The filler put on over the rough-stuff having been allowed from 24 to 48 hours for drying, the coloring is now in order. The surface must not be disturbed by sandpaper, but a simple dusting off may be necessary. It is customary with some painters to lay on a ground coat of some color corresponding with the color they intend to make the job, but this is more to economize time in making a solid job and to save expensive color, and with the exception of a few extra fine or transparent colors, which are intensified or made more brilliant by application over particular grounds, the color proper may be laid directly on the prepared surface.

For black, either lamp black or coach black may be used for the first coat, having sufficient oil in the mixture to cause an egg-shell gloss, lay it on with a camel's hair brush and give 12 hours for drying.

To better illustrate the painting of a body, take, for example, a job to be painted a dark green, which is a standard color and one of the most durable colors used in carriage work, and carry it through to the finish. The panels only are to be put in color, the remainder to be black. The first duty is to prepare a ground or preparation coat, and the following will be found a good formula:

To produce a dark green ground, mix lamp black and chrome yellow, with coach japan and turpentine to a proper consistency for grinding in the mill, approximating as nearly as possible the desired shade of green. When ground add a tablespoonful of raw oil to a pint of paint, and when well stirred together test its drying qualities by spreading a little on the thumb-nail and blowing upon it to hasten evaporation, if it dries dead add a few drops of oil or rubbing varnish, or if too glossy add turpentine until an eggshell gloss is obtained.

This ground work or preparation coat should be put on with a camel's-hair brush as smoothly as can be, allowing no laps or brush marks to remain visible.

The black portions are next to be done, and this paint may be mixed in the same manner as the green, of lamp black or ivory black. When all is coated set the job aside to dry until the next day, at which time it should be well inspected and if any scratches or indentations are found, soft dark putty must be used to fill them, then rub over gently with No. 1 sandpaper, partly worn, to prepare it for the color proper, dark green and ivory black. The dark green may be made as follows:

Pulverize, on the stone, some Dutch pink, and mix it with half and half japan gold size and turpentine and grind it fine. Then mix in the same manner some Prussian blue and grind it into another cup. Now, little by little, add the blue to the Dutch pink, stirring it constantly, until the desired shade of green is obtained, and temper the mixture with raw oil in the same manner as explained for the ground coat. Apply with camel's-hair brush. The back parts may now receive another coat of ivory or drop black. If ready-mixed colors are used, instead of mixing them as above, take royal green for the green parts, and jet black for the black portions, tempering them as described with oil.

It is the usual custom to make color-and-varnish by adding to a partly filled cup of varnish a little color, but it is considered best by some of the first-class painters to grind the dry pigment directly in varnish, and thus overcome the objection to the oil and turpentine in the color-and-varnish. However, in the work in hand it is desired to produce a rich or deep shade of green, and to carry out the plan, the color is glazed, instead of putting on color-and-varnish, in its ordinary mixture. Yellow lake possesses the power, when used for a glazing over green, to increase the intensity or depth of the color, and many handsome shades are made in that way. It may be mixed as follows:

Pulverize the lumps and mix it in hard-drying body varnish, grind fine, then add a very little of the Dutch pink color. Stir well and apply with badger-hair varnish brushes.

The black parts are now ready for color-and-varnish and as in the case of the panels, a first-class black is desired, so, instead of using ordinary color-and-varnish, black japan is used. Three coats of this well rubbed with pulverized pumice between each coat, will give a good, jet-black surface for finishing over.

The glazed panels having been rubbed lightly with pumice-stone, and a coat of hard drying body varnish given, at the time the black japan was applied, the whole is now ready for a final rubbing down and finishing coat of wearing body varnish.

The Gears, After 24 hours apply either a thin coat of lamp black color, or a thin lead color, the object of which is to see the open grain and imperfection so that putty may be used to plaster over and fill them. The surface of the filler must not be rubbed, the paint should be applied as smoothly as possible, for no great amount of sandpapering is to be done. Putty all imperfections after the paint has dried, which will be about 48 hours, for this first coat over the filler should be a little more oily than is necessary in any other coatings.

When the putty is dry, gently rub over with fine sandpaper, but do not cut through the paint. When done, dust off, apply the color and color-and-vaniish, as usual, moss down, give a second coat of color-and-varnish, rub this latter with pumice-powder, wash off, stripe, and give a coat of clear elastic leveling varnish, let dry, rub again and finish with elastic gear varnish.