The Artist's Assistant, In the Study and Practice of Mechanical Sciences: Calculated for the Improvement of Genius. Illustrated with Copper-Plates (Birmingham, [ca. 1785])

THE ARTIST'S ASSISTANT. 171

<c through a coarfe cloth, arid fet it again to boil ;
t: in which ftate it muft be continued till it acquires
*' a pitchy confiftence, when it will be fit for ufe."

Having prepared thus the varnifh, clean well the
iron or copper-plate, or rather piece which is to be
japanned ; and then lay vermillion tempered with
fhell-lac varnifh, or with drying oil, diluted with
oil of turpentine, very thinly, on the places intend-
ed to imitate the more tranfparent parts of rhe tor-
toife fhell. When the vermillion is dry, brufh over
the whole with the black varnifh, tempered to a
due confiftence with oil of turpentine ; and when
it is fet and firm, put the work into a ftove, where
it may undergo a very ftrong heat, and it muft be
continued a confiderable time, if even three weeks
or a month, it will be the better.

This was given, among other recipes by Kunckel,
but appears to have been neglected till it was re-
vived with great fuccefs in the Birmingham manu-
factures, where it was not only the ground of fnuff-
boxes, dreffing-boxes, and other fuch like leffer
pieces, but of thofe beautiful tea-waiters, which,
have been fo juftly efteemed and admired in feveral
parts of Europe where they have been fent. This
ground may be decorated with painting and gilding,
in the fame manner as any other varnifhed furface,
which had heft be done after the ground has been
duly hardened by the hot ftove ; but it is well to
give a fecond annealing with a more gentle heat af-
ter it is finifhed.

Of painting japan work.—Japan work ought pro-
perly to be painted with colours in varnifh. But in
order for the greater difpatch, and in fome very nice
works in fmall, for the freer ufe of the pencil,

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