JAPANNING

JAPANNING, the art of varnishing and drawing figures on wood, in the same manner as is done by the natives of Japan in the East Indies.

The substances which admit of being japanned are

almost every kind that are dry and rigid, or not too flexible; as wood, metals, leather, and paper prepared.

Wood and metals do not require any other preparation, but to have their surface perfectly even and clean; but leather should be securely strained either on frames or on boards; as its bending or forming folds would otherwise crack and force off the coats of varnish: and paper should be treated in the same manner, and have a previous strong coat of some kind of size; but it is rarely made the subject of japanning till it is converted into papier maché, or wrought by other means into such form, that its original state, particularly with respect to flexibility, is lost.

One principal variation from the method formerly used in japanning is, the using or omitting any priming or undercoat on the work to be japanned. In the older practice, such priming was always used; and is at present retained in the French manner of japanning coaches and snuff-boxes of the papier maché; but in the Birmingham manufacture here, it has been always rejected. The advantage of using such priming or undercoat is, that it makes a saving in the quantity of varnish used; because the matter of which the priming is composed fills up the inequalities of the body to be varnished; and makes it easy, by means of rubbing and water-polishing, to gain an even surface for the varnish: and this was therefore such a convenience in the case of wood, as the giving a hardness and firmness to the ground was also in the case of leather, that it became an established method; and is therefore retained even in the instance of the papier maché by the French, who applied the received method of japanning to that kind of work on its introduction. There is nevertheless this inconvenience always attending the use of an undercoat of size, that the japan coats of varnish and colour will be constantly liable to be cracked and peeled off by any violence, and will not endure near so long as the bodies japanned in the same manner, but without any such priming; as may be easily observed in comparing the wear of the Paris and Birmingham snuff-boxes; which latter, when good of their kind, never peel or crack, or suffer any damage, unless by great violence, and such a continued rubbing as wastes away the substance of the varnish; while the japan coats of the Parisians crack and fly off in flakes, whenever any knock or fall, particularly near the edges, exposes them to be injured. But the Birmingham manufacturers, who originally practised the japanning only on metals, to which the reason above given for the use of priming did not extend, and who took up this art of themselves as an invention, of course omitted at first the use of any such undercoat; and not finding it more necessary in the instance of papier maché than on metals, continue still to reject it. On which account, the boxes of their manufacture are, with regard to wear, greatly better than the French.

The laying on the colour in gum-water, instead of varnish, is also another variation from the method of japanning formerly practised: but the much greater strength of the work, where they are laid on in varnish or oil, has occasioned this way to be exploded with the greatest reason in all regular manufactures: however, they who may practice japanning on cabinets, or other such pieces as are not exposed to much wear and violence,

Japanning. violence, for their amusement only, and consequently may not find it worth their while to encumber themselves with the preparations necessary for the other methods, may paint with water-colours on an undercoat laid on the wood or other substance of which the piece to be japanned is formed; and then finished with the proper coats of varnish, according to the methods below taught: and if the colours are tempered with the strongest isinglass size and honey, instead of gum-water, and laid on very flat and even, the work will not be much inferior in appearance to that done by the other method, and will last as long as the old japan.

Of JAPAN Grounds.—The proper grounds are either such as are formed by the varnish and colour, where the whole is to remain of one simple colour; or by the varnish either coloured or without colour, on which some painting or other decoration is afterwards to be laid. It is necessary, however, before we proceed to speak of the particular grounds, to show the manner of laying on the priming or undercoat, where any such is used.

This priming is of the same nature with that called clear-coating, or vulgarly clear-coating, practised erroneously by the house-painters; and consists only in laying on and drying in the most even manner a composition of size and whiting, or sometimes lime instead of the latter. The common size has been generally used for this purpose: but where the work is of a nicer kind, it is better to employ the glovers or the parchment size; and if a third of isinglass be added, it will be still better, and if not laid on too thick, much less liable to peel and crack. The work should be prepared for this priming, by being well smoothed with the fish-skin or glass-shaver; and being made thoroughly clean, should be brushed over once or twice with hot size, diluted with two-thirds of water, if it be of the common strength. The priming should then be laid on with a brush as even as possible; and should be formed of a size whose consistence is betwixt the common kind and glue, mixed with as much whiting as will give it a sufficient body of colour to hide the surface of whatever it is laid upon, but not more.

If the surface be very clean on which the priming is used, two coats of it laid on in this manner will be sufficient; but if, on trial with a fine wet rag, it will not receive a proper water-polish on account of any inequalities not sufficiently filled up and covered, two or more coats must be given it: and whether a greater or less number be used, the work should be smoothed after the last coat but one is dry, by rubbing it with the Dutch rushes. When the last coat is dry, the water polish should be given, by passing over every part of it with a fine rag gently moistened, till the whole appear perfectly plain and even. The priming will then be completed, and the work ready to receive the painting or coloured varnish; the rest of the proceedings being the same in this case as where no priming is used.

When wood or leather is to be japanned, and no priming is used, the best preparation is to lay two or three coats of coarse varnish composed in the following manner.

"Take of rectified spirit of wine one pint, and of
VOL. XI. Part I. †

coarse seed-lac and resin each two ounces. Dissolve Japanning. the seed-lac and resin in the spirit; and then strain off the varnish."

This varnish, as well as all others formed of spirit of wine, must be laid on in a warm place; and if it can be conveniently managed, the piece of work to be varnished should be made warm likewise: and for the same reason all dampness should be avoided; for either cold or moisture chills this kind of varnish, and prevents it taking proper hold of the substance on which it is laid.

When the work is so prepared, or by the priming with the composition of size and whiting above described, the proper japan ground must be laid on, which is much the best formed of shell-lac varnish, and the colour desired, if white be not in question, which demands a peculiar treatment, or great brightness be not required, when also other means must be pursued.

The colours used with the shell-lac varnish may be any pigments whatever which give the tint of the ground desired; and they may be mixed together to form browns or any compound colours.

As metals never require to be undercoated with whiting, they may be treated in the same manner as wood or leather, when the undercoat is omitted, except in the instances particularly spoken of below.

White JAPAN Grounds.—The forming a ground perfectly white, and of the first degree of hardness, remains hitherto a desideratum, or matter sought for, in the art of japanning, as there are no substances which form a very hard varnish but what have too much colour not to deprave the whiteness, when laid on of a due thickness over the work.

The nearest approach, however, to a perfect white varnish, already known, is made by the following composition.

"Take flake-white, or white lead, washed over and ground up with a sixth of its weight of starch, and then dried; and temper it properly for spreading with the mastich varnish prepared as under the article VARNISH.

"Lay these on the body to be japanned, prepared either with or without the undercoat of whiting, in the manner as above ordered; and then varnish it over with five or six coats of the following varnish:

"Provide any quantity of the best seed-lac; and pick out of it all the clearest and whitest grains, reserving the more coloured and fouler parts for the coarse varnishes, such as that used for priming or preparing wood or leather. Take of this picked seed-lac two ounces, and of gum-animi three ounces; and dissolve them, being previously reduced to a gross powder in about a quart of spirit of wine; and strain off the clear varnish."

The seed-lac will yet give a slight tinge to this composition; but cannot be omitted where the varnish is wanted to be hard; though, when a softer will answer the end, the proportion may be diminished, and a little crude turpentine added to the gum-animi to take off the brittleness.

A very good varnish, free entirely from all brittleness, may be formed by dissolving as much gum-animi as the oil will take, in old nut or poppy oil, which must be made to boil gently when the oil is put into it. The
F ground

Japanning. ground of white colour itself may be laid on in this varnish, and then a coat or two of it may be put over the ground; but it must be well diluted with oil of turpentine when it is used. This, though free from brittleness, is nevertheless liable to suffer by being indented or bruised by any slight strokes; and it will not well bear any polish, but may be brought to a very smooth surface without, if it be judiciously managed in the laying it on. It is likewise somewhat tedious in drying, and will require some time where several coats are laid on; as the last ought not to contain much oil of turpentine.