THE beauty of the handsomely-figured woods is greatly enhanced by polishing, and the surface of the work is also less likely to be affected by moisture. Pine and other soft woods which are frequently stained in imitation of the more showy varieties, are generally varnished. Carved works which are at all intricate are almost invariably varnished.

The surface of the work must be very carefully finished, previous to the application of either varnish or French polish. Clean and straight-grained woods can be planed so smooth that the application of fine glass-paper will impart the requisite finish. Some of the ornamental woods cannot be smoothly planed, owing to their cross-grained nature, the surface must therefore be completed by scraping with a steel scraper, and rubbing it with glass-paper. Any imperfections in the surface, such as cavities left by knots which have fallen out, or slight flaws, must be filled with stopping, which must not, however, contain any oil or grease; some of the gums, or wax, coloured to resemble the work, should be employed.

The varnish may be placed in an ordinary preserve-jar, across the mouth of which a string or wire should be stretched, for wiping the brush upon every time it is dipped, as much waste is occasioned by pressing the brush against the edge of the jar, when we wish to remove the surplus varnish. Sufficient varnish should be poured into the jar to cover the hairs of the brush, which will thereby be kept soft and in good working order. When not in use, the jar must be closely covered to hinder the evaporation of the spirit, otherwise the varnish will become too thick; and if dust be not carefully excluded, the varnish will be spoilt. If the varnish become too thick, its fluidity may be restored by adding a small quantity of spirits of wine. Turpentine and oil varnishes must be thinned by their respective solvents.

Spirit varnishes are generally applied with a camel's hair brush, which must of course vary in size according to the magnitude of the work. When the surfaces are extensive, large flat camel's-hair brushes are used; but they are so thin in proportion to their width, that they cannot hold much varnish, and require to be frequently re-filled when working on a large surface, whereby the difficulty of laying a smooth coat is greatly increased. It is advisable under these circumstances to dilute the varnish with a little spirits of wine, which will make it flow more readily, and prevent it drying too rapidly. Turpentine and oil varnishes are applied with brushes formed of very fine and soft bristles, and sometimes ordinary oil colour-brushes are employed; but these latter are generally too harsh, and the adhesion of the varnish is apt to draw out the hairs, which are not so well secured as in proper varnishing brushes.

Whether the varnishes be spirit, turpentine, or oil, they must be so fluid, that they will spread or flow evenly over the entire surface. It is far better to apply several thin coats than to lay on one or two of greater thickness; and in the latter case it would be almost, if not quite, impossible to obtain a smooth, regular surface.

The varnish is apt to accumulate at the edges of the work, and to lie too thickly in any angles or mouldings with which it may be ornamented. To avoid this, the varnish must be first applied at a little distance from the edge, which may be subsequently coated when the brush is nearly empty. The brush must be used from end to end of the work, the strokes being rapid and light, at the same time taking care to work out any air-bubbles that may form. If the surface be small, very little difficulty will be experienced, as the brush can be passed over it at one stroke, and if this stroke appear imperfect, a second stroke may be made at right angles to the first, and, if necessary, a third may be made in the same direction as the first. This must be quickly done, otherwise the varnish will begin to set, and streaky lines will be left on the surface. If any of the hairs of the brush become detached, and stick on the varnished surface, they must be immediately removed before the varnish hardens. If this be neglected until the varnish is dry, the hairs or other extraneous matter must be carefully picked out with the point of a pen-knife, and the surface must then be rubbed level with fine glass-paper prior to the next coat.

Varnishing should be conducted in a warm and thoroughly dry atmosphere, and the work must be allowed to acquire the same temperature as the apartment before commencing operations. This is specially important when using spirit varnishes, which are exceedingly susceptible to moisture, and cold currents of air or draughts, which will chill the varnish and deprive it of its brightness. The presence of invisible moisture or vapour in the atmosphere is soon made apparent by the milky, opaque appearance it imparts to the varnish. The brightness of the chilled coat may sometimes be restored by quickly and lightly applying another coat before the former becomes set, having taken necessary precautions to prevent a recurrence of the previous failure. The newly-varnished surface should then be held at a moderate distance from the fire, in order to liquify the chilled surface and restore its brilliancy. Great care must be taken not to place the work too close to the fire, as the varnish is very easily blistered: should this occur, the only remedy is to clean off the varnish with glass-paper, and recommence the operation.

The difficulty of laying an even coat of varnish is greatly increased when the surface to be covered is extensive. It is generally advisable to use the brush from one edge to the other in the narrowest direction. If the surface be too wide to admit of this course, the varnish must be laid in separate portions, thinning off the edges of each portion with the brush, in order that they may overlap each other, and so disguise the joint.

Each coat of varnish must be allowed to become thoroughly hard before applying the next, as the latest coat shields the one below it from the air, and prevents it drying properly. The successive coats must be laid as expeditiously as possible, as the fresh varnish is very liable to soften that which has been previously applied, if the brush be passed frequently over it, and to occasion an irregular chilled appearance in the new surface. It may be observed, that if a surface present any inequalities, it must be rubbed over with fine glass-paper before laying the next coat. As a general rule, spirit varnishes require from three to four hours for drying between each coat; turpentine varnishes about ten or twelve hours; and oil varnishes at least twenty-four hours. The time allowed for drying must in some measure be regulated by the state of the atmosphere, and the quantity of spirit, turpentine, or oil contained in the varnish. The hardness of the varnish may be tested by pressing the knuckles on the surface; if no mark be left, the varnish is quite dry and in a fit state to receive a fresh coat.