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Question, refinishing and walnut blasting

Started by samandothers, August 07, 2018, 02:43:00 PM

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samandothers

I have an old oak washstand I may refinish.  I think the timing would be good to do it now prior to repurposing. I would like to add a vessel sink to it and use as a vanity.  I believe the finish is polyurethane currently.  The stand appears to have had maintenance in the past prior to us getting it.

What have y'all used as strippers?  My thoughts were to use a chemical/liquid stripper on the flat surfaces.

What about walnut blasting the more decorative areas?  I have not done this before.  Would fine grit work best?  I would probably use a gravity gun versus a pressure tank and hose, think it simpler.  Is there a 'best pressure to use?  I would appreciate you sharing some of your experiences.  I did a search and found some references where walnut was used but not much detail about the process.  

Thanks,
Sam

jason.weir

I walnut shell blasted my entire pine\hemlock timber frame after closing it in as it had sat out in the weather all summer & fall and had greyed and weather checked quite a bit.

the walnut shells took all the grey out and brought it back to a like new consistent color.  It did however raise the grain quite a bit.  The shells blasted away the softer grain and left the harder grain raised.

This was certainly not an issue with my frame, actually helped it aesthetically - not sure that's what you would want on your oak furniture.

I'd suggest trying a test piece to get the shell size & pressure right before going on with the whole thing..

-J

samandothers

Thanks Jason

A test piece would be in order.  Wonder if soda blasting would be better.

Blasting aframe must have taken a while!

Texas Ranger

I have done an oak fire place enclosure and mirror, I did as you ask, used chemical on parts I could, and walnut hulls on the curvy parts.  Came out well, no fiber lift.  Do not over due the walnut hull application, it will eventually eat into the wood.



 
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Texas Ranger

Oh, and I used Fine in a blaster I bought specifically for walnut hull.  Pressure was at that level it worked, to much pressure and your compressor will recycle to often and extend the job.



The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

jason.weir

Quote from: samandothers on August 08, 2018, 10:53:03 AMBlasting a frame must have taken a while!


it did - I can't tell you how long, I long ago tried to forget.

I had a 80 cfm @ 120 psi tow behind compressor and a 100lb pressure pot - think I went through 40 - 50lb bags.

The end result was worth it.

Looks like Texas Ranger has answered your question...

samandothers

Texas Ranger,

Thanks for the response.  That is a beautiful mantel.  I remember that post. It also came up on my search.  I appreciate the additional detail.  I have an inexpensive gravity gun I may try.

Did you consider soda blasting or have knowledge about whether it would work on wood?

Texas Ranger

Not familiar with soda blasting, cannot help you there.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

samandothers

Well time to do some more searches and YouTube.

Thanks

Brad_S.

I refinish a lot of furniture, so much so that I invested in a flow-over strip tank.  It uses an air operated diaphragm pump to recycle liquid methylene chloride stripper through a brush that is used to scrub the finish off the furniture. The stripper flows through the brush constantly and flushes the finish off the furniture and down a drain to a bucket where the finish settles and the stripper rises to the top for another trip through the brush.  

If the piece you want to strip has any sort of detail, any sort of abrasive removal method will remove detail as well. Whether it's a particle shot onto the piece or sandpaper rubbing down the piece, loss of detail is inevitable. Since you are repurposing this piece and not looking for a fine antique refinishing job, abrasive blasting may be acceptable. If you want to preserve the detail though, find a water-soluble stripper. The methylene chloride that I use is then followed with a water pressure wash rinse. I would think some over-the-counter strippers can also be rinsed off this way.  It is then usually followed by a quick spray down of oxalic acid, sold commercially as the primary ingredient of deck cleaner/rejuvenator. It doesn't actually bleach the wood, it just brings it back to its natural color without removing too much of the patina color unlike sanding.
(Oxalic acid followed by a quick pressure wash would have been my go to method for returning the natural wood color to the weathered timber frame.)
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

samandothers

Thank you Brad, that is an interesting method.  

What is the brush made of, stiff nylon?

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