water stains

[ChrisPy]

I have a few black marks where water has run down the oak faced ply.

 

How best to remove without leaving a nasty bleach mark on the veneer?

[Gary Peacock]

I have a few black marks where water has run down the oak faced ply.

 

How best to remove without leaving a nasty bleach mark on the veneer?

 

We have never found a 100% cure but bleach or lemon juice is said to work, but I would do a careful trial before lashing loads on!

[Baron & Mrs Boater]

I have used an old remedy.....it has really worked for me.

 

Mix a stiff paste up of Brasso or other liquid metal polish and cigarette ash. Rub on the stain with small circular movements and dry off with kitchen towel. You may need to polish or re-wax afterwards, to get rid of the white bloom, but if you don't go mad with the elbow grease you should be OK.

 

This remedy also removes coffee cup rings - just need to find someone who still smokes. You need quite a lot of fag ash to make the paste. It really does work !

 

You could also try the following method, but I haven't used it so cannot vouch for its efficiency....

 

Apply a small amount of non-gel toothpaste to a damp, clean, lint-free cloth.

Rub toothpaste over the water spot.

Remove film with a clean, damp cloth.

Dry with a clean, dry cloth.

Polish.

 

 

B& Mrs B

[John Orentas]

I have used wire wool on the affected areas but I have needed to darken off the wood with stain and finish off with wax polish. In fact if you wax polish the cabin sides at least once a year any drips of condensation tend to run off without leaving marks.

[Stourbridgeguy]

Just to note if you are going to use wax do not use Briwax as water leaves white marks, the best wax to use in wet/moist areas is Fiddies All Purpose Wax available from good antique dealers.

 

If failing to find enough cigarette ash, there is aproduct call Ring Away which is very good.

 

Brightest Blessings

Dave

[Richard Bustens]

I can donate some fag ash FREE OF CHARGE

[ChrisPy]

having virtuously given up chain smoking 15 years ago I think I'll follow Gary's advice. thanks guys

[John Orentas]

Wax polishes, I have tried many of the popular ones over the years but I found nothing better that natural Beeswax, but pick a warm/hot day in summer to do the job makes buffing much easier, smells nice too.

 

Avoid the new stained or 'restoration' polish or at least don't use it more than once, the darkening builds up with every application, you will end up with a Victorian drawing room effect.

[Cris P]

Not being much of a polisher , what's the procedure with beeswax ?

[DHutch]

Not being much of a polisher , what's the procedure with beeswax ?

Depends, if your buying it solid bar form, you have a heat it up, and mix it with turpentine (not turps) i beleave.

- But you can also buy it in ready-to-use form where you basicaly just have to rub it up. (see pack of details...)

 

For my bookcase i did last year i used Liberon Finshing Oil, which is basicaly the same as Danish Oil. Im certinaly very happy with the resulting finish, and it was much easyer to applie than wax would hav ebeen.

- It must take ages to wax a whole fittout!

 

[Edit: Photo of Bookcase]

 

 

Daniel

Edited March 18, 2006 by dhutch

[Richard Bustens]

Use only Liberon pure bees wax, as neer to the stuff they usto use in schools in the 50s-60s

 

The propper stuff not pledge.

 

It is not hard to apply but you must let the spirits evaporate before trying to pollish up.

Edited March 18, 2006 by Richard Bustens

[David Schweizer]

Depends, if your buying it solid bar form, you have a heat it up, and mix it with turpentine (not turps) i beleave.

[Edit: Photo of Bookcase]

Daniel

 

A piece of advice. Do not even attempt to make your own beeswax polish unless you know precisely what you are doing, do it the wrong way and you could end up covered in exploding hot turpentine. Apart from that to make the polish hard enough to be durable, you need to add about 10% Carnuaba wax and that is quite difficult to buy in small quantities.

 

Colron produce a very good quality pure beeswax polish, Liberon is quite good but I prefer the Colron formula which is a bit harder. I would personally avoid the "Quick restoration" polishes used by the "get rich quick" end of the antiques trade they can do irreparable damage to the timbers, rendering them resistant to subsequent traditional finishes.

 

Back to the water stains and their removal. Oak stains very easily if subjected to continual water moisture, The black Oak beams found in old buildings are often that colour because the timber has been seasoned by leaving them submerged in swampy water for several years (hence the term Bog Oak) If the stains are superficail, the brasso method, already detailed, should work, but if they have penetrated through the finish and into the wood, the only solution is usually to bleach them out, using a small paint brush and patience, wash thoroughly, and when dry, re-stain to match

[DHutch]

I was just having a rummage around and found this:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchan...tegory_Code=TFR

 

Ive never used it, but it might be good?

 

 

Daniel

[Pirate]

Type in google uses for vinegar you may be suprised other wise I have a good book with over 1000 uses for bakeing soda....I bet theres sumat in that that`ll help you

[Alec Gatherer]

Here's what I fondly imagine to be a useful tip. Go to a Liberon stockist, and ask for their booklet detailing the range of Liberon products. It is a really useful little book with loadsa tips on wood care, treatment, and refinishing.

I do a lot of wood finishing. (Finishing as in rendering no longer useable).

[Richard Bustens]

Liberon are good products, but NOT there finishing oil (Danish oil ) it is crap i tryed it coz i was having problems with Rustins Danish oil, and the tec man at rustins said they had changed the formulation slightly, but i soon went back to Rustins , leaving 5 ltr of Liberon finishing oil that the only use i have found for is to light the wood burner in the workshop

[lymmranger]

What you need is OXCALIC ACID!

 

It comes as a crystal/powder that you mix with water and brush on - the mark disapears almost instantly!

 

I used alot of reclaimed oak, some of which had nail holes complete with black marks.

 

It took a few applications but has eventually removed them.

 

Normal splash/rain marks are easy peasy!

 

In this (terrorist) day and age I am not sure where you would get it, but i know it is not a dangerous chemical and therefore should be possible.

 

[Paul Evans]

....I am not sure where you would get it, but i know it is not a dangerous chemical and therefore should be possible

You can buy oxalic acid crystals on line Here . Or you could make an oxalic acid solution by boiling 450g of rhubarb leaves in an old saucepan with 1 litre of water for half an hour, topping up as necessary. I'm not sure how strong the solution would be but, if you have a supply of rhubarb leaves, this might be worth a try.

Edited March 20, 2006 by Paul Evans