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Show FIRST-AID I AILING HOUSE by Roger B. Whitman (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) Mixing Prepared Paint. AN OWNER recently blamed the paint for a job that was rough and uneven. As a matter of fact, the paint that he used was of excellent quality, and the fault was his own for not mixing it completely. When a can of paint is allowed to stand, as it will on a dealer's shelf, the heavier parts separate from the oils and collect in a dense mass at the bottom of the can. Before using, this mass must be thoroughly and evenly blended with all the liquid. For this a second can should be at hand, as large or larger than the paint can. Much of the paint liquid is poured off into this and the remaining liquid stirred into the mass remaining remain-ing in the can. When this has been softened, some of the liquid is poured back and stirred in, and this process should be continued until the entire can of paint is brought to an even consistency. For final mixing, mix-ing, the paint should be poured back and forth from one can to the other, several times. The paint is then ready for use. Instructions on the label for the possible thinning of the paint should be carefully followed. Varnish does not need any such treatment, for its parts do not separate. sep-arate. Great care should be taken not to shake a can of varnish, for air bubbles would form in it and spoil the final result. Cleaning Enameled Fixtures. Stains on the enamel of a washbasin, wash-basin, sink, bathtub, or other plumbing plumb-ing fixture should not be rubbed with steel wool or any other harsh abrasive, for the glass-like surface would be dulled and roughened, and would then stain more easily. Neither Nei-ther should acids, or strong alkalies of the kind used as drain cleaners, be applied to the enamel, for the effect might be to eat the enamel and to destroy it completely. One safe method for removing stains is continued rubbing with a scratchless cleaning powder moistened with kerosene. A special cleaning powder pow-der can be had at a dime store or from a plumber, and one of my correspondents cor-respondents reports complete success suc-cess by mixing this with borax before be-fore adding water to make a paste. The success of these cleaners depends de-pends on continued rubbing. Many stains can be taken out with a bleaching liquid. The fixture is filled with water to above the level of the stain, a cup or more of bleaching liquid is added, and the mixture allowed to stand for several hours or overnight. Crack in a Table Top. Question: What is your recipe for filling rather bad cracks in the top of a fine old cherry drop-leaf table, otherwise quite perfect? I do not hope to conceal the fact that the cracks were present, but I do want to fill them with something that will stick and not shrink. Answer: If the table is really valuable, valu-able, I should have an expert cabinet cabi-net maker do the job. But if you wish to do it yourself, get strips of cherry wood, cut them to fit snugly, and glue them in. Another way is to get fine sawdust, preferably of cherry-wood, make into a paste with spar varnish, and pack into the crack, filling it to the top. Press some dry sawdust on top to take up any exposed varnish. When dry, rub smooth with very fine sandpaper. sandpa-per. If you cannot get cherry-wood sawdust, use any fine sawdust and color with a small quantity of mahogany ma-hogany or cherry oil stain, mixing it in the varnish before making the paste. You will have to experiment to get the proper shade. Dull Black Marble. Question: I have a beautiful black marble fireplace in my home; but it is very dull and the beauty of the marble is gone. No amount of elbow el-bow grease or the usual cleaning compounds do any good. Can you recommend anything? Answer: The polish can be restored re-stored by long rubbing with water and putty powder applied with a damp felt pad or a piece of an old felt hat Hard rubbing will be needed. need-ed. You can get the putty powder at a monument or marble yard. Or you can engage a marble contractor contrac-tor to come to the house and do the job for you. ' Linoleum Walls. Question: I am considering finishing fin-ishing the walls of my kitchen and bathroom with linoleum squares that are supplied with an adhesive. The manufacturer says that they can be pasted on the walls by any handy person. Would you recommend these? Answer: The permanence of the job will depend on the condition of the wall and how well It takes the adhesive. Try to persuade the manufacturer man-ufacturer to let you have a few of the squares and some of the adhesive, ad-hesive, so that you can experiment to find out if the job will be successful. |