Build the work bench with soil and
fertilizer bins underneath, pot racks
and book shelves above. Place wood
cleats across the studs to hold rakes
and hoes. ShoveS may hang by
handles or blades. The small tools
may be suspended from wooden
pegs and shelves hold the oil can
and other small articles.
If you have water connection a
small sink is wonderful help, Is
vegetables may be cleaned as soon
as they are removed from the gar
den. flowers arranged and plants
potted without the nuisance of car
rying water or tracking the garden
into the house. Suggest you lay the
size of your house out on paper
draw to scale the things you wish