Author Topic: African Blackwood  (Read 4395 times)

Offline Woodware500

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African Blackwood
« on: October 15, 2019, 07:51:23 PM »
After sanding to a fine finish a small pot
in a mad moment I washed the piece in Acetone which has removed some or all of the surface
oils. It is definitely murky under the buffed (Beale system)finish
Does anyone have any suggestions.
I thought I could soak it in oil but what sort ?There is a lot of oil out there.
Liberon Tung , which has to be diluted with white spirit , not sure about that. Teak reviving oil, linseed,the list goes on.

Anyone ?

Jeff

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2019, 09:16:41 PM »
I wouldn't use oil, not keen on them personally. Buff hard with tripoli wax then again with carnauba. Finish with a soft buff on a wheel.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline John Plater

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2019, 09:54:29 AM »
If you want an oiled finish, my "go to" is a hard Wax Oil, usually OSMO Polyx Oil, 3032 clear satin. In my view it is a finish which leaves a piece of wood looking like a piece of wood.
ATB John
If I had a better lathe, I would be able to show my ineptitude more effectively.

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2019, 11:06:26 AM »
In my view it is a finish which leaves a piece of wood looking like a piece of wood.
ATB John

Interesting point there John, so many pieces I see in competitions etc. are so fine and glossy they take on a plastic appearance, and even more so become plastic to the touch as well. I like wood to look and importantly feel like wood, sometimes that means  putting up with the odd imperfection because it was grown not molded.

« Last Edit: October 16, 2019, 11:09:25 AM by Twisted Trees »
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline Wood spinner

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2019, 03:11:47 PM »
In my view it is a finish which leaves a piece of wood looking like a piece of wood.
ATB John

Interesting point there John, so many pieces I see in competitions etc. are so fine and glossy they take on a plastic appearance, and even more so become plastic to the touch as well. I like wood to look and importantly feel like wood, sometimes that means  putting up with the odd imperfection because it was grown not molded.

Probably due to the craze of Yourshire grit and YG micro fine

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2019, 04:03:44 PM »
Joe public i.e. the non turning fraternity aren't that keen on oiled wood. Tried it early on and it tended to get ignored ukless it was a utility piece. Mind they don't like that really heavy lacquered look either. Might be different for coloured work but I find that well polished work sells best at shows.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline John Plater

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2019, 06:51:20 PM »
Joe public i.e. the non turning fraternity aren't that keen on oiled wood. Tried it early on and it tended to get ignored ukless it was a utility piece. Mind they don't like that really heavy lacquered look either. Might be different for coloured work but I find that well polished work sells best at shows.
Pete


IMHO Joe public don't know what a finish is !! ;) Most people are taken by the tactility of a surface. I have never met any resistance to a hard wax oil finish. People with any appreciation of wood, know of hard wax oil or are interested in the story of it. If I have the time, cellulose sealer, wax and then cutting back with 0000 steel wool takes a lot of beating. The problem is that very many of the piecesI do are from less than sound material and wax is a non starter. So the hard wax oil is a more than suitable compromise. I have used it for 10 of my 12 years of selling work.
ATB John
If I had a better lathe, I would be able to show my ineptitude more effectively.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2019, 07:29:47 PM »
Must admit John I am a bit stuck in a rut with finishes. What works for me for years has been pure carnauba wax buffed on. I do use microcrystalline occasionally. What I don't personally like is lacquers and varnishes and that, as someone called it 'plastic' look. Be interesting excercise to put several peces done with different finishes together and see what the difference is exactly. Tactility is important IMHO with wood, differenet woods feel different, look different and eveb smell dfferent and cam all contribute to the attraction (or otherwise) of a piece.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2019, 01:17:14 AM »
Sorry Jeff, we have diverted your topic... But since we are on that tangent... I agree on not liking varnishes, I once got into using CA glue as a finish on pens, they were very shiny and no matter how long the essay you would not put a permanent finger print on it, and they actually sold well too, but I didn't like it and stopped making pens completely because they just were not tactile. 

One of my favorite pieces of wood is the banister in Temple Meads, Bristol, railway station. It was probably oiled once with boiled linseed or something similar, and I bet it was perfectly straight 150 years ago. Now it is oiled by millions of greasy hands, softer areas have worn into gentle indented curves, but I am a silly sod who strokes logs! 

Anyway back to the chemical burns on African Blackwood Jeff if you have some off-cuts to play with try washing in acetone then give both the first 2 suggestions a go, and also maybe the Teak reviving oil with wax on top it's what pleases you that matters. and far better to try things out on a piece of flat wood that you have not spent hours on.
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline hughie

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2019, 01:22:58 PM »
If its too oily you can try and wash away the oil to get your preferred finish to stick, or perhaps after washing try a Danish Oil with less oil than the other two components ie 40/40 of thinner/Turps etc and varnish 20% BLO.
Sometimes on similar oily piece I have warmed the piece up to bring the oil to the surface, say 35-40C for an hour or so. Then wash with meths a couple of times wiping off the powdery residue you can get from meths. Then go with your friction  Carnauba  polish till you get the shine you want. But I suspect it gonna be a bit of trial and error.

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: African Blackwood
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2019, 09:40:52 AM »
To revive this finished item I would buff with burnishing cream and then polish with a wax, but normally with Af. Blackwood you don'y need an applied finish, just a bit of micro chrstalline to prevent finger prints.