Varnish (To Colour Baskets And Old Straw Hats.) Take either red or black sealing-wax; to every two ounces of sealing wax add one ounce of rectified spirits of wine ; pound the wax fine, then sift it through a fine lawn sieve till you have made it extremely fine ; put it into a large phial with the spirits of wine ; shake it; let it stand near the fire forty-eight hours, shaking it often ; then with a brush (a hogs-bristle brush) lay it all over the baskets. Let it dry, and repeat the application a second time.