Various lacquers are used to give gold or metal a different color. Any lacquer can be made from an ounce of good shellac dissolved in half a pint of spirits of wine, and tinted with saffron, turmeric, sanders, or other dye-woods, dragon's blood, or any of the aniline powders. The most useful colorings are turmeric and dragon's blood, a colorless lacquer may be used, and the tinting done by the use of transparent oil colors in varnish.

The house painter often has to re-lacquer small brass fittings. These are better gilded and then coated with French polish or a good lacquer. This does not apply to handles, but to certain hooks, curtain pole ends and brackets, bell pulls, etc., clean, and give them a coat of patent knotting before gold sizing, gold size with japanners', and gild in the usual way.