Beautifying the Cabin

MUCH has been said already about the beautifying of vacation homes—the use of colored drapes, proper interior wall finishes, and the like. For the benefit of the man who likes to do his own painting and to improve the looks of his cabin and surrounding grounds in other ways, more specific information will be included in this chapter.

The real log cabin or one covered with log siding can be left to weather without further treatment. The wood will, in time, take on a color and texture that probably will be some shade of gray or brown, depending of course on the type of wood. However, it is desirable at times to apply artificial coloring agents. These usually exert a preservative action as well.

Mention has been made of a mixture of one third turpentine and two thirds linseed oil as a filler that preserves wood and at the same time affects its color slightly. Pine and cedar, for instance, are darkened a bit by this filler, and as time passes the color becomes richer and darker. Be sure that the linseed oil and turpentine are of good quality. First of all, purchase the turpentine or oil from a reliable dealer, and insist on the best grade. Boiled linseed oil is thicker and richer in color than the raw oil, and usually is prefer­able. Prices for these materials vary constantly. Low-priced linseed oil is likely to be mostly cottonseed oil.

Shellac is another useful finishing material. Use it as a filler beneath varnish and for sealing knots and resin streaks. It is excellent for waterproofing rustic furniture. One thing to remember about shellac is that it is not flexible, and therefore should not be used on anything that is subjected to bending. Painting authori­ties do not consider it suitable for the protective coating of floors for this reason. A durable and attrac­tive finish can be given to furniture and woodwork by applying a coat of shellac, sanding lightly with fine sandpaper or steel wool to remove rough particles, and then applying two coats of goad floor wax, polished between coats.

An inexpensive way of obtaining a supply of shellac is to purchase the dry shellac in flake form, and a quantity of denatured alcohol. Procure alcohol that was denatured specifically for shellac mixing and similar uses. Otherwise the denaturant may have so strong an odor that you will get the impression you are painting with something closely resembling over-ripe eggs. When you want to finish a chair or other article, place some of the dry shellac in a quantity of the alcohol and let it remain, with occasional stirring, until dissolved. You can produce any consistency you desire. It is much cheaper to purchase the ingredients sepa­rately than when they are combined and sold under a label.

Stain is a useful finishing material for the cabin and its equipment. With a few cents' worth of burnt umber, raw sienna, Van Dyke brown, and drop black, to­gether with a quantity of turpentine and linseed oil, and maybe a few lake colors, you can make a wide variety of stains, and imitate almost any antique finish. The best way to determine what color and how much to use is to experiment. Mix some of the coloring material with turpentine, apply the resulting stain with a brush, let it soak into the wood for several minutes, and then remove the excess with a cloth.

Starting with the linseed-oil—turpentine mixture already mentioned as a filler for cabin exteriors, you

Your cabin can be provided with this simple and attractive gate and trellis.

can produce various stains by using with it the oil pigments, lake colors, or dry colors. Burnt sienna gives a reddish brown. A darker brown is obtained by adding some black pigment. Black and red give other browns. To produce gray, add some white lead and black oil pigment or drop black to the turpentine or turpentine and oil. Small quantities of red are sometimes desirable to remove the cold tone of gray stain. Green is produced by mixing blue and yellow colors with turpentine, varying the relative amounts to produce different shades. Various green pigments such as chrome green can be used, and combined with black or yellow pigments to lighten or darken them.by mixing blue and yellow colors with turpentine, vary­ing the relative amounts to produce different shades. Various green pigments such as chrome green can be used, and combined with black or yellow pigments to lighten or darken them.

Oil stains, which are essentially nothing but paints made very thin, are more convenient to use than water or acid stains because they can be applied with a brush and do not raise the grain of the wood. Various inter­esting effects can be worked out by using stains. For instance, the grain of white pine can be brought out by applying a stain consisting of pigments mixed with linseed oil, turpentine, and a little drier. Apply this to the wood evenly and let it remain until partly dry. Then rub with a cloth. The rubbing action forces the stain into the soft portions of the wood but removes it front the harder resinous parts, thus causing the grain to stand out more prominently. This is the action that takes place in almost all staining operations that involve wiping with a cloth.

An important outside use for stains is to color and preserve wood shingles. Creosote stains, procurable ready-mixed, generally are preferred because of their high preservative action. Shingles are stained by dip­ping and draining off excess stain, and are not soaked in the stain. They usually are dipped for two-thirds their length. Then they are piled loosely, so that air can circulate through them, and left to dry. After the shingles are laid, a second stain coat can be applied with a brush.

Continue to Painting Cabins

How To Build A Log Cabin