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How to clean the timbers in a newly constructed timber frame home

Started by Tmart, March 10, 2010, 11:32:09 PM

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Tmart

Can anyone suggest how to make our newly constructed timber frame home timbers look fresh and clean again?  The timbers were sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and finished with linseed oil and turpentine.  During construction, through rainy and snowy weather, and muddy conditions, some, approximately10%, of the timbers got dirty.  Not muddy dirty, but smudgy dirty.  So far we've tried sanding and some cleaners with not great results.  Using a scraper has been suggested.  The home is buttoned up with a 60 degree temperature, 45% humidity.  Any ideas or experience?  Thanks for your help.

Tmart

PS  My wife did all of the sanding so this is especially important.

Stan snider

A sandblaster with real fine sand and not too much pressure will amaze you.  Stan

stonebroke

Or maybe soda blasting if you are concerned about the final finish.

Stonebroke

Brad_bb

It doesn't sound like blasting of any kind is a solution since the home is "buttoned up".  Have any pics of what you're talking about?  What kind of sanding?  with a random orbital?  What grit?  Are these planed timbers?  There are quite a number of things that can be tried, but may involve some experimentation on your part to determine what works best.   What kind of timber is it?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

stonebroke

They use soda blasting to restore burned houses, It will take off the carbon and leave the good wood underneath.

Stonebroke

okie

I would think that if there are just smudges here and there, taking very little stock at a time with a hand plane would work.
Striving to create a self sustaining homestead and lifestyle for my family and myself.

bub4e

If it wasn't buttoned up than media blasting or washing with Oxalic Acid would work well, but you really have to do the whole timber or they look blotchy.  Seeing that everything is buttoned up I guess it is time to bring out the hand tools.  A hand plane could work if very sharp and lightly set, you also want to be careful of not letting the corners make tracks by either rounding them off or more preferably using a slightly cambered edge.  I really like hand planes but they also force one to be carefully of grain direction.  This is where a hand scraper could outshine a plane; it can be cambered by your fingers, it naturally takes light shavings, grain direction is not as big of an issue and best of all they are cheap.  The last thing to consider is that you are using white pine, so sanding is probably the easiest, just feather your edges so everything looks seamless.

Brad_bb

We haven't seen a pic yet, so I'm still wondering if material removal is necessary, probably, but not sure.  I'd experiment, I might try some Boraxo and see what it does.  Maybe a brass wire brush?  I have a Makita power wire brush(or nylon grit impregnated).  That would work well I'd bet, if going that far is necessary.  Problem is that this tool is not that common to find, and they are rather expensive new.  Some timber framers have them.  I got real lucky and found someone selling a pair of them on Craigslist.  I got a good deal cause I'm sure few people even knew what the tool was. There is a good demo video on the following webpage about the power brush.  If the hyperlink doesn't work, just copy and past the address to your browser.
http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/makita/M-9741.html


Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

Dana

Why wouldn't TSP clean it up? For sure teak cleaner would do the trick. The beams may need to be resanded after either type application.
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

bigshow

Right or wrong - I'm doing every exposed part of the frame by hand with the new Porter Cable 390K random orbital sander.  It has a brushless motor, and works just as well as the Festool ROS for about 1/4 the price.  It can be about as fast as a belt sander.  breaking it down room by room, though a HUGE task, makes the job seem do-able.  It has at least some sort of dust collection.  Our frame got weathered during the assembly process and getting the SIPs on - we want to restore it as much as possible.  I have some planer marks, some bandsaw marks still - yeah character is great, but we want it to look like a fine piece of furniture. 
I never try anything, I just do it.

Tmart

Quote from: bub4e on March 11, 2010, 09:27:00 PM
If it wasn't buttoned up than media blasting or washing with Oxalic Acid would work well, but you really have to do the whole timber or they look blotchy.  Seeing that everything is buttoned up I guess it is time to bring out the hand tools.  A hand plane could work if very sharp and lightly set, you also want to be careful of not letting the corners make tracks by either rounding them off or more preferably using a slightly cambered edge.  I really like hand planes but they also force one to be carefully of grain direction.  This is where a hand scraper could outshine a plane; it can be cambered by your fingers, it naturally takes light shavings, grain direction is not as big of an issue and best of all they are cheap.  The last thing to consider is that you are using white pine, so sanding is probably the easiest, just feather your edges so everything looks seamless.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll try a scraper and if that doesn't work, then try sanding again.  Thanks.  Tmart

Tmart

Quote from: Stan snider on March 11, 2010, 12:03:49 AM
A sandblaster with real fine sand and not too much pressure will amaze you.  Stan
After 10 suggestions I'm going to try a scraper first, then maybe try sanding again.  Thanks for all your help.

Tmart

Stan snider

Wellllll....... After trying all those other ideas was how I arrived at sandblasting. You can "mask" what you don't want shot? Especially windows and get the job done and clean up several times faster than scraping or sanding. you will have a big mess whatever you do so get the job done and have time for something else. I was rebuilding a seed cleaner when i had this epiphany. I used 3/16 or 1/4 nozzles and about 40 psi. on the seed cleaner. I saw it done inside a log house with a big blaster. It worked really well

Brad_bb

Tmart, did you watch the Makita brush sander video at timberwolf tools?  It might be worth it to you to use that and then resell the unit used?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

LOGDOG

Did any of you guys happen to see the episode of Holmes on Homes  where they had a remodel job that had significant mold in the framing of the home behind the sheet-rock? They removed the drywall and blasted the framing with dry ice. The dry ice evaporates after hitting the surface leaving only the material removed (sawdust and mold clinging to it) on the floor to be vacuumed up. No sand or soda to vacuum up. It was a very ingenious method. I've been meaning to find a source for it for doing the home we intend to build. Seems like discoloration is a common occurrence in any home that takes a while to dry in or shade in. You may want to check the dry ice blasting out - maybe even a service that does it.


stonebroke


LOGDOG

Yep Stonebroke. I just googled Dry Ice Blasting and found this source. Check it out:

http://www.coldjet.com/en/information/what-is-dry-ice-blasting.php

There are videos and images available in the left column of the page under resources. You just gotta love the internet!  ;D

Aikenback

This is something that has been a problem for me as well. It must be a common problem, but there doesn't seem to be a method that really works. So far I have been fortunate to have been commissioned to use darker stains. I have ordered material from reputable mills and still had forklift marks, ( grease or black metal marks) that never really come out. One problem was with the rough sawn. We would just give it a light sanding with 80 grit on a small hand sander. The results are great but if you "work" an area to remove the stains, you change the texture. with the "dressed " or planed material we sanded it with a belt sander, and then finished it up with 120 on a palm  or 180. I tried some timber industry cleaners, but found the best results were with behr two in one wood prep product or their wood cleaner. Our results were at best a C+ but it was the best result we could find without actually planing a little off or sending the roughsawn through the bandsaw mill again. Somebody has to know of a product that can actually give good results. One would think blasting the surface would change the texture, but maybe you could sand out the area. Have any of you seen the final result after resanding after trying this? I'd like to know the result. Maybe find an extra piece of
timber and try it on that before you take it to the frame?
no whining.

Tmart

Thanks for the suggestions.  I finally settled on using a scraper and it seems to do a good job.  This is my own timber frame so I have a lot of time and enjoy using a scraper for the first time.  Thanks again.

Tmart

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