Venetian blinds, if new, may be painted in the following manner. Remove all dust from the laths with a brush, and give the knots two thin coats of patent knotting. Beat up stiff in a pot 21b. of genuine white-lead ground in oil with 4oz. of patent driers, using linseed oil and turpentine in equal proportion as thinners. Thin one-fourth of this with linseed oil for the priming coat. Add to the remaining three-fourths the pigments for staining the colour with which it is intended to finish. Take about two-thirds and thin with one-third linseed oil and two-thirds turpentine for the second and third coats; the remaining colour should be thinned with good carriage varnish for the final coat. Any colour pigments required should be bought ground in oil, and not in the form of powder. Strain the paints through fine muslin before using; allow plenty of time to dry between the successive coats, and rub down lightly with fine glasspaper. A much quicker method is to use colour mixed with spirit varnish, but the work done in this way does not stand so well as by the method described above.

Do the painting in a warm room.