Lacquer serves on metal the same purpose that varnish does on wood; that is, preserves the color and the finish. The commercial lacquers are rather expensive and are not always easy to obtain.

No. 1. Banana oil, sometimes called bronzing liquid, makes a fairly good lacquer for our purpose, and it has the decided advantage of being obtainable in almost any drug store.

No. 2. A fair lacquer can be made from white shellac and grain alcohol mixed together in the proportion of 5 ounces of white shellac to 2 quarts of grain alcohol. Allow the mixture to stand for about 48 hours, then strain thru a double thickness of cheese cloth, and it is ready for use.

No. 3. Another lacquer is made up of the following: alcohol, 2 quarts; seed-lac, 5 ounces; gum copal, 1/2 ounce. Allow the mixture to stand, stirring occasionally until the seed-lac and the gum are dissolved, then strain thru cheese cloth.

No. 4. Collodion thinned down with grain alcohol also makes a good lacquer.

No. 5. A gold colored lacquer for brass only is made of the following: spirits of wine, 2 quarts; tumeric, 6 ounces; gamboge, 1/2 ounce; sandarac resin, 12 ounces; shellac, 4 ounces; turpentine resin, 5 ounces. Allow the ingredients to dissolve and strain.

No. 6. Another good lacquer for brass or copper: 1 part of spirits of wine; mastic resin, 8 ounces; gum camphor, 6 ounces; sandarac resin, 1 pound; white shellac, 1 pound. Allow the mixture to dissolve and strain.

Finishing With Wax

The best method of wax finishing is to heat the article hot enough just to melt the wax as it is applied with a cloth, then lightly and rapidly apply the wax to the metal. Allow it to get perfectly cold, then polish lightly with a soft cloth. The best wax to use is Johnson's black furniture wax, altho a good wax can be made by melting together equal amounts of beeswax and turpentine. Naptha may be used in place of the turpentine.

Metal articles may be refinished by applying a thin coat of any of the above waxes applied cold.