Part 2

The Bracket annexed is out of the usual run of brackets which have generally been ornamented with leather work. The vine and the convolvulus pattern are much used with very beautiful effect. We intended this design to exhibit old oak: it should be stained very dark, the oak stems being very thick, while the stems of ivy can be formed of tendrils. To make the oak stems get very thick wire, and have it cut to the desired lengths, then cover the wires with leather, and bend them to resemble knarled oak; attach, as naturally as possible, oak leaves and acorns at the back of the wires, and on the wood work as shewn in the skeleton bracket in a former part of this work; then attach the ivy tendrils, leaves, and berries around the oak stems, and the bracket is completed.

We have found it much improves the appearance of any piece of work we have been ornamenting, to give the whole when completed a slight coat of varnish.

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WATCH STAND FINISHED.

The design for a Watch Stand will illustrate one of the various modes of ornamenting this kind of work; it is very light, and better than too much crowding the ornamented parts, which, besides being a waste of time, would not look so elegant as lighter work.

CARD RACKS

Can be made in a variety of ways--the design here exhibited is novel, and at the same time very useful. The back is made either with wood, or calf-skin leather; and the leaves forming the rack are also made of the same material. Calf-skin dries very hard, being treated exactly the same as the basil leather in the manner of working.

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THE ROUND OPEN WORK FRAME.

The beautiful design in the accompanying page is made with a round frame of any width desired, having two rebates, one inside and one outside the frame--the inside rebate being to admit the picture, and the outside one to allow of the nailing firmly to the frame the open work, which is to be made in the following manner:--Take a flat board, an ironing board will do, lay the frame upon it, and with a black lead pencil or a piece of chalk, mark the size all round, making allowance for the rebate; then having ready the stems, work them in and out, so as to form the open work as in the drawing; when finished, nail it to the frame, and work stems and tendrils of the vine, hop, passion flower, or any other beautiful creeping plant, attaching the fruit or flowers in an artistic manner, and the result will be one of the most elegant frames ever beheld.

The open or trellis work of this frame should have stout wire enclosed in the basil leather, and in order that it may not appear formal, wind pieces of leather round the naked wire at irregular intervals to resemble knots, &c. then cover the whole with basil leather,--the stem and tendrils which are to wind in and out, and are a portion of the plant, are not to have wire in them.

Fire Screens are generally filled with Berlin wool, or some other fancy needlework. Those who would prefer to have an entire piece of leather work can paint landscapes or flowers upon white leather, using the same medium as is used in body colour painting at the School of Design, mixed with finely powdered colours.

The basket ornamented with rose sprays outside, can be lined inside with velvet, and little pockets being made in the velvet lining, they become a very useful article; the outside is stained old oak.

The running border here displayed can be adapted to ornamenting cornices, poles, frames, &c.; it is very easy of imitation, and will well repay the artist.

We shall conclude our designs with the table, which is made in four pieces, so that one part can be done at a time, and when completed, can be removed until the whole is completed, when it can be put firmly together, and forms a solid example of the use and beauty of the Ornamental Leather Work.

TO MAKE ACORNS.

Acorns can be made in the following manner. Procure some natural acorn-cups (which are to be found in great quantities in the autumn), choose such cups only as are perfectly sound; then pierce two holes through the bottom of the cup, pass a piece of fine wire through the holes, leaving the two ends long enough to be twisted into a stalk; if the stalk is to be exposed, it must be covered with skiver and made fast with Shaw’s liquid glue. The most correctly-formed acorn tops are those turned in wood, which can be firmly placed in the cup by the aid of the liquid glue; this completes the fully-formed acorn.

CHERRIES.

Cherries are made in the same manner as grapes, and the stalk neatly covered with skiver leather.

APPLES, &c.

Apples and pears can be turned in wood; they may be left bare, or covered with skiver leather; they look much better covered with skiver, and are, then, leather work, properly speaking; or fruit may be moulded in plaster casts with gutta percha.

Carved wood figures may be draped with tolerable success with the skiver leather, but we have never seen any that looked well enough when finished to repay the time and trouble.

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Recipes.

TO MAKE SIZE FOR STIFFENING THE LEATHER WORK.

Simmer 4 oz. of strips of parchment in 8 oz. of water till it is reduced one-half; skim off any impurities that may arise to the surface, then strain it through a fine sieve, or cloth, into a basin; leave it till cold, when it will be firm and clear; when required for use, cut off as much as you want, and warm it. Use while warm.

TO MAKE STIFFENING WHICH IS NOT AFFECTED BY DAMP.

Mix, cold, 2 oz. of Australian red gum, 6 oz. of orange shellac, ½ pint spirits of wine; put all into a bottle, and shake it up occasionally till the gums are dissolved; strain, and it is fit for use. This is far preferable to the above size, as it is more hardening, dries quicker, is always ready for use, and is never affected by damp in change of weather.

TO MAKE MAHOGANY VARNISH STAIN, WHICH DRIES IN A FEW MINUTES.

Mix, cold, ¾ lb. Australian red gum, ¼ lb. garnet shellac, 1 pint spirits of wine; put them in a bottle, and shake occasionally, till the gum is dissolved; strain, and it is fit for use. The above makes a capital varnish for leather of all kinds, especially for the leather covers of old books; it preserves them, and gives an appearance almost equal to new.

SPIRIT OAK VARNISH STAIN

Can be made by adding to the above mahogany stain, a small portion of vegetable black, and shaking it up till well incorporated. To use the spirit oak stain on larger surfaces we have found it preferable to apply it in the same manner as a French polish--namely, let all dirt and wax be perfectly rubbed off with fine glass paper, till quite smooth, then make a flannel rubber in the form of a printer’s dabber, put a little stain on the dabber, and put a clean calico rag over it; apply a little linseed oil, with your finger, to the calico, and commence rubbing over a small space, in a circular direction (never suffering the rubber to remain on any part), till you feel it become tacky, then apply a little more oil, and so on, till the stain on the rubber is exhausted. Should the stain become too thick to work freely, add a few drops of spirits of wine, and shake it well together. When you have raised a fine polish over the surface, let it remain a few hours to harden, then take a clean bit of calico, and just damp it with spirits of wine, rub it lightly over the surface in a circular direction, which, repeated two or three times, will clear off all smears, and leave the most beautiful gloss ever seen.

In this latter process of finishing off, you must be cautious not to damp the rag too much, for that would instantly destroy all the polish; also, to change the rag often, and not suffer it to remain on any part. For carved work it is only necessary to clean it as before directed, and apply the stain with a camel’s-hair brush, by a gentle fire, letting it dry between each application.

The best oak varnish stain is that made with asphaltum; but, as the manufacturing is attended with great danger, we think it best not to give the particulars; and it can be procured cheaper than it could be made in small quantities.

TO PRESERVE LEAVES AND KEEP THEM IN FORM FOR IMITATION.

Procure 1 lb. or more of white starch powder, dry it well in an open dish before the fire, put it on one side to cool, when quite cool, put a layer of half an inch at the bottom of a small box, observing that the box also is dry; gather the leaves, if possible, on a fine summer day, and lay as many leaves gently on the starch powder at the bottom of the box as can be done without interfering with each other, then sprinkle starch powder over them, and shake it down so that the powder settles all round above and below the leaves until they are completely covered, and about half an inch of the starch powder above them, then put another layer of leaves, and proceed with the starch powder as before until the box is filled, then press the top part, quite full of starch powder, fastening the lid of the box firmly down until the leaves are required. Ferns and flat leaves can be preserved by placing them between sheets of blotting paper under a weight.

TO GILD LEATHER WORK.

_The materials necessary for gilding of this kind are_--

A Gilder’s Knife. A ditto Cushion. Some Gold Leaf. A little Cotton Wool. A few Camel’s Hair Pencils. One or two Hog’s Hair Tools. A Tip. Oil Gold Size. Fat Oil. Drying Oil, and a Burnishing Stone.

They cost only a few shillings, and with care last a very long time.

Size the wood work twice over with parchment size, cut all the leaves, and make the flowers in the usual manner; size them all over twice with parchment size; nail them down to the frame, and glue them when tacks would look unsightly: needle points are very useful in this work to secure it firmly, and cut them short off when the glued parts are dry--all the flowers and leaves being attached, go over the entire work again with parchment size very thinly; the parchment size must be used warm; when the size is dry, mix well in a cup or any clean earthen vessel about an ounce of oil gold size, and with equal parts of fat oil and drying oil thin the gold size to the consistence of cream; take a hog’s-hair tool, and with it brush equally and very thinly all over every part that can be seen with this prepared gold size, set it on one side for an hour or two or more, until it has become almost dry, and just sticks to your fingers when touched: it must now be gilded all over, and to do this, take a book of gold, handling it quietly, and mind there is no draft, as a current of air would blow all the gold away: turn out of the book two or three leaves of gold upon the cushion, and blow gently upon the centre of each leaf, to make them lay flat on the cushion; with the gilder’s knife cut the gold leaves into the sizes required to cover the work, and with the tip of the gilder’s knife take up the gold from the cushion and lay it all over the frame till it is covered, pressing the gold down with a large camel hair tool or a piece of cotton wool, taking care not to rub it backward or forward, but to put it very straight down on to the work; should there be any holes left, cut small pieces of gold leaf and lay over them, pressing the gold down, proceeding in the above manner till the frame is covered all over with gold; it must then be left to dry an hour or two, and when dry brush all the loose gold off with a large camel hair or badger’s hair tool, and the gilding is completed. Leather work gilded by the above process will bear washing, and is the most durable kind of gilding known.

TO BURNISH GOLD.

Acorns and any wooden part attached to leather work can be burnished, which adds much to the variety of the work, and is done in the following manner:--that part of the work intended to be burnished must be prepared exactly as above, except that instead of using the prepared oil gold size take the white of an egg and give the work a coat of it, let it dry, then give it another coat, and when nearly dry see that it lays on evenly; apply the gold leaf all over; leave it an hour or two to become hard; then burnish it by rubbing it all over with a burnishing stone or any very hard and perfectly smooth substance. This burnish gilding is far more brilliant than the oil gold, but will not wash, and is not so durable.

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BEE HIVES.

Bee Hives can be made with leather stems, as follows:--Cut a piece of wood to the shape and size required; wind and glue upon it the stems, beginning at the top, and finishing off at the bottom. To join the stems as you proceed, cut each end to an angle, so that they fit; join them with liquid glue, and tie a piece of thread round to hold them tightly together until the glue is dry. When the hive is completed, that portion of thread left visible can be cut off.

To imitate the tying seen in hives, mark with a pen, or a camel’s hair pencil, with the darkest stain, lines and dots from top to bottom; cut a small piece out of the lower tier to make the entrance, and put a little handle at the top with a piece of stem.

When made as above, on wood, and well glued, they can be sawn in halves, thus making two. Placed amongst foliage, frames, &c., they are quite in keeping, and have a pleasing effect.

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TO PAINT ORNAMENTAL LEATHER WORK.

Use finely powdered colours, and mix them to the consistence of cream, with the following medium:--Mix the white of an egg with 2 oz. of pure distilled vinegar; put them into a bottle and shake them well together whenever you are about to mix any colours with it: or mix the colours with parchment size warmed; use while warm: or mix them with a weak solution of gum arabic; and, in either case, varnish them with a quick drying pale varnish. Oil colours will not do for painting this kind of materials: any of the above mediums, properly prepared, will answer well. Gilding may be interspersed with brilliant effect.

A QUICK MODE OF STAINING.

The quickest mode of staining the Ornamental Leather Work is as follows:--Procure a bottle of REVELL’S CHYMICAL OAK COLOUR STAIN. This preparation will not soil the hands, or the finest linen or woollen fabrics; will not stain wood or any other substance than the leather to which it is applied, to which it imparts the perfect appearance of old oak without any gloss, at the same time hardening the leather without injuring it.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE.

Having your leaves, &c., cut out and dried, pour some of the contents of this bottle into a saucer, and apply it copiously with a camel’s hair brush, all over the leaves, back and front, particularly the edges; bend them while damp as you wish them to appear upon the finished work, then dry them rather quickly at a moderate distance from the fire, or in a current of air; when dry they are ready for use.

The leaves, &c., can be attached to any form of work, and it is completed. When the entire work is complete, it can be varnished at pleasure, as follows:--Procure a bottle of REVELL’S OAK SPIRIT STAIN, and give the entire work an even coat of it; it dries in a few minutes, and has the appearance of polished oak.

TO STAIN WOODEN ARTICLES.

If all the work is to be left dull, give the frame or bracket, &c., a coat of OAK SPIRIT STAIN, which dries in dull if put upon new wood, not prepared in any manner. To prepare wooden frames, &c., so that the OAK SPIRIT STAIN shall assume a polished surface, it is necessary to size the frame well and leave it to dry; when dry, give it one or more coats of OAK SPIRIT STAIN.

Those who prefer making the OAK SPIRIT STAIN, can do so by referring to the receipt in this book; it is made with little trouble, and is composed principally of Australian Red Gum; a new article to most of our readers; and, although many druggists, &c., have procured it when they have received orders for it, we are sorry to say, in several instances, they have said there was no article of that description; or else have substituted a different kind of gum, perfectly _worthless for this purpose_; consequently, disappointment has ensued; and in order to protect the public from being imposed upon, and ourselves the disgrace of publishing anything not practicable, we are obliged, in self-defence, to state how we came to use it.

In the month of January, 1852, the publisher was applied to for a varnish stain that would dry quickly, and at the same time be the colour required: he was making experiments for this purpose, when, taking up the TIMES newspaper of Friday, January 23rd, he found, under the heading of SOCIETY OF ARTS, an epitome of Professor EDWARD SOLLY’s lecture, at the above Society on the previous Wednesday, on vegetable substances used in the Arts, &c. Allusions were made to a fine red gum from New South Wales: he procured the lecture, and then, after a little trouble, obtained samples; they were tested, and one was found to answer, and he has now in stock several tons of the proper kind for making the stain, and can supply it in any quantity.

We will now conclude by directing the student to an attentive observance of nature: we have avoided, as far as possible, technical terms; where they are used the illustrations will, in most cases, explain them. The study of this mode of decoration has often led those who had not before observed the varied beauties of the floral world to do so with the greatest pleasure and the happiest results.

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SHAW’S LIQUID GLUE

Requires no preparation, sets almost immediately, will resist wet, violence, time, and climate; adheres to any surface or material; cements china, marble, wood, paper, leather, &c.; is useful to shipbuilders, carpenters, bookbinders, pianoforte, brush, and toy makers; and is so easy of application, that ladies and gentlemen may mend their own china, ornaments, toys, veneers, mouldings, parasols, book-covers, and a hundred other little articles, with the greatest ease and certainty.

=Price 6d. and 1s. per Bottle.=

* * * * *

SOLD WHOLESALE AND RETAIL BY

J. REVELL, 272, OXFORD STREET; MESSRS. BARCLAY & CO., FARRINGDON STREET; MESSRS. SUTTON & CO., BOW CHURCHYARD;

AND TO BE HAD OF ALL OILMEN, CHEMISTS, FANCY STATIONERS, &c., &c.

LIST OF MATERIALS, &c.,

FOR THE

ORNAMENTAL

LEATHER WORK.

SOLD BY

J. REVELL, 272, OXFORD STREET.

Basil Leather, of the first quality, at 1s. 6d. and 2s. per skin. Skiver ditto, ditto, at ditto. Leather Leaves, 6d. per dozen, or 4s. per gross, assorted. Leather Stems and Tendrils, 2d. each. Passion Flowers, Roses, &c., from 6d. to 2s. 6d. each. Convolvulus and other less elaborate Flowers, from 2d. each. Holly and Ivy Berries, 6d. per bundle. Acorns, 1s. per dozen. Oak Varnish Stain, 1s. per bottle. Spirit Oak ditto, 1s. „ Spirit Mahogany ditto, 1s. „ Revell’s Chymical ditto, which possesses the property of staining the leather used for this work, and will not soil the finest linen, neither will it stain wood, or any other material than leather. It can be applied either cold or warm. Sold, with full directions for use accompanying each bottle, price 1s. This being the invention of the publisher, purchasers are requested to observe his name and address on each seal. Stephens’ Wood Stains. Stains and Varnishes of every description. Saucers for the Oak Stain, &c., 1s. per doz. Shaw’s Liquid Glue, without smell, 1s. per bottle. Ditto, Old kind, 6d. „ Prepared Stiffening, 1s. „ Veining Tools, 1s. 6d. each. Cutting ditto, 1s. „ Grape Moulds, 2s. 6d. per set. Bradawls, 6d. each. Hammers, 1s. 3d. „ Wire of different sizes. Hog’s Hair Brushes, 3d. to 6d. each. Camel’s Hair Pencils, from 1d. „ And a variety of Brackets, Frames, &c., for Ornamenting.

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PRINTED BY S. ODELL, 18, PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE.

LIST OF VARIOUS ARTICLES,

SOLD BY

JAMES REVELL, 272, OXFORD STREET, LONDON.

=Oil Colours in Patent Collapsible Tubes,=

_Of various sizes, and in Extra Fine Powder._

Cremnitz White Flake White Nottingham White Ultramarine Ultramarine Ashes Cobalt Royal Smalt French Ultramarine Permanent Blue Antwerp Blue Prussian Blue Indigo Yellow Ochre Indian Yellow Chrome, 1, 2, 3 Italian Pink Yellow Lake King’s Yellow Lemon Yellow, 1, 2 Dutch Pink Naples Yellow Lake Purple Lake Indian Lake Crimson Lake Scarlet Lake Chinese Vermillion Orange Vermillion Red Chrome Carmine Madder Lake Rose Madder Pink Madder Purple Madder Light Red Venetian Red Indian Red, 1, 2 Brown Red Raw Sienna Burnt Sienna Brown Ochre Burnt Brown Ochre Roman Ochre Burnt Roman Ochre Vandyke Brown Raw Umber Burnt Umber Brown Pink Madder Brown Cologne Earth Bone Brown Cappa Brown Asphaltum Bitumen Mummy Emerald Green Verdigris Terra Vert Chrome Green, 1, 2, 3 Oxyde of Chromium Ivory Black Blue Black Lamp Black Sugar of Lead Gumption Magylph

=Sable Hair Pencils.=

_For Oil or Water_.

Large Goose, Brown or Red Small ditto ditto Duck ditto Crow ditto Small Swan Large ditto Miniature Lining or Rigging Writing and Striping

=French Sables.=

IN TIN FOR WATER.

_Red or Brown._

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

=Sables for Oil.=

_Round & Flat._

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

=French Brushes.=

_Flat & Round._

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

=Camel Hair Pencils=,

_All Sizes, Long and Short_.

=Camel Hair Brushes=,

_In Flat Tins_.

½ inch ¾ „ 1 „ 1¼ „ 1½ „ 1¾ „ 2 „ 2½ „ 3 „ 4 „

=Camel Hair Brushes=,

_In Round Tins_.

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

=Pencil Sticks.=

Cedar, Ebony, Ivory, 6, 12 & 15 in.

=Badger Softeners.=

_Round & Flat._

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

=Palette Knives.=

Horn and Ivory Steel, with Horn or Bone Handles Do. Ivory Handles Do. Spatula Shape, Horn Handles Do. ditto Ivory do.

=Port Crayons.=

Steel, Albata, and Brass.

=Brush Washers for Turpentine.=

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4.

=Oils and Varnish.=

Spirits Turpentine Cold Drawn Linseed Oil Nut and Poppy Oil Drying Oil, pale or strong Fat Oil Japan Gold Size Mastic Varnish Copal Varnish White Hard Spirit Varnish Asphaltum Magylph Gumption

=Extra Fine Cake and Moist Water Colours=,

IN CAKES AND HALF CAKES.

Permanent White Constant White Flake White Chinese White

Ultramarine Ultramarine Ashes Cobalt Azure Blue Royal Smalt French Ultramarine Permanent Blue Antwerp Blue Prussian Blue Indigo Intense Blue French Blue

Gamboge Yellow Ochre Indian Yellow Platina Yellow Gall Stone Lemon Yellow Chrome, 1, 2, 3 Italian Pink Dutch Pink Yellow Lake Mars Yellow King’s Yellow Naples Yellow Patent Yellow

Orange Orpiment Orange Red Mars Orange Orange Vermillion Lake Crimson Lake Scarlet Lake Dark Lake Indian Lake Vermillion Extract Vermillion Scarlet Vermillion Carmine Burnt Carmine Dragon’s Blood Madder Lake Rose Madder Pink Madder Pure Scarlet Dahlia Carmine Indian Red Light Red Venetian Red Brown Red Red Orpiment Red Chalk Red Chrome Deep Rose

Raw Sienna Burnt Sienna Brown Ochre Roman Ochre Burnt Roman Ochre Vandyke Brown Verona Brown, 1, 2, 3 Sepia Warm Sepia Roman Sepia Raw Umber Burnt Umber Brown Pink Madder Brown Cologne Earth Bone Brown Bronze Reuben’s Brown Mars Brown Intense Brown Cappa Brown Bistre Chalons Brown

Payne’s Grey Neutral Tint

Purple Indian Purple Purple Madder Purple Lake