Fuse eight pounds of fine African gum copal, add two gallons of clarified oil; boil it very slowly for four or five hours, until quite stringy, and mix it off with three and a half gallons of turpentine.

The above varnishes being made of the finest copal without driers are the palest and best of the copal varnishes, possessing great fluidity and pliability, but they are rather slow in drying and retain for months so much softness that they will not polish well, until they give out a moisture and become hard; after which they are very durable. When paleness is not of primary importance a second quality of gum is used, and when the varnish is required to dry quickly, sugar of lead or white copperas are introduced as driers, either singly or combined, in the proportion of from half a pound to one pound to each of the quantities above quoted, but driers are always injurious to the color, brilliancy, and durability of varnishes. When a varnish is required that will dry quick and hard without driers, gum anime is substituted faithe copal, but it is less durable and becomes darker by age. Frequently, anime varnish is mixed with copal varnish by the maker while both are hot, in different proportions according to the quality required; one pot of the anime to two of copal being used for a moderately quick drying body varnish of good quality; and two pots of anime to one of copal for a quicker drying body varnish of common quality.

Carriage VARNISH is made much the same as common body varnish, except that to eight pounds of gum of second quality about two and a half gallons of oil and five and a half gallons of turpentine are used with driers. This varnish is boiled until very stringy, and is used for the wheels and under framework of coaches and other objects not requiring to be polished; it is intermediate in quality between body varnish and the following.

Wainscoat Varnish consists of eight pounds of second quality gum anime, three gallons of clarified oil, one-quarter pound of litharge, one-quarter pound of dried sugar of lead, one-quarter pound of copperas, well boiled until it strings very strong, mixed with five and a half gallons of turpentine. This varnish dries quickly, and is principally used for house-painting and japanning. When a darker varnish is required, as for mahogany, a small portion of gold size may be mixed with it.