TOO MUCH OIL.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20806, 16 March 1933, Page 4

TOO MUCH OIL.

SLOW-DRYING PAINT. A FALSE ECONOMY. Taints that do not dry within a reasonable time or that remain soft and tackv, whatever the cause, are cxpensive'hoth in money and Joss of business to the painter. Nothing, perhaps, causes more complaints from a property owner than fresh paint which retains dirt, a house with windows that will not open, and porch floors to which everything sticks fast. Kesult-another prohtab e customer gone, says a writer 1.1 a trade -journal. . .. ,„-,„( The causes of slow drying ol P-unt Hln» are not very many m «»*] neither are they, in most cases, hairt to control. Probably the mo*t «ominon cause of slow drying is the tendenev i 0 over-extend the pamt with linseed oil. The desire to obtain a very high gloss, and perhaps the thought of getting more gallons of paint for ess mono>, are responsive for this quite common I>r pS; mixed in this way. do not dry ! well thev hold every particle ot dirt land'dust', and, owing to the improper ! balance between pigment ami oil, the} nuicklv lose their original high gloss thus defeating the very PWP 080 *. 1 was intended. Furthermore paints such as this, that carry too little pigment to protect the oil with which it is mixed, arc extremely short-lived. A paint that has not sufficient dne added to aid in the initio? setting and drying is also quite a common cause roi the failure to obtain satisfactory lookin* jobs. This is particularly true in humid weather or where a sharp drop in temperature disturbs the normal dryin«- action with the paint film. Wiite lead paints have inherently good drying qualities, and under fair weather conditions require very little drier. Soft "Undercoats. Another very common cause for the slow drying of exterior paints is the „se of undercoats that are entirely too soft Along with this is the practice of some painters to rush their 30ns through much too quickly. It is not unusual to see houses painted with a first coat that has all the gloss ot a finish coat paint. This surface is not onlv much too glossy for the application of another gloss coat over it. but the house is usually second-coated three or four davs after it is primed. I While the principal vehicle in white lead •finishing coats is linseed oil. a rather heavy-bodied paint is demanded if a durable wearing surface is to be obtained, and a small quantity of turpentine should be added to facilitate brushing and aid in hardening the film. A paint so mixed will dry hard, keep clean, and retain its gloss and good appearance a very long time. The first white lead coat on new wood surfaces should be mixed with a proportion-of approximately two-thirds linseed oil and one-third turpentine since it is essential that this coat should not only satisfy the porofuty of the new wood, but also anchor itself firmly as a foundation for all future painting. The second and third eo: s on new wood, and the first and sc ond on old work, are essentially the same, except for a somewliat greater amount of both linseed oil and turpentine in the first repaint coat to take care of weather exposure on old surfaces. A Proper Balance Needed. Of course, it is impossible to guard entirely against the attack of excessive humidity in the form of fog, frost, or rain, and all painters are bound to have some failures from arrested dryin"- that are in no way either their fault or the fault of the paint. E-uch cases, however, are the exception rather than the rule, and the usual complaints of slow drying, with its attendant evils of tackiness, dirt collection, loss of gloss, and short life of the paint, can bo entirely obviated by the exercise of a little caro and the use of properly balanced mixings. A NEW HOME. ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION. PROGRESS OF THE CONTRACT. Since early in December, when a contract was let for the conversion of William Goss's timber mill, in Peterborough street, into a Dew and up-to-date home for the St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade, the work has been progressing steadily, and is expected to finish in about six weeks. For some time the association has been quartered in temporary premises in Gloucester street, but now its valuable work will be carried out from a structure giving every possible facility for efficient and rapid handling. The contract price is about £4OOO. When the work commenced there was a bare shell. Most of it has now been filled in, with provision on the ground floor for three lecture rooms, a board room, surgical dressing room, and office I accommodation for the secretary and I staff. Also "on the ground floor there is accommodation for the voluntary I members, with a dormitory and social ! room. In this portion of the building all the plastering is complete and the floors are now being laid. On the top floor three flats are provided for the permanent staff and these are now being plastered. The contractor is at present engaged on building a parapet, after which the whole of the frontago will be plastered a buff colour. Tapestry Brick Entrance. The main entrance will be set off with tapestry bricks, similar to the exterior of the art gallery. The electrician has completed his work, with the exception of the fittings. The steel work in the garage is finished and the floor will be laid in a few days. One of the most important features of the present work is the garage, 57ft by 34ft, with accommodation for eight ambulances. There are to be three separate entrances to the garage, allowing for rapid and efficient movement. The assembly hall, on the first floor, is 42ft by 92ft, which will be ample for demonstrations, lectures, and social gatherings. The kitchen is to be housed at the eastern cud. Full provision is being made for rapid escape in. the case of fire, the exits being on the north-west corner of the building. Electric Alarm System. A special electric alarm system will be installed, communicating with both the permanent and volunteer staff quarters. The whole of the building will be heated on the hot-air. principle and special attention is being given to the

lighting arrangements. At present the brigade staff is occupying two temporary rooms at the rear eastern end of the building. Mr J. C Holliss is the architect and Jlr'T. E. Marriott, of Linwood, is the contractor.