Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited) skills
to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
and I had a question.
I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I applied on
the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in hasn't got
anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
(Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying it or
if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all match
and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I've colored lots of cherry with lye.
You can buy lye at most groceries or hardware stores.
First of all: Wear eye protection! you don't want to get any on you ---
especially the eyes
Second, wear neoprene gloves.
Mix a weak lye solution. Maybe 2t per quart at most. CAUTION --- Use COLD
water. Dissolving lye will generate heat. and could bubble up with warm water.
Swab on the solution and let it sit until you get the color you want. Then
rinse thoroughly first with cold water and then swab on some vinegar to
neutralize any remaining lye. Rinse that and dry with a clean cloth.
I usually use a heat gun to evaporate the remaining water in the wood. This
process may raise the grain slightly which you can smooth down with a fine grit
abrasive or Scotch Brite pad.
Then finish however you want --- linseed oil, tung oil, paste wax, Watco,
Briwax, varnish, Danish oil .... It all looks good.
I don't know how lye affect maple. I'd suggest testing on a piece of scrap.
Joel
Doug Goulden wrote:
> Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited) skills
> to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
> darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
> and I had a question.
> I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
> cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I applied on
> the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in hasn't got
> anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
> (Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying it or
> if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
> cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all match
> and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
I really don't know what it will do to maple but I do know it will
darken cherry. You said you can't find lye. Most oven cleaners contain
lye. Just look on the can at the supermarket. Also you will need to
neutralize the lye after it's done it's work. You can wipe it down with
bakingsoda and water. Then give it a light sanding to take down the fuz
from the water.
I don't think baking soda will go a long way towards neutralizing lye.
What reaction are you suggesting is going to occur? (Hey, I've been
wrong before.)
bob g.
Jody wrote:
> Doug Goulden wrote:
>
>> Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited)
>> skills
>> to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
>> darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
>> and I had a question.
>> I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
>> cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I
>> applied on
>> the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in
>> hasn't got
>> anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
>> (Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying
>> it or
>> if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
>> cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all
>> match
>> and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>
> I really don't know what it will do to maple but I do know it will
> darken cherry. You said you can't find lye. Most oven cleaners contain
> lye. Just look on the can at the supermarket. Also you will need to
> neutralize the lye after it's done it's work. You can wipe it down with
> bakingsoda and water. Then give it a light sanding to take down the fuz
> from the water.
The comment about metal in oven cleaner is a good one. Drano has
aluminum chips in it. The lye attacks the aluminum and produces heat
and agitation. Good in a clogged drain but probably not much help in
your project. (Not aware of what the downside might be.) Your
daughter's black light is almost undoubtedly long wave UV. This is the
kind best suited for making things "fluoresce". Short wave length UV is
the kind that gives you a sun tan (burn). I think it's more effective
in producing color changes, bleaching, expediting chemical reactions in
general.
bob g.
Doug Goulden wrote:
> Thanks for the help everybody, I'll look into the oven cleaner option close
> to home here.... I was also wondering about swiping my step daughter's black
> light..... its UV, wonder if that would hurry the process naturally. We
> haven't been seeing much sun here in the UP lately.
>
>
> "Doug Goulden" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited)
>
> skills
>
>>to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
>>darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
>>and I had a question.
>> I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
>>cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I applied
>
> on
>
>>the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in hasn't
>
> got
>
>>anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
>>(Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying it or
>>if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
>>cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all
>
> match
>
>>and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>
>
>
>
Lye is available at most grocery stores with the drain cleaners. I have used the
Red Devil brand. I added a couple of tablespoons to two quarts of warm water and
stirred GENTLY. Use rubber gloves. Apply liberally to the wood. After a minute
or two, rinse with lots of clear water (take it outside and use the hose!). I
used diluted white vinegar to neutralize it and then rinsed again. This process
really raises the grain. Fortunately, the color change penetrates the wood a
little so that sanding off the fuzz doesn't cut through the color. Be careful and
good luck!
Grant
Jody wrote:
> Doug Goulden wrote:
> > Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited) skills
> > to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
> > darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
> > and I had a question.
> > I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
> > cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I applied on
> > the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in hasn't got
> > anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
> > (Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying it or
> > if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
> > cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all match
> > and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> >
> I really don't know what it will do to maple but I do know it will
> darken cherry. You said you can't find lye. Most oven cleaners contain
> lye. Just look on the can at the supermarket. Also you will need to
> neutralize the lye after it's done it's work. You can wipe it down with
> bakingsoda and water. Then give it a light sanding to take down the fuz
> from the water.
The evolution of hydrogen gas is what produces the agitation.
bob g.
George wrote:
> And hydrogen gas.
>
> "Robert Galloway" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>The comment about metal in oven cleaner is a good one. Drano has
>>aluminum chips in it. The lye attacks the aluminum and produces heat
>>and agitation. Good in a clogged drain but probably not much help in
>>your project. (Not aware of what the downside might be.)
>
>
>
Jody wrote:
> Doug Goulden wrote:
>
>> The town I live in
>> hasn't got
>> anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
>> (Green Bay, WI).
Any Walmart or large grocery store will have Red Devil Lye in the
cleaning section. It's pure enough for use in photographic solutions,
and so it'll be plenty pure for your use.
-Peter
Watch out for drain cleaners which contain metal.
"Peter De Smidt" <pdesmidt*no*spam*@tds.*net*> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Jody wrote:
> > Doug Goulden wrote:
> >
> >> The town I live in
> >> hasn't got
> >> anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization
Friday
> >> (Green Bay, WI).
>
> Any Walmart or large grocery store will have Red Devil Lye in the
> cleaning section. It's pure enough for use in photographic solutions,
> and so it'll be plenty pure for your use.
>
> -Peter
C'mon, it's sunny now. You can see all the Finns out there pointing at that
unfamiliar golden fire in the sky.
Blacklight works, but none of the methods produces the same effect as aging
under a finish, in my opinion. They always look a bit muddy due to surface
degrade.
"Doug Goulden" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for the help everybody, I'll look into the oven cleaner option
close
> to home here.... I was also wondering about swiping my step daughter's
black
> light..... its UV, wonder if that would hurry the process naturally. We
> haven't been seeing much sun here in the UP lately.
>
And hydrogen gas.
"Robert Galloway" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The comment about metal in oven cleaner is a good one. Drano has
> aluminum chips in it. The lye attacks the aluminum and produces heat
> and agitation. Good in a clogged drain but probably not much help in
> your project. (Not aware of what the downside might be.)
It'll get there. I use air-dried, so it's not much of an issue. KD stuff
takes a long time to get anywhere.
"Merle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Last year's natural cherry cabinet sits in a bright corner with a plant
> on top. When dusting, I realize that the plant coaster had left a
> "light spot" in the darkening top. The plant is now moved, hoping it
> will even out, but we can still see the light (or no-light) spot after 4
> months. Maybe should have aged a year before placing something on top?
>
> merle
In article <[email protected]>, Jody <[email protected]> wrote:
>I really don't know what it will do to maple but I do know it will
>darken cherry. You said you can't find lye. Most oven cleaners contain
>lye. Just look on the can at the supermarket. Also you will need to
>neutralize the lye after it's done it's work. You can wipe it down with
>bakingsoda and water.
Well, no, no, and no.
Many oven cleaners do contain lye, but they also contain perfumes, solvents,
and a bunch of other things that you probably don't want on your project.
Better to just use pure lye (Red Devil brand from your local grocery store, on
the same aisle as the drain cleaners) and not have to worry about what else is
in there.
Baking soda, being another base, won't neutralize lye. You need an acid to do
that; vinegar works just fine.
But it's *not* necessary to neutralize the lye, and in fact doing so alters
the color. It *is* necessary to remove any *unreacted* lye from the surface of
the wood, but rinsing (or wiping) with pure water is sufficient to do that.
>Then give it a light sanding to take down the fuz from the water.
After allowing it to dry completely, of course. :-)
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.
In article <[email protected]>, "George" <george@least>
wrote:
> C'mon, it's sunny now. You can see all the Finns out there pointing at that
> unfamiliar golden fire in the sky.
>
> Blacklight works, but none of the methods produces the same effect as aging
> under a finish, in my opinion. They always look a bit muddy due to surface
> degrade.
>
<snip>
Last year's natural cherry cabinet sits in a bright corner with a plant
on top. When dusting, I realize that the plant coaster had left a
"light spot" in the darkening top. The plant is now moved, hoping it
will even out, but we can still see the light (or no-light) spot after 4
months. Maybe should have aged a year before placing something on top?
merle
In article <[email protected]>, "Doug Goulden" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited) skills
>to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
>darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
>and I had a question.
> I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
>cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I applied on
>the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in hasn't got
>anywhere I can find lye,
Any hardware store, and most grocery stores, will have Red Devil lye in the
same place that they have Drano, Liquid Plumber, etc.
> but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
>(Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying it or
>if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
>cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all match
>and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The lye won't affect the maple. But whatever you use to apply the lye to the
cherry, be it a damp rag, a sponge, a brush, or whatever, will pick up a
considerable amount of color from the cherry, and you'll have to be *very*
careful to avoid wiping any of that onto the maple. IMO it's likely that there
will be some bleeding anyway: the lye will dampen the cherry, and some of that
moisture is bound to wick over into the maple, and bring the color along.
You might consider fuming the piece with ammonia instead; do a Google Groups
search on this newsgroup for ammonia + fuming + cherry and I think you'll find
some good information.
Either way, make a mockup from scrap and test on that first. Remember, if you
don't practice on scrap, you're practicing on your project.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.
Is that what that thing is? I was starting to wonder. Hell in about 5 months
I won't remember what the thing is at all :/
"George" <george@least> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> C'mon, it's sunny now. You can see all the Finns out there pointing at
that
> unfamiliar golden fire in the sky.
>
> Blacklight works, but none of the methods produces the same effect as
aging
> under a finish, in my opinion. They always look a bit muddy due to
surface
> degrade.
>
> "Doug Goulden" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Thanks for the help everybody, I'll look into the oven cleaner option
> close
> > to home here.... I was also wondering about swiping my step daughter's
> black
> > light..... its UV, wonder if that would hurry the process naturally. We
> > haven't been seeing much sun here in the UP lately.
> >
>
>
Thanks for the help everybody, I'll look into the oven cleaner option close
to home here.... I was also wondering about swiping my step daughter's black
light..... its UV, wonder if that would hurry the process naturally. We
haven't been seeing much sun here in the UP lately.
"Doug Goulden" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just a beginner here and I'm trying to use some of my new (limited)
skills
> to make some Christmas presents. I have been reading about using lye to
> darken cherry similar to what it would look like if it had aged naturally
> and I had a question.
> I have made a couple of boxes with hard curly maple tops trimmed with
> cherry. If I am careful and try minimize the amount of solution I applied
on
> the maple will the solution affect the maple? The town I live in hasn't
got
> anywhere I can find lye, but I'm hoping to make it to civilization Friday
> (Green Bay, WI). I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile even trying it or
> if someone might know what would happen to the curly maple. Some of the
> cherry I have is darker than the rest and I want to try to make it all
match
> and be darker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>