The Workshop.

Otago Witness, Issue 1323, 7 April 1877, Page 3

The Workshop.

THE PROTECTION OF WOODWORK,, &c.

For the benefit of those who are concerned in wooden erections and preservation of timber, we here condense from the Building News some useful notea upon the subject :— As preventives against maritime attacks, coaltar, applied alone, or after a saturation of corrosive sublimate, has been effective in checking worms; also a mixture of June, sulphate, and colocynth with pitch. To prevent worms in timber, an infusion of quassia is found to be an antidote, anything bitter being antagonistic to animal life. Creoaoting is^one of the best preventives, however, where it can ■be used. For articles of furniture a good coating with copal varnish in linseed oil is a method we can safely recommend. Even for external woodwork of an ornamental kind, as gable boards and carved j work, if the wood is properly, seasoned. !itisto be preferred to painting. Other insects, such as ants, infest woodwork in new houses. In larders and pantries I they are particularly troublesome, frequently gettinginto preserves, under the crust of pastry, and into anything of a ! sweet taste. We may here specify a few ' r of the remedies for this kind of pest: Corrosive sublimate, all essential oils, Bethell's process, powdered borax, petroleum oil, camphor, and creosote. "The objection to the first cure is that it is a poison; but the other- materials are as effectual, and can be easily applied. Sometimes, however, it is not desirable to wash or sprinkle our, finer ■woodwork, auch as carvings; and it is [.necessary to have recourse to another process to destroy worms in such work. We are repeatedly asked for recipes for this purpose, and we have given one or two remedies of a simple kind. One of the best modes ia to fumigate the carvings ,or furniture with benzine. 1 This may be done by enclosing* the articles in airtight cases or small closets, and then subjecting them to the vapour of benzine, which, penetrates the wood deeply. Sponge saturated with the benzine and placed in saucers is the simplest manner of < fumigating. The fumes of chloroform have also been found destructive. Or the carvings may be saturated with a strong solution of corrosive sublimate, aud afterwards varnished if thought desirable. Probably the simplest plan is to immerse the article bodily in a bath of naphtha. , ' But the fundamental philosophy of the whole question- of timber preservation lies in a nutshell. It is the evaporation of the juices arid moisture— in one word, seasoning ; after which, it is only necessary to render wood exposed to wet impervious to it. Ventilation is more of a cure than a preventive, for thorough seasoning includes ventilation, and renders it less necessary ; yet it is a precaution, and a very wise one. For wood not ' exposed, it is far better to leave it alone; or simply varnish it when quite dry;

About 16 feet of heating surface as the allowance for each horse power in ; the: ordinary steam engine; -' ' OxAirio acid will-remove ink stains from cloth. -It is a deadly> poison, and it* ' antidote is common chalet ;; ■ ' •■' « - . » ,

*>M