2774. Paint for Boilers

2774.     Paint for Boilers. The best paint for boilers is asphaltum dissolved in spirits of turpentine over a gentle fire. Pulverize the asphaltum and dissolve as much as will be taken up by the turpentine. If pure it will last.

2775. To Reduce Paint Skins to Oil

2775.    To Reduce Paint Skins to Oil. Dissolve 1/2 pound sal-soda in 1 gallon rain water. The skins that dry upon the top of paint which has been left standing for any length of time, may be made fit for use again by covering them with the sal-soda water and soaking them therein for a couple of days; then heat them, adding oil to reduce the mixture to a proper consistence for painting, and strain.

2776. To Remove the Smell of New Paint

2776.    To Remove the Smell of New Paint. Hay sprinkled with a little chloride of lime, and left for an hour in a closed room, will remove the smell of new paint.

2777. To Kill Knots before Painting

2777.    To Kill Knots before Painting. A mixture of glue size and red lead; or shellac dissolved in alcohol and mixed with red lead ; or gutta-percha dissolved in ether; will, either of them, make a good coating for knots, but will not stand the sunshine, which will draw the pitch through the paint. The best method is to cover the knot with oil size, and lav a leaf of silver over it.

2778. To Kill Grease Spots Before Painting

2778.      To Kill Grease Spots Before Painting. Wash over smoky or greasy parts with saltpetre, or very thin lime whitewash. If soap-suds are used, they must be washed off thoroughly, as they prevent the paint from drying hard.

2779. To Make a Sticky Painted Surface Hard

2779.   To Make a Sticky Painted Surface Hard. Rub it well in, with a brush, with Japan and turpentine mixed together.

2780. To Prepare Plastered Walls for Painting

2780.   To Prepare Plastered Walls for Painting. Plastered and hard finished walls must have a coating of glue size before painting. (See No. 2815 (To Make Glue Sizing).)

2781. To Economize Paint

2781.    To Economize Paint. Save all the skins, cleanings and scrapings of the paint pots, and wipings out of the brushes; these, boiled up in oil, make a cheap and durable coating for outside work. (See No. 2775 (To Reduce Paint Skins to Oil).)

2782. To Remove Smalt from Old Signs

2782.     To Remove Smalt from Old Signs. Spread over it, potash dissolved in water, and then scrape the smalt off. If the potash stands too long before scraping, it may soak into the wood; and paint afterwards put on will not dry well.

2783. To Remove Putty from Glass

2783.    To Remove Putty from Glass. Dip a small brush in nitric or muriatic acid, and with it paint over the dry putty that adheres to the broken glasses and frames of the windows. After an hour's interval the putty will have become so soft as to be easily removable.