Replies

1. 
   BobSmalser | Oct 30, 2003 03:46am | #1

   You ain't gonna get there from here, I'm afraid...lye works to age cherry and will remove some of the oil, as would solvents...but I'm afraid it will still be blotchy.  LInsed it tough to remove.

   I'd use a linseed-based polymerized oil finish like Birchwood Casey Truoil, after taking off excess, undried oil with heat gun and rag, then letting the whole thing dry for a month or so in a heated room.

   Truoil is a tried and true finish for gunstocks...water resistant, doesn't darken, and easily renewed...it sets up as an oil finish with 2 coats or a soft varnish with 6 or so coats.

2. 
   Paul_Snyder | Oct 30, 2003 04:20am | #2

   Chuck - sounds like the danish oil isn't cured. Let the oil dry until odor free (up to a week), then sand very lightly with 320 or 400 grit to smooth. If the sandpaper gums up, the finish is still not cured (which may indicate contamination from the stripping). If it sands smooth without a problem, go ahead with the shellac.

   While waiting for the danish oil to cure, keep the piece in a warm, dry place. A well lit area will help as well.

   EDIT - after re-reading your post, I'm wondering if you're saying you used alcohol & linseed oil to "strip" the chest? Could you explain that in more detail? Thanks,

   Paul S

   
   

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   Edited 10/29/2003 9:26:06 PM ET by Paul S

1. 
   cgpq225 | Oct 31, 2003 01:25am | #3

   Paul,

   Thanks for the advise.  I will let the oil cure for a week.  I tried lightly sanding after a day and it gumed the paper.

   I stripped an old finish (apparently shellac and wax) with alcohol.  It is very hot and dry here and the alcohol was evaporating as soon as it contacted the surface.  A friend who has done some great refinishing (but no cherry experience) recommended adding a little linseed oil to retard the evaporation and to make the stripper less harsh.  It stripped easily.  I then went over everything a couple of times with just alcohol to clean the piece.

   It has great color and I do not want to sand too much.  Does it make a difference if I use dewaxed or waxed shellac?

   Thanks again

   Chuck

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 31, 2003 05:15am | #4

   Chuck, it's the uncured Watco that's giving you the headaches.  Watco can take a long time to cure out.  Sounds like you might have put a little more on than recommended in the magazine article.  NOTE:  Be sure your chest is "curing" in a room-temperature environment (or warmer) and not in a cold shop.  Otherwise, the Watco will pop it's little beads out at a very inconvenient time.

   If Jeff was using de-waxed shellac, he would have specified it in the article.  If you want to hit him up for some advice, he answers questions at his web-site forum:  http://www.homesteadfinishing.com

   If you feel you may have put on significantly more Watco than you should have, you could probably go over the chest with a rag moistened in solvent to help remove some.  Which solvent?  Oooooo, can't remember....acetone?  Maybe someone can help out here.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   Paul_Snyder | Oct 31, 2003 06:27am | #5

   Hi Chuck,

   The recommendation to add linseed oil as a retarder was not good advice. Linseed oil is a drying oil, not a solvent. The only stripper that is too "harsh" is lye; effective but dangerous to people and wood. If the alcohol was effective at removing the old finish, then shellac was on the piece. Next time, work a smaller area at a time so evaporation is not a problem or use a semi-paste stripper.

   If you plan to use polyurethane or a waterborne finish over the shellac, then use dewaxed shellac. Otherwise, shellac that contains wax will be fine. The oil (linseed and danish) should dry/cure enough to topcoat in a week's time.

   Paul S

3. 
   IanC | Nov 01, 2003 01:57am | #6

   I don't have access to Jeff Jewitt's article, so can someone tell me the advantages of putting shellac over Watco oil?  Why not a few more coats of Watco? 

   Thanks,  Ian

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 01, 2003 08:57am | #7

   Ian, in that article he's building a finish by padding.  Maybe should summarize the article, so as not to confuse.  He's discussing 2 ways of finishing cherry that will avoid or greatly reduce blotching problems.  The first method leaves the cherry "a golden color that will continue to darken with age."  It involves applying a light coat of either BLO or Watco -- "just enough...to make the wood look wet."  After the oil has dried (a couple days), it's scuff-sanded a shellac coat is padded on.  Can be followed by additional coats, or a varnish for better protection.

   The second method is an "instant aging method" that involves using a light amber dye stain, then a seal-coat, followed by a gel stain used as a glaze, followed by shellac again.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   HowardAcheson | Nov 02, 2003 04:39am | #8

   Couple of problems.

   Did you strip off all the finish or just clean the existing? The reason I ask is that Watco is not a product that you use over another finish. It should go on a fully stripped, virgin surface. It is designed to penetrate the wood surface and it can't do that if there is any other finish in the way.

   Watco is about 50% linseed oil so putting it on top of a surface already coated and saturated with linseed oil would be the wrong thing to do.

   The process of using alcohol and linseed oil--was it raw linseed oil or boiled linseed oil?--is somewhat new to me. Some conservators will use a mineral spirits and linseed oil on old finishes to clean them up. But, they do not add a finish afterwards. I'm curious where the process you followed came from?

   Finally, if it is an old piece, then it may have been polished with product containing silicone. Grocery store "furniture polishes" like Pledge and others contain silicone. If the surface has any silicone on it, you will never be able to put on another finish without completely stripping the finish, treating the surface to remove the silicone and then spraying with shellac to seal what is left. Then you can put on a new finish.

   Where to go from here depends on whether this is an antique or just an old, nice piece of furniture. If it's an antique I would take it to someone who specializes in conserving antiques. If it is just an nice piece of furniture I would recommend getting rid of all the gunk you put on the piece and starting over.

1. 
   camel | Nov 03, 2003 01:08am | #9

   As crazy as this sounds, I use Watco danish oil over Milk paint everytime I use milk paint for a finish on chairs and tables. I actually got the idea from Mike Dunbar after I took one of his classes a few years ago. It works great everytime. This is funny because like you say, the back of the can basically says for fresh wood only.John E. Nanasy

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 03, 2003 02:08am | #10

   Crazy hardly covers it, LOL!  I'll have to try that one for sure! forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   Gretchen | Nov 03, 2003 04:29pm | #11

   I use Watco danish oil over Milk paint everytime I use milk paint for a finish

   This is funny because like you say, the back of the can basically says for fresh wood only.

   In my opinion you are just using it as a glaze coat to give it a "look".Gretchen

1. 
   camel | Nov 03, 2003 07:34pm | #12

   Yeah I'm sure you're right. I am not much of a finisher. That's basically what it does, is just darkens and evens out the color of the milk paint, which is uneven in color and shade.John E. Nanasy

3. 
   HowardAcheson | Nov 04, 2003 06:14pm | #13

   Not as crazy as you may think. Watco is about 1/2 linseed oil when the thinner evaporates. Linseed oil was frequently use to coat milk paint to make it somewhat more durable. The other halt for Watco is resin (vanish) so, it to, adds to the durability and appearence of milk paint.