A Capital Receipt For Polishing Tables

Cold-drawn linseed oil, I pint; spirits of wine, I oz.; white tonic vinegar, I pint; spirits of turpentine, 1 oz.; powdered gum arabic, 1/2 oz.; butter of antimony, 1 1/2oz.; spirits of salt, I oz.

The above ingredients to be well mixed together and shaken previous to being used.

Family Receipt For Polish For Furniture Not French Polished

Three oz. of bees' wax; 3 oz. of hard white soap; 1 oz. of spermaceti, cut up small and simmered in a pint of water, keeping it stirred all the time. Pour it into a jar and keep it well covered.

We give the following excellent receipt, which proves experimentally to be good for those who may wish to polish a table or box for themselves, premising that the surface to which it is applied must be perfectly cleansed first: -

French Polish

Shellac, one ounce and a half; mastic, half an ounce; sandarac, half an ounce; rectified spirits of wine, two ounces. Pound the gums very finely in a mortar, and put them in a bottle which will rather more than hold the whole quantity; stand the bottle in a kettle of cold water, which bring slowly to a boil; let it boil for some time, until the contents of the bottle become like treacle (this requires great care), stirring the while with a wire rod. Roll several yards of flannel list into a flat coil, put a little sweet oil on it, and cover with a piece of old linen; on this apply the polish. - The Field.

Furniture Polish

Half a pint of spirits of wine; 1/2 oz. of gum shellac; 1/2 oz. of gum benzoin; 1/2 oz. of gum sandarac.

Put the whole into a bottle for a day or two, and shake it a few times. When the gums are dissolved it is fit for use. When you think the polish is laid on thick enough, take a clean wad and cloth, put a little clean spirits of wine on the wad, the same as you did the polish, and rub it up the same way, but rub very lightly, and rub until quite dry. You must put a little oil on the cloth the same as in laying on the polish.

For Polishing Furniture

Half a pint of vinegar; half a pint of linseed oil; two pennyworth of butter of antimony.

How To Clean The Face Of Soft Mahogany Or Other Wood

After scraping and sand-papering in the usual manner, take a sponge and well wet the surface to raise the grain; then with a piece of fine pumice-stone, free from stony particles, rub the way of the fibres; rub the wood in the direction of the grain, keeping it moist with water; let the wood dry then; if you wet it again you will find the grain much smoother, and it will not rise so much; repeat the process, and you will find the surface perfectly smooth, and the texture of the wood much hardened. By this means common soft Honduras mahogany will have a face equal to Hispaniola. If this does not succeed to your satisfaction, you may improve the surface by using the pumice-stone with cold-drawn linseed oil, in the same manner as you proceeded with water; this will be found to put a most beautiful, as well as durable, face to the wood, which must then be polished or varnished.