15-01-2013, 11:44 AM
Hi,
Thanks David for the information regarding Danish Oil. Danish oil dries reasonably quickly in warm conditions and is extremely easy to apply. A genuine oiled finish is Linseed Oil and this is slow drying; my old Charles Hayward book on finishing states a linseed oil finish is never actually finished as the surface will always accept another coat. The old method of using linseed oil was to keep applying coats over two or three months and after each coat the oil would be buffed; to facilitate this buffing and to save great strain on arms old craftsmen wrapped a common brick in soft cloth saving having to bear down on the cloth. Old farmhouse tables benefited from a linseed oil finish as very hot pans could be placed on a table so treated with impunity.
The two restored items in the pictures Gary look wonderful and up to your usual very high standard; if these don't encourage others to have a go at finishing a "woody" then nothing will.
I agree Gary when you say cabinets with flat panels are easier to French polish; mouldings are more difficult and these need brushing with care; openings in panels also cause problems but as you say experience helps and practicing on simple cabinets helps a great deal.
You are wise and sensible Gary in using the correct mask for spraying; I use a proper respirator fitted with a vapour cartridge and as you say during spraying the paint cannot be smelled and if it can then it is time to change the cartridge. It is so easy to underestimate the fumes being emitted whilst spraying; even using aerosol cans the fumes build very quickly in a confined space like an enclosed garage or workshop. The "stink" you mention Gary is related to the fumes; the greater the stink the more fumes. It's possible that an explosion will not occur due to build up of fumes even if spraying a thousand times but what about the one time when everything is just right and an explosion does occur? This is something I do worry about as I not only use lots of aerosol's but I blast paint on using a big compressor and spray gun; I also French polish in a confined workshop.
Only a fool would spray paint near a naked flame but what about sparks generated from lights and even more basic than this what about static? When I remove a jumper in the dark it's like a firework demonstration at times depending on the jumper material. An explosion from a garage or workshop full of paint fumes will never be a pleasant experience.
Around 1972 I was employed as a glass fibre laminator and the tools were washed in open containers of acetone. One day whilst my colleague was washing a roller out two containers of acetone erupted in flames; the reason could have been the intense sun beating in through the small square roof windows or even a spark from his clothing. The fire was quickly extinguished and we carried on working as if nothing had happened.
I seldom use my paint spraying equipment because the weather prevents it. I do use aerosol's and at times I have long sessions using shellac; I prefer the smell of shellac to lacquer and I never resort to using a mask whilst French polishing.
It's worth mentioning that rags soaked in oil should be quickly and safely disposed of; if piled they can self ignite without warning; the odd rag can be opened and placed flat on a bench without trouble but otherwise an air tight container is the way to go. Wire wool also burns.
If I'm banging on about the dangers of paint fumes it's because it only takes one explosion to destroy lives. Better safe than sorry.
I've done quite a bit of paint spraying over the years and find it most satisfying to watch the results appear; if applied correctly "over-spray" can be avoided leaving a beautiful finish straight from the gun or aerosol and spraying is a technique quickly learned.
If I didn't suffer 9 months winter and 3 months bad weather every year Gary it's highly likely I would never have touched shellac; I find it most frustrating having decent spraying equipment but being unable to use it due to our terrible climate here on the valley side. On our hottest summers days (25 degrees C) I've sprayed just inside the garage entrance whilst watching tiny whirlwinds at the base of the door frames; exterior painting is a major challenge. It's snowing as I type.
Given better conditions I'm sure we would both be discussing the merits of spray paint Gary without shellac even being mentioned but because of my working environment I adopted shellac as a finishing medium as I can apply shellac in comfort of a small sealed workshop.
I'm forever moaning about the weather and heres an example. On Sunday I visited the BBC weather website and checked the weather for Huddersfield. Bron and I intended to visit Boundary Mills in Colne on Monday (yesterday) going after dinner. The morning was forecast as fine with sleet in the afternoon? Yesterday morning we got up to snow; being worried about becoming stranded we decided to visit Boundary Mills In Rotherham instead. I threw the snow chains under the drivers seat and already having snow tyres fitted we set off yesterday morning; by the time we had traveled two miles to the top of Grange Moor the snow was coming down and covering. It eased off towards Rotherham. Whilst in the store Bron said it's snowing heavily outside? Sure enough it was coming down in big flakes so we returned home. The car was messed up and wet so upon arriving home I washed the car then backed it into the garage allowing me to leather it dry; all this time it was still snowing. Whilst having dinner someone threw a switch; the snow abruptly stopped and we could not see the TV screen for brilliant sunshine; not another flake of snow fell all afternoon. Out of interest I had a look at the BBC weather once again only to find the forecast had now been changed?
Finishing is a huge subject and perhaps more suited to a dedicated thread? Sorry Jim we appear to have hi-jacked your thread but it's generating a lot of interesting discussion.
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks David for the information regarding Danish Oil. Danish oil dries reasonably quickly in warm conditions and is extremely easy to apply. A genuine oiled finish is Linseed Oil and this is slow drying; my old Charles Hayward book on finishing states a linseed oil finish is never actually finished as the surface will always accept another coat. The old method of using linseed oil was to keep applying coats over two or three months and after each coat the oil would be buffed; to facilitate this buffing and to save great strain on arms old craftsmen wrapped a common brick in soft cloth saving having to bear down on the cloth. Old farmhouse tables benefited from a linseed oil finish as very hot pans could be placed on a table so treated with impunity.
The two restored items in the pictures Gary look wonderful and up to your usual very high standard; if these don't encourage others to have a go at finishing a "woody" then nothing will.
I agree Gary when you say cabinets with flat panels are easier to French polish; mouldings are more difficult and these need brushing with care; openings in panels also cause problems but as you say experience helps and practicing on simple cabinets helps a great deal.
You are wise and sensible Gary in using the correct mask for spraying; I use a proper respirator fitted with a vapour cartridge and as you say during spraying the paint cannot be smelled and if it can then it is time to change the cartridge. It is so easy to underestimate the fumes being emitted whilst spraying; even using aerosol cans the fumes build very quickly in a confined space like an enclosed garage or workshop. The "stink" you mention Gary is related to the fumes; the greater the stink the more fumes. It's possible that an explosion will not occur due to build up of fumes even if spraying a thousand times but what about the one time when everything is just right and an explosion does occur? This is something I do worry about as I not only use lots of aerosol's but I blast paint on using a big compressor and spray gun; I also French polish in a confined workshop.
Only a fool would spray paint near a naked flame but what about sparks generated from lights and even more basic than this what about static? When I remove a jumper in the dark it's like a firework demonstration at times depending on the jumper material. An explosion from a garage or workshop full of paint fumes will never be a pleasant experience.
Around 1972 I was employed as a glass fibre laminator and the tools were washed in open containers of acetone. One day whilst my colleague was washing a roller out two containers of acetone erupted in flames; the reason could have been the intense sun beating in through the small square roof windows or even a spark from his clothing. The fire was quickly extinguished and we carried on working as if nothing had happened.
I seldom use my paint spraying equipment because the weather prevents it. I do use aerosol's and at times I have long sessions using shellac; I prefer the smell of shellac to lacquer and I never resort to using a mask whilst French polishing.
It's worth mentioning that rags soaked in oil should be quickly and safely disposed of; if piled they can self ignite without warning; the odd rag can be opened and placed flat on a bench without trouble but otherwise an air tight container is the way to go. Wire wool also burns.
If I'm banging on about the dangers of paint fumes it's because it only takes one explosion to destroy lives. Better safe than sorry.
I've done quite a bit of paint spraying over the years and find it most satisfying to watch the results appear; if applied correctly "over-spray" can be avoided leaving a beautiful finish straight from the gun or aerosol and spraying is a technique quickly learned.
If I didn't suffer 9 months winter and 3 months bad weather every year Gary it's highly likely I would never have touched shellac; I find it most frustrating having decent spraying equipment but being unable to use it due to our terrible climate here on the valley side. On our hottest summers days (25 degrees C) I've sprayed just inside the garage entrance whilst watching tiny whirlwinds at the base of the door frames; exterior painting is a major challenge. It's snowing as I type.
Given better conditions I'm sure we would both be discussing the merits of spray paint Gary without shellac even being mentioned but because of my working environment I adopted shellac as a finishing medium as I can apply shellac in comfort of a small sealed workshop.
I'm forever moaning about the weather and heres an example. On Sunday I visited the BBC weather website and checked the weather for Huddersfield. Bron and I intended to visit Boundary Mills in Colne on Monday (yesterday) going after dinner. The morning was forecast as fine with sleet in the afternoon? Yesterday morning we got up to snow; being worried about becoming stranded we decided to visit Boundary Mills In Rotherham instead. I threw the snow chains under the drivers seat and already having snow tyres fitted we set off yesterday morning; by the time we had traveled two miles to the top of Grange Moor the snow was coming down and covering. It eased off towards Rotherham. Whilst in the store Bron said it's snowing heavily outside? Sure enough it was coming down in big flakes so we returned home. The car was messed up and wet so upon arriving home I washed the car then backed it into the garage allowing me to leather it dry; all this time it was still snowing. Whilst having dinner someone threw a switch; the snow abruptly stopped and we could not see the TV screen for brilliant sunshine; not another flake of snow fell all afternoon. Out of interest I had a look at the BBC weather once again only to find the forecast had now been changed?
Finishing is a huge subject and perhaps more suited to a dedicated thread? Sorry Jim we appear to have hi-jacked your thread but it's generating a lot of interesting discussion.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
