Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition | Page 5

formed either from lamp black or ivory black,
but ivory black is preferable to lamp black, and possibly carbon black
or gas black to either. These may be always applied with the shellac
varnish as a vehicle, and their upper or polishing coats may consist of
common seed-lac varnish. But the best quality of ivory black ground in
the best super black japan yields, after suitable stoving, a very excellent
black indeed, the purity of tone of which may be improved by adding a
little blue in the grinding.
COMMON BLACK JAPAN GROUNDS ON METAL.
Common black japan grounds on metal by means of heat are procured
in the following manner: The surface to be japanned must be coated
over with drying oil, and when it is moderately dry must be put into a
stove of such heat as will change the oil black without burning it. The
stove should not be too hot when the oil is put into it nor the heat
increased too fast, either which error would make it blister, but the
slower the heat is increased and the longer it is continued, provided it

be restrained within a due degree, the harder will be the coat of japan.
This kind of japan requires no polish, having received from the heat,
when properly regulated, a sufficiently bright surface.
TORTOISE-SHELL GROUND.
This beautiful ground, produced by heat, is valued not only for its
hardness and its capacity to stand a heat greater than that of boiling
water, but also for its fine appearance. It is made by means of a varnish
prepared thus: Take one gallon of good linseed oil and half a pound of
umber, boil them together until the oil becomes very brown and thick,
strain it then through a coarse cloth and set it again to boil, in which
state it must be continued until it acquires a consistency resembling that
of pitch; it will then be fit for use. Having thus prepared the varnish,
clean well the surface which is to be japanned; then apply vermilion
ground in shellac varnish or with drying oil, very thinly diluted with oil
of turpentine, on the places intended to imitate the more transparent
parts of the tortoise-shell. When the vermilion is dry, brush the whole
over with the black varnish thinned to the right consistency with oil of
turpentine. When set and firm put the work into a stove where it may
undergo a very strong heat, which must be continued a considerable
time, for three weeks or even a month so much the better. This ground
may be decorated with painting and gilding in the same way as any
other varnished surface, which had best be done after the ground has
been hardened, but it is well to give a second annealing at a very gentle
heat after it has been finished. A very good black japan may be made
by mixing a little japan gold size with ivory or lamp-black, this will
develop a good gloss without requiring to be varnished afterwards.
PAINTING JAPAN WORK.
Japan work should be painted with real "enamel paints," that is with
paints actually ground in varnish, and in that case all pigments may be
used and the peculiar disadvantages, which attend several pigments
with respect to oil or water, cease with this class of vehicle, for they are
secured by it when properly handled from the least danger of changing
or fading. The preparation of pigments for this purpose consists in
bringing them to a due state of fineness by grinding them on a stone
with turpentine. The best varnish for binding and preserving the
pigments is shellac. This, when judiciously handled, gives such a
firmness and hardness to the work that, if it be afterwards further

secured with a moderately thick coat of seed-lac varnish, it will be
almost as hard and durable as glass. The method of painting in varnish
is, however, far more tedious than with an oil or water vehicle. It is,
therefore, now very usual in japan work for the sake of dispatch, and in
some cases in order to be able to use the pencil (brush) more freely, to
apply the colours in an oil vehicle well diluted with turps. This oil (or
japanners' gold size) may be made thus: Take 1 lb. of linseed oil and 4
oz. of gum anime, set the oil in a proper vessel and then add the gum
anime powder, stirring it well until the whole is mixed with the oil. Let
the mixture continue to boil until it appears of a thick consistence, then
strain the whole through a coarse cloth and keep it for use. The
pigments are also sometimes applied in a gum-water vehicle, but work
so done, it has been urged, is not nearly