WOOD FILLERS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 255, 27 July 1927, Page 17

WOOD FILLERS

£ll the staining and polishing of o-pen-grained woods, whether they are I'jnrd or soft, the use of a filler is essen- I 'tial if really good results are to be ob- , tained. Some useful information on this subject is supplied by a writer the “Decorator.” A good filler, he says, S .must be permanent and unsinkable, and composed of materials which will injure neither the wood nor the polish ; ? provided it satisfies these conditions, it does not very much matter what is used, a fact which accounts for the I wide variety of ingredients which are in common use to-day, and the high state of excellence which most of the proprietary brands on the market have reached. The majority of varnish manufacturers supply wood-fillers dry, and in paste form, and these, when mixed or thinned down with turpentine and applied freely to the surface of the wood with a stiff brush, wjll be found excellent ’ for the most part. Those, therefore, who prefer tc make up their own filler (the writer continues) have a wide choice of ingredients at their disposal. Whiting, plaster of pan's, cornflour, china clay, silex, pumice powder, and similar substances may be employed with success in conjunction with suitable liquids, such as linseed oil or turpentine, to .make them workable. Generally speaking, it is quite unnecessary to give exact proportions of the ingredients in a filler; all that is needed is that it is of the proper consistency to allow it to be properly worked, and common-sense and a little experience will soon determine this. Whatever the composition, moreover, the mode of application is' the same. Rub it well into the surface of the wood with a stiff brush or ! a coarse piece of rag, working it freely into the pores. Allow it to remain on for at least half an hour, I and then remove the superfluous filler bv rubbing the surface with a piece of canvas, horsehair, or coarse cloth, taking care to ensure that the corners and angles of mouldings or cornices are entirely cleared, for failure in doing this thoroughly will result in dark spots showing through when the work is finished. An excellent tool for this purpose is a butcher’s wooden skewer, sharpened to a point at one end, and chisel-shaped at the other, while a stiff, short-haired brush will also be found useful. The. filler in the pores should be allowed to dry for at least twelve hours, and preferably, a little longer,, before polishing takes place. Many wood-finishers habitually commence polishing within. a few minutes of the removal of the superfluous filler, but hi doing so they run considerable risk; every filler contains a certain amount of liquid, which must evaporate sooner or later, as a consequence of which some slight shrinkage will result in the solids which remain, and it is obviously far better for such shrinkage to take place before the polish is applied than afterwards. A filler very generally used is that composed of plaster of'pan's and tallow, or, in place of the plaster of paris, whiting. That’ it is so commonlv employed is rather surprising, for it has one or two obvious disadvantages. Its chief virtue is tlgit it can be quicklv applied, but against this must be set the unpleasantness of tallow as a medium, its doubtful durability, and its liability to cause the polished wood to “sweat.” owing to the grease in the tallow hreakin<r through the film of polish. Grease

is not conducive to a fine polish, and wherever it is present the risk of sweating must be considered. SoiuC men who realise this, substitute water for tallow, but to this practice there is a different, though equally powerful, objection: water has a strong tendency to raise the grain of the wood and make it rough. Should this occur, the extra labour of sandpapering is necessary, while should the polish be put on before the pores are ■quite dry, it will suffer considerably. Raw linseed oil and whiting is also used by a good many polishers, and provided the right proportions of oil—which can only be determined by experience—are used, this mixture proves an excellent filler; too much oil may have the same effect as tallow, and' cause sweating, while too little will make it difficult for the filler to be properly worked into the pores of the wood. On the whole, the safest filler to recommend to the novice or to the amateur craftsman is perhaps whiting and turpentine. While it is not absolutely fool-proof—few things are—it is less likely to cause trouble than any other compounds which he makes up for himself. It is entirely free, moreover, from the various objections mentioned hitherto, since it is neither unpleasant to use and has no tendency to cause sweating, like tallow, nor will it raise the grain, like water. It has the additional advantage of being economical.

KITCHEN AND BATHROOM Entering a plea for brighter kitchens :nd something more colourful than the dead white of many bathrooms, a writer in “Keith’s Monthly” observes that there is no doubt that a modern kitchen with sunny yellow painted walls, bright blue woodwork, and gay chintz curtains is a far pleasanter place to work in than the 1 more old-fashioned glistening white one.” “Colours,” he adds, “are stimulating. A kitchen decorated in the favourite colours of the lady of the house would undoubtedly be a more congenial place for her to work in than one whose aspect is that of an operating room. “Such a kitchen will be the least conventional in decoration. It may be a long, cool grey room—walls light grey and woodwork a shade darker—with calico curtains of vivid crimson; rag rugs on a floor painted Tuscan red, and cabinets, tables, chairs, and even stove, enamelled grey and striped with crimson. The clever touch in this kitchen would be to paint the interiors of all the cupboards a bright crimson to match the curtains. Painting with good enamel paint the interiors of the drawers and closets makes them cleaner as well as easier to keep clean. It also makes them lighter and more cheerful—an item not to be overlooked in the monotonous business of kitchen-keeping.,, "Aiiotlier kitchen was decorated in tones of blue and rose—the favourite colours of the lady of the house. Still another had walls of apricot colour, with curtains of delicate green, truly a refreshing colour combination! ‘‘Modern kitchens possess so many scientific labour-saving devices that we have come to pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves upon them; but we should have nerve.saving devices as well. Soothing, attractive colours are truly as much a part of kitchen equipment as the latest mechanical device which washes the dishes, cleans the knives, rocks the baby’s cradle, and mops the floor at one and the same time! Pleasant surroundings make housework easier—that is good psychology or common sense, whichever term you prefer. “The bathroom is another portion of the house which could stand a touch or two of colour without sacrificing its essential neatness and cleanliness. High gloss paints and enamels can be used in the bathroom to good effect, as they will withstand steam and water just as tile will do. Hut instead of painting the entire bathroom white, a colour scheme might be introduced. If the room is sttnnv, cool blue or green could be used for the upper, half of the wall, while the lower part could be painted white or ivory. Since most bathroom fixtures are white, it is well to paint the woodwork to match. Linoleum makes excellent flooring for the bathroom, , especially, if it is varnished. Otherwise a good floor paint, well varnished, serves well on the floor. Curtains iriav ,be of blue or green to match the walls, or of white with painted stencil designs rt the corners. “A south bathroom, however, should never be coven a blue and white colour scheme. Warm colours are more satisfactory here. Yellow is particularly rood, since it gives the effect of sunlight. Imagine a bathroom with a dado of white enamel, the upner half of the wall painted vellow. with curtains of vellow and white checked gingham at the window!’’ .

SUMMARY OF TENDERS. CLOSING DURING THE PERIOD JULY 27 TO AUGUST 10. Acetone Welding Co.—Tenders erection of gas holder. Close noon, July 27. W.C.C.—Tenders supply of converting plant. Close 3.30 p.m., July 28. W.C.C.—Tenders supply of cross-anns. Close 4 p.m.. July 28. Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board. —Tenders erection of new ward. Close noon, July 30. P.W.D.—Tenders .installation electric! light, Porirua. Close 4 p.m., August 1. Wellington Education Board.- Tenders additions -to Knrori School. Close noon, August' 1. Crichton, McKay and Haughton.—Tenders erection of Parish Hall, Rona Bay. Close noon. August 1. P.W.D. Stores). —Tenders supply oil tankbreathers. Close August 2. P.W.D.. Section 41. Waikaremoana.— Tenders ennply of 110.000-volt suspension insulators. Close August 9. p.W.D.—Town Flat Deviation.—Tenders for No. 1 tunnel contract. Close I p.m. August 9