Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-1, страница 58
FINISHING HOTLINE A 50-Year Finish — No Waiting! By Michael Dresdner ABOUT MICHAEL DRESDNER Michael Dresdner is a nationally known finishing expert and the author o/The New Wood Finishing Book from Taunton Press. When not writing about woodworking, he is an active community theater participant. Contact us by writing to "Finishing Hotline," Woodworker's Journal, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340, by faxing us at (763) 478-8396 or by e-mailing us at: finishing#woodworkers|ournal.com Please include your home address, phone number and e-mail address (if you have one) with your question. Want to get a rich amber pine finish without waiting 50 years for it to develop? Start with sealing, not with stain. I have been using a wipe-on polyurethane finishing technique by mixing oil-based satin polyurethane with mineral spirits. It has worked well, especially while turning projects on a lathe. Am I missing something by not using the already prepared product such as Wipe-On Poly? Is there some additive missing from my procedure that will ease the application or enhance the finish? Salvatore F. Pontecorvo Fort Wayne, Indiana Michael Responds: Yes and no. Yes, wipe-on polyurethanes often have extra oil or some other ingredient that adds lubricity to the mix, making it easier to wipe and slower to dry. No, the addition of such ingredients does not enhance the final finish. In other words, if you are happy with how your homemade mixture of diluted polyurethane applies, there is absolutely no reason to switch to anything else. tW^ We had a beautiful cedar wood ceiling in our 14-year-old home. About two years ago, we rented it, and the renters decided to have the house spray painted, subsequently leaving a splash line of paint along the vaulted cedar ceiling. The painter did not bother to clean up his mess. Now we find it most difficult to remove since we have maintained a chemical-free environment. Is it worth saving? Can we restore its beauty by sanding the entire ceiling? Can cedar be refinished, stained or varnished? We really do not know what to do. We are willing to work hard to restore it. Daniel and Jacqueline Bik Sarasota, Florida Last year, a flash flood took out the lower level of our house. I'm redoing the den with knotty pine tongue-and-groove boards. I've seen old fishing cabins where the interior pine paneling has turned a beautiful orange-yellow. Can you give me a tip how I can get a warm look like this without waiting 50 years? Bob Goozen Whitehall, Montana Michael Responds: When pine ages, it both changes color and gets more translucent. You can't fake the latter, but it is easy enough to mimic the former. Staining the pine, as I suspect you know, is not a good idea as it will make the early wood bands darker than the late wood. Instead, start by sealing the wood with one coat of clear finish, then switch to clear coats that have been tinted with a bit of dye. As long as the tinted finish is applied evenly, you will get subtle but uniform color alteration. Done adroitly, it can look very convincingly like aged pine. 104 February 2008 Woodworker's Journal |
