An Improved Process of Ornamenting or Decorating Polished Wood Surfaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: An Improved Process of Ornamenting or Decorating Polished Wood
Surfaces.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK ASSINDER, of Hayfield, Wake Green, near the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer (a communication to me from abroad by Walter
Topp, of 1395, 12th Street, Chicago, United States of America), do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in, or in the method of, decorating
or ornamenting polished wood surfaces.
The said improved method of decoration or ornamentation consists in the appli-
cation of a solvent to polished surfaces so as to remove the polish at parts and
leave naked and intact the wood thereunder.
In carrying out one form of this invention, a heavily "French polished" wood
surface is taken and the surface of the same is decorated by taking a stencil plate,
mask or other resist, having piercings corresponding to the pattern or design
which it is wished to reproduce upon the surface in plain or naked wood. The
stencil, which is made preferably of very thin metal, is or may be cemented to
the polished surface by applying the cement in a soft state to the underside
thereof, which cement may consist of some material not injurious to the polish
and capable of being readily removed or stripped after the stencil has been taken
away. It has been found in practice that a suitable cement can be made of 7lbs.
of pure mutton fat and a lump of pitch about the size of a walnut. These are
heated and well mixed together before being applied to the back or underside
surface of the stencil or resist.
The polish-solvent may consist of amyl acetate or any other chemical or pre-
paration acting on polish, having incorporated with it, as much fine slacked lime
as it will take up without becoming pasty. This solvent is laid on, or served
by a brush or otherwise through the interstices or piercings of the stencil onto
the exposed parts of the polish which requires to be removed and which are
dissolved by the action of the solvent upon the gum-resins constituting the bases
of most polishes, but leaving the wood intact. The ornamentation produced
is either sunken within the polished parts which form the ground work, or the
ground work may be plain wood and the ornament formed by left parts of the
polished surface.
Instead of employing a metal or other stencil plate requiring to be cemented
in position, the resist or coating surface may consist of wax or gelatine parts of
which are removed by suitable means to expose the polish and then after the
application of the solvent to effect the desired ornamentation, the resist is melted
by a gentle heat or warm water and then wiped away.
Or stencil plates or like resists may be dispensed with entirely and the solvent

page_text: may be applied artistically by a brush, pen or other instrument to produce the
required ornament.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process of Ornamenting or Decorating Polished Wood
Surfaces.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK ASSINDER, of Hayfield, Wake Green, near the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer (a communication to me from abroad by Walter
Topp, of 1395, 12th Street, Chicago, United States of America), do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in, or in the method of, decorating
or ornamenting polished wood surfaces.
The said improved method of decoration or ornamentation consists in the appli-
cation of a solvent to a polished surface so as to remove the polish at parts and
expose or leave naked and intact the wood thereunder.
In carrying out one form of this invention, a heavily "French polished" wooden
article is taken and the surface of the same is decorated by means of a stencil
plate, mask or other resist, having piercings corresponding to the pattern or
design which it is wished to reproduce upon the surface in plain or naked wood.
The stencil, which is made preferably of very thin metal, celluloid or the like,
is or may be cemented to the polished surface by applying cement in a soft state
to the underside thereof, whichi cement may consist of some material not injurious
to the polish and capable of being readily removed or stripped after the stencil
has been taken away. It has been found in practise that a suitable cement can
be made of 7lbs. of pure mutton fat and a lump of pitch about the size of a walnut.
These are heated and well mixed together before being applied to the back or
underside surface of the stencil or resist.
The polish-solvent may consist of amyl acetate or any other chemical or pre-
paration which will dissolve polish, having incorporated with it, as much fine
slacked lime as it will take up without becoming pasty. This solvent is laid on
or served onto, by a brush or otherwise through the interstices or piercings of the
stencil the exposed parts of the polish which requires to be removed and which
are dissolved by the action of the solvent upon the gum-resins that constitute the
bases of most polishes but leaving the wood bare or exposed and intact. The orna-
mentation produced is either sunken within the polished parts which form the
ground work, or the ground work may be plain wood and the ornament formed by
left parts of the polished surface.
Instead of employing a metal or other stencil plate requiring to be cemented
in position, the resist or coating surface may consist of wax, gelatine, water-
proofed paper or the like, parts of which are removed by suitable means to expose
the polish and then after the application of the solvent to effect the desired
ornamentation, the resist is melted by a gentle heat or warm water in the case
of wax, or gelatine, or loosened by water in the case of paper, and then wiped away.
Or stencil plates or like resists may be dispensed with entirely and the solvent

page_text: may be applied artistically by a brush, pen or other instrument to produce the
required ornament.
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: An improved process of ornamenting or decorating polished wood
surfaces, consisting in removing the polish at parts by the application thereto of
a polish-solvent so as to expose and leave bare or naked and intact, the wood
thereunder, substantially as herein described.
:
Secondly In the improved process of ornamenting or decorating polished
wood surfaces referred to in the preceding claim, the employment, as the polish-
solvent, of amyl-acetate or its chemical equivalent having incorporated with it,
fine slacked lime, substantially as herein described.
-
Thirdly The employment in connection with the process of ornamenting or
decorating polished wood surfaces referred to in the first claim, of a metal or other
stencil plate, mask or resist, pierced with the pattern to be reproduced and applied
to the polished surface, or secured thereto by a cement, such as pure mutton fat
incorporated with pitch, substantially as herein described.
Dated his on day of aray 1000.
GEORGE FREDERICK ASSINDER.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.