LACQUERED BRASS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3278, 21 June 1943, Page 2

LACQUERED BRASS

POPULAR IN THE EAST EASY TO DO AT HOME BOOK-ENDS & TRINKET-BOXES f Lacquered brass has always been popular in the East, and much of the better lacquered work that one sees has an oriental origin. It is, however, quite possible to do a bit of brass lacquering at home. Small articles in embossed brass, such as book-ends, trinket and cig-arette-boxes, and many other little ' odds and ends can be made very decorative in this way and old pieces of brass be given a new lease of life. Not many materials are required for the work. Lacquer in two or more colours and camelhair brushes are necessary, as well as a little methylated spirit, cotton-wool and an old dish or plate on which to try out the colours. It is possible to use two kinds of lacquer for this work. One is a semi-transparent metal lacquer something like clear varnish. This can 'be obtained with a reddish, greenish or yellowish tint to it. It only tints the surface of the brass and allows the texture of the metal to show through. The other is the ordinary kind of solid enamel-like lacquer which we use for furniture and cupboard sur faces. When used on small raised areas of brass this gives an effect, similar to inlays of semi-precious stones.

These two kinds of lacquer can be used either separately or in combination. The first kind can be .obtained only from the larger paint stores, but the other lacquer can be bought almost anywhere from general stores. Assume that it is intended to brighten up with lacquer a cigarette box, the first thing necessary is that the surface be quite clean and free from any kind of grease. . The brass should be well cleaned in the ordinary way with a good brass cleaner, then well washed in hot soapy water and thoroughly dried. After fjfiis it should be wiped all over with a wad of cotton-wool soaked in methylated spirit. In choosing the colours for the lacquer it is as well to think of semiprecious stones and try to match them as nearly as possible. -Jade, coral, malachite green and turquoise blue are good colours, and as the solid lacquer can be bought in tiny sample tins for about sixpence or eightpence a tin a fairly wide selection can be made. A tin of ordinary colourless transparent lacquer should be purchased as well.

With a fine brush pick out small areas of the design and cover each with a thin coat of the lacquer. A number of thin coats is much more successful than one thick one. Each coat must be let dry thoroughly before applying the next and as metal is non-absorbent the lacquer will take longer to dry than is the case with painted wo&d. As a general rule it is. a good thing not to have more than two colours in one piece. Jade and coral are successful together, so are dark green and If there is difficulty in getting the exact shades required, lacquers of the same make can be mixed together the same as ordinary paints to produce the required colour. When enough coats have been applied to the selected areas to produce an enamel-like finish the whole article should be given a coat of transparent colourless lacquer to preserve the surface and prevent any need to clean the brass.

While the coloured painting is being done a piece of cotton-wool moistened with either "kerosene or turpentine should be kept handy to remove any surplus lacquer which may have overrun the edges of the area to be coloured. For the other kind of lacquering brass that has been engraved is best. Clean it in the way already described. Take a little ordinary red or green lacquer, thin it with either turpentine or the special thinners sold with the brand you have selected, dip a fine brush into this and very carefully outline all of the engraved lines of the design. Much Burmese brassware is seen treated in this way, the engraved work mostly outlined in a sort of dull Chinese red. Allow this to dry thoroughly before doing anything further. It is indeed wise to put the brass right eway for about a week. The coloured semi-transparent metal lacquers can now bo applied to fairly large areas, using one or more col-

I ours as desired. The effect of this work is quite different from the other. This time it will look as if a variety of metals have been inlaid on one another. A fairly red bronze, a greenish brass and a clear yellow metal and the deeply coloured lines of the engraved design will serve to emphasise the inlaid areas. You will find that small item of brass will take on a new life after this treatment which is suitable for almost every kind of brass object except ash-trays. The lacquer burns too easily for it to be of any advantage *in this matter.