There are two distinst natures in woods employed for house and cabinet work, therefore, different treatment is required in finishing. First, there is the coarse or open-grained wood, having its surface perforated with innumerable pores or cells. In order to obtain a smooth and even finish, these pores should be filled up to a level with the hard grain, or, as the grainer would term them, the "lights" of the wood.

Next we have the fine or close-grained wood, which, like the preceding, also contains these pores, but they are of a very fine character, and simply sealing them up with a liquid filler will enable one to produce a fine smooth finish, which we shall consider farther on.

Open or wide-grained wood requires more attention and care than the closer-grained wood, if same results are expected. There are many things that will serve the purpose of fillers and make pretty fair work; among these may be mentioned, china clay, silver white and corn starch, the best of which is probably the last named. This is well adapted to the work being equally useful with light, or when colored with dark wood. One fault with it is that it never hardens. China clay - the English is the best - makes an exceedingly good filler; it is light in color, very fine and dries as hard as cement.

There are a hundred ways of preparing fillers for use, and nearly as many different materials for making them. Wherever possible, it is recommended that Wheeler's patent quartz filler be used, although in many cases, it may not be advisable to use it. To meet these rare conditions the following mixtures may be substituted.

A filler should be so mixed that the greater portion of the vehicle will penetrate into the wood, leaving the pigment on the surface to be rubbed into the pores and still retain enough combining property to form a hard and impenetrable surface. This depends entirely on the proportions of the vehicles employed, and, as different pigments require different quantities of vehicle, I seldom mix filler by actual measurement unless it is in large amounts. Proceed with the mixing by filling your pot two-thirds full of the dry pigment, then add boiled linseed oil, producing the consistency of putty, then dilute with about one part Japan and two parts turpentine. Should it be required to keep the wood as light as possible, replace the boiled oil with raw, using a smaller quantity, but a little more Japan.

For all light wood the light Japan should be preferred, although there are many who never use anything but the common brown. Naphtha can also be employed in place of the turpentine, somewhat reducing the expense, but as naphtha evaporates much faster, it prevents the operator from covering an extended surface without running the risk of having it dry hard. This causes difficulty at "rubbing it in" and wiping off the surplus, although "wiping off" should not proceed until the filler has flatted, or at least, set. This to a certain extent the operator can accelerate or retard by omitting or adding a small quantity of oil, keeping in view the fact that the smaller the quantity of oil used, the lighter colored, but the less durable, will be the finish.

Oil is sometimes used as a filler, but is not recommended; applied directly to the wood, its effect is to swell the fibres, or "raise the grain," which remains in that condition until the oil becomes entirely dry or disappears. During this time the fibres are gradually shrinking, and consequently moving or checking the varnish. The qualities essential to a good filler are that it readily enter the porous portion of the wood, and harden quickyly and render the wood impervious to the varnish, which should lie smoothly on the surface, giving a brilliant effect to the natural beauty of the wood; and that it does not raise the grain of the wood; and that it does not change the color of the wood.