old style brown varnish

I have an old 1890's lecturn to restore for my sons primary school.
Its kauri covered in that dark brown varnish,
I want to make it the same but better if you know what i mean.
The original is too far gone to just revive, but I thought id hav a go at replicating the original finish and then "ageing" it so the kauri peeps through at the edges,
anyone know the recipe for this, is it just shellac with powder tints,
ive tried this before and cant seem to get it opaque enough.
what is the difference between shellac and varnish?

Astrid

Replicate it with shellac coloured with universal tint then rub back with 0000 steel wool and finish of with a good wax. Will give a beautiful aged look and a silky soft almost sensual feel.

Kauri and other pine was often chemically dyed with condy's crystals (potassium permanganate) which gives a deep walnut brown colour to the timber without any loss of figuring or grain features.

Cheers - Neil :)

What do you mean by universal tint, Ive got some burnt umber powder,
from umbria.
I picked up some really good walnut wax on Saturday, Ill use that,
but what was varnish, some restorers books refer to it as soluble in turps

Astrid:U

Universal tint is the stuff they tint paint with in the hardware or paint shop. The stuff in the big carousel. Bit of burnt umber and lamp black should do the job. Mixes in much better than the powder depending on weather the powder is oil, water or alcohol soluble.

Personally I'd be using a clear wax rather than the walnut which may muddy the finish a little. Especially if you are looking for the worn through aged look. On the other hand if you're looking for the dirty, aged look for mouldings, carvings etc then you have the right thing.

The stuff your talking about (varnish) would most likely be an oil varnish almost impossible to get here in Oz any more. You could try a precoloured poly but it won't give any where near the same effect. You might also try Black Japan with a few coats of white shellac containing the tint. There was a SA mob making the old oil varnish but not too sure who they are or were.

Don't care what anyone else says. The easiest and quickest result would be with the shellac and universal tint.

agree to use shellac, i was just curious about the oil varnish.
personally i've never come across it, was just reading an old restorers book that talked about testing for it before stripping.
I am not sure which way to go with the finish as the school just dumped it on me without instructions.
but as this is a freebie, I think i'll play with it and do a complete old shabby but cared for look and try to replicate the original.

The powder i have i assume is soil from Umbria, cost a mint but mixes pretty well with everything

thanks Niel

Astrid:)