European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 12, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                 1 Widen cracks by using the end of a can opener. Undercutting helps the filler to Bond More firmly. 3 smooth and level the repair by drawing the Putty knife Lengthwise across the filled area. 2 apply sparkling or a joint compound right across the surface of the crack to Fil it in completely. 4 to fill Small holes using plaster apply the plaster in layers. Before first layer hardens roughen the surface by crisscrossing. 5 apply second coat of plaster level with surface. Before the plaster hardens moisten it a bit and smooth it immediately. Not Patching plaster can be simple byjoe Howarde new York times most older Homes and apartment shave plaster Walls and ceilings. Although plaster has a harder surface and resists Wear better than Wallboard it contemporary counterpart cracking is common. Damage can also be caused when furniture hits the Wall or fasteners Are improperly installed. Minor cracks dents and holes in plaster Are easy to repair however even if you Are inexperienced. Hardware stores and Home centers carry Patching materials and tools. To repair cracks less than a Quarter of an Inch wide and holes less than that depth Purchase premixed drywall joint compound or sparkling compound. These plasticized pastes used As adhesive and filler in Wallboard construction Are sold in cans and plastic containers ready to apply with a Putty knife. For wider cracks and deeper holes up to about six inches across choose either plaster of Paris or Patching plaster. Both products Are actual plaster chemically processed Gypsum Rock and differ significantly Only in hardening time. Plaster of Paris begins to Harden in half an hour or less sometimes much less if stirred excessively during mixing. Patching plaster remains workable for nearly an hour. It makes sense to use plaster of Paris if Only a few repairs Are necessary especially if the damage is deep enough to require Force the material into the crack As you apply it by drawing the knife Back and Forth across the crack until it is filled. Then smooth the surface and wipe away any excess by drawing the knife Lengthwise Over the area. Let the filler dry apply a second layer if cracking or a depression forms. Sand the area smooth and level using 100-grit sandpaper wrapped around a Flat surfaced wooden Block or a plastic sanding Block. Before covering filled areas with paint or wallpaper apply a sealer like As shellac according to the filler instructions then paint Over the area with the recommended primer. Larger cracks can be caused by settling of the building or by Impact which is usually the chief cause of dents and Small holes. To repair these first carefully remove any fragments of Loose plaster then Brush the sides of the opening free of dust. If plaster surrounding the damage can be flexed by pushing against it this too must be removed unless it can be re anchored firmly. This is usually a Job for professionals. But if the undamaged plaster is sound and the damage is shallow less than a Quarter of an Inch deep repairs can be made by filling with joint compound or sparkling. Wet the plaster then apply the filler with a Putty knife wider than the damaged surface. If the Hole is deeper than an eighth of an Inch apply filler in separate layers of this thickness with ample drying time Between so the filler does not develop cracks. Fill deeper holes with Patching plaster or plaster of Paris. After cleaning the Hole moisten the surrounding plaster thoroughly. While the moisture is soaking in mix the plaster in a Container according to directions. Wet the damaged area again then apply the plaster in two layers with a Putty knife. The first layer should fill half the Hole. When it is moderately hard roughen its surface by scratching it in a crisscross pattern with the Corner of the Putty knife. Let the plaster Harden fully then Dampen the area again and apply the second layer. For a smooth finished surface moisten the fresh plaster slightly by spraying it or by brushing it with a Paintbrush dipped in water and immediately smooth it using the Blade of a Putty knife. Professionals Call this technique water Tro Weling. Afterwards apply shellac or another recommended sealer. Plain waxed Pine by Michael Varese new York times polishing raw Wood with Wax is among the oldest treatments  one time a Plain Wax finish was invariably associated with Oak. Waxing is not considered a finish now but rather a protective Barrier Over a Clear coating. An exception is the treatment Given to the Ever popular stripped Pine that continues to arrive on these shores from Europe. Some of the Best of these imports started their lives As bases for veneer. In these pieces the construction the Quality and the seasoning of the Wood were Paramount for any movement of the Wood once the veneer was applied would disturb the flawless look of the polished veneered surfaces. The increasing popularity of Plain waxed Pine led manufacturers to forgo the addition of veneer. Dealers Sand and fill the surfaces and then give these pieces a few Coats of Clear or coloured paste Wax. This treatment usually produces the familiar Low Luster and Light if not Blond look. Other Pine furniture not so Well built was often painted or decorated since the Wood usually lacked attractive configurations or color contrasts. The use of paste Wax on unfinished Wood is frowned upon by most professional restorers As it attracts dust which eventually works its Way through the Wax and into the Wood to produce a grading dirty look that is almost impossible to Correct. Wax is delicate and will withstand neither spills nor heat. Therefore it should be used Only on pieces that Are not Likely to encounter either of these conditions. The usual objection to first sealing the Wood with a coat of Clear finish is that the sealer darkens and changes the Wood s color depending upon the age of the Wood and in the Case of renovations How it was treated when its finish was removed. Then again Pine is a Broad term sometimes applied to several varieties of White Wood each of which May respond differently to sealing. To keep Pine s color Light use White shellac As the sealer. This usually produces a look known As Honey Pine. Shellac is not impervious to heat and spills either. If varnish and polyurethane Are used they produce a slightly Darker look referred to As pumpkin Pine. But if Wax you must on raw Wood then first make sure the surfaces Are made clean and uniform by sanding. Apply a generous coat of White or Clear paste Wax with a cloth and rub in circles. The pad must be kept on the move vigorously while the solvent in the Wax is evaporating before too Long Only a Fine even layer of hardened Wax remains. Finish off with a clean polishing cloth. You can always put on another coat of Wax but leave the work for a few Days at least. Otherwise the new Wax will simply dissolve the existing layer. You can also try one of the Brown paste polishes to achieve an antique effect but test it first in an out of the Way spot. When buying waxed Pine from a dealer always ask for recommendations for maintenance of the finish. In the absence of instructions simply dust regularly and do not apply further Wax until the surfaces become Dull and fail to be revived by the polishing cloth. When this happens it usually Means the Wax finish has worn out or sunk out of sight and must be renewed. I never recommend waxing new Pine without first using a sealer. The Wood has not had time to become Case hardened and is often too soft to respond Well to Wax no matter How Well it is applied. Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday August 12,1988