18th century finish

I don't have any finishing books from the 18th cent., but books on
hardwood
finishing from around the turn of the last century have myriad recipes
for
stains using just about anything one could imagine; nutgalls, walnut
shells,
aspaltum, potash, madder root, nitric acid, burnt sienna, fustic
chips(?),
iodine, and on and on. Linseed oil is also mentioned for use as a
stain.

Thanks for all the info. What are the titles of some of the more
helpful books? I suspect that many of the recipes would have been
familiar to 18th century cabinetmakers. It would be a good place for
me to start.

MJ

. Anyone out there know how
> common the use of stain was, what it was made from or anything else
> about finishing techniques of the 1700s?
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
> MJ
>

Check out George Frank's book on finishing. He gives several formulas for
the repair and restoration work he did.

quibuslibet wrote...


> What are the titles of some of the more
> helpful books? I suspect that many of the recipes would have been
> familiar to 18th century cabinetmakers.


Biblio, Alibris, and ebay are good sources for used books on-line.

Here are some that I have & like:

Hodgson's New Hardwood Finishing, Including Wood Manipulation, Staining, and
Polishing by Fred T Hodgson, 1904

The Expert Wood Finisher by A Ashmun Kelly, 1921

Wood Finishing Plain and Decorative by F N Vanderwalker, 1944

Easy Methods in Wood Finishing by F Maire, 1911 (a trade school textbook)


I like Hodgson's the best, but they are all packed with info that I imagine
used to be passed from master to apprentice for generations.

--
Timothy Juvenal
www.tjwoodworking.com

"Brent Beal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> . Anyone out there know how
>> common the use of stain was, what it was made from or anything else
>> about finishing techniques of the 1700s?
>>
>> Thanks for the help.
>>
>> MJ
>>
>
> Check out George Frank's book on finishing. He gives several formulas for
> the repair and restoration work he did.
>
>The correct title....Adventures In Wood Finishing.
Wasn't going to look for it at 11pm last night.

quibuslibet wrote...
> Hello! I have a question about the original finishes on 18th century
> high-style furniture. It was my impression that most furniture from
> this era was finished with several coats of linseed oil and then
> varnish. Much of the dark, rich color we see on antiques today is the
> result of natural oxidation. However, someone recently told me that
> the use of wood stain was fairly common, especially on wood such as
> Anyone out there know how
> common the use of stain was, what it was made from or anything else
> about finishing techniques of the 1700s?


MJ:

Wood finishers had access to all the various tints and dyes that were in use
in other trades, such as picture painting and fabric-making. Stains (as
well as veneer, inlay, marquetry, and gilding) were used on furniture and
boxes found in Egyptian tombs. Humans figured out pigments pretty early on;
neanderthals used pigments for burial rituals, and cave dwellers used them
for painting, so we have a long history of figuring out how to color things
up.

I don't have any finishing books from the 18th cent., but books on hardwood
finishing from around the turn of the last century have myriad recipes for
stains using just about anything one could imagine; nutgalls, walnut shells,
aspaltum, potash, madder root, nitric acid, burnt sienna, fustic chips(?),
iodine, and on and on. Linseed oil is also mentioned for use as a stain.

As for finishes, French polish (shellac) of course was used, as was varnish.
There are even more recipes for varnish than for stains (in the books that I
have), using every conceivable combination of resins, waxes and oils
available in every concoction of solvents available. Including some real
simple recipes like beeswax disolved in linseed oil.

Jappaning (lacquer) was also known, and I've seen pictures of Wm. & Mary
pieces that had a jappaned finish.

Country makers often employed painted finishes (including some pretty
fanciful graining).

IMO, stain and varnish would have been the typical finish for high end
furniture, with a great deal of experimentation, innovation, secret recipes,
and variety among individual finishers. I imagine a typical maker would
have experimented with various formulations he'd heard about, and if he
discovered something pleasing, would use it to entice customers to buy,
exactly as we do today. Case in point: yesterday I stained a birdseye maple
scrap with mauve RIT dye, just to see what would happen. Now, what if I
sprayed it with just a hint of transparent pink lacquer? Hmmm...

--
Timothy Juvenal
www.tjwoodworking.com

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello! I have a question about the original finishes on 18th century
> high-style furniture. It was my impression that most furniture from
> this era was finished with several coats of linseed oil and then
> varnish. Much of the dark, rich color we see on antiques today is the
> result of natural oxidation. However, someone recently told me that
> the use of wood stain was fairly common, especially on wood such as
> cherry with its greater color variances. Anyone out there know how
> common the use of stain was, what it was made from or anything else
> about finishing techniques of the 1700s?
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
My understanding is that stain was often used, but also that some old
finishes will have darkened. Some old woods will have darkened too, but then
some pieces get bleached in the sun. not a simple answer. Re the finish, not
generally varnish but a shellac and spirit mixture - french polish if you
like, of varying colour, proportions, purity and ingredients.

If the answer is important to you will need to consult a more reliable
authority than rec.woodworking. Talk is cheap, and here it is even free.

Tim W