or LAQUER, is a varnish used on certain works in wood or metal. A hard-wood lacquer may be made with 2 lb. shell-lac, to 1 gall. spirit of wine. A pale lacquer for brass may be made with ½ lb. of the best pale shell-lac to 1 gall. of spirit, with agitation for six hours without heat. After standing for some time, the clear liquor is to be decanted off. The lacquer may be tinted yellow with turmeric, Cape aloe, saffron, or gamboge; for a red tint, arnott and dragon's-blood are employed. A pale gold-coloured lacquer may be made with 8 oz. of shell-lac, 2 oz. of sandarac, 8 oz. of turmeric, 2 oz. of arnott, and ½ oz. of dragon's-blood to 1 gall. of spirit of wine. Mr. A. Ross uses pyro-acetic ether to dissolve the shell-lac and the gamboge, by which means only the purely resinous portions are taken up, the gummy matters, which are soluble in the water of the spirit of wine, being rejected. The clear liquor is decanted, and is diluted for use with spirit of wine. The green lacquer used for bronze works is produced by the addition of turmeric and gamboge.

In lacquering brass and other metals it is necessary that they should be chemically clean; and it is usual to raise the articles to nearly the temperature of boiling water, in order that the lacquer may flow more readily, and the spirit evaporate quickly, in which case the lacquer attaches itself more firmly to the metal, and a more brilliant effect is produced. A hot-plate, or lacquering furnace, is described under Furnace. For further details, see Varnishes; also, 3d vol. of Holtzapfel's Mechanical Manipulation.

LA CONDAMINE. See Condamine, Charles Marie de la.