See that you have not forgotten to write your name and date on the piece. Wipe the dust from the piece and drive a small nail or brad into one end by which to hold it.

See that the shellac is not too thick. Fill the brush, and wipe the excess off by drawing the end of the brush over the wire placed across the dish for this purpose. Shellac the ends first, next the edges, and

Fig. 48. Shellacing.

lastly the sides. Do not draw the brush against the corners, as it will cause the shellac to pile up there. When the shellac is dry, this excess will show plainly and is not easily removed. It is a good rule to brush from the center outward. When applying the shellac, hold the piece so that you see the light reflected from the surface, as this is the only position in which you can see exactly what you are accomplishing (Fig. 48).

When you have gone over the piece, stand or lean it up to dry. Do not go over the surface in places

Fig. 49. Scraping Thick Places in the Finish.

more than once. Some spots will absorb the finish very rapidly and others very slowly. To get a good finish the first coat of shellac should be laid on evenly and allowed to dry thoroughly before more is added. After the piece has dried for one or more days, smooth it to a nice glossy surface with No. 1/2 sandpaper. At the corners or other places where, by mistake, the finish is very thick, use the scraper as shown in Fig. 49. Hold the scraper as near vertical as it will cut. There is great danger of scraping or rubbing too much and thus spoiling the finish. The most common mistake is to rub at the corners or at a small spot in the center until it shows white. By keeping a constant watch, and often changing the position of the fingers on the paper, this may be avoided. When the piece is ready for the second coat of finish it will feel smooth and glossy to the touch and will present a dead smooth surface when held up to reflect the light.

Apply the second coat the same as the first one, except that it may be somewhat thinner and must be applied with more care, more evenly, and much more quickly. Several more coats of finish may be applied in the same manner.