Before the advent of synthetic paints, paints and varnishes were made from natural materials, such as linseed oil, water, milk and resin.

In the past, there were many different types of paint. The most common was oil paint made from raw or boiled linseed oil. Linseed oil paints can be used indoors and outdoors. Historically, linseed oil paints together with a protecting varnish was used for hardwood floors, for the interior and exterior of carriages and railway cars, and to protect wooden windows from rain and iron from rust. But there were also other types of paint, such as whitewash, calcimine or distemper (made with hide glue) and milk paint (casein paint).

Related: 20 Ways To Make Homemade Natural Glue

Learn how to make homemade natural paint and varnish like in the past! Below are over 50 recipes for DIY natural paints and varnishes. In this post, I’ll mainly focus on paint and varnish recipes from the Victorian and Edwardian era. However, I also included some older recipes, e.g. from the 18th century.

And there are also recipes for homemade hardwood floor & furniture polish, DIY watercolor paint, polished faux marble finishes – like Venetian plaster and scagliola. There are also instructions on how to paint cheap wood to look like marble or expensive wood, like oak or walnut, and how to remove old paint.

In This Post:

• Paint & Varnish – FAQs
• Homemade Natural Paint Ingredients
• Whitewash – Water Paint
• Calcimine – Distemper – Glue Paint
• Milk Paint & Casein Paint
• Linseed Oil Paint
• Enamel Paint
• Faux Marble & Wood Grain Painting
• Faux Marble Finish
• Homemade Natural Varnish Recipes
• Hardwood Floor & Furniture Polish
• Homemade Watercolors For Painting
• Painting Tips
• How To Remove Old Paint

Safety notes: Keep in mind that some ingredients in historical paint recipes are toxic and should be replaced with modern, non-toxic ingredients. For example, white lead was the most commonly used pigment in historical paint. But lead paint is toxic. So lead should be replaced with non-toxic alternatives, such as titanium dioxide. Also keep in mind that other ingredients, like turpentine, should only be used outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

 

Paint & Varnish – FAQs

What Is Paint?

‘A paint is a mixture of a pigment with a vehicle and is intended to be spread in thin coats for protection or decoration, or both. A pigment is the fine, solid material in the preparation of paint and is substantially insoluble in the vehicle. The vehicle is the liquid portion of the paint.’ (The Use of Paint on the Farm, 1917)

‘The term [paint] is usually applied to mixtures of pigments with oil, but may include those with water and gum or other thickening material. The pulverized solid pigments are called the base, and the liquid is called the vehicle’ (The American Cyclopaedia, 1873).

‘Painting is merely a foundation, a color over which varnish is placed to preserve the color.’ (Los Angeles Herald, 1909)

What Is Varnish?

‘In general, varnish may be defined as any liquid, not containing suspended matter (pigment), used for decoration or protection and capable of being spread in a thin homogeneous film which will dry to a hard coating.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

‘The term varnish is used to designate any solution, which, when spread with a brush in a thin layer on the surface of an object, dries with a smooth, lustrous, transparent film.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904).

‘Varnish is used to give brilliancy to painted surfaces and to protect them from the action of the atmosphere, or from slight friction. Varnish is often applied to plain unpainted wood surfaces in the roofs, joinery, and fittings of houses, and to intensify and brighten the ornamental appearance of the grain. It is also applied to painted and to papered walls.’ (Notes On Building Construction, 1893)

Difference Between Paint & Varnish

‘It is seen that while varnish is used very much in the same manner as paint, it could not be properly classified as a paint, because it does not contain any solid particles of pigment. On the other hand, whitewash, which is not ordinarily called a paint (largely because of its cheapness), would comply with this definition very well.’ (The Use of Paint on the Farm, 1917)

Oil Varnish Vs. Spirit Varnish

‘Most varnishes can be roughly classified into spirit varnishes and oil varnishes. The former contain only resin (or some other similar substance) and a volatile solvent, while the latter contain in addition a fixed or fatty oil. The latter are the more important and numerous’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917). ‘Oil varnishes […] have added elasticity and increased durability over spirit varnishes.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

‘Varnish is a solution of resin in either oil, turpentine, or alcohol. The oil dries and the other two solvents evaporate, in either case leaving a solid transparent film of resin over the surface varnished.’ (Notes On Building Construction, 1893) ‘The principal ingredients [of varnish] used are gum resins, linseed oil, turpentine, benzine and suitable dryers for oil varnishes; and gums, resins and alcohol for spirit varnishes’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904).

Uses Of Linseed Oil Paint & Varnish

‘These mixtures, varnish and paint, are applied to a variety of surfaces, such as wood, metal, plaster and stone, substances differing materially in their physical characteristics.

While, of course, the decorative effect of varnish and paint is of great moment, the protective effect, in most cases, is the important feature, as the action of rain, moisture, heat and air, cause wood to discolor and become fibrous, or rot and mould.

Unpainted metal, exposed to atmospheric conditions will rapidly rust or oxidize, particularly iron. The surface rust holds the moisture and the iron is rapidly corroded until it may be, in great measure, destroyed. […]

Stone surfaces […] will scale or discolor and become unsightly. A layer of oil paint applied to these surfaces, by protecting them from external influences, will prevent all this in great measure, while the coating remains in good condition as a protective covering.

With absorbent substances, such as wood and plaster, added protection is given in that some of the paint is absorbed by the pores, and becomes a part of the substance to which the paint is applied.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Paint + Varnish

Almost all objects – from wooden furniture to metal machinery to railway cars – were painted with multiple coats of linseed oil paint over several days. And after the paint was dry, they received a coat of varnish.

 

Homemade Natural Paint Ingredients

Linseed Oil

Linseed oil is a drying oil: that’s why it works for oil paints and varnishes. Apart from linseed oil, there are other drying oil, such as walnut oil or poppy seed oil. But these oils are more expensive.

‘Water paints such as whitewash and calcimine dry in the ordinary sense; that is, by evaporation of the liquid, which in the case of the two paints mentioned is water. The drying of oil paints, however, is quite different, and in order to understand this attention must be drawn to certain peculiarities of the so-called drying oils.

Suppose four plates of glass are coated, one with a thin film of water, another with gasoline, another with a heavy mineral oil, and another with linseed oil, and all four plates are exposed to the air for several days. The water and gasoline will evaporate and leave the plates dry and practically in the condition in which they were before applying the liquid. The plate covered with the heavy mineral oil will be found to be greasy, while the plate covered with linseed oil will also have a coating on it, but this coat will first become tacky and finally set to a hard, varnish-like film. If this experiment is tried with other vegetable oils, such as olive oil, it will be found that some of them behave very much like the mineral oils […]

None of the other common oils […] will form the varnish-like coating so rapidly nor will the coating be so hard as in the case of linseed oil. […]

The drying of a drying oil is a change taking place in the liquid. This change is accompanied by an absorption of oxygen from the air, and the drying does not take place in the absence of oxygen. It is hindered by moisture and hastened by sunlight.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

‘Linseed oil is the most important, and the painter cannot know too much about this substance’. Linseed oil is used ‘in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, oil cloths, and linoleums. There are, of course, many other drying oils more or less adapted for paint, but with few exceptions, little used in general practice. […]

Linseed oil is soluble in turpentine and benzine in any proportion, but very slightly soluble in alcohol. […] It forms an emulsion with water on the introduction of a weak alkali and saponifies in stronger alkalies.

The drying property is due to its power of absorbing oxygen from the air which causes the oil, when spread in thin layers, to oxidize and become a hard, neutral substance. […]

For ordinary paint it is used raw with the admixture of liquid dryers and is more durable than boiled oil, because the oil in being boiled has already been partly oxidized and when oxidization of oil is complete and the oil becomes hard, it tends to brittleness and eventually perishes, leaving the pigment to chalk off. Raw oil, likewise, works easier under the brush and is less likely to blister.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

‘Paint for interior work calls for less linseed oil, because of the tendency of this oil to turn yellow, and contains more turpentine.’ (Bulletin Of The United States Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 1913)

‘Oil paint dries with a gloss, turpentine makes a dead surface; and, in using paints containing both oil and turpentine, the gloss will be less as the proportion of oil is diminished.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

Safety notes: Rags soaked in linseed oil – especially boiled linseed oil with dryers but also raw linseed oil – can spontaneously combust as they dry. To prevent this, let rags soaked in linseed oil dry flat, keep them soaked in water or in an airtight container, or burn them.

Boiled Linseed Oil

‘The term “boiled linseed oil” is strictly a misnomer, since linseed oil does not boil as water does, but when heated to a sufficient high temperature undergoes decomposition.’ In contrast to raw linseed oil, the term ‘boiled linseed oil’ usually refers to linseed oil to which chemical dryers have been added. It was ‘long ago observed that if linseed oil is heated with oxides of lead and manganese to a temperature somewhat below its decomposition point, some of the metals go into solution and the oil dries more rapidly than raw oil.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

Linseed oil ‘boils at about 446 degrees Fahrenheit. On boiling several hours, it becomes a thick syrup; with dryers added, and moderate boiling, it becomes true boiled oil as met with commercially. […] boiled oil is likely to be adulterated with rosin, rosin oil, and oils of mineral origin.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Turpentine

Safety notes: Turpentine should only be used outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

‘Turpentine is the most important of the volatile thinners used in paints and varnishes. It is produced by distilling the resin of pine trees […] Another method now used […] involves steam distillation or destructive distillation […] This product, known as wood turpentine, has a very disagreeable odor […] and is not so uniform a product as the “gum spirits.” […]

For oil paints and most oil-resin varnishes turpentine is the most valuable thinner known. It has good solvent properties, evaporates in a satisfactory manner, and has excellent “flatting” properties.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

‘Turpentine is obtained from the resinous sap of several varieties of pine trees. […] Turpentine has drying or oxidizing properties to a marked extent, and for this reason, is an excellent thinner for paints and varnishes. On account of this property it has a tendency to bleach or lighten paint or varnish as it dries, whereas, in using benzine for the same purpose, in fact, any of the lighter mineral spirits, yellowness is sure to follow either in white paint or varnish. Turpentine is used in all the better grades of oil varnishes’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

‘In addition to the linseed oil and drier, paints frequently contain volatile substances, such as turpentine and benzine. The addition of these is largely for the purpose of thinning the paint to a better working consistency, so that it can be spread in thin layers more easily. These volatile substances evaporate almost completely and do not remain behind in the dried film. The only substance remaining which binds the solid particles of the pigment together is the oil.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

‘Turpentine has a greater effect than oil in thinning a paint, 1 volume of turpentine being approximately equal to 2 volumes of oil in this respect.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917) ‘Turpentine is added in varying proportions, a larger amount for paint used on interior work than for paint which is to be used outside and exposed to the weather.’ (Bulletin Of The United States Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 1913)

Basic Paint Recipe

‘Ordinary white paint is generally composed of white lead, linseed oil, driers, and spirits of turpentine. A coloured lead paint is produced by adding a pigment to the above. In the mixture each constituent plays a part.

The oil soaks into the pores of the material painted, and then dries into a resinous compound, keeping out the air, and preventing decay. The drier causes the oil to oxidise and solidify more quickly. The white lead gives body and opacity to the mixture. It does not merely mix with the oil, but combines with it to form a creamy compound which dries into a soapy substance. The spirit of turpentine is merely a solvent added to make the paint work more freely; it eventually evaporates and plays no permanent part.’ (Notes On Building Construction, 1893)

‘A typical formula for paint that is to be used outside is the following:’ 63% pigment, 37% liquid. Liquid: 86% linseed oil, 5.5% Japan drier (44% solid, 56% volatile), 5.5% turpentine, 3% petroleum spirits.

‘A typical formula for paint for interior work calls for less linseed oil, because of the tendency of this oil to turn yellow, and contains more turpentine. 60% pigment, 40% liquid. Liquid: 35% linseed oil, 39% turpentine, 13% Japan drier, 12% petroleum spirits.’ (Bulletin Of The United States Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 1913)

‘Receipts for Colors. […] Bluish-white. Grind very fine 1 part of white lead or zinc white, and add 1 1/16 of indigo. […] Enamel-white. Add a trace of Berlin blue to 1 pound of white lead or zinc white. […] Light Gray. Mix 1/100 part of lampblack with 1 or white lead or zinc white.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

‘Peach-stones, burned in a a close vessel, produce a carbon which, when ground on porphyry, is employed in painting to give an old gray.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Lead Vs. Titanium Dioxide

Safety notes: Lead paint is toxic. Lead in old paint recipes should be replaced with modern, non-toxic alternatives, such as titanium dioxide.

In the past, almost all white and colored linseed oil paints contained white lead as a pigment. Lead was considered superior to other white pigments, such as zinc oxide, because it sped up the drying process, made the paint more durable, prevented the growth of mold and protected the surface better than paints without lead. But lead paint is toxic! Therefore, lead in paints is now usually replaced with non-toxic white pigments, such as titanium dioxide.

By the way, in some countries titanium dioxide is banned as an additive in food. However, according to various sources, titanium dioxide is safe to use in paints. Moreover, titanium dioxide is the most commonly used white pigment in commercial paints, both acrylic paints and linseed oil paints.

Whitewash – Water Paint

What Is Whitewash

Whitewash is a cheap type of paint made of slaked lime or chalk and water. In historic recipes, whitewash is sometimes not even considered a type of paint in some historic paint books. Traditionally, whitewash was only pigment mixed with water and didn’t contain binder, like hide glue.

‘Whitewash […] is not ordinarily called a paint (largely because of its cheapness)’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917).

Whitewash – In Short

Whitewash is:

• cheap
• made of just 2 ingredients: water & quicklime
• made without binder
• non-yellowing (unlike oil paint)
• “sanitary” coating used in cellars and stables

Uses Of Whitewash

‘Whitewash is the cheapest of all paints, and for certain purposes it is the best. Lime, which is the basis of whitewash, makes a very sanitary coating, and is probably to be preferred for cellars and the interior of stables and other outbuildings.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

Ordinary Whitewash

‘This is made by slaking about 10 pounds of quicklime with 2 gallons of water. The lime is placed in a pail and the water poured over it, after which the pail is covered with an old piece of carpet or cloth and allowed to stand for about an hour. With an insufficient amount of water, the lime is “scorched” and not all converted into hydrate; on the other hand, too much water retards the slaking by lowering the heat. “Scorched” lime is generally lumpy and transparent, hence the use of the proper amount of water for slaking and an after addition of water to bring it to a brush consistency.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

Interior Factory Whitewash With Flour

‘For walls, ceilings, posts,etc. (1) Sixty-two pounds (1 bushel) quicklime, slake with 15 gallons water. Keep barrel covered until steam ceases to rise. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

(2) Two and one-half pounds of rye flour, beat up in 1/2 gallon of cold water, then add 2 gallons of boiling water.

(3) Two and one-half common rock salt, dissolve in 2 1/2 gallons of hot water. Mix (2) and (3), then pour into (1) and stir until all is well mixed. This is the whitewash used in the large implement factories and recommended by the insurance companies.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

Weatherproof Whitewash

‘For buildings, fences, etc. (1) Sixty-two pounds (1 bushel) quicklime, slake with 12 gallons of hot water. (2) Two pounds common table salt, 1 pound sulphate of zinc, dissolved in 2 gallons of boiling water. (3) Two gallons skimmed milk. Pour (2) into (1) then add the milk (3) and mix thoroughly.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

Additives For Whitewash

‘Alum added to a lime whitewash prevents it rubbing off. […] Flour paste answers the same purpose, but needs zinc sulphate as a preservative.

Molasses renders the lime more soluble and causes it to penetrate the wood or plaster surface […]

A pound of cheap bar soap dissolved in a gallon of boiling water and added to about 5 gallons of thick whitewash will give it a gloss like oil paint. […]

‘The washes which contain milk, flour, or glue are not to be advised for use in damp, interior places, owing to danger of decomposition of the organic matter.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

‘Sulphate of zinc and […] common salt. These will cause the wash to harden and prevent it from cracking’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872).

 

Calcimine – Distemper – Glue Paint

What Is Calcimine (Kalsomine)

Calcimine – aka kalsomine or calsomine – is another cheap cold water paint. Unlike whitewash, calcimine contains binder, such as hide glue. By the way, the term “glue” in antique paint recipes always meant hide glue. Calcimine was used as an alternative to whitewash to paint walls.

‘The difference between oil painting and distemper painting is that in the latter the colors are mixed with size and water, instead of oil. […] The colors used in distemper painting are the same dry colors used in oil, while the foundation or base is whiting instead of white lead.’ (The Home Guide, 1878)

‘Cold water paints or calcimine have as their basis whiting or carbonate of lime instead of caustic lime, as in whitewash. This material itself does not adhere, and it is necessary to use a binder of some kind, generally glue or casein.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

‘Various mediums and vehicles have been used for the purpose of binding distemper colours, such as milk, albumen (white of egg), vegetable gums, flour starch – in fact, any and everything containing gluten have ‘ (The Journal Of Decorative Art, 1881).

‘Calcimine, the so-called cold-water paints, in which no oil or expensive lead or zinc pigments are used, and which are, therefore, very much cheaper than oil paints, last very well on the inside; in fact, some of the oldest painting in existence are fresco paintings made practically of calcimine.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

An advantage of calcimine paint is that it is water-soluble, unlike linseed oil paint. So calcimine paint can be easily washed off the walls. That’s why calcimine paint was often used for rooms that needed frequent repainting, such as smoking rooms.

Kalsomine ‘is easily washed off when wishing to re-decorate […] Kalsomine costs but little for either material or labor, can be readily removed with hot water when soiled or when a change in color is desired, and is composed of ingredients which either do not encourage germ life or are actively antiseptic and militate against harmful bacteria. […] The walls and ceilings should be calcimined rather than papered. This will necessitate more frequent decorating, but the process of washing the surfaces and calcimining are cleansing and insure perfect renovation.’ (C. P. W. Kalsomine: A High Grade Wall Finish, 1910).

Calcimine paint was also often used to paint ceilings. Probably, because calcimine contained binder and stuck to the ceiling better than whitewash. However, calcimine was not recommended for wood and damp rooms, like bathrooms.

Calcimine (Kalsomine) – In Short

Calcimine (kalsomine) paint is:

• cheaper than oil paint
• water-soluble (can be washed off the walls)
• non-yellowing (unlike oil paint)
• made with binder, usually hide glue
• often used as ceiling paint
• applied in one coat
• dries quickly
• has to be washed off before repainting
• not recommended for wood and damp rooms
• cannot be used outdoors

Distemper Vs. Calcimine

In historical books, the terms distemper and calcimine – or kalsomine – were often used interchangeably. Both types of paint were made with a natural binder, like hide glue, pigments and water. In the US, calcimine or kalsomine appeared to be more common, while the term distemper appeared to be more common in the UK.

‘Kalsomining comes under the head of distemper painting, and will be noticed in this connection.’ (The Home Guide, 1878) ‘Distemper, also called whitewash, and size colouring.’ (Painting And Decorating, 1898)

Distemper Vs. Tempera

Like distemper, tempera is made with natural binders like egg yolks, hide glue and casein. However, unlike distemper, tempera is thicker and used for paintings, whereas distemper is used to paint walls etc.

‘A very important branch of our subject is Distemper painting. Tempera, or Distemper, as it is now called, was in use long before the introduction of oil paints’ (The Journal Of Decorative Art, 1881).

Uses Of Distemper

‘The use of distemper is older than that of oil and varnish. Whitewashing is a kind of distemper, especially when size is used with it. Common distemper colour for walls is Spanish white, or whiting […] old work should be first washed by a brush with water. […] It is much used for ceilings, and always requires two, and sometimes three, coats, to give it a uniform appearance. […] Rooms may be distempered and dry again in a day, with little dirt. When wood is covered with distemper, it is liable to swell with the damp.’ (An Encyclopaedia Of Architecture, 1888).

‘Distemper painting has many advantages over oil paints when applied to the walls of public buildings, such as churches, assembly rooms, concert halls […] When the walls of these places are painted in oil colour the moist atmosphere which prevails, consequent upon so many people breathing the same air and being crowded together, will condense upon the paint and run down in streams of water. […] Now with distemper painting this effect does not take place to any perceptible degree, simply because it has a power of absorbing damp up to a certain point, and although it may become damp it does not permanently show it, and quickly dries again without leaving a stain […] if distemper is done upon oil paint, as is frequently the case, the power of absorption is lessened’ (The Journal Of Decorative Art, 1881).

How To Make Distemper Paint

‘Take two clean buckets, and put into the first some good whiting broken into lumps not larger than walnuts Pour upon it, without agitation, clear cold water more than enough to cover it; allow it to stand awhile until thoroughly soaked; then pour off the water carefully, and stir with a stick or bat to ensure that it is quite soaked through, and to break it up. It should now be of the consistency of very soft clay, batter, or mud – viz., it should be just possible to stir it with the exertion of some force.

Now warm some jelly size, about half as much in bulk as you have of the batter, and of a strength that would, when cold, turn out of a mould and keep its shape – viz., the strength of an ordinary table jelly as served up. The size must not be boiling hot. Slowly pour this, part at a time, into the batter, stirring the while, until it is all in. This will reduce the batter to the consistency of cream. Stir it thoroughly, and strain, while hot, through […] a piece of coarse muslin, cheese or butter cloth, into the clean bucket. Cover it up and set aside to get cold.

When cold it is ready for use and should present the consistence of thick clotted cream. Before use beat it up, as the whiting has a tendency to settle while cooling, and the size to rise to the top. This may be over come by an occasional stir whilst cooling, which will also prevent skin or scum arising. The tinting colours may be added either before or after the size, but before straining. […] Too little size fails to bind the pigment, and when dry it will rub off on the hands and clothes. Too much size will cause the distemper, when dry and heated, to flake, crack, and curl off.’ (Painting And Decorating, 1898)

Ordinary White Stock – Calcimine

(1) Sixteen pounds dry Paris white (whiting) mixed until free of lumps, with 1 gallon boiling water. (2) One-half pound white sizing glue; soak 4 hours in one-eighth gallon cold water. Dissolve on a water-bath (gluepot) and pour into (1). […] may be used at once, but is better after standing half an hour. Any tint may be given the white stock by stirring the desired dry color in a little water and adding sufficient liquid color to the base.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

Kalsomine

‘Kalsomine is composed of zinc white mixed with water and glue sizing. The surface to which it is applied must be clean and smooth. For ceilings, mix 1 pound glue with 15 pounds zinc; for walls, 1 pound glue with 15 pounds zinc.

The glue, the night before its use, should be soaked in water and in the morning liquefied on the fire. It is difficult to prepare or apply kalsomine; few painters can do so successfully. […] The kalsomining mixture may be colored to almost any required tint by mixing appropriate coloring matter with it.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

Kalsomine With Soap

‘Good white glue, or gelatine, 1 pound, Alum, powdered, 1-2 pound, Ordinary soap, 1-4 pound. Dissolve separately in boiling water. Mix the soap and glue solutions and add the alum water slowly to the above with stirring. Thin with cold water to the consistency of thin paint or size. To prepare kalsomine, mix to a thick paste with water, Paris white, and add 1 oz. of good glue or gelatine dissolved in hot water to each two pounds of Paris white used. Whiting can be substituted for Paris white. Colors can be added before the glue solution has been mixed with the Paris white. Mix the colors, if dry, with a little water and add them in thin paste form. If much color is added, use additional glue in the same proportion as used with the Paris white.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Distemper Wall Paint

‘Take half a pound of dissolved glue and ten pounds of zinc white (dry) if for extra work, or common whiting if for ordinary work, in the same proportion. Mix the white to a thick cream with warm water, then add the dissolved glue, and stir all well together. If for side walls, more glue will be required to in sure it from rubbing off. A common whitewash brush will answer to lay it on with, and it should be applied while warm, adding hot water to thin it if found too thick to spread easily. In distemper painting it may be found expedient to coat the walls with a thin sizing of glue before applying the paint, and some painters prefer a coat of good oil paint to prevent dampness from striking out and discolouring the distemper coats.’ (The Home Guide, 1878)

Cheap Floor Paint

‘For a durable and cheap paint for house floors, dissolve one ounce of glue in a quart of warm water, thickened with [linseed oil] paint. After being put on, go over with a coat of boiled linseed oil. It will dry in ready for use in two hours.’ (The Country Gentleman, 1859)

Another Cheap Floor Paint

‘New paint for floors, stone, wood, and brickwork. This new paint has the advantage of saving oil and lacquer, being simply a combination of glue, oil paint, and lime, and for wooden floors an addition of shellac and borax.

To prepare the ground mixture, soak 2 ounces of good light-colored glue for 12 hours in cold water, and dissolve it, with constant stirring, in thick milk of lime (prepared from 1 pound of caustic lime) heated to the boiling point. To the boiling glue stir in linseed oil until it ceases to mix. About 8 3/4 fluid ounces of oil is sufficient for the above proportions. Too much oil is corrected by addition of lime paste. Mix the above with any color not affected by lime, and diluted with water if needed. For yellow-brown or brown-red colors, boil in the ground color 1/4 of its volume of a solution of shellac and borax, making an excellent paint for wooden floors.

The mixture is easily applied, covers well, and forms a durable combination with any covering, and, as any desired shade can be produced by an addition of proper colors, it may often be substituted for more expensive paints. A simple coat of varnish or lacquer gives a beautiful lustre.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Facade Paint

‘For this zinc oxide is especially adapted, prepared with size or casein. Any desired earth colors may also be added. The surfaces are coated 3 times with this mass. After the third application is dry, put on a single coating of zinc chloride solution of 30° Bé. to which 3 per cent borax is added.’ (Henley’s Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes And Processes, 1916)

Waterproof & Weatherproof Paint

‘Mix [hide] glue water with zinc oxide (zinc white) and paint the respective object with this mixture. When this is dry (after about 2 hours) it is followed up with a coating of glue water and zinc chloride in a highly diluted state. Zinc oxide enters into a chemical combination with zinc chloride, which acquires the hardness of glass and a mirror-like bright surface. Any desired colors can be prepared with the glue water (size) and are practically imperishable. This zinc coating is very durable, dries quickly, and is 50 per cent cheaper than oil paint.’ (Henley’s Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes And Processes, 1916)

Lime Paint

‘For deal floors, wood, stone, and brick work. Dissolve 15 dr. good glue by boiling with thickish milk of lime, which contains 1 lb. caustic lime. Then add linseed-oil, just sufficient to form a soap with the lime. This mixture can be used for making up any colour which is not altered by lime. A solution of shellac in borax can be added for brown-red or brown-yellow colours, and is very suitable in painting deal floors. With a coating of varnish or lake, the substances thus painted assume a fine lustre. They can be polished with linseed-oil or turpentine.’ (American Library Edition Of Workshop Receipts, 1903)

Cheap Lime Paint With Rice

‘Put one peck of clean salt into warm water to dissolve. Soak half a pound of clear glue thoroughly, then put it into a kettle, and set that into a larger one filled with water, and hang it over a slow fire till dissolved. Slake half a bushel of the best unslaked lime with boiling water, and cover closely while slaking to keep in the steam.

While the lime is slaking boil three pounds of ground rice, or rice flour, to a thin paste; then stir this paste, with the salt and glue, into the slaked lime, and add five gallons of boiling water to the whole mixture, stirring it all well together. Cover up closely to keep out dust and dirt, and let it stand a few days before using. The salt, glue, and rice should all be prepared by the time the lime is slaked, so that all may be stirred in together.

This paint or whitewash must be put on as hot as possible. […] One pint of this mixture should cover a square yard on the outside of a house […] This answers as well as oil-paint for wood, brick, or stone, and is much cheaper, and will retain lustre for years. For a southern climate it is particularly desirable, as the heat destroys paint so soon.’ (All Around The House, Or, How To Make Homes Happy, 1881)

Distemper With Small Beer

Apart from distemper made with hide glue, there was also distemper made with small beer.

Related: How To Make Victorian Small Beer

‘Almost every other wood, as well as wainscot, is imitated in distemper, for which small beer and water, mixed with Vandyke brown and burnt sienna […] is found to be sufficiently glutinous without the aid of size, to prevent it smearing during the application of the coat of copal varnish which follows afterwards.’ (An Encyclopaedia Of Architecture, 1888)

Swedish Flour Paint

‘Swedish paint for wood-work. Melt 3 parts of rosin, add 20 parts of fish oil, and heat until the mass is uniform. Then stir 10 parts of rye flour into a paste with 20 parts of water. Next dissolve 4 parts of sulphate of zinc in 9 of boiling water. The 3 mixtures are combined by stirring the flour paste into the solution of sulphate of zinc, and into this mixture the fish oil containing the rosin. To obtain the desired tint a suitable mineral color finely ground is then added, when the paint is ready for use.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Milk Paint & Casein Paint

What Is Milk & Casein Paint

Milk paint is cheap, easy to make, and for indoor and outdoor use. ‘The curd of skimmed milk in combination with quick lime has great cementing properties […] many old joiners still use this mixture in preference to glue for joining woodwork together. Many old formulas for water paints give skimmed milk as one of the chief ingredient’ (Paint Making And Color Grinding, 1913).

Milk & Casein Paint – In Short

Milk (casein) paint is:

• cheap
• inodorous
• casein acts as binder

Milk Paint

‘Whiting, 5 pounds; skimmed milk, 2 quarts; fresh slacked lime, 2 ounces. Put the lime into a stone- ware vessel, pour upon it a sufficient quantity of the milk to make a mixture resembling cream; the balance of the milk is then to be added; and lastly the whiting is to be crumbled upon the surface of the fluid, in which it gradually sinks. At this period it must be well stirred in, or ground as you would other paint, and it is fit for use. There may be added any coloring matter that suits the fancy, to be applied in the same manner as other paints, and in a few hours it will become perfectly dry. Another coat may then be added, and so on until the work is done.

This paint is of great tenacity, bears rubbing with a coarse cloth, has little smell, even when wet, and when dry is inodorous. It also possesses the merit of cheapness’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872).

Milk Wall Paint

‘For painting in rooms where the smell of oil or turpentine would be objectionable, a preparation may be made, as follows: Take eight ounces of freshly slaked lime and mix it in an earthen vessel with three quarts of skimmed, not sour milk; then in another vessel mix three and a half pounds of Paris white with three pints of the milk. When these mixtures are well stirred up, put them together and add six ounces of linseed oil. Mix these well, and it will be ready for use. This preparation is considered by many to be equal to oil paint, and is excellent for walls and ceilings.’ (The Home Guide, 1878)

Quick Drying Paint

‘Boil for 15 minutes in an earthen-ware pot 1 part of soft curd in 3 parts of water. Pour the mass through a colander, wash it with cold water, and press out the water in a linen cloth. To 1 part of the curd add 1/4 part of unslaked lime and 3/4 part of water. The fat slime thus formed is triturated in oil or water with the various pigments.

Walls, ceilings, stairs, in short anything of stone, plaster of Paris, or zinc, can be painted with this. If the paint is to be used on wood, add 1/16 part of linseed oil. […] The mixture dries so quick that 3 coats can be applied in 1 day. It is entirely without odor and costs about 1/3 of ordinary white paint.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Casein Paint For Interior Use

‘8 pounds of pure casein, 1 pound of soda ash (58 per cent), 60 pounds of “gilders’ bolted whiting,” and 12 pounds of plaster of Paris are first thoroughly mixed in the dry state. This mixture is treated with water to produce the desired brush consistency. Before using, it should be allowed to stand for a short time to allow the casein to dissolve.’ (Paint And Varnish 1917)

Casein Paint For Exterior Use

‘8 pounds of pure casein, 10 pounds of air slacked lime, and 1 pound of pulverized borax are mixed with 60 pounds of gilders’ bolted whiting. The dry mixture is kept in sealed packages until wanted for use, when it is mixed with water’ (Paint And Varnish 1917).

Exterior Wood Paint

‘Paint on wood exposed to the action of the weather. Mix 6 parts of unslaked lime and 1 part of coal dust, both in a dry state, and then add sufficient sour milk to form a mixture which can be applied with a brush. The color of the mixture is a light gray, but any desired tin can be obtained by adding a mineral color. This paint has been tested and can be highly recommended for wood and frame work.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Milk Oil Paint

Milk paint is ‘as free as distemper from any offensive odor, is said to be nearly equal to oil-painting in body and durability. Take 1 gallon skimmed milk, 6 ounces lime newly slacked, 4 ounces poppy, linseed, or nut oil, and 3 pounds Spanish white.

Put the lime into an earthen vessel or clean bucket, and having poured on it a sufficient quantity of milk to make it about the thickness of cream, add the oil in small quantities at a time, stirring the mixture with a wooden spatula. Then put in the rest of the milk, and afterwards the Spanish white. […] The oil in this composition, being dissolved by the lime, wholly disappears; and, uniting with the whole of the other ingredients, forms a kind of calcareous soap. In putting in the Spanish white, be careful that it is finely powdered and strewed gently over the surface of the mixture. It then, by degrees, imbibes the liquid and sinks to the bottom. Milk skimmed in summer is often found to be curdled ; but this is of no consequence in the present preparation, as its combining with the lime soon restores it to its fluid state. But it must on no account be sour; because in that case it would, by uniting with the lime, form an earthy salt, which could not resist any degree of dampness in the air.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

 

Linseed Oil Paint

What Is Linseed Oil Paint

Historically, linseed oil paint was the most commonly used paint. Linseed oil paint can be used for almost all purposes, indoors and outdoors and on almost all surfaces, such as wood (furniture, floors, windows, carriages etc.), metal, stone, bricks, old (neutralized) concrete and clay. In the past, linseed oil paint was also used as exterior paint, to protect iron from rust and as waterproof paint (together with varnish) on carriages, railroad cars and boats.

The ingredients of linseed oil paint are raw or boiled linseed oil and pigments. And some linseed oil paints also contain turpentine or driers.

‘The vehicle usually consists of linseed oil (or other drying oil), a drier, and turpentine or other volatile thinners. The linseed oil is added to furnish a binder for the pigments, the drier to hasten the drying process, and the turpentine to give the paint the proper flowing consistency and penetrating power, and in some cases to dissolve the resinous matter in the wood to be painted. A small proportion of oil to pigment also causes the paint to dry with a flat instead of a glossy surface. […]

The incorporation of dry pigments into the vehicle to form a paint […] is a tedious und unsatisfactory process […] It is the custom, therefore, for pigments to be ground in oil, japan, or other vehicles to a stiff “paste.” […] To prepare a paint from a paste it is only necessary to add to it a small amount of vehicle, usually oil, and stir thoroughly with a spatula or wooden paddle […]

In the painting of wood for outside exposure the priming or first coat should penetrate and fill the pores of the wood. Volatile thinner greatly assists this process.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

Linseed Oil Paint – In Short:

Linseed oil paint:

• can be used on almost all surfaces: wood, metal, stone …
• can be used indoors & outdoors
• is used for all purposes: to paint wood furniture, hardwood floors, wooden window frames, walls, the interior & exterior of coaches and railroad cars, metal parts of machinery …
• historically the most commonly used paint
• breathable, moisture-permeable and water-insoluble
• long-lasting
• often used in combination with varnish
• doesn’t peel off
• easy to revive: just by painting over old linseed oil paint with more linseed oil (without pigments)
• is great to use with other linseed oil-based products, like linseed oil putty and wood filler
• protects wood from rotting and iron from rusting
• not always necessary to strip linseed oil paint before repainting
• yellows over time, especially in dark rooms
• needs oxygen to dry: linseed oil paint cannot be used to paint the inside of drawers, for example
• linseed oil paint, especially if made with raw linseed oil without driers, takes long to dry
• must be applied in several thin coats with drying time in between

How To Paint New Wood With Oil Paint

‘The first process in painting wood-work is that of “knotting.” […] it it necessary to give the knots an additional coat of paint, which, by filling up the pores, shall leave the surface fit to present a solid and uniform appearance when painted. The knotting is made of red lead, ligharge, and boiled oil, or spirits of turpentine.

When the knotting is dry the first coat, called “priming,” is laid on. This is in almost all cases white lead. The priming is made thinner than any of the subsequent coats. When the priming is dry the nail-holes and other depressions are filled with putty, and the whole is well dusted. The second color is then given, which has the usual consistency of oil paint. As a general rule the preparatory coats of pain are white, whatever the finishing color is to be.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

How To Revive Old Linseed Oil Paint

It usually isn’t necessary to strip old linseed oil paint, for example from wooden window frames, before repainting. Linseed oil paint ‘does not generally decay by cracking, but chalks – that is, becomes powdery on the surface – a condition generally satisfactory for repainting.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917) Revive old linseed oil paint by painting over it with linseed oil (without pigments).

How To Prepare Painted Wood For Repainting

‘When old work, or that which has been previously painted, is to be repainted, care must be taken that all grease and dirt are removed from the paint before the new is applied. For this purpose it should be washed, if necessary, with water containing soda or pearl-ash, or the greasy parts should be cleansed with turpentine. If roughness exists on the surface of the old paint it is necessary to rub it down with pumice-stone or, in extreme cases, to burn off the paint.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

How To Store Linseed Oil Paint

‘To prevent mixed paints from “skinning over,” or drying up, they should be kept constantly covered with water or with a thin film of linseed oil.’ (Notes On Building Construction, 1893)

Linseed Oil Paint & Water

‘The varnishlike film left by linseed oil is for practical purposes insoluble in water. It is not, however, impervious to water. […] But, if an oil paint is employed – that is, a mixture of pigment and linseed oil – it will be found that the water does not penetrate through the film so rapidly as it does through the linseed-oil film alone. Also the paint film is more resistant to mechanical abrasion.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

Homemade White Paint

’25 pounds of white lead (in oil), 25 pounds of white zinc ( in oil), 4 gallons raw linseed oil, 1 pint turpentine, 1 pint liquid dryer. Add a trifle of Prussian blue to produce a pure white.

This paint is suitable for all exteriors, and exposed places and stands moisture and salt air to a remarkable degree.

To prepare inside white of the same quality, change the 4 gallons of raw linseed oil to a mixture of 2 gallons of raw linseed oil and 2 gallons of turpentine.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

How To Paint Interior Walls

‘The treatment for hard-finished walls which are to be painted in flat colors is to prime with a thin coat of lead and oil well brushed into the wall. Next put on a thin coat of glue size; next a coat mixed with 1/3 oil and 2/3 turpentine; next a coat of flat paint mixed with turpentine. If you use any dry pigment mix it stiff in oil and thin with turps. If in either case the paint dries too fast, and is liable to show laps, put a little glycerine in, to retard the drying.’ (Henley’s Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes And Processes, 1916)

Durable House Paint

‘New houses should be primed once with pure linseed oil, then painted with a thin paint from white lead and chalk, and thus gradually covered. The last coat is prepared of well-boiled varnish, white lead, and chalk. The chalk has the mission to moderate the saponification of the linseed oil by the white lead. Mixing colors such as ocher and black, which take up plenty of oil, materially assist in producing a durable covering.’ (Henley’s Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes And Processes, 1916)

Paint For Outside Walls

‘Boil 1 pint of clear linseed oil, 4 1/2 ounces of rosin, and 3 ounces of litharge until the wooden spatula used for stirring becomes brown. Give the walls two or three coats of this. It is best to do the work on a hot summer’s day.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Linseed Oil Paint With Flax Seeds

This linseed oil paint with flax seeds is an alternative to glue paints. It was used to paint old houses.

‘Take 3 gallons water and 1 pint flax seed; boil 1/2 hour; take it off and add water enough to make 4 gallons; let it stand to settle; pour off the water in a pail, and put in enough of Spanish white to make it as thick as whitewash ; then add 1/2 pint linseed oil; stir it well and apply with a brush. If the whiting does not mix readily, add more water. Flax seed, having the nature of oil, is better than glue, and will not wash off as readily.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

Green Exterior Wood Paint

‘Green paint for articles exposed to the action of the weather, such as doors, shutters, etc. Rub 2 parts of white lead and 1 of verdigris with nut oil or linseed oil varnish, mixed with oil of turpentine, and dilute both colors with ordinary drying oil.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

How To Waterproof Wood

‘Boiled oil and finely-powdered charcoal; mix to the consistence of paint, and give the wood two or three coats with this composition. Well adapted for water spouts, casks, &c.’ (The Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts in All the Useful and Domestic Arts, 1841)

Floor Paint

‘Paint mixed thick, with plenty of japan drier, should be used, so as to get the floor well covered with one coat, and insure its drying within a reasonable time; and it is judicious to employ a single pigment, such as French ochre, raw sienna, burnt sienna, or raw umber, without mixing it with any other color, so that the worn spots which will appear later in front of the sink, and around the doors, can be retouched with the contents of another can of the same color, without recourse to the tedious, and generally unsuccessful, operation of mixing new color to match the old.’ (The Care Of A House, 1903)

How To Paint Hardwood Floors

Prime ‘with white lead in linseed oil, containing little drier. The paint should be rubbed in well, and when dry the cracks and nail holes should be filled with a genuine whiting and linseed-oil putty. […]

For a kitchen floor the second coat may consist of equal parts of white lead and zinc white in oil, and such color as is desired, with drier and turpentine to give a flat finish; but for the third coat the same except instead of turpentine 1 to 4 pints of good floor varnish per gallon of paint should be added. If conditions require haste in drying, a good rubbing varnish may be added and a little turpentine is required.

For porch floors which are exposed to the weather, better results will be obtained by omitting part or all of the zinc white in the second coat. Some zinc white in the third coat is desirable as it gives hardness to the film. Only the most durable hard-drying varnish obtainable should be used in floor paint. Each coat should be brushed to the utmost and given ample time to dry between coats. […] When signs of wear appear a single application of the third coat paint will be sufficient.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

How To Paint Brick Floors & Pavements

‘Wash the bricks with soap water containing 1/20 part of carbonate of soda. This cleanses the floor and prepares it for the reception of the wash. Then dissolve 1 part of glue in 16 of boiling water, add 4 parts of red ochre, and stir the mass thoroughly together. Apply two coats of this to the bricks, and then give a coat of linseed oil varnish.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Iron Paint

‘There is no production for iron work so efficacious as well boiled linseed oil, properly laid on. The iron should be first well cleaned and freed from all rust and dirt; the oil should be of the best quality, and well boiled, without litharge or any dryer being added. […] if there be too thick a coat of oil put upon the work, it will skin over, be liable to blister, and scarcely ever get hard; but if iron be painted with three coats of oil, and only so much put on each coat as can be made to cover it by hard brushing, […] [it] will preserve the iron from the atmosphere for a much longer time than any other process of painting.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

Oil Paint To Prevent Iron From Rusting

‘Clean the iron from rust and go over the surface with hot, raw linseed oil, or, if the article is small, heat it before applying the oil. Apply the paint on this as soon as the oil becomes tacky. Wood exposed to dampness can be treated in the same way.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Durable Paint For Tin Roofs

‘Thirty parts of linseed oil, 10 of oil of turpentine, 14 of colcothar [a red pigment], and 46 of red chalk. The coloring substances are pulverized and the mixture ground. Should the paint be too thick reduce it with equal parts of oil of turpentine and linseed oil. To protect the tin thoroughly against atmospherice influences it is advisable to give it two coats, allowing the first to dry before applying the second. The coats must be neither too thin nor too thick; a principal condition beaing that the tin is free from rust.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

White Paint For Metallic Surfaces

‘Pure, finely-powdered zinc white (oxide of zinc) is mixed with a solution of soda water-glass of 40° to 60° Beaumé, to the right consistency for an oil paint. The metallic surface to be painted is thoroughly cleansed and washed with hydrochloric acid, and afterwards with water, and the paint is laid on in successive coatings. Not too much paint must be mixed at a time, as it will become thick and dry on standing, on account of chemical combinations setting in. A surface thus painted preserves a dazzling white appearance. By adding mineral colors tints may be obtained.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

White Coating for Signs

‘A white color for signs and articles exposed to the air is prepared as follows for the last coat: Thin so-called Dutch “stand” oil with oil of turpentine to working consistency, and grind in it equal parts of zinc white and white lead, not adding much siccative, as the white lead assists the drying considerably. If the paint is smoothed well with a badger brush, a very durable white color of great gloss is obtained. Linseed oil, or varnish which has thickened like “stand” oil by long open storing, will answer equally well.’ (Henley’s Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes And Processes, 1916)

How To Paint Railway Wagons

‘The first or priming coat on railway wagons is made of tub white lead, raw linseed oil, patent driers, a little common black, and turpentine. […] Put 10lb. of white lead, 1qt. of raw linseed oil, and about 1/4lb. of patent driers in a large pot and mix well together, adding sufficient black to produce the desired tint. Strain through a piece of canvas and add just sufficient turps to make the paint work smoothly. […] For the second coat, the same colour may be used as for the first. For the third coat, oxide red, linseed oil, and terebine as a drier may be used. For the fourth coat, half oxide paint and half varnish may be used. […]

Copal varnish may be mixed with the finishing coats, or it may be used by itself as a finishing coat over the last coat of colour.’ (Cassell’s Cyclopaedia Of Mechanics, 1900)

Flexible Paint With Soap

‘Dissolve 2 1/2 pounds good yellow soap, cut in slices, in 1 1/2 gallons boiling water; grind the solution while hot with 3 1/2 gallons of good oil paint. It is used to paint on canvas.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

How To Soften Hard Putty

‘To Soften Hard Putty. Break the putty in lumps of the size of a hen’s egg, add a small portion of linseed oil, and water sufficient to cover the putty; boil this in an iron vessel for about 10 minutes, and stir it when hot. The oil will mix with the putty. Then pour the water off, and it will be like fresh made.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

Petroleum Paints Inferior To Linseed Oil Paints

As early as the 1890s, paints containing petroleum products, like benzine or adulterated spirits of turpentine, were considered inferior to linseed oil paints because petroleum products caused the paint to peel. Therefore consumers had to repaint more often. ‘A paint containing any considerable amount of any petroleum product […] peels, and accordingly it will wear worse than if simple raw linseed-oil, japan and turpentine were the liquid constituents. […]

The non-volatile part of the turpentine, as is well known, is very adhesive and sticky, and helps the oil to hold the paint on the surface. Then non-volatile part of any of the petroleum products fills the pores of the wood and prevents the paint from adhering, or, what amounts to the same thing, cause it to peel and scale off much more rapidly.

Benzine is a good thing for the paint manufacturer, in that it is very cheap in price, and causes the paint to deteriorate so rapidly that buildings must be repainted every year or two. It is a bad thing for the consumer, who is interested in having a paint as durable as possible.’ (The Railroad And Engineering Journal, 1891)

‘Cheap paints may contain as pigments nothing more dangerous than chalk or barytes, but the liquid portion may be so strong in petroleum products as to cause acute poisoning among men who are obliged to use the paint in small ill-ventilated inclosures.’ (Bulletin Of The United States Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 1913)

 

Enamel Paint

What Is Enamel Paint

Enamel paint – aka varnish paint or gloss paint – is a mixture of linseed oil paint with varnish.

Enamel Paint – In Short

Enamel paint is:

• linseed oil paint mixed with varnish
• hard coating
• with a high gloss
• made cold

Cheap Quick-Drying Enamel Paint

‘Resin 30llbs., turpentine 5 gallons, resin spirit 5 gallons, and linseed oil 1 quart. This may be coloured by adding sufficient of any of the pigments […] break up the resin into small pieces and place them in a vessel which can be covered over to prevent the evaporation of the spirit. The other ingredients are then added and the mixture placed on one side until the resin is dissolved, stirring occasionally from time to time. It is not necessary to heat it, though heat of course will faciliate solution; but it is at the expense of the spirit, much of which will evaporate. When all the resin has dissolved, then the pigment may be added and the paint mixture sent through a grinding or mixing mill to ensure thorough admixture.’ (The Chemical Trade Journal and Oil, Paint and Colour Review, 1894)

Best Quick-Drying Enamel Paint

’15llbs. of good orange shellac, 5llbs of manila copal, 1lb. Venice turpentine, 1lb. raw linseed oil, and 10 gallons of methylated spirit, mixing all together cold, and stirring well until all is dissolved. To the varnish liquid so made, the necessary amount of pigment is added.’ (The Chemical Trade Journal and Oil, Paint and Colour Review, 1894)

Faux Marble & Wood Grain Painting

What Is Graining & Marbling

In the past, graining and marbling was often done on cheap woods, such as pine, to imitate expensive woods, such as oak, walnut and mahogany, and stones, such as marble.

How To Paint Faux Wood Grain – Oil Paint & Beer

‘In order to obtain any degree of perfection in the imitations of woods and marbles, it is necessary to procure panels or bits of veneer, and copy the color and form of the grains as near as possible.’ (A Dictionary Of Every-Day Wants, 1872).

‘Almost all wood whose grain is of a fanciful or elegant pattern, such as oak, mahogany, bird’s-eye maple, satin-wood, black walnut, rosewood, etc., may be imitated. The principle of imitation is, that a ground shall be laid on nearly the same tint as the lightest parts of the wood to be imitated, and which color is ground in oil.

On this, when dry, is laid a thin coating of a transparent color, which is mixed, not with oil, but with beer; and which is so treated with a comb or other implement as to yield a resemblance to the grain of the wood to be imitated. After this is dry the darker parts are put in with a small brush or pencil, in such places and in such quantities as may be deemed advisable. The whole, when dry, is then varnished once or twice.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

How To Paint Faux Oak Graining – Oil Paint

‘(First and Second). Two coats of pure linseed oil paint. (Third). One coat of graining color, grained and shaded in a first-class manner to imitate quartered oak. (Fourth and Fifth). Two coats of’ varnish. (Specifications, 1896)

‘This is frequently used for exterior work, such as street doors, etc., and is done in oil as follows: For the ground or last coat of paint previous to the graining color, rotten stone and white lead, mixed with oil to a tint similar to the lightest parts of oak is used.

On this is laid a thin coat of the “megilp” or graining color, which is a mixture of rotten stone, sugar of lead, and wax. In a few minutes the graining comb is drawn along the wet surface in a waving line, by which an effect is produced similar to the grain of the wood. A piece of leather is now wrapped round the end of the finger, or of a stick, and with it the paint is wiped off in little patches, spots or lines, in imitation of the light spots seen in oak. To remove the appearance of hardness, a dry brush is dabbed over it, by which a softening effect is produced. When the graining color is dry, the dark veins are imitated by putting on a little Vandyke brown, ground in ale. […]

When the whole is dry, it is varnished, both for the sake of producing a gloss, and for durability, since the graining color, being mixed with beer, is not of a permanent nature, and requires varnish to preserve it.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Oak Graining – Distemper

‘For distemper, the grain color is ground in ale, beer, vinegar, or whiskey; the object being to bind the color so that it will not rub off. As a general thing, stale ale or beer is the best. Whiskey, however, in cold weather, might be preferred, because it does not creep like other fluids’ (A Dictionary Of Every-Day Wants, 1872).

‘To imitate oak in distemper, use the same ground as for oil and apply with a brush, the graining color composed of raw and burned umber, and Vandyke brown ground in beer. The graining is effected with tools made on purpose called “veining brushes.” The light and dark patches, veins, etc., are produced in much the same way as in the former instance. When the whole is dry, it is varnished’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887).

‘The colors used in graining may be mixed in oil or distemper, the latter being preferable, for if not satisfied with the first attempt, it is easily washed off with water, and the work done over again.’ (The Home Guide, 1878)

How To Paint Faux Wainscot – Distemper With Beer

‘Graining (or combing, as it is termed in some later specifications) and marbling, or the imitation of real woods and marbles, is done by the painter. […] Imitation wainscot is obtained by giving the painted work a coat in oil of a brownish tone, the colour being thicker than usual; this is the scratched over by combs of bone, with blunt points, and of various degrees of coarseness, leaving the ground visible. […] Other expedients have been made to imitate knots, veins […]

Almost every other wood, as well as wainscot, is imitated in distemper, for which small beer and water, mixed with Vandyke brown and burnt sienna […] is found to be sufficiently glutinous without the aid of size, to prevent it smearing during the application of the coat of copal varnish which follows afterwards. Graining operations are always done after the wood has been painted […] Taken with the subsequent varnishing, grained work is considered to be more lasting than painted work.’ (An Encyclopaedia Of Architecture, 1888)

How To Paint Faux Marble

‘Imitation of marble. This is accomplished in a very similar manner to that of woods, a study of the natural appearance of marbles being the only way to acquire a knowledge of the best modes of imitating them.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

‘Paint the groundwork, and when dry and rubbed down, dampen the whole surface with boiled oil, rubbed on with a cloth. For the light marbles, however, some prefer to work the grain in the ground color while wet.’ (A Dictionary Of Every-Day Wants, 1872)

How To Paint Gray & White Marble

‘This is very simple, though it requires some skill to do it nicely. Paint with white or lead color, and vein and mottle with black and slate color, in the wet paint, and blend it all down softly with a paint brush.’ (A Dictionary Of Every-Day Wants, 1872)

How To Paint Green Marble Effect

‘The ground is white lead, some yellow and blue. When dry it is pumiced and lightly glazed with oil varnish a shade darker than the ground. The patches are then dabbed in with some black and Paris yellow; the veins are painted white, and the whole softened by a peculiar mode of handling the badger hair brush, called by the painters “scumbling.”‘ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

 

Faux Marble Finish

Historical Polished Faux Marble Finishes

In the past, there existed many high-gloss waterproof plaster finishes and imitations of marble, such as polished plaster, marmorino (Venetian plaster), tadelakt, scagliola and stucco lustro.

Scagliola, a decorative interior plaster that imitated marble inlays, was invented in the 16th century. Because it contains hide glue, it can only be used indoors. Stucco lustro, invented in the 17th century, is another type of faux marble. And tadelakt, a Moroccan waterproof plaster surface, is used to make sinks and waterproof walls. Tadelakt is polished with olive oil soap and an agate stone.

Venetian Polished Plaster Floors & Walls

‘The excellence of the Venetian plaster floors, so much admired for their hardness and beautiful polish, depends entirely on their being strongly beaten. The composition is only fresh lime and sand, with pieces of marble, used almost dry, and beaten till they are quite hard, then ground even and polished.’ (A Survey Of The Turkish Empire, 1801)

‘The beauty of the Jaipur plaster work is unrivaled. The floors of all places, and even ordinary rooms, are covered with polished plaster of the purest white, grey, or red. The walls are adorned with […] the same material’ (Art-Manufactures Of India, 1888).

Scagliola

‘Scagliola. A hard, polished plaster, colored in imitation of marbles. Scagliola is prepared from powdere gypsum mixed with isinglass, alum, and coloring matter into a paste, which is beaten on a prepared surface with fragments of marble, etc. The surface prepared for it has a rough coating of lime and hair. The colors are laid on and mixed by hand, in the manner of fresco, and in imitation of various kinds of marbles. When hardened, the surface is pumice-stoned and washed; it is polished successively by tripoli and charcoal, tripoli and oil, and oil alone.’ (Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary, 1877)

‘Scagliola, a composition made to imitate the more costly kinds of marble and other ornamental stones; and so successfully that it is often difficult to distinguish between the artificial and the real stone. It consists of finely-ground plaster of Paris mixed with a thin solution of fine glue, and coloured with any of the earthy colours, such as ochres, umber, Sienna earth, Armenian bole, and sometimes chemical colours, such as the chrome yellows, &c.

This is spread over the surface intended to represent marble; and whilst still soft pieces of fibrous gypsum, marble, alabaster, and other soft but ornamental stones are pressed into it, and made level with the surface. When the composition is set hard it is rubbed down, and polished with the ordinary stone-polishing materials, which give it a very fine gloss.

This kind of work is only adapted for interiors, because scagliola will not bear exposure to damp for any length of time; but its lightness, and the extreme ease with which it may be applied to walls, pillars, pilasters, and even cornices, render it very useful for the decoration of the better class of dwellings and public buildings.’ (Chambers’s Encyclopaedia, 1892)

Stucco Lustro – Faux Marble

‘The stucco lustro, with which these and all the other well-executed imitations of marble within the church are effected, is very expensive, and admirably executed.’ (Evangelical Christendom, 1849)

‘When this stucco lustro is executed with shell lime and marble dust, the white is absolutely unchangeable […] This is the famous chunam used in India […] In Northern and Central India the polished chunam is finished […] with powdered marble; but in Madras it is finished with a fine quartz sand […] The Madras work is considered so far superior […] the surface is purer and apparently more translucent than the surface of the white Carrara marble columns in the same hall.’ (Journal Of The Royal Institute Of British Architects, 1897)

Waterproof Indian Polished Faux Marble Finish

‘It is customary in India to dress over stone and brick walls, and the flat roofs of the country, with a plastic composition, which withstands all the vicissitudes of temperature and moisture, and presents all the characteristics of a highly polished marble surface. […] This dressing is applied in one, two, or three coats, as may be wanted.’ It consists of varying amounts of lime, fine white river sand and water. The last coat also contains egg whites and milk curds.

‘The stone used in polishing is a crystal or white pebble, or piece of steatite […] with a perfectly smooth face. The quality of this marble coating depends chiefly on the plaster for the upper coat being reduced to a very fine paste […]

The following composition for protecting plaster exposed to the weather is frequently used in India, viz.: – three parts of linseed oil boiled, with one-sixth of its weight of litharge, and one part of wax; the surfaces must be perfectly dry before applying the composition, which should be laid on hot with a brush.’ (The Practical Mechanic’s Journal, 1857)

How To Varnish Plaster Casts – Faux Marble Finish

‘Plaster casts are varnished by a mixture of soap and white wax in boiling water. A quarter of an ounce of soap is dissolved in a pint of water, and an equal quantity of wax afterwards incorporated. The cast is dipped in this liquid, and, after drying a week, is polished, by rubbing with soft linen, producing a polish like marble. If to be exposed to the weather, saturate them with linseed oil mixed with wax, or rosin may be combined.’ (The Practical Brass And Iron Founder’s Guide, 1892)

Indestructible Fresco With Soap

‘The surface of the wall is first covered with ordinary stucco, and then a thin layer of marble-dust of the colours required for the background is laid on like ordinary stucco lustro, and is rubbed smooth. Upon this the ornaments and figures are then drawn in the usual fresco colours, rubbed in with a little soap. Finally, the whole is rubbed over with a smooth piece of hot iron, and the work is complete. By this process the paintings become intimately united with, and are in fact all of a piece with, the substratum, forming an integral part of the plastic mass.’ (The Furniture Gazette, 1882)

Homemade Natural Varnish Recipes

Exterior Vs. Interior Varnish

‘Since varnishes for outside use must be elastic and waterproof, a better and more expensive varnish is usually required than for inside use, although some of the very finest and most expensive varnishes are made for interior use on pianos and very costly furniture. Outside varnishes are “long-oil” varnishes and generally dry more slowly than varnishes for use indoors. For general inside use it is not so essential that the film should be elastic. Good grade interior varnish should not turn permanently white with water and the very best grades do not turn white even while wet. In varnish manufacture hardness, which is usually obtained by addition of resins, is produced at the expense of elasticity and vice versa.

The necessary properties of a varnish may be classified under “flowing and drying properties,” “appearance,” and “durability.” […] For instance, it is generally required that piano varnish have a beautiful high lustre and that of floor varnish should dry hard in, at most, three days.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

Copal Oil Varnish

Copal oil varnish, aka vernis Martin, was used to varnish ‘wood, metal, or paper machée; and more especially the rich high varnished equipages of the French nobility.’ Copal ‘will dissolve both in turpentine oil, and spirits of wine […] The durable quality of the copal varnish is not to be found in any other, nor can copal, if mixed with spirits of wine, or dissolved into a spirit varnish, be of any use in the high varnishing equipages, as it impossible to hinder it from cracking. That toughness of the gum copal, when made into an oil varnish, makes it irresistible […] Great care must be taken in the laying on this varnish, that no dust settle between the coats of varnish layed on […]

Let your melting pot be warmed, and then pout into it four ounces of chio, or cypress turpintine; let it dissolve till it is fluid; then pour into it eight ounces of amber finely powdered and sifted; mingle it well with the fluid turpintine, and set it on your fire for a quarter of an hour. Now take off your pot, and gently pout into it a pound of copal, finely bruised, but not powdered; stir these well together, and add four ounces more of your chio turpintine, and a gill of warm turpintine oil. Set it again on your fire, blowing it a little brisker. When it has been on your fire about half an hour, take it off, open your pot and stir them well together, adding two ounces of the finest and whitest colophony.

Set it again on the fire, adding a greater briskness to it with the bellows, and let it remain till all is dissolved, and fluid as water. Then take off your pot, remove it a little distance from the fire, and let it stand a few minutes till the excess of heat is somewhat abated. Then, have ready by you twenty four ounces of poppy, nutt, or linseed oil, made drying; and pour it into your dissolved gums, by degrees, boiling hot; (but let that be boiled on another fire, at a little distance from that you melt your gums over.) stirring them together with a long deal stick; when you have thoroughly incorporated your fluid gums and oil, set them over your fire for a few minutes, still stirring it about, till it boils once up; then take it off, carry it to some distance, and pour into it a quart of turpentine, made hot over your second fire. Stir all this well together, and give them one boil up; then take it off, and pour into it, a pint more of turpintine, made hot, still stirring it well. If your gums are thoroughly melted, and you have incorporated them well, your varnish is made.’ (A Treatise On The Copal Oil Varnish; Or, What In France Is Call’d, Vernis Martin, 1775)

Dammar Varnish – Cold Process

‘Dammar varnish is prepared by treating dammar resin with turpentine […] with or without the application of heat. It is generally believed that the varnish made by the “cold process” is the better. The usual proportions are 5 to 6 pounds of resin to 1 gallon of solvent.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

Dammar Varnish – Hot Process

‘The dammar varnish is made by heating 8 oz. dammar in 16 oz. turpentine oil at 165° to 190° F. (74° to 88° C), stirring diligently, and keeping it at this temperature until all is-dissolved, which requires about an hour. The varnish is then decanted from any impurities, and preserved for use. […] dammar varnish alone does not possess the hardness of sandarach, and when the article covered with it is handled much, does not last so long.’ (American Library Edition Of Workshop Receipts, 1903)

Sandarach Varnish

‘The sandarach must be carefully picked over, and 7 oz. is added to 2 oz. Venice turpentine and 24 oz. alcohol of sp. gr. 0.833. The mixture is put in a suitable vessel over a slow fire or spirit-lamp, and heated, stirring diligently, until it is almost boiling. If the mixture be kept at this temperature, with frequent stirring, for an hour, the resin will be dissolved, and the varnish is ready for use as soon as cool. The Venice turpentine is necessary to prevent too rapid drying’ (American Library Edition Of Workshop Receipts, 1903).

Shellac Varnish

‘Shellac varnish is made by treating about 5 pounds of shellac with 1 gallon of alcohol, forming a partial solution. This may be considered by some too thick for use, but of course any desired consistency can be obtained by the addition of more alcohol.’ (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

Orange Shellac Varnish

‘Dissolve in the usual way with occasional agitation, 5 pounds of orange shellac and 5 pounds of pulverized rosin in 2 gallons of wood alcohol. […] The cost is a trifle less than the white.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Shellac Mastic Varnish

‘Crush 3 oz. shellac with 1/2 oz. gum mastic, add 1 pt. methylated spirits of wine, and dissolve.’ (The Scientific American Cyclopedia Of Receipts, Notes and Queries, 1892)

French Polish

‘One pint 90% alcohol, 1/4 oz. gum copal, 1/4 oz. gum arabic, 1 oz. shellac. Bruise the gums and sift them through a piece of muslin. Place the spirits and gums together in a vessel closely corked, near a warm stove, and frequently shake them; in two or three days they will be dissolved. Strain through a piece of muslin, and keep corked tight.’ (The Scientific American Cyclopedia Of Receipts, Notes and Queries, 1892)

Lacquer (Colorless Varnish)

‘Lacquers are usually clear or nearly clear solutions. In fact, any thin spirit varnish, such as those mentioned above, containing shellac or other resins, can be considered a lacquer. Some lacquers are made by dissolving nitrocellulose, sometimes with the addition of resin, in such solvents as amyl acetate, wood alcohol, acetone, or mixtures of these and other liquids. (Paint And Varnish, 1917)

‘Dissolve 4 ozs. gum sandarac and 1 oz. Venice turpentine in 1 pint of alcohol. A good spirit varnish and lacquer for general use.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Spirit Varnish For Floors

‘Dissolve 5 pounds of gum sandarac and 8 pounds of orange shellac in 4 gallons of wood alcohol. […] This mixture reduced one-half with wood alcohol makes a splendid polish for furniture. Grain alcohol can be used in its preparation also.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

How To Protect Marble Surfaces

‘To prevent disintegration in stone-work. Apply the following solutions to the stonework by means of a watering-pot provided with a rose. They should be applied in such a manner that they are uniformly distributed an cannot run off. […] For marble. One part of white shellac and 8 of wood spirit. […] The shellac is broken into small pieces and added to the wood spirit, and the mixture allowed to stand for a few days, being frequently stirred.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Waterproof Varnish

‘White shellac gum, 30 parts; borax, 8 parts; carbonate of soda, 2 parts; glycerine, 2 parts; water, 320 parts. Dissolve the borax and carbonate of soda in half the water warmed, and add the shellac ground. Heat, agitate and filter. When cool, add the glycerine and the balance of the water. Use the clear varnish, free from sediment.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

How To Protect Iron From Rust – Oil Varnish

‘Paint for constructions of iron. Rolling-mill and hammer scale are finely ground and washed, and then stirred together with oil varnish. By painting the iron work of bridges, etc., with this composition, they will be thoroughly protected against rust.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Waterproof Paint For Metal

‘Dissolve 3 pounds of Venetian turpentine and 1 pound of mastic in heated turpentine. Then add to this solution 96 pounds of linseed-oil varnish, and heat the whole in a water-bath until the odor of oil of turpentine has disappeared. With 115 pounds of this varnish triturate 20 pounds of strongly-burned clay, 80 pounds of best Portland cement, 10 pounds of zinc white, and 5 pounds of red lead. When the whole has been rubbed fine and intimately mixed together add 25 pounds more of oil of turpentine.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Shellac Oil Varnish

‘High polish for fine woodwork is easily prepared. Mix two parts by volume of orange shellac varnish, cut in denatured alcohol and one part of raw linseed oil. This must always be shaken well before using and applied with a soft cloth, that shows no lint, rubbing briskly until hard and glossy.’ (Paint Making And Color Grinding, 1913)

Liquid Furniture Wax Polish

‘Dissolve in a sand or water bath, 1/4 pound yellow or white pure beeswax in 2 pounds of raw linseed oil and 1/4 pound turpentine. Allow to cool to a temperature of about 80° F., then add 1/2 pound denatured alcohol orange shellac varnish, stirring the mixture well. Apply with a cloth and rub briskly.’ (Paint Making And Color Grinding, 1913)

How To Varnish

‘In varnishing, be sure that your work is of the same temperature, or slightly warmer than your varnish. Don’t shake your varnish before using. Don’t thin your varnish with turpentine. Don’t mix two makes of varnish or two grades of the same make. Don’t add dryers to varnish in order to hurry its action. Lastly don’t be careless, hasty, or prejudiced in your treatment of varnish.’ (House Painting and Decorating, 1893)

How To French Polish

‘Gum sandarach, fourteen ounces and two drachms; gum mastic in drops, seven ounces and one drachm; shellac (the yellower the better), fourteen ounces and two drachms; alcohol. of o.8295 sp. gr. three quarts one pint.

Pound the resinous gums, and effect their solution by continued agitation, without the aid of heat. If the woods are porous, seven ounces and one drachm of Venice turpentine. […] Before using, the wood should be made to imbibe a little linseed oil, the excess of which should be removed by on old flannel. The varnish should be applied by saturating a piece of old soft coarse linen cloth, folded into a sort of cushion, rubbing the wood softly at first, turning the linen from time to time until nearly dry. The linen should be saturated afresh, and the rubbing continued until the pores of the wood are completely filled.

Two or three coats are generally sufficient. Do not rub hard. If the varnish become sticky, apply a very little drop of olive oil uniformly over the surface of the cushion.

The finishing process consists in pouring a little pure alcohol upon a clean piece of linen, which is lightly rubbed over the varnished wood, and as the linen and varnish dry, the wood is rubbed more briskly, until it takes a beautiful polish like a looking-glass.’ (A Dictionary Of Every-Day Wants, 1872)

How To Varnish A Carriage

‘Fill the wood grain. […] The filling is a nearly colourless liquid made by mixing together 2 parts of turpentine and 1 part of palest linseed oil; apply it with a stumpy-haired brush, and wipe off any superfluity with a clean white rag, rubbing the latter well into the wood to smooth the grain which the liquid filling has raised.

After a day or so, brush in another filling. Make this with 2 parts of linseed oil and 1 part of turpentine, and add a tablespoonful of sugar of lead or of sulphate of copper driers to every pint of filling […] Wipe with rag as before, and allow to stand for a day or two.

If the weather makes the oil sweat out on the surface, wipe it thoroughly dry and then well brush on a light coat of pale copal varnish, following in a day or two with a finishing coat of hard-drying copal varnish. The surface of the first coat of varnish may be rubbed over with a bunch of clean horsehair to remove nibs and to grain it slightly; this dulness favours absorption of the next coat of varnish, which is a full flowing coat lightly laid on. […] always hold a small dry tool in the left hand with which to wipe off superfluous varnish.’ (Cassell’s Cyclopaedia Of Mechanics, 1900)

How To Make A Chalkboard

‘Coating for blackboards. Dissolve 8 ounces of copal in 1 pound of ether, and compound this with a solution of 2 pounds of shellac and 1 pound of sandarac in 3 1/2 quarts of 90 per cent. alcohol, and further with 5 ounces of lampblack, 1 3/4 ounces of ultramarine, 1 ounce of Venetian turpentine, and 2 pounds of fine Naxos emery.

This mixture is applied with a brush to the blackboard, and the coating, while moist, ignited. As soon as the flame is extinguished, a second coat is laid on, which is not ignited but allowed to dry. The board is then rubbed with fine sand-paper, and, when cold, washed. The board has a smooth surface and can be written on with a slate-pencil, and the writing washed off with a sponge.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

 

Hardwood Floor & Furniture Polish

How To Protect Hardwood Floors

‘To Summarize:

• Floors may be painted.
• Varnished with, or without previous staining.
• Coated with paste or liquid wood filler, or shellac and varnished or waxed.
• Simply shellaced without other treatment, or wax may be applied alone. […]

The quickest method to preserve the natural wood and obtain a fine finish is to shellac the wood (two coats) and apply one or two coats of prepared floor wax.

Floors may also be oiled without other treatment, but this tends to darken the wood and, after repeated coatings, it is apt to retain much dust and dirt. A floor oil, or polish is made by mixing four parts of raw linseed oil, one part of turpentine, and 1-2 part of orange shellac varnish. Shake well when using. In applying, rub this in thoroughly. It can be used to advantage as a polish on finished floors.

Raw oil, to which a little dryer has been added, one part of dryer to ten parts oil, will also make a satisfactory polish for the same purpose.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

Homemade Hardwood Floor Finish

‘A floor dressing, that may be used on finished floors to advantage as a polish, when rubbed in well is best made by mixing thoroughly 7 1/2 parts by measure of raw linseed oil, 1 3/4 parts of pure spirits of turpentine and 3/4 parts orange shellac varnish, made with denatured alcohol. Must be always well shaken in the package, before use.’ (Paint Making And Color Grinding, 1913)

Hardwood Floor Reviver

‘Some of the manufacturers of floor waxes […] sell, under the name of “Reviver,” or something of the kind, a mixture of a small amount of wax or paraffine with a large proportion of turpentine. This compound, rubbed with a rag over a floor suffering from too much wax, simply dissolves and removes the blackened surplus, revealing the floor underneath in its pristine brightness.’ (The Care Of A House, 1903)

Paraffin Polish For Kitchen Floors

‘Kitchen floors, which are usually of Georgia pine, are less suited for waxing, for the reason that much water falls on them, and makes the wax white and dull. The best treatment of all would be to saturate the floor with paraffine, by melting it in with hot irons, as is often done in hospitals. Such a floor would never absorb water or dirt of any kind, but it would be expensive […]

the ordinary waxing may be supplemented by sprinkling the floor with powdered paraffine, scraped off a paraffine candle […] These paraffine scrapings are much used for scattering over ball-room floors, the feet of the dancers soon forcing them into the pores of the wood; and the ordinary traffic of the kitchen, aided, perhaps, by a hot iron in the corners, would in time give something of the hard, impervious surface, which, if it is desirable in a ball-room, is even more so in a kitchen.’ (The Care Of A House, 1903)

 

Homemade Watercolors For Painting

How To Make DIY Watercolor For Painting – Black

‘Deep black. I. Boil 2 1/4 ounces of calcined lampblack in 1 pint of water; take the liquid from the fire, skim it and add 1/8 ounce of finely pulverized indigo. Let the mixture boil until the greater part of the water is evaporated, stirring constantly, and finally mix it with 1/8 ounce of gum Arabic, 3/4 drachm of glue, and 1/4 drachm of extract of cichory. Boil the whole to a thick paste and shape this into cakes in moulds oiled with nut oil or oil of almonds.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Homemade Violet Blue Watercolor

‘Crush ripe bilberries and press the juice into a new pot, let it boil, add a small wineglassful of vinegar and 3/4 ounce of alum, strain the color and evaporate it to the proper consistency in a porcelain dish.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

Related: How To Make DIY Natural Fabric Printing Inks With Fruits & Vegetables

Homemade Yellow Watercolor

‘Boil thoroughly a handful of yellow buckthorn berries in 1 pint of water, add some alum and 8 grains of rock salt. Evaporate the whole to 1/4 of its volume, then strain through a cloth, compound the filtrate with some gum Arabic, and let it dry in moulds.’ (The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book, 1887)

 

Painting Tips

Why Paint?

‘The idea seems to prevalent that paint is used solely for ornamental purposes, and its use is regarded as a luxury rather than a necessity. While paint does, of course, serve the purpose of improving the appearance of property, it is far more useful for protection than for ornament. A small amount of money and work expended in keeping a valuable piece of machinery properly painted will add greatly to the length of its life. The same may be said of buildings.’ (The Use of Paint on the Farm, 1917)

When To Paint Outdoors

‘Paint applied between November and March, will last twice as long as that applied in warm weather.’ (A Dictionary Of Every-Day Wants, 1872) ‘The best time to paint houses, barns and other surfaces exposed to the sun is in winter, when the ground is frozen. In summer the heat of the sun opens the pores of wood and other materials, which causes the oil to soak in, leaving the pigments exposed on the surface. This may be prevented by first going over the surface with raw oil; but paint applied when the surface is contracted by cold in winter dries slowly, forms a hard, tough coat like glass, and will last twice as long as if applied at any other time of the year.

Another advantage of painting in cold weather is the absence of flies and other insects, and also the fact that there is much less dust. Painting may, of course, be done indoors at any time of the year, but it must be understood that a hot surface will absorb more paint than a cold one, and should be first primed with a coat of raw linseed oil.’ (Paint, Oil And Chemical Review, 1883)

‘Successive coats of paint should have at least a day intervene between them for drying.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)

When Not To Paint

‘There are certain times of the year when outside painting should not be done if satisfactory results are to be expected. If painting is done too early in the spring, the surface is very apt to be full of frost and moisture and the pores closed through contraction, thus producing uneven absorption. […] All paints and oils are much heavier in cold than in warm weather, and if applied under a low temperature there is apt to be too heavy a coat over a contracted surface, which will crack through expansion under the summer heat. […]

Paint should never be applied to extremely hot surfaces. Paint applied under extreme heat sets and dries very rapidly, and under the direct heat of the sun’s rays is very apt to blister, especially on old work. […] This should not be taken as an argument against summer painting, but only as a caution against working on extremely hot surfaces.

In spring painting follow the sun with your work. In summer painting let the sun follow you. […]

Do not paint during or immediately after a heavy fog or dew. In a few hours lumber absorbs more dampness in this kind of weather than from heavy rains.’ (Cyclopedia Of Painting, 1906)

How To Paint New Wood

‘Much new wood is very difficult to paint. The resins in such woods as yellow pine and spruce tend to destroy any paint that is laid over them. When possible, it is well to allow a new house to stand unpainted for at least six months or even a year after the woodwork has been completed. By this exposure to the weather the resins are brought to the surface and are either washed away or hardened, and the resulting wood surface is in much better condition for painting than is a new structure.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

‘To paint new wood for the first time requires four to five operations – knotting, priming, and two or three coats of paint.’ (Paint, Oil And Chemical Review, 1883)

‘The first or priming coat should fill the pores of the wood and furnish a foundation upon which to apply the subsequent coats; hence it should be thin and should dry hard and flat, that is, without gloss. The vehicle should therefore contain considerable turpentine or other volatile thinner, the proportion of thinner being greater with the close-grained wood such as yellow pine than with open-grained wood, as redwood.

It must be remembered that turpentine has roughly twice the thinning effect of linseed oil; therefore a larger proportion of pigment should be present when the vehicle contains turpentine than when linseed oil alone is used. Although all coats except the last should dry flat, each coat should dry somewhat softer than the preceding coat; hence the proportion of turpentine in the vehicle should diminish in the succeeding coats.

The last coat should dry with a gloss; it should then contain either no turpentine, in the case of paints containing such pigments as zinc which cause the paint to dry with a hard film, or a small amount turpentine, in the case of paints consisting of such pigments as lead which make the paint dry with a somewhat soft film. […] At least three coats are generally necessary in painting new wood, and sufficient time, at least a week, should be allowed between coats.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

How To Care For Painted Wood

‘Old woodwork, previously painted, requires washing to remove the grease […] and to lay a fresh coat over the old paint. Keep up the paint on all surfaces that require painting. It is much cheaper after the original foundation has been laid to go over the woodwork with a thin coat of paint quite frequently than to wait until the paint is all worn off in spots and the woodwork underneath is affected with dry rot. Recoat standing woodwork at least once in two years, and go over window sills and sashes as often as they require it.’ (Paint, Oil And Chemical Review, 1883)

Paint Discoloration

‘White paints containing a large amount of oil tend to turn yellow in dark rooms.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917) ‘Light-coloured paints, especially those having white-lead as a basis, rapidly discolour under different circumstances. Thus white paint discolours when excluded from the light; […]

The utility of drying oils for mixing pigments depends entirely on the fact that they are converted by the absorption of oxygen into a kind of resin, which retains the colouring pigment in its semblance; but during this oxidization of the oil – the drying of the paint – a process is set up which, especially in the absence of light and air, soon gives the whitest paint a yellow tinge.’ (American Library Edition Of Workshop Receipts, 1903)

‘As Paris white, and similar white pigments when used alone tend to turn yellow, the addition of a little ultramarine blue is advisable to give a satisfactory white when dry.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

What Paint Colors For Every Room

‘In rooms to be lived in, simple white for color of walls and paint, as well as any extremely dark treatment, should be avoided. The walls of rooms should be such backgrounds as will best suit the complexions and dresses of the larger number of people. Delicate white intensifies by contrast any unpleasantness or want of perfection; extreme dark would make people look white and ghastly. Neutral colors will be found the best – generally some gray or cool color that will contrast with warmth of complexions.’ (The Scientific American Cyclopedia Of Receipts, Notes And Queries, 1892)

‘The colors should graduate from the darkest at the floor to the lightest at the ceiling. If a room is dark use the lighter colors, while if the room has plenty of sunlight, the darker colorings may be used. If the room has a sun exposure, use the cooler shades, and the warmer colors in a room having a northern or shady exposure.

The seeming size of a room may be made greater or lesser by the use of colors. Yellows, reds and oranges are known as advancing colors, that is, they stand out and give a room the appearance of being smaller. Blues, grays and greens are known as receding colors, so rooms finished with these colors will have the semblance of being larger.’ (C. P. W. Kalsomine: A High Grade Wall Finish, 1910)

What Paintbrush To Use

‘The brush should be deep, so as to take up the paint through the hairs, and not merely on their ends’ (Paint, Oil And Chemical Review, 1883).

How To Repaint A Phaeton (Carriage)

‘If the paint is cracked very much, the best plan will be to remove it by means of a gas jet or burning lamp and an old plane-iron. […] If the paint has only cracked through the varnish, rub it down to the colour with pumice stone and water, then clean off thoroughly and give a coat of colour made of tub white lead and a small portion of driers and lampblack, mixed stiff with raw linseed oil and thinned down with turps; this should dry in about ten hours, but should be allowed to stand a day longer to get hard. […] Any holes or dents in the body should now be filled with a stopper made of dry white lead, gold size, and black japan, beaten up stiff with a mallet or hammer […]

The body, when the stopper is hard, is faced over very lightly with pumice stone and water to take out the brush marks in the lead colour, after which the whole is given a coat of ground drop black, thinned with turps and varnish; this should dry in about four hours.

Then add a good drop of black japan to some of the dead black previously used, and give another coat; let this stand for a day, then give a good hard sponging off, ready for the first coat of japan. If the work is to be finished in a first-class manner, a second coat of japan is necessary: but before applying this the first coat must be flatted down with pumice dust and water on a pad of cloth to remove any nibs which may exist, and to make a dull surface for the next coat, as if two coats were put on without flatting the top coat would “ciss” up and spoil it.

If only one coat of japan is given, the carriage, etc., will now be ready for lining out […] When dry, well clean the whole with a sponge, and give the underworks and wheels a light coat of carriage varnish, and the body a coat of under-coating body varnish. After standing two days, well flat the whole as the japan was done, being careful to get out every particle of pumice dust from the corners and crevices, using water freely; then thoroughly dry off, and give the body a good full coat of finishing body varnish, and the undercarriage, etc., a coat of pale carriage varnish […] the carriage should be done in a light, roomy place, free from draughts, and kept at a temperature of about 75° F.’ (Cassell’s Cyclopaedia Of Mechanics, 1900)

Waterproof Coating for Bathrooms

‘As a rule cement plastering, as well as oil paint, suffices for the protection of walls and ceilings in bathrooms, but attention must be called to the destructive action of medicinal admixtures. For such rooms as well as for laboratories, an application of Swedish wood tar, made into a flowing consistency with a little oil of turpentine and put on hot, has been found very excellent. It is of advantage previously to warm the wall slightly. To the second coat add some wax. A very durable coating is obtained, which looks so pleasing that it is only necessary to draw some stripes with a darker paint so as to divide the surface into fields.’ (Henley’s Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes And Processes, 1916)

 

How To Remove Old Paint

How To Remove Old Paint – Heat Or Solvent

‘It is often necessary or desirable to remove old paint or varnish before applying new. In extreme cases it may be burned off with the assistance of a painter’s torch, which renders the paint or varnish soft enough to be scraped off with a putty knife. When the natural beauty of the wood is to be retained, and the new coating is to be varnished, this process cannot be used. In such cases, recourse must be had to some liquid solvent, which dissolves or softens the oils and resins which bind the paint or varnish coatings.

Strong alkalies and some of the best or most active liquid solvents will do this more or less satisfactorily. A wash of 26 degree ammonia water will very quickly soften paint or varnish so that it can be readily scraped or washed off. A strong solution of caustic soda, or caustic potash, or carbonate of soda will answer the same purpose. When paint or varnish has been removed by means of an alkali, the wood should be afterwards washed with dilute vinegar to neutralize the alkali and prevent further action on the new coating to be applied.’ (Paint And Varnish Facts And Formulae, 1904)

How To Burn Off Old Paint

‘If the paint is cracked very much, the best plan will be to remove it by means of a gas jet or burning lamp and an old plane-iron.’ (Cassell’s Cyclopaedia Of Mechanics, 1900)

Remove Paint With Ash

‘Dissolve 2 oz. soft soap, 4 oz. potash, in boiling water, add 1/2 lb. quicklime. Apply hot, and leave for twelve to twenty-four hours. This will enable the old paint to be washed off with hot water. This is a quicker and neater process than either burning or scraping of’ (Notes On Building Construction, 1893).

How To Remove Paint From Hardwood Floors

‘A number of different materials are recommended as being successful and inexpensive in the removing of paint or varnish from wood. Among these are ammonia, alcohol, washing soda, and potash (lye). The first and second are very slow for work with a large surface, washing soda is a little more rapid, but the quickest and easiest material is potash, which any housewife can buy in different size cans at her grocery store under the name of “lye.”

Use in the proportion of one pound of potash to six quarts of cold water. Use rubber gloves and overshoes to protect the hands and shoes. Take an old broom, cut the edges straight, and use it to apply the lye-water to the floor. The equipment needed for this work is a scraper and plenty of old newspapers. Begin in the corner farthest from the door. Have a mop and bucket of clean water (with wringer attachment). Work with a small space at a time – about three or four square feet. Apply the lye water and allow it to stand until the paint or varnish softens (which is easily seen). Scrape off with the wide, sharp edged hoe or other tool.

After all of the old finish has been removed, wash the floor thoroughly, making the second water strong with vinegar, and following this by a final wash with clean, warm water. When the floor is dry, sandpaper it smooth. This can be done rapidly if a weighted block is made and the sandpaper held in place on it by means of thumb tacks. Fasten a handle to this block if possible. This sandpapering insures a smooth floor; it also guarantees the removal of all lye from the wood. If any lye remains, it will begin its work the instant any new paint or varnish is applied. oz. is added to 2 oz.’ (The Better Homes Manual, 1931)

Cheap Paint Remover

‘When surface is to be repainted and the discoloration of wood not considered, as on barns or other rough work, a cheap remover may be made as follows: Dissolve 7 pounds of 98% caustic soda in 2 gallons of water and allow to cool. Wet up one pound each of ordinary cornstarch and china clay with water and reduce the resulting paste until 2 gallons of water have been added to the dry starch and clay. Add the latter to the caustic soda solution, when a smooth paste will result. Apply liberally to the paint and when the old coating has lifted, scrape off with a light touch and wash with clear water. This paste will also remove wall paper or varnish.’ (Paint Making And Color Grinding, 1913)

How To Remove Varnish From Antique Furniture

‘Take equal parts of strong alcohol and good oil of turpentine, and heat this mixture in a bottle by placing it in hot water. “With this warm liquid paint the article, whereupon the old varnish will dissolve at once. The varnish is then removed by scraping and wiping, and the spreading, scraping, and cleaning is repeated as often as necessary until the surface has become entirely clean again, so that the object may be rendered glossy, or dull, as required. This process is especially recommended, since it does not change or attack the color of the wood, as is often the case if lye is used.’ (Cyclopedia Of Painting, 1906)

How To Remove Stains From Unfinished Hardwood Floors

‘Where the preliminary oiling of a waxed floor has been omitted, as is often the case where the proper method is not understood, the floor will show grease spots, particularly in dining rooms, where greasy crumbs will inevitably fall upon it. The grease can be tolerably well removed with turpentine, and the spots, if left to themselves, will gradually be absorbed and disappear; but the best way to cure them, as well as to prevent the formation of others, is to wash off the wax with turpentine, oil with linseed oil, turpentine, and drier, and refinish with wax.’ (The Care Of A House, 1903)

How To Remove Stains From Oak Floors

‘Every one knows that ink is made by mixing gallic or tannic acid with a solution of iron, the two forming a deep black compound. As oak wood contains tannic acid, it is only necessary to wet it with a solution of iron to produce a deposit of ink in the fibres of the wood; and the necessary iron solution is furnished by a wet umbrella, or cane, or by the wet tires of a baby-carriage […] will leave a black mark. Fortunately, this inky mark is very easily removed with oxalic acid, which is the general remedy for all varieties of iron stains.’ (The Care Of A House, 1903)

How To Remove Paint From The Skin

‘It is not advisable to use turpentine or benzine in removing paint stains from the hands, but by oiling thoroughly with linseed oil, or, in fact, with any fatty oil, and then thoroughly washing with soap, the paint may be removed, provided it has not been allowed to dry too thoroughly on the hands.’ (The Use Of Paint On The Farm, 1917)

To Clean Old Linseed Oil Paint Cans & Buckets

‘To Clean Old Paint Cans, Buckets, etc. This can be thoroughly done with hot, strong lye.’ (Encyclopedia Of Practical Receipts And Processes, 1872)