Replies

1. 
   M.Foscone | Feb 23, 2000 06:47am | #1

   *
   Cliff
   I beleive your problem was with the Kleen Strip Afterwash, whatever that stuff is. I am also one who does not beleive in using fine steel wool to remove stripper.If
   you use 0000 steel wool to remove the stripper the apperance can be deceiving.The surface will look clean and feel clean,but is it really?The residual finish has to go somewhere.Some is abbsorbed into the steel wool,some pushed onto the floor but the rest is forced back into the pores.
   And with Oak,there are quite a few pores.
   I always wash my stripper off with lacquer thinner and red
   scotch brite.
   Try this on your rocker it might still work.If it doesn't
   I would reccomend using a strong household cleaner such as
   Formula 409 and either a red or green scotch brite. Make sure you use plenty of water with the cleaner.
   Don't worry to much about losing the patina,it can be replaced.

1. 
   cliff | Feb 25, 2000 01:03am | #2

   *Here is an interesting response I got from Michael Dresdner on another BBS:"You said the wood was a sickly grey green and that you are sure the piece was originally fumed. You have pretty accurately described the background color of fumed oak, especially when it is done at low temperatures. The "clear" finish adds some warmth to the cool fuming to bring it up to color. In addition, it was not at all uncommon to add some dye to bring the color into line with what the customer wanted.Please take a look at the Arts and Crafts finishing article in the current issue of Woodworker's Journal (April, 2000, Volume 24, number 2, pp. 52 - 57). If this is still way off base, write back.There is always the possibility that you somehow got a water and tanin reaction to the steel wool, but what you describe sounds more like the above."Mr. Dresdner implies that the fuming process is temperature sensitive and will produce different colorations at different temperatures. That makes sense to me as I've on rare occassion seen A & C fumed pieces that were green, but I had always assumed it had been dyed.

1. 
   Jeff_Jewitt | Feb 25, 2000 01:52am | #3

   *I'd check to see if the wood really is green, by wetting it with alcohol or mineral spirits. If it indeed is, then try these in order.Make a solution of oxalic acid by putting a couple of teaspoons in a pint of hot water. Apply it to an inconspicuous place, let it sit overnight, then see if the color is gone.If not , wash with plenty of distilled water and then try the "B" part of a two part wood bleach.If that doesnt work you can counteract the greenish color by applying a dilute or thinned red dye stain. Jeff Jewitt

1. 
   Bob_Dingler | Feb 29, 2000 04:43pm | #4

   *The gray color may have come from the steel wool. It some times reacts with the stripper and creates a steel wool and vinegar stain that remains on the wood. Jeffs answer is the same procedure that we use when confronted with this problem.

1. 
   cliff | Mar 01, 2000 03:25am | #5

   *Thx to all who responded. Rather than fight the flow, I decided to go with it. I used an aniline dye to even up coloration on all pieces. J. E. Moser's "Medium Fumed Oak" produced an almost identical greenish hue upon drying and before knocking the grain back down. A light sanding w/240 grit Tri-M-ite brought all parts back to a nice brown, so whatever reaction was in play happened only on the surface.

2. 
   peter_evans | Aug 12, 2000 07:17am | #6

   *I have some old Kauri pine planks that I am cleaning up. They were stair risers, and originally finished in shellac. Later the stairs were apparently carpeted, because the planks have a layer of sticky adhesive. After stripping the adhesive and shellac, the planks are dark where the shellac was. Is there a way of removing the shellac, stain and all?Thanks

3. 
   Bob_Berner | Aug 13, 2000 02:24am | #7

   *Peter, The old shellac should dissolve with the application of fresh alcohol. You mention in your message "After stripping the adhesive and shellac" If you have stripped the shellac there should be none there to remove. If you want to lighten the wood after the shellac is removed you can either sand it or run the wood through a planer to get to fresh wood, or you can try bleaching it. I can't offer any help on the bleaching, never did it, but you could search the archives here and see if the question has been answered before.Bob