on in the same manner as varnish is applied, only rather more sparingly. When plain staining or varnishing white wood, it is often necessary to avoid all possible after-discoloration arising from the oil darkening with age, and, since it is prepared from the same source, the gold size is liable to the same defect. In such a case, then, clear size or patent size should be substituted, and the whitest copal oil varnish used for the finish. One drawback common to sizing is the tendency of the fluid to raise the surface grain of the wood, this being particularly the case when the size is used hot.
Mixing oil stains, namely, stains prepared with a drying oil and painter's pigments, is a simple matter. Take 3 parts oil to 1 part of turpentine, add the liquid, or even paste, driers as before mentioned, and then the simple addition of the pigment or stainer completes the mixture. As advised for the preparatory coating, japan gold size and turps may be used for the liquid, or, better still, copal varnish may be stained and diluted with turps. The advantage of using the two last mentioned is their quickness of hardening; whilst the cheaper oil mixtures are far better for spreading evenly and regularly over large surfaces. Herewith are a few particulars of color stains, which, with the foregoing, should suffice for all ordinary purposes:
Light oak oil stain may be made from raw sienna, with the addition of a little raw Turkey umber.
Medium oak oil stain may be made from raw sienna and burnt Turkey umber.
Dark oak oil stain is best made from burnt Turkey umber alone; the yellow cast of the copal varnish, which should be used for finishing this class of work, is here sufficient to give the required trace of yellowness.
Antique oak stain is a mixture of ivory black, finely ground, with a very little burnt sienna. Vandyke brown alone makes a deep rich stain, its color, when ground in oil, being not so red as when used in distemper. This pig-
