Shellac Varnish so easily made and so subject to adulteration, should claim the painter's special attention. The many cheap shellac varnishes on the market are adulterated with rosin or cheap gum resins, which detract seriously from the hardness and general wearing qualities. Such shellac varnishes tend to flake off or blister and soon perish. "When you prepare your own, you know just what you have and your results when applied to work are certain.

Grain Alcohol, White Shellac

To 10 pounds of white shellac granulated, add 2 gallons of grain alcohol in a closed wooden or earthenware vessel. Agitate occasionally. Costs from $2.50 to $3.00 per gallon, according to the price of the raw materials. The yield is 3 gallons.

Orange grain alcohol shellac is made in the same way, using orange shellac of good quality. The cost is a trifle less than the white.

Wood alcohol white and orange shellacs call for the same general treatment substituting wood alcohol for grain. Average cost $1.50 to $1.80 per gallon.

As both alcohol and shellac are usually sold on a very close margin of profit, you can readily see that shellac must be adulterated to sell at the prices frequently met with.

A good cheap orange shellac is made as follows:

Dissolve in the usual way with occasional agitation, 5 pounds of orange shellac and 5 pounds of pulverized rosin in 2 gallons of wood alcohol. Costs about $1.00 per gallon and will answer very well as a knotting or priming shellac.

All of these formulae give shellacs of extreme body and they admit of much reducing with alcohol.

The addition of 1 pint of Venice turpentine to each gallon of cheap shellac will much improve the elasticity.

Spirit Varnish For Floors

Dissolve 5 pounds of gum sandarac and 8 pounds of orange shellac in 4 gallons of wood alcohol. Yield 6 1-2 gallons. This mixture reduced one-half with wood alcohol makes a splendid polish for furniture.

Grain alcohol can be used in its preparation also.

Shellac Water Varnish

Dissolve 1 pound of borax in 2 1-2 gallons of hot water and add to this little by little, 3 pounds of white shellac. Allow to stand, add more shellac if too thin.

No. 2

3 pounds of orange shellac,1 pound sal ammoniac and 1 gallon of water shaken together and allowed to stand 12 hours. Then heat until dissolved. Thin with water if too heavy. This makes an excellent primer or filler for many purposes. It dries hard and is little affected by moisture. A very cheap spirit varnish can be made by dissolving 20 pounds of powdered rosin in 2 gallons of wood alcohol with the addition of from 1 pint to 1 quart of Venice turpentine. This dries hard and entirely on the surface, and is useful as a quick drying filler or wall surfacer.