CHAPTER II

COLORING TOYS

#10. Sanitation Emphasized.#--All application of color to toys should carry with it a realization that toys are meant primarily for children and that all paints should therefore be free from poisonous compounds.

All paints used should be of good quality so that it will not come off easily to discolor the hands or tongues of children who cannot resist the temptation of sticking everything possible into their mouths.

#11. Preparation of Surfaces.#--Wooden toys may be finished quite bright and in various colors.

Before applying the color it is absolutely necessary that every part of the toy has been thoroly sanded. Where sanding is done by machine, care should be taken not to sand the wood too much. Many difficulties may arise from too much as well as from too little sanding. In hand sanding, the use of a block 2-1/2" x 3-1/2", to which is glued a piece of cork, is recommended.

#12. Application of Water Colors.#--Toys may be colored by the use of different materials and by various methods. Kalsomine colors, opaque water colors, variously known as show card colors, liquid tempera, and letterine,--all come under the heading of water colors. All but the kalsomine may be obtained in small jars and ready for use. Kalsomine colors come in powder form in various colors and may easily be prepared by mixing with water and a little glue to bind the parts together. They are much cheaper than the ordinary forms of transparent and opaque water colors. They may be applied with the ordinary water color brushes.

After a coat of water color has been applied to the toy, it may be necessary to remove the rough parts with very fine sand paper. Care should be taken not to "cut thru" when sanding.

To preserve and protect the water color on the toy a coat of white shellac may be applied. If a more durable finish is desired a coat of good clear varnish over the shellac will serve the purpose.

#13. Analine Water Stains.#--For general finishing of toys analine water stains will produce excellent results. They are known for their ability to penetrate the wood deeply and the ease with which any shade can be produced. Water stain raises the grain of the wood more than any other. This makes it necessary to sandpaper down the raised grain until smooth and then proceed with the shellacking and varnishing until the desired results are obtained.

In preparing analine water stains, only analines that are soluble in water are used. Place an ounce of the analine to a quart of hot or boiling water, pouring the water over the dye-stuff and stirring meanwhile with a wooden paddle or stick. Soft water is the best. In about an hour the dye may be filtered thru a piece of fine woven cloth. As metal is apt to discolor the dye, it is better to use a glass container. If the prepared solution is too strong it may be diluted in more water. Use hot water for diluting the stain.

The work with water stain must be done quickly in order to obtain a uniform coloring on the surface. Water stains are used a great deal where the dipping process is employed in the finishing of toys. A hot dipping stain is preferable to a cold dipping stain, first, because it penetrates more readily and second, because it dries quicker.

#14. Formulas for Analine Water Stains.#--(Stock Solutions).

_Red_: Rose benzol five parts, water ten parts.

_Rose Red_: Dissolve 3 oz. Rose Bengal in 5 pints of water.

_Blue_: (a) Dissolve 1 oz. of the best indigo carmine in 8 oz. of water. (b) Prussian blue dissolved in water.

_Dark Blue_: Dissolve 3 oz. Bengal blue in 3-1/2 pints of boiling water, and stir and filter the fluid in ten minutes time.

_Green_: Mix Prussian blue and raw sienna in such proportions as will give the desired color. Mix in water.

_Brown_: Dissolve 3 oz. of Bismark brown in 1/2 gal. of water.

_Yellow_: Auramine 4 parts, sulphate of soda 10 parts, mixed in water.

_Black_: Nigrosine black, four ounces, dissolved in one gallon of boiling water.

When wanted for use, these analines may be diluted with water. The rule is, an ounce of analine to the gallon of water to form a working stain. Or to a pint of the stock solution, as it is called, you may add three pints of water.

#15. Oil Stains.#--It will be found that quicker work can be done with oil stain than with water colors. For that reason, oil stains are also used a great deal as a dipping stain. In preparing oil stains, the best mineral or earth pigments to dissolve with turpentine are Van Dyke brown, chrome green, burnt and raw sienna, and lamp black.

#16. Shellacking.#--There are two kinds of shellac, orange and white. The white shellac is orange shellac that has been bleached. The purpose of shellac as commonly understood is to give a quick coat over the stain. The thin coat formed serves as a protector for the stain and also as an undercoater for the following coat of varnish. In this way at least one coat of varnish is eliminated and a great deal of time saved because the shellac dries within a few minutes. To thin shellac use denatured alcohol.

On cheaper toys a coat of shellac only may be used as a covering for the color stain. If orange shellac is used it will be found that it effects the color of the stain used. White shellac also produces a slight change in color and for this reason many working with toys will use a good clear varnish instead.

#17. Varnishing.#--Two or three coats of varnish will produce a very durable finish. The first coat of varnish ought not be quite as heavy as the succeeding coats. If the varnish is of extra heavy body it should be reduced slightly for the first coat. The best varnish reducer is thin varnish. To prepare this reducer, take one part varnish (the same varnish to be reduced), and two parts of turpentine. Shake these together well and let stand twenty-four hours before using. This will reduce the consistency of the varnish without tearing down the body as pure turpentine would. The first coat of varnish should be allowed to dry thoroly before the second coat is applied.

Oil varnishes made from good hard gums, pure linseed oil, and turpentine, are the most valuable. In using turpentine to thin varnish care should be taken that adulterated turpentine is not used. To play the game safe it is advisable to use a little benzine, for it will not injure the varnish, but will evaporate entirely, and not flatten the varnish as turpentine does.

#18. Points on Varnishing.#--(1) The less varnish is worked under the brush the better its luster. (2) Use clean brush and pot, and clean varnish. See that the surface is clean before beginning to varnish. (3) Allow a coat of varnish plenty of time for drying until it becomes hard.

#19. Colored Varnish.#--Colored varnish is that in which a proportion of varnish is added to the pigment and thinned. The base is usually an earth color such as ochre, sienna, venitian red, Van Dyke brown, umber, lamp black, etc.

With this the work can be done in one coat. This method of finishing is usually employed on the cheaper class of toys where it isn't advisable to apply an expensive finish.

#20. Another Suggestion for Finishing.#--Tint a gallon of benzine or gasoline with chrome green, chrome yellow, and vermilion, ground in Japan until the desired shade is obtained. This formulae is especially good for dipping purposes.

#21. Use of Paint.#--Although paint can be bought ready prepared and in any color, as has been stated, it is advisable to have the students mix their own colors and choose their own color scheme.

#22. Ingredients of good Paint.#--The best paints are usually made by mixing together white lead, linseed oil, pigment of the desired color (colors ground in oil), and a drier.

While white lead is sufficient as the pigment for white paint, a better result is obtained by mixing zinc oxide with the white lead. These two substances have the convenient property of balancing each other's disadvantages. For instance, zinc oxide has a tendency to crack and to peal, which is overcome by the tougher coating formed by the white lead. Again, when white lead is exposed to light and weathering, it becomes chalky, which fault is remedied by the property possessed by zinc oxide, of remaining hard.

The linseed oil used is obtained from flaxseed by pressing the thoroly ground seed. About twenty-three gallons of oil can be obtained from one bushel of the seed. By boiling the oil with lead oxide or manganese oxide it can take more oxygen from the air, and thereby its drying powers are increased.

Driers are substances that absorb oxygen from the air and give part of it to the oil. The raw linseed oil absorbs the oxygen from the air very slowly, but the addition of turpentine is a great aid in overcoming this defect.

To insure the best results in painting, one must first consider the kind and condition of the surface to be painted, and to what use the toy will be put; then decide on the proper composition and consistency of the paint.

#23. Application of Paint.#--In applying the paint to the toy the first coat should be thinned. This will act as a primer or undercoat for the succeeding coats of paint. Care should be taken that plenty of time is allowed between coats for the paint to dry thoroly. Three coats of paint will produce a good finish.

#24. Preparation of surface.#--All woodwork must be sanded and thoroly dry before any paint is applied. Care should be taken to see that all knots and sappy streaks shall be covered with a coat of orange shellac. Then apply the first coat.

After the priming coat of paint is thoroly dry, putty up all knot holes, dents, cracks, and other defects in the surface with a pure linseed oil putty composed of equal parts of white lead and whiting. When putty is dry, proceed with the other coats.

#25. Tinting Materials.#--Formulas for making tints are to be followed only in a general way. Make some allowance for slight variations in the strength and tone of different makes of colors. Chromes and ochres vary noticeably. Weigh out your color and add it gradually, not all at once, noting the effect as you go. When you reach the desired shade, stop, regardless of what the formula calls for. Turpentine and dark driers will slightly alter shades. Make allowance for this.

#26. Mixing Paints.#--Faulty mixing, even with the best of materials, is not likely to make durable paint. The important thing is to give the lead and oil a chance to incorporate themselves in that close union which they always make if allowed to do so. The following directions give best results. The order is important.

(1) Break up the white lead with a paddle, using only enough oil to bring it to the consistency of colors in oil.

(2) Add your colors for tinting. Coloring matter added after the paint has been thinned is likely to break up in lumps which leave streaks when brushed out.

(3) Put in drier.

(4) Add remainder of oil, stirring well.

(5) Last of all, put in turpentine.

Thinners help only the flow of the paint never the quality.

To strain paint thru cheese cloth before using will be a safeguard against lumpy colors and streakiness. Paint also spreads further if strained.

#27. Paint Formulas.#--As most toys are exposed to the weather a great deal, the following formulas are recommended. These take no account of tinting materials.

(a) Priming Coat:

25 pounds pure white lead 1 gallon pure raw linseed oil 1/2 gallon pure turpentine 1/4 pint drier, free from rosin

(b) Body Coat:

25 pounds pure white lead 3/8 gallon pure raw linseed oil 3/8 gallon pure turpentine 1/4 pint drier, free from rosin

(c) Finishing Coat:

25 pounds pure white lead 1 gallon pure raw linseed oil 1/4 pint pure turpentine 1/4 pint drier.

One must exercise his own discretion in using a larger or smaller quantity of oil according to whether the wood is oil absorbing, as white pine, poplar, and basswood, or less permeable, as yellow pine, cypress, spruce, and hemlock.

#28. Formulas for Making Tinted Paint.#--Any color or tint may be obtained by varying the addition of tinting colors. These tinting colors are called "colors in oil." The colors should be added to the white lead before the paint is thinned.

To twenty-five pounds of white lead ground in oil add colors in oil as follows:

Medium Blue Slate 3-1/2 oz. lamp black

Gray Blue 1/4 oz. lamp black 1 oz. Prussian blue 1/4 oz. medium chrome green

Dark Drab 5 lbs. French ochre 1/2 lb. lamp black 1/4 lb. Venitian red

Dark Slate 2 oz. lamp black 3 oz. medium chrome yellow

Dark Lilac 1 oz. lamp black 5 oz. Venitian red

Lilac 1/2 oz. lamp black 1-1/2 oz. Venitian red

Forest Green 1-1/2 oz. lamp black 8 lbs. light green 5 oz. medium chrome yellow

Buff 1-1/2 lb. French ochre 3/8 oz. Venitian Red

Cream 5 oz. French ochre

Sea Green 3/8 oz. lamp black 1/2 oz. medium chrome green 1-1/4 oz. medium chrome yellow

Where tinting colors are used in sufficiently large quantities to alter the consistency of the paint, add one-half as much linseed oil and turpentine, by weight, as you add tinting material.

#29. Enameling.#--When using enamel as a finish for toys, care should be taken that the surface of the toy is in proper condition. To obtain good results proceed as follows: Give the wood a coat of shellac. Sand lightly and dust. The following coat should consist of part of white paint and one part of the enamel to be used. This coat should be slightly tinted with the finishing color, if the finishing coat is not white. Allow twenty-four hours for drying thoroly; then sand with No. OO sand paper. Next apply a coat of enamel of the color desired for the finished work. (Enamels may be tinted with colors ground in oil.)

Should the enamel not work freely, add a spoonful of benzine to a gallon of enamel. Turpentine may also be used as a thinner for enamel.

A better finish of enamel consists of two coats of paint before applying the enamel. This gives it a stronger body and of course makes it more durable.

Because of its durability and for sanitary reasons enamel is the most desirable finish for toys. Its glossy finish is attractive and very appealing to children.

#30. The Dipping Method.#--When a considerable quantity of toys is to be finished, the problem to be faced will be the cost of application of the paint rather than the cost of the paint itself. The dipping process, (immersing the material to be covered) is found to be the most successful, especially in toy making, where so many small parts are used.

Many of the small pieces made can be subjected to the dipping process at quite a saving of time and labor, with probably better results than where the application of paint or stain is done with a brush.

The success of the dipping process depends on the arrangement adopted for holding the toys while the actual dipping is done and while they are drying. Here the exercise of a little ingenuity on the part of the students and teacher, will overcome most difficulties.

Supposing that a number of checkers, or handles, or small wheels are to be stained. A dipping frame as shown in Fig. 8 could very easily be prepared. You will notice the screen tray (which is removable), and the tin sheet which slopes towards the container. The small pieces to be stained can be handled in wire baskets with mesh just small enough so that the pieces will not fall thru.

The wire basket is then immersed in the container and worked up and down, so that the liquid will penetrate and touch all pieces. It is then pulled up and swung over the screen tray, where the contents of the wire basket is dumped. Here, the superfluous paint will drip off on the tin sheet, which, because of its slope, will cause the superfluous paint to flow back in to the container. Fig. 9 shows the dipping frame in use.

The screen tray can be removed and placed in a rack to allow for further drying. Several trays could then be made and a rack to hold them could very easily be constructed.

The paint used for dipping purposes must so be prepared that too much does not run off or too much stay on, for this is surely one way to spoil the work. It should be thinned to the right consistency and care should be taken that the thinners used are of the best quality.

Where larger pieces of work are to be dipped, wire attachments could be devised and each part hung separately over the dipping frame until ready to be placed in a rack. If the wire attachment forms a hook on one end, it will be possible to hang up the toy until drained and dried. In removing the toy from the paint it should be drawn out very slowly so that the surface of the paint may be left as smooth as possible.

Where one desires line effects on toys, these may be lined in afterwards with a small size striping brush or sign painter's pencil.

[Illustration: Fig. 8. Dipping frame]

[Illustration: Fig. 9. Using the dipping frame]

#31. Polishing by Tumbling.#---Excellent results in polishing large quantities of small pieces, may be obtained by tumbling. The material to be polished should be thoroly dry. The parts are then placed in a tumbler as shown in Fig. 10. Cut up paraffine wax into small pieces, using about one-fourth pound to each tumbler full of toys. Allow these to tumble several hours. This will distribute the wax evenly over the parts and produce a polished surface.

The tumbler as shown in Fig. 10 is turned by hand, altho it could very easily be placed in a lathe, where one is available.

#32. Care of Brushes.#--A suitable place should be provided for brushes that are not in use. A tin-lined keeper is recommended. Brushes should be suspended so that their bristles will not touch the bottom of the keeper, and have the liquid in which they are kept come well up over the bristles, so that none of the paint or varnish may dry in the butt of the brush.

#33. Paint Application by Means of Compressed Air.#--In recent years, great advancement has been made in the application of paint by means of compressed air. The early use of pneumatic painting equipment was confined almost exclusively to the application of finishing materials such as japans, enamels, lacquers, varnishes, etc., on manufactured products. But in the past few years improvements have been made which eliminate all of the difficulties originally experienced and make possible the use of this method for interior and exterior painting, such as buildings, ships, etc.; and at present, a large portion of factory maintenance work is done in this manner. Excessive fumes have been eliminated and all materials can be applied without removing the volatile thinners, solvents, binders, etc., thru air reduction. This is brought about thru the use of low pressure and the perfection of ingenious patent nozzles and other improvements.

[Illustration: Fig. 10. Tumbler for polishing small pieces]

#34. Uses of Pneumatic Sprayers.#--Pneumatic paint sprayers, or air brushes, are extensively used in the manufacture of toys, furniture, automobile bodies, sewing machines, telephones, electrical equipment; in fact, very nearly all manufactured products, as well as on ships, structural steel and iron work, bridges and buildings.

The speed of the air brush is very great compared with hand-brush work. Usually, an air-brush operator will accomplish as much in one hour as a hand or bristle-brush worker will in one day; and it is possible to obtain an even coating, free from sags, runs or brush-marks and better results are obtained than with the hand brush method. A film of paint can be applied in one operation equal to two hand-brush coats, as it is not necessary to reduce paints by thinning as much for air brush application, in a great many instances, as is the usual practice for hand-brushing. The air sprayer can also reach places inaccessible to the hand brush, and a perfect coat can be applied over rough, uneven surfaces, which could not be obtained by hand-brushing.

In considering pneumatic painting equipment, the most important thing to be kept in mind is the proper application of materials. This can be successfully accomplished only thru the use of compressed air at low pressures. By this is meant using only sufficient main-line air to lay the paint, enamel, varnish or whatever finish may be used, on the object. Excessive pressure results in fumes, waste of material and air reduction taking place. By air reduction is meant the removal of the more volatile solvents, thinners, binders, etc., thru evaporation, and the material thus loses its adherent and coherent properties.

Both types of air-brush equipment illustrated here require three cubic feet of air per minute to operate and the pressure necessary depends on the density, consistency or viscosity of the material used. For example, undercoaters, japans, etc.; require from twelve to fifteen pounds of pressure to apply perfectly; while enamels and varnishes take from eighteen to twenty-five pounds. Water stains require about five pounds of pressure.

#35. Construction of Pneumatic Painting Outfit.#--A pneumatic painting outfit for finishing work consists essentially of an air brush, either of the attached-container type or the gun-type with separate paint tank, and a small compressor of sufficient capacity to operate the air brush, which can be belt-driven from shafting or direct connected. An exhaust hood with fan, for the removal of fumes, is advisable where the operation is reasonably continuous and especially where lacquers are used. The paint, ready for application, is poured into the tank; and the compressed air line leads to the tank with a branch line for air and paint from the tank to the nozzle of the gun type of machine; while only the air line is required with the attached-container type.

The air hose used is 5/16" in diameter while the paint or fluid hose is the same size. The paint hose is made of a special compound to resist the action of the thinners, solvents, etc., used in the paint; and it is important to have this correct, so that the lining will not disintegrate and clog the air brush or gun.

Fig. 11 shows a five-gallon container type. It will be noticed that the fluid connection is nearest the nozzle and that the air connection is at the bottom of the grip.

#36. Special Attachments for Different Surfaces.#--A cone nozzle is furnished for painting irregular surfaces and a fan nozzle for wide, flat work. Adjusting and locking the nozzle regulates the degree of atomization. The jets of the fan nozzle are depressed to prevent being knocked out of alignment. Final regulation of the flow of material is made on the back of the gun, independent of the pressure on the material container. A wide variety of adjustment is possible with this positive regulation.

The first pull on the trigger gives air only, which can be used for dusting ahead of the work; and as the trigger is released, the air valve closes last, which prevents clogging and dripping. When adjustments have been made the trigger action is the only moving part of the machine. Figs. 12 and 13 show the five-gallon container type in actual use.

#37. Cleaning Pneumatic Machines.#--It is not necessary to take the gun apart nor disconnect the hose to clean the machine. Thinner can be run thru the device without loss by placing a small can of reducer of the last material used in the machine, and forcing it thru in the usual manner.

[Illustration: Fig. 11. A five-gallon air brush outfit]

#38. Directions for Cleaning Machine.#--Close right-hand Air Valve and open release valve. Unscrew air nozzle a few turns. Obstruct outlet with thumb and pull trigger. Spraying pressure is thus forced thru gun and fluid hose and the material backed into the container. It is advisable frequently to run thinner thru the machine as follows: (1) Place small can of thinner in center of container directly beneath fluid tube. (2) Replace cover and tighten wing-nuts. (3) Close left-hand air valve and open right-hand air valve. Pressure on container will force thinner thru the machine and clean perfectly without loss. Do not use spraying pressure in cleaning. The thinner can be used again for either cleaning or thinning purposes.

[Illustration: Fig. 12. Using pneumatic paint sprayers]

#39. Directions for Operating Pneumatic Equipment.#--

1. Attach main-line air hose to air filter.

2. Attach fluid hose to connection marked "Fluid" on tank and to the front connection near air nozzle on hand-piece.

[Illustration: Fig. 13. A five-gallon outfit in actual use]

3. Attach air hose to connection marked "Air" on cover and to the handle connection on hand-piece.

4. Thoroly mix and strain material so that it is entirely free from skins, lumps, and foreign materials.

5. Tighten wing-nuts until paint container is air-tight.

6. See that release valve is closed. Then open right-hand air valve, turn fluid-pressure regulator until gage shows 5 lbs. pressure in container. Pull trigger and use fluid regulator on gun to control the flow. If material is heavy, increase pressure in container.

[Illustration: Fig. 14. Attached container type of sprayer]

7. Open left-hand air valve and turn spraying pressure regulator until sufficient pressure (5 lbs. to 25 lbs.), is obtained to lay the material on.

8. Make final adjustment of the flow of material with fluid regulator on back of hand-piece and get proper spray by adjusting the air nozzle.

9. Spraying pressure and pressure in the container depends upon the density of the material used and the size of the surface to be coated. A little experimenting on the part of the operator will determine the best pressure to use. When the fan nozzle is used, 3 to 5 lbs. more pressure should be applied to the material container and from 5 to 8 lbs. more atomizing or spraying pressure used.

Fig. 14 shows a complete attached container which operates on identically the same principles as the type shown in Fig. 11. It consists of a 1-1/2 pint container, reducing outfit, compressor, and air tank. The 1-1/2 pint container as shown in Fig. 15 is supplied complete with two fluid tips, gasket, agitator tube, cup-holder, hose union, and six feet of air hose.

The reducing outfit in Fig. 16 consists of a regulative valve, an air gage, and an air filter, complete with connections and fittings. This outfit is for the purpose of maintaining an even low spraying pressure.

Regulated pressure is applied to the air-tight material container, raising the coating material to the nozzle where only sufficient main-line pressure is used to lay the coating on. The spraying pressure necessarily depends on the density, consistency and viscosity of the material used.

[Illustration: Fig. 15. A one and one-half pint container and parts]

For fine finishing work, where the quantity of materials used each day is not great, or where the colors are changed frequently, the attached container type is recommended.

#40. Preparing Colors.#--The three primary colors are red, blue and yellow. With the three primary colors at hand, almost every variety of color desirable for ordinary use can be easily prepared. Fig. 17 shows a color chart.

Red mixed with yellow will result in orange. Red mixed with blue will result in purple. Yellow mixed with blue will result in green.

The colors obtained by mixing any two primaries are called secondary colors. Therefor the secondary colors are orange, purple and green.

Orange mixed with purple will result in brown.

Orange mixed with green will result in olive.

Purple mixed with green will result in slate.

The colors obtained by mixing any two secondaries are called tertiary colors.

The tertiary colors are brown, olive and slate.

Of course different tones of each color can be made up by mixing unequal proportions.

[Illustration: Fig. 16. Reducing outfit]

[Illustration: Fig. 17. Chart showing proportions required for standard colors]

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