After the ground is fairly closed up by frost for the winter, it will be an excellent time to paint the house, barn, and other farm buildings, and all the farm implements and carriages that need it. Paint spread at this season of the year makes a durable covering, and there are no flies or other insects to spoil, its looks after being spread, as during the hot days of summer.

If the carriages and farm implements can be stored in a clean apartment, free from wind and dust, painting may go on uninterruptedly by doing the outside work in fair weather and the carriage work during rainy days.

Repainting Carriages

Previous to repainting or re-varnishing any old coach-work, it is necessary first to wash the work quite clean, and also to rub down the surface with a wet cloth and ground pumice powder, until it appears quite dead, or without gloss. The work should then be washed, and dried with a wash-leather; after which it is fit to receive either paint or varnish. Old work is frequently dirty, greasy, and strongly impregnated with various exhalations, very injurious to paint-work and varnish, from its being kept shut up in cold, damp coach-houses, which have often doors or passages communicating with stables, latrines, and so on. If therefore it be repainted or revarnished, without having been well washed and rubbed down, it seldom or never dries properly, owing to the exhalations with which the surface is in general incrusted; and should the surface be even clear from grease, no paint or varnish will adhere, or can be well applied, on the old glossy surface, without its having been first rubbed down with the pumice powder and water, as that entirely removes all stains, grease, and gloss from the surface. Paint or varnish will then adhere to the old ground, and can be easily worked and extended with the brush, without the color cissing, as it is termed.

Varnish is very apt to ciss on old work, if the second coat is not applied as soon as the first coat is hard enough to bear varnishing.

Economical Paint - Skim-milk 2 qts., fresh-slacked lime 8 oz., linseed oil 6 oz., white Burgundy pitch 2 oz., Spanish white 3 lbs. The lime to be slaked in water exposed to the air, mixed in one-fourth of the milk; the oil in which the pitch is previously dissolved, to be added a little at a time; then the rest of the milk, and afterward the Spanish white. This quantity is sufficient for 27 sq. yds., two coats.

How To Remove Old Paint

Wet the place with naphtha, repeating as often as is required; but frequently one application will dissolve the paint. As soon as it is softened, rub the surface clean. Chloroform, mixed with a small quantity of spirit ammonia, composed of strong ammoniac, has been employed very successfully to remove the stains of dry-paint from wood, silk, and other substances.

How To Destroy Paint

Mix 1 part by weight of potash with 3 parts quick-lime, by slaking the lime in water and then adding the potash, making the mixture about the consistency of paint. Lay the above over the whole of the work required to be cleaned, with an old brush; let it remain 14 or 16 hours, when the paint can be easily scraped off.

How To Prevent Iron Rusting

Give it a coat of linseed oil and whiting, mixed together in the form of a paste. It is easily removed and will preserve iron from rusting for years.

Paint For Blackboards In Schools

Common glue 4 oz., flour of emery 3 oz., and just lamp-black enough to give an inky color to the preparation. Dissolve the glue in 3/4 qt. of warm water, put in the lamp-black and emery, stir till there are no lumps, then apply to the board with a woolen rag smoothly rolled. Three coats are amply sufficient.

Compound, Fire-Proof Iron Paint

Finely pulverized iron fillings 1 part, brick-dust 1 part, and ashes 1 part. Pour over them glue-water or size, set the whole near the fire, and when warm, stir them well together. With this paint cover all the wood-work which may be in danger; when dry, give a second coat, and the wood will be rendered incombustible.