This section is from the book "Hints And Practical Information For Cabinet-Makers, Upholsterers, And Furniture Men Generally", by John Phin. Also available from Amazon: Hints And Practical Information For Cabinet-Makers, Upholsterers, And Furniture Men.
Grind Vandyke brown in turpentine, add as much gold-size as will set, and as much soft soap as will make it stand the comb. Should it set too quickly, add a little boiled oil. Put a teaspoonful of gold-size to half a pint of turpentine, and as much soap as will lie on a twenty-five cent piece, then take a little soda mixed with water and take out the veins.
Stain your white lead with raw sienna and red lead, or with chrome yellow and Venetian red; thin it with oil and turps, and strain for use. When the ground work is dry, grind in beer, Vandyke brown, whiting and a little burnt sienna, for the graining color; or you may use raw sienna with a little whiting, umbers, etc.
To make an exceedingly rich color for the imitation of old oak, the ground is a composition of stone ochre or orange chrome and burnt sienna; the graining color is burnt umber or Vandyke brown, to darken it a little. Observe that the above colors must be used whether the imitation is in oil or distemper. When dry, varnish.
(bind Vandyke and whiting in turpentine, add a bit of common soap to make it stand the comb, and thin it with boiled oil.
The ground color is prepared with a mixture of chrome yellow, vermilion and white lead, to a rich light buff. The graining colors are Vandyke brown and small portions of raw and burnt sienna and lake ground in ale or beer. Fill a large tool with color, spread over the surface to be grained, and soften with the badger-hair brush. Take a moistened sponge between the thumb and linger, and dapple round and round in kind of knobs, then soften very lightly; then draw a softener from one set of knobs to the other while wet, to form a multiplicity of grains, and finish the knots with a hair pencil, in some places in thicker clusters than others. When dry put the top grain on in a variety of directions, and varnish with turps and gold-size; then glaze up with Vandyke and strong ale. To finish, varnish with copal.
The ground is prepared with the best English Venetian red, red lead, and a small portion of white lead. The graining colors are burnt sienna, ground in ale, with a small portion of Vandyke brown, sufficient to take away the fiery appearance of the sienna. Cover the surface to be grained, soften with the badger-hair brush, and while wet take a mottling-rollor and go over the lights a second time, in order to give a variety of shade, then blend the whole of the work with the badger softener. Put the top grain on with the same color. When dry, varnish.
 
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