IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODSTAINING AND VARNISHING
Year: 1884

page_text: I, MILES WILLIAMS of the Britannia Varnish Works, number 111 Millgate
Wigan in the County of Lancaster Varnish Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODSTAINING AND VARNISHING
to be as follows:-
:―
This process has for its object a combination of stain and varnish as applied to
carriage painting, furniture varnishing wood staining and varnishing and the
material used consists of a solution of varnish gums in methylated or other
suitable spirits and colored when required with aniline colors soluble in such
spirits.
I will now describe the best methods of applying the solution the subject of my
invention as it is necessary or desirable to exercise considerable care in its application
and this should be done in an approximately ascertained manner.
For instance; to get the best results for the undercoats of carriage bodies &c.
I should suggest that the following method be adopted.
Before varnishing fill up all holes and crevices with a cement made by melting
bees wax with resin or shellac. The next process is " pore closing" and "hole
filling." For this purpose I should use plaster of Paris made with a creamy paste
with water, rub this in by means of a coarse cloth across the woody fibres into the
boles and pores until these are completely saturated any superfluous stucco must
either be wiped off when moist or if allowed to dry cleared away by rubbing the
body with a piece of pumice stone.
This will now be ready for the first coat of varnish.
In dealing with the different coats of varnish to be put on I may say that with
regard to the first and second coats the brush or tool may be worked across the
grain but in the finishing or third coat it must be worked along the grain and in
The brush or tool
every case the varnish must be equally and evenly laid on.
ought to be lightly though firmly handled. It should also be plied with some
degree of rapidity as this varnish has not the slow setting properties which
distinguish the varnishes in general use. From 4 to 5 hours should be allowed
between each coat for drying but this will depend to a great extent upon the
condition of the Atmosphere and temperature. The different coats must be carefully
smoothed by being rubbed by a fine sandpaper and the amount and method of
using this will depend to a great extent upon the skill of the Operator and the

page_text: .
coarseness or fineness of the wood upon which it is used and whether the pores
have been efficiently filled up or not.
In cases where the work is very coarse and the pores insufficiently filled up it.
may be desirable to moisten the surface with linseed or other suitable oil and then
sand paper by which means a paste will be formed by the attrition and this will
assist in filling up any open pores.
When the second coat is being put on the procedure is similar to that adopted in
the first except that the process of smoothing is better effected by rubbing with a
piece of coarse cloth or thick flannel saturated with the paste formed of pumice
powder and water The third and last coat will be put on in a similar way but it
must be remembered that the rubbing should be along the grain The surface now
being perfectly hard and smooth and non-absorbent is in a condition to take any
class of paint or varnish that may be desirable-If the work is required transparent
or the natural colors of the wood it is only necessary to give a coat of finishing
body or Carriage varnish but where paint or varnish has to be used the priming
being nonabsorbent less paint and varnish will be required to finish than with the
ordinary priming.
With regard to the application of my invention for wood staining the method
I should recommend is as follows.
The varnish is coloured with Coal tar colours in nearly all colours namely-
Mahogany Walnut Oak Satinwood Orange Blue Black Green Scarlet and various
shades of these colours can readily be obtained by simple admixture.
I recommend the following method to produce good results.
Mahogany. Use a good yellow pine well figured smooth and well dressed off
along the grain give a coat of mahogany colour varnish stain with a camel hair
brush or sponge.
Cover every part with a flowing coat evenly laid on (no rubbing)
Allow about 4 hours to dry and harden; sand paper, dust, and give another coat of
varnish as before-allow the same time for drying and hardening, sand paper as
before and revarnish laying this Coat on very evenly-If well done it will be
completed, having a beautiful surface very similar to polished mahogany-If
however the surface does not come up to the mark rub it down with pumice
powder and water to nearly a dead flat, taking care not to rub too much so as to
bare the wood. When dry dust the surface with a dry cloth and give another coat
of varnish taking especial care to do this in a warm dry atmosphere free from
draught of cold air.
If the wood has no natural figure it is a simple matter to make an artificial one-
Before beginning to varnish take a small sponge and dip it into the black varnish
stain and proceed to make the figure or "feather" in the wood.
When the figure is in proceed to varnish &c as before described.
Walnut the wood should be well seasoned yellow pine having a good natural
figure-Take a soft black Crayon and follow the outside edge of the figure with it
making a fine black line-Do not make these too stiff or formal but rather zig zag
and shaky Now dip a sponge into the black Varnish Stain smudge or stain the
wood in various parts with this; the parts where this should be done is where
there is the most figure or an appearance of a knot or other busy part and in
opposition to those dark patches make similar ones with the yellow or oak varnish
stain Allow a little time to dry say an hour; and then give the whole a good
flowing coat (no rubbing) of the Walnut Varnish Stain and allow four hours to dry
and barden-Then sand paper dust and give a second coat of Walnut Varnish
allowing four hours to dry & Smooth either with fine glass paper or by rubbing
down with pumice powder and water dry and give the finishing coat carefully
put on.
Pitch Pine dark yellow or red pine wood produces good results having a
somewhat straight figure; for dark pitch pine begin by putting in the lines with a
Camel hair brush a liner that will make a line or mark from an eighth to a quarter
inch broad is the best-Use the mahogany varnish stain for these lines-Dip the
brush into the varnish having it pretty full and draw a line along the figure of the

page_text: wood fairly straight but if crooked it will not matter only the succeeding lines
must be parallel leaving a clear space wider than the lines and for abrupt termi-
nations of the figure especially in the centre it is usual to cover this with the
mahogany varnish so as to form a broad patch as in the original wood-A good
picce of the latter as a pattern to begin with will help the operator-Having put in
all the lines give an hour to dry and then give the whole a coat of yellow varnish
stain allow four hours to dry and harden-Sand paper lightly revarnish allowing
same time to dry Smooth as before and give finishing coat of varnish-For hard
ware and to stand the weather I advise the last coat to be smoothed down with
pumice powder and water and a coat of good oil varnish applied when dry. For
light pitch pine use clear varnish e the Varnish before it is colored instead of
yellow putting the lines in in the same way as for dark.
Satinwood. Well seasoned spence wood varnished with pale light yellow varnish
stain simply give three coats of this varnish allowing three to four hours to dry
after each Coat and something before the other Coat of varnish is applied, Oak
scarlet, blue, green purple or other colour desired proceed as last except using the
colour of the varnish desired.
Old furniture is rendered like repolished with one or two coats of (any colour
desired) of this varnish stain. It forms a hard durable glossy surface.
Deted this 1ot doy of Tanu 1901

page_text: I MILES WILLIAMS of the Britannia Varnish Works Wigan and 47 Edge Lane
Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Varnish Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT IN WOOD STAINING AND VARNISHING
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This process has for its object a combination of Stain and Varnish as applied to
Carriage painting, furniture Varnishing, Wood Staining and Varnishing and the
materials used consist of a solution of Varnish gums in Methylated or other suitable
Spirits and Coloured when required with Aniline Colours soluble in such Spirits.
The
I will now describe the best method of applying the solution the subject of my
invention as it is necessary or desirable to exercise considerable care in its
application and this should be done in an approximately ascertained manner. For
instance to get the best results for the under coats of carriage bodies & I should
suggest that the following method be adopted. Before varnishing fill up all holes
and crevices with a cement made by melting beeswax with resin or shellac.
next process is "pore closing" and "hole filling." For this purpose I should use
plaster of Paris made into a creamy paste with water, rub this in by means of a
coarse cloth across the woody fibres into the holes and pores until these are
completely saturated, any superfluous stucco must either be wiped off when moist
or if allowed to dry cleared away by rubbing with a piece of pumice stone. This
will now be ready for the first coat of Varnish. In dealing with the different coats
of Varnish to be put on I may say that with regard to the first and second coats
the brush or tool may be worked across the grain but in the finishing or third coat
it must be worked along the grain-in every case the Varnish must be equally and
evenly laid on. The brush or tool ought to be lightly though firmly handled. It
should also be plied with some degree of rapidity as this Varnish has not the slow
setting properties which distinguish the Varnishes in general use. From 4 to 5 hours
should be allowed between each coat for drying but this will depend to a great
extent upon the condition of the Atmosphere and temperature. The different coats
must be carefully smoothed by being rubbed by a fine sand paper and the amount
and method of using this will depend to a great extent upon the skill of the operator
and the coarseness or fineness of the wood upon which it is used and whether the
pores have been efficiently filled up or not. In cases where the work is very coarse
and the pores insufficiently filled up it may be desirable to moisten the surface with
Linseed or other suitable oil and then sand paper by which means a paste will be
formed by the attrition and this will assist in filling up any open pores. When
the second coat is being put on the procedure is similar to that adopted in the first
except that the process of smoothing is better effected by rubbing with a piece of
coarse cloth or thick flannel saturated with the paste formed by pumice powder
and water. The third and last coat will be put on in a similar way but it must be
remembered that the rubbing should be along the grain-the surface now being
perfectly hard and smooth and non-absorbent is in a condition to take any class of
paint or varnish that may be desirable. If the work is required transparent or the
material colors of the wood it is only necessary to give a coat of finishing body
or Carriage varnish but where paint or varnish has to be used the priming being
non-absorbent less paint or varnish will be required to finish than with ordinary

page_text: priming. With regard to the application of my invention for wood staining the
method I should recommend is as follows:-The Varnish is coloured with Coal tar
colours in nearly all colors viz Mahogany, Walnut, Oak, Satin wood, Orange, Blue
Black, Green, Scarlet and various shades of these colours can readily be obtained
by simple admixture. I recommend the following method to produce good results :-
Mahogany Use a good yellow pine well figured smooth and well dressed off-along
the grain-give a coat of mahogany colour Varnish stain with a camel hair brush
or sponge-Cover every part with a flowing coat evenly laid on (no rubbing)-
Allow about 4 hours to dry and harden-sandpaper, dust and give another coat of
varnish as before-Allow the same time for drying and hardening-Sandpaper as
before and revarnish laying this coat on very evenly. If well done it will be
completed, having a beautiful surface very similar to polished mahogany. If however
the surface does not come up to the mark rub it down with pumice powder and
water to nearly a dead flat, taking care not to rub too much so as to bare the wood.
When dry dust the surface with a dry cloth and give another coat of varnish taking
especial care to do this in a warm dry atmosphere free from draught of cold air.
If the wood has no natural figure it is a simple matter to make an artificial one.
Before beginning to varnish take a small sponge and dip it into the Black varnish
stain and proceed to make the figure or "feather" in the wood. When the figure
is in proceed to varnish &c as before described.
Walnut The wood should be well seasoned yellow pine having a good natural
figure. Take a soft black crayon and follow the outside edge of the figure with it
making a fine black line-Do not make these too stiff or formal but rather zigzag and
shaky. Now dip a sponge into the Black Varnish stain-smudge or stain the wood
in various parts with this-The parts where this should be done is where there is
most figure or an appearance of a knot or other busy part and in opposition to those
dark patches make similar ones with yellow or oak varnish stain-allow a little
time to dry say an hour and then give the whole a good flowing coat (no rubbing)
of the walnut varnish stain and allow 4 hours to dry and harden then sandpaper
dust and give a second coat of walnut varnish allowing four hours to dry & smooth
either with fine glass paper or by rubbing down with pumice powder and water-
dry and give the finishing coat carefully put on.
Pitch-pine Dark yellow or red pine wood produces good results having a
somewhat straight figure for dark pitch pine begin by putting in the lines with
a camel hair brush a liner will make a line or mark from an eighth of an inch to a
quarter inch broad is the best-Use the mahogany varnish stain having it pretty
full and draw a line along the figure of the wood fairly straight but if crooked it
will not matter only the succeeding lines must be parallel leaving a clear space
wider than the lines and for abrupt termination of the figure especially in the
centre it is usual to cover this with mahogany varnish so as to form a broad patch
as in the original wood. A good piece of the latter as a pattern to begin with will
help the operator-Having put in all the lines give an hour to dry and then give
the whole a coat of yellow varnish stain-allow 4 hours to dry and harden, sandpaper
lightly revarnish allowing same time to dry--smooth as before and give finishing coat
of Varnish. For hard wear and to stand the weather I advise the last coat to be
smoothed down with pumice stone and water and a coat of good oil varnish applied
when dry for light pitch pine use clear varnish that is the varnish before it is
coloured instead of yellow putting the lines in in the same way as for the dark.
Satin wood Well seasoned spruce wood varnished with pale light yellow varnish
stain-simply give three coats of this Varnish allowing three or four hours to dry
after each coat and sandpapering before the other coat of Varnish is applied-Oak,
Scarlet blue, green, purple, or other colour desired-proceed as the last except using
the colour of the Varnish desired Old furniture is rendered like re-polished with
one or two coats of any colour desired of this Varnish Stain It forms a hard
durable glossy surface.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
First A combination of Stain and Varnish as applied to Carriage painting.
Secondly The application thereof to the Varnishing of Furniture and renovating
and polishing Old Furniture.
Thirdly Wood Staining and Varnishing at one operation or Varnish and Stain
.Combined thereby effecting the imitation of expensive woods by deal and other
cheap woods.
Fourthly The Solution of Varnish gums in Methylated Spirits or other similar
Spirits Coloured with Aniline or Coal Tar Colours to any Colour substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein before described.