RK

Robert Kline

02/05/2005 4:34 PM

Re-Finishing Maple Problem

I did a job for a company that ordered 50 maple items. They chose maple
because they wanted to match their existing office decor. These are
small (2² X 10²) desk name bars with engraved plates. I used hard maple
and finished them with Natural Watco Oil then buffed them with Carnauba
wax with the Beall system. When they received them, they saw that they
were lighter than their office furniture and advised me that their
office furniture is done in cherry-maple, a wood that I¹m not familiar
with. They asked me if there is a way to darken the name plates and I
told them that, if there¹s a way, someone on this newsgroup will come up
with the answer. Sanding and re-staining would be a very last resort.
Thanks


This topic has 10 replies

Gg

"George"

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

03/05/2005 6:32 AM


"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I did a bit of online research; the results I came up with didn't want
> shellac put over an obviously waxy surface. I've never tried to coat a
> heavily oily/waxy surface with any of the shellacs I've used, so I
> can't say from my limited experience how good shellac is at adhering,
> but what about shellac based primers; don't those hold back crayon
> marks, et al?
>

What holds back is also held back. That's the way it is with oil (wax) and
water (shellac) - they don't mix.

I'd say non-polar and polar solvents, but someone'd probably complain again.

DD

David

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

02/05/2005 5:10 PM

No, I don't think it's the ideal solution; I was trying to give the OP
some suggestions SHORT of sanding it all off, as he indicated he'd like
to avoid sanding. :) The best looking finish would probably be sand to
bare wood and dye or stain the wood to the customer's spec.

Dave

Patriarch wrote:

> David <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>
>>How about a naptha wipe-down, sealing coat of dewaxed shellac,
>>followed by toner coats to get the color right?
>>
>>Dave
>>
>
>
> Do you think the naptha will remove the buffed carnuba sufficiently?
>
> Maybe a colored wax, like one of the Briwax varieties. It should be easy
> enough to test. And I know that THIS time, I would make certain to do a
> color test against their expectations.
>
> Wanna bet that there is a designer involved? ;-)
>
> Patriarch

DD

David

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

02/05/2005 9:55 PM

I did a bit of online research; the results I came up with didn't want
shellac put over an obviously waxy surface. I've never tried to coat a
heavily oily/waxy surface with any of the shellacs I've used, so I
can't say from my limited experience how good shellac is at adhering,
but what about shellac based primers; don't those hold back crayon
marks, et al?

Dave

Patriarch wrote:
> David <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>
>>No, I don't think it's the ideal solution; I was trying to give the OP
>>some suggestions SHORT of sanding it all off, as he indicated he'd
>>like to avoid sanding. :) The best looking finish would probably be
>>sand to bare wood and dye or stain the wood to the customer's spec.
>>
>>Dave
>>
>
>
> I wonder if a shellac guru could tell us whether the carnuba wax would, in
> fact, cause a problem for a waxy shellac, say garnet or buttonlac,
> overcoat?

Ww

WillR

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

03/05/2005 11:23 PM

Robert Kline wrote:
> I appreciate the advice. I tried removing the wax and wasn't successful.
> I'm taking the items back and putting them in inventory and making new
> ones. Like one of you noted, it's a lesson.
> Thanks

A bit off topic... But in Cabinet Maker (?) magazine I saw something
worth repeating...

One fellow said the way he avoided this (after a similar lesson I will
bet) is that he finished a sample item, he then sawed it in half in
front of the client. Then he made the entire order, and finished it the
same as the sample. He noted that the signatures and the marked and
signed samples stopped complaints cold -- as all they had to do was hold
the samples against the finished products...

fwiw

--
Will
Occasional Techno-geek

DD

David

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

02/05/2005 2:39 PM

How about a naptha wipe-down, sealing coat of dewaxed shellac, followed
by toner coats to get the color right?

Dave

Robert Kline wrote:

> I did a job for a company that ordered 50 maple items. They chose maple
> because they wanted to match their existing office decor. These are
> small (2² X 10²) desk name bars with engraved plates. I used hard maple
> and finished them with Natural Watco Oil then buffed them with Carnauba
> wax with the Beall system. When they received them, they saw that they
> were lighter than their office furniture and advised me that their
> office furniture is done in cherry-maple, a wood that I¹m not familiar
> with. They asked me if there is a way to darken the name plates and I
> told them that, if there¹s a way, someone on this newsgroup will come up
> with the answer. Sanding and re-staining would be a very last resort.
> Thanks

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

02/05/2005 5:34 PM

David <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> How about a naptha wipe-down, sealing coat of dewaxed shellac,
> followed by toner coats to get the color right?
>
> Dave
>

Do you think the naptha will remove the buffed carnuba sufficiently?

Maybe a colored wax, like one of the Briwax varieties. It should be easy
enough to test. And I know that THIS time, I would make certain to do a
color test against their expectations.

Wanna bet that there is a designer involved? ;-)

Patriarch

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

02/05/2005 10:12 PM

David <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> No, I don't think it's the ideal solution; I was trying to give the OP
> some suggestions SHORT of sanding it all off, as he indicated he'd
> like to avoid sanding. :) The best looking finish would probably be
> sand to bare wood and dye or stain the wood to the customer's spec.
>
> Dave
>

I wonder if a shellac guru could tell us whether the carnuba wax would, in
fact, cause a problem for a waxy shellac, say garnet or buttonlac,
overcoat?

DD

David

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

03/05/2005 2:29 PM

Hopefully you'll end up with a totally happy client. That might be
worth the effort, huh, Robert?

Dave

Robert Kline wrote:

> I appreciate the advice. I tried removing the wax and wasn't successful.
> I'm taking the items back and putting them in inventory and making new
> ones. Like one of you noted, it's a lesson.
> Thanks

RK

Robert Kline

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

03/05/2005 4:28 PM

I appreciate the advice. I tried removing the wax and wasn't successful.
I'm taking the items back and putting them in inventory and making new
ones. Like one of you noted, it's a lesson.
Thanks

CS

"Charles Spitzer"

in reply to Robert Kline on 02/05/2005 4:34 PM

02/05/2005 2:42 PM

why not just different colored shellac?

"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> How about a naptha wipe-down, sealing coat of dewaxed shellac, followed by
> toner coats to get the color right?
>
> Dave
>
> Robert Kline wrote:
>
>> I did a job for a company that ordered 50 maple items. They chose maple
>> because they wanted to match their existing office decor. These are small
>> (2² X 10²) desk name bars with engraved plates. I used hard maple and
>> finished them with Natural Watco Oil then buffed them with Carnauba wax
>> with the Beall system. When they received them, they saw that they were
>> lighter than their office furniture and advised me that their office
>> furniture is done in cherry-maple, a wood that I¹m not familiar with.
>> They asked me if there is a way to darken the name plates and I told them
>> that, if there¹s a way, someone on this newsgroup will come up with the
>> answer. Sanding and re-staining would be a very last resort.
>> Thanks


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