It need scarcely be observed, that all the utensils employed in making spirit varnishes should be perfectly clean and dry, as the least moisture or even a damp atmosphere is liable to deteriorate the quality of the varnish.

Best White Hard Spirit Varnish, to bear polishing, is made by adding two pounds of the best picked gum Sandarac to-one gallon of spirit of wine; they are then shaken up without intermission for about four hours, or until the gum is quite dissolved; eighteen ounces of Venice turpentine is then moderately warmed, in a water-bath, to make it fluid, and poured into the varnish to give it a body; the whole is then well agitated for about one hour, and afterwards strained and put into bottles, which should be kept well corked, to prevent the evaporation of the spirit; after standing about a week, the varnish is fit for use. This varnish may be made sufficiently pale to be used on white work, when the clearest and [palest pieces of the gum are carefully selected. When the work does not require to be polished, the proportion of Venice turpentine may be reduced one-half.

White Hard Varnish is also made with three and a half pounds of gum Sandarac to one gallon of spirit of wine, and when they are dissolved one pint of pale turpentine varnish is added, and the whole are well shaken until thoroughly mixed. Another white hard varnish is made with two pounds of gum Sandarac, one pound of gum mastic, and one gallon of spirit of wine.

White Spirit Varnish, for violins, is made with two pounds of mastic to one gallon of spirit of wine, and one pint ol turpentine varnish. This may be made either in the same manner as the white hard varnish, or the ingredients may all be mixed together in a tin can, placed in a warm situation near a lire, and shaken occasionally until dissolved.

Brown Hard Spirit varnish is made in the same manner as white hard varnish, hut shell-lac is generally used instead of Sandarac. Thus a very excellent brown hard spirit varnish that will bear polishing is made with two pounds of shell-lac to one gallon of spirit of wine; and, after they are amalgamated, eighteen ounces of Venice turpentine are warmed and added, exactly as described for the best white hard varnish. Another very good brown hard spirit varnish consists of two pounds of shell lac, one pound of Sandarac, and two ounces of mastic dissolved in one gallon of spirit of wine. A lighter-colored varnish is made with two pounds of Sandarac, one pound of shell-lac. and one gallon of spirit. After the resins are dissolved, one pint of turpentine varnish is added, and the whole is well mixed by agitation.

Hard-wood Lacker is made, like the brown hard varnish, with two pounds of shell-lac to one gallon of spirit of wine, but without turpentine. Another hard-wood lacker is made with one pound of seed-lac and one pound of white resin, dissolved in one gallon of spirit of wine.

FRENCH Polish is made in a great variety of ways; but the simplest, and probably the best, consists of one and a half pound of shell-lac dissolved in one gallon of spirit of wine without heat. Copal, Sandarac, mastic, and gum Arabic, are frequently used in making French polish, partly with the view of making the polish of a lighter color, and partly to please the fancy of the polisher; the proportions of the different gums are varied almost infinitely, but with little advantage. A polish that is by some considered to be very good is made with twelve ounces of shell-lac, six ounces of gum Arabic, and three ounces of copal to one gallon of spirit of wine. When a dark-colored polish is required, half a pound of benzoin is sometimes added to one pound of shell-lac dissolved in one gallon of spirit, or four ounces of guaiacum are added to one and a half pound of shell-lac; at other times the polish is colored to the required tint with dragon's-blood.

The shell-lac alone makes the hardest and most durable polish, and it is a frequent practice to make the polish rather thicker in the first instance than it is required for use, as it may be readily thinned by the addition of spirit. But if it should be made too-thin originally, it would require to be thickened by dissolving a farther portion of shell-lac. With the view of avoiding any risk of the polish being made too thin in the first instance, the proportion of shell-lac is frequently made two pounds to the gallon of spirit. Other resins are sometimes added, with the view of making the polish tougher. Thus, sometimes, the polish is made with one and a half pound of shell-lac, four ounces of seed-lac, four ounces of Sandarac, and two ounce of mastic to the gallon of spirit; at other times the proportions are two pounds of shell-lac and four ounces of thus to the gallon of spirit.