ment, being a notably bad drier, requires fully double the usual quantity of terebine added to the oil fluid.
Walnut oil stain for varnishing upon, without any after glazing and figuring, may be colored with burnt Turkey umber and a little ivory black. For a ground color stain, that is, one on which walnut figure is to be grained, raw umber is the better pigment, since its subdued tone contrasts more naturally with the after figure work.
Pitchpine oil stains for use on light wood are formed with raw sienna, with the addition of a little burnt sienna; a little burnt umber can be added if the siennas alone are too red. In most instances the pine is cheaply prepared, and varnished with copal. The presence of so much resin and matter of a discoloring nature in pitchpine soon causes a very appreciable darkening of the original color, hence, when it is desirous to keep the wood permanently light, the copal varnish used should be of the whitest make, and the size be either strong parchment, or the special light japanners'. All holes should be carefully stopped with common putty of two shades, colored to match both the ground and grain of the wood, after the sizing. Allow it to harden for a day or so before varnishing. When the real pine is desired to be stained much darker, besides the umbers, Vandyke brown, and black pigments, use may be made of diluted washes of either black japan or Brunswick black. Use only those of a thoroughly good quality, and then with pure turpentine. When staining pine dark, it is preferable to use the stain before sizing, if the grain is desired to be very prominent, a full coat should be spread, and then shortly afterwards all the stain lying on the surface may be rubbed off with old cloth or rag free from fluffiness.
Mahogany oil stain can scarcely be obtained of a good color by ordinary brush staining. Burnt sienna alone is somewhat garish, and the only perfect substitute for the victoria lake used in distemper graining is madder lake, which is too expensive for ordinary use. Whenever cheap
