This process of glazing or varnishing is quite interesting. Students also helped maintain the boat, with many hours spent painting, scraping, and varnishing. Copal and other resins displaced it as equally good, less expensive varnishing materials. The fabric material was patterned, sewed together into large strips, and made ready for varnishing. Ratbert was fired for varnishing employees for use as office furniture. He applied minimal varnishing, which eliminated the effects of roundness and reflection. Varnishing was a technique well known in ancient Egypt.