After digressing the past few days searching for Slacum and being entertained, I pulled Volumne 1 of Howe's Classic off the shelf and looked up finishes. Maybe this has been posted before, but here is the Wisdom from the Master:
Howe’s Formula’s
Different formulas for different types of Walnut.
5,6 and 7 are for polishing after the initial finishes.
Howe has several pages of text in Volume 1 describing how to mix the finishes and how to apply.
No. 1
1 pint raw linseed oil
½ pint turpentine
No. 2
32 oz boiled linseed oil
4 oz pure turpentine
½ oz alkanet root
No. 3
32 oz boiled linseed oil
1 oz spar varnish
3 oz turpentine
200 grains beeswax
3 tsp Venice turpentine
2 oz burnt umber
No. 4
32 oz boiled linseed oil
3 oz shellac
3 oz turpentine
1 oz burnt umber
200 grains beeswax
½ oz alkanet root
1 tsp Venice turpentine
No. 5
4 oz boiled linseed oil
8 oz turpentine
8 oz beeswax
1 oz Venice turpentine
No. 6
1 pint boiled linseed oil
200 grains gum arabic (dissolved in alcohol)
1 oz alkanet root
200 grains rose pink
150cc vinegar
No. 7
20 oz raw linseed oil
2 oz alcohol
8 oz dilute acetic acid
1 oz solution of ammonium chloride
½ oz spirits camphor
1 oz antimony chloride
