Oil finish? Stairs WIP

[DaveTTC]

G'day all,

What oil to use?

I have been working on this stair case off and on over the last few months

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160203/720822d890cad488830a2ea0eb34e286.jpg

My SIL had another relative atart on it but you can see the difference between the two jobs. They did the lower section

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160203/6d6e370c3dd3ef557d1e91faed2f4d0a.jpg

Time is of the essence and now she just wants to coat it.

I was thinking maybe danish oil?

Any thoughts?

Possibly 6 to 12 months down the track she may get me back to do the lower section again. I want something that wont impede me sanding the paint from the lower section

I will try and do some retrospective pics over time.

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Sturdee]

I was thinking maybe danish oil?

Any thoughts?



Dave,

For my turning I use "Antique Oil Finish" made by Minwax rather then Danish oil. I find I need very few coats ( 2 or 3 ) to get the same finish as Danish oil, still wipe on with a cloth and it's less then $ 30 per litre available from some Masters stores.

Although it penetrates you can sand it easily (at least on the lathe) but I don't know of your sanding needs.

This may be worthwhile for you.

Peter.

[DaveTTC]

Thanks Peter. That may be the go then

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Dave,

For my turning I use "Antique Oil Finish" made by Minwax rather then Danish oil. I find I need very few coats ( 2 or 3 ) to get the same finish as Danish oil, still wipe on with a cloth and it's less then $ 30 per litre available from some Masters stores.

Although it penetrates you can sand it easily (at least on the lathe) but I don't know of your sanding needs.

This may be worthwhile for you.

Peter.
Apparently this is discontinued

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[FenceFurniture]

Danish would be ok for all but the treads - not sure if it will wear very well under foot. If the treads could handle a slight yellow tint then you could use Minwax Decking Oil natural for the treads. Used it on the deck at the back door (and shed) and it wears pretty well (unless that other bloke shows up again). Home Hardware stocks it, and Masters prolly do to.

Actually I doubt there'd be a huge difference in the effect of Danish verses the decking oil - a slightly different colour shift, but still warmer.

Edit: Oh, and if you use Danish don't use Organoil brand - too orange and the timber tends to nib up more. Rustins is the go (Trend Timbers sell it among others).

[Sturdee]

Apparently this is discontinued

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

Dave I presume that Gregory Hills is the closest Masters store to where you are working, if so they are still having stock as per this link. (//www.masters.com.au/masters/search/masters_search_results.jsp?bmForm=search&bmFormID=l9KlHXI%2F152ab201f91&bmUID=l9KlHXJ&bmIsForm=true&bmPrevTemplate=%2FStores%2FNSW-Gregory-Hills-7617.jsp&bmText=searchInput&searchInput=&bmEditable=searchterm&bmHidden=searchterm&searchterm=antique+oil+finish&bmFields=bmText%2CbmEditable%2CbmPrevTemplate%2CbmForm%2CbmIsForm%2CbmUID%2CbmHidden%2CbmFormID&bmHash=4b2a707ab76b1357c5e0ddae062a988259815192)


Peter.

[DaveTTC]

It took me to a vic store?

Not sure which store i went to. Somewhere near seven hills

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Sturdee]

I changed the store to Gregory Hills, NSW which is the nearest store to Helensburgh, where I presume you are, rather then my local store.

Masters, Gregory Hills
2 Rodeo Road, Gregory Hills
Phone: 02 4648 7300
Thu: 6:00 am - 9:00 pm
Fri: 6:00 am - 9:00 pm
27.1 km away

Try changing the store location.

Peter.

[DaveTTC]

Trying now


Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

It seems to be in stock there

Is 45 km away. Have to see if im going tht way in the next day or so

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Hi Dave,

The staircase looks antique - is it? If it is antique the staircase would have originally been finished with shellac. Usually there will be some remnant shellac on the timber and it will respond well to applying new shellac. You can brush it on with a fine lacquer brush and get a great finish that is easy to apply and appropriate for the age of the stair.

IMHO Oil is not an appropriate finish for an old staircase.

Bulk brown button shellac is available by the kilo from Shines in NSW (0418 883 551) just dissolve it in metho (B**n**gs is OK) and paint it on. It dries quickly and looks good.

PM me if you want further instructions

Regards

David

[DaveTTC]

More than happy for you to out the instructions up on the thread David. Then it will be there for others to see too.

I will hat to my SIL and aee if she is happy to go the shellac way.

How would shellac go with having to strip some of the stairs back in the future? You can see this section was very poorly done

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160204/40e07007deaeb6c1ef8e3289a5898b19.jpg

She just wants a quick finish so she can rent it out for a year or so till she moves back.

Yes it is the original stair case.

Here is one section from upstairs before I stripped it back

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160204/60e9e3bd78af8a9fa5ba826dfa255168.jpg

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Simplicity]

Dave if your SIL is going to rent it
Shellac the stairs for now
It's easer to reverse than oil or other products
And easy to touch up for now

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Dave, As Simplicity says, shellac is the easiest to reverse or to clean off if you want to fix the poor stripping later - just use metho!

With the buttons I crush them (in cloth with a hammer) then tip them into a 4 litre container of metho. I tip out about half a litre first so it doesn't overflow - you can add the metho back later. I will have to look up my little book to get the exact instructions but from memory you put in about 250 gm crushed. It doesn't matter if you put too much in as it just stays in the bottom. Agitate the bottle every few hours until it all dissolves (faster if finely crushed). That makes your stock solution. Dilute the stock solution by 50:50 metho for a job like yours (much more for French polishing). The stock solution will have all sorts of rubbish in it (it is a beetle exudate after all, though not beetle poo). Filter through something fine - I use a stainless steel fine seive for the coarse stock solution, but you would need cheesecloth if you were going to French Polish.

UBeaut have some Hard Shellac sold as a liquid. It cross-links with time and becomes water and heat resistant. You would not use that for anywhere you wanted to strip later but it would be worth asking the man himself it it would be good for fully stripped stairs that you were not going to change in the future.

[rwbuild]

After our conversation last night and now seeing the photos as well as possible more work in the future, I would agree about using shellac

[Xanthorrhoeas]

As luck would have it my little book of instructions has done a disappearing act - however, I think that my memory is OK (never too sure these days!) and the info above will work. I find that shellac is a delightfully uncritical product to use.

If I were finishing fine carving or detailed features of table legs etc. I would use a fine lacquer brush of natural hair (Squirrel or Badger) and a good brand like Leonhardy. They can be obtained from The Gold Leaf factory The Gold leaf Factory International | Manufacturer of Fine Gold leaf | Art Supplies | Artists Materials (http://www.goldleaf.com.au) and probably other places. I also see that Shines now have a (basic) web site shines.com.au (http://shines.com.au/) and that they advertise that they sell a lot of different shellacs and brushes too. (I have no financial or other affiliation with either company, just a customer).

However, I do not believe that you need a special brush for the work that you are going to do, I have only included those details in case you, or others, need the contacts.

We have cedar doors in our house and when we had the place painted a few years ago the painters offered to "freshen up" the doors with my shellac at no extra charge. They used good quality paint brushes to shellac on the doors, so they should be OK for the stair work that you have to do.

[DaveTTC]

I hope to get some painting done tonight and shellac tomorrow

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Would you use the shellac on the treads too or shukd i look at tung oil or decking oil etc?

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Simplicity]

Nothing on the treads for now
Oil no way if your planning more work down the track
What about just carpet sections stabled on for now on the treads

[DaveTTC]

No carpet and no staples. Took forever pulling the staples and taxks thatbwere there

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Simplicity]

What about a stair runner then

[DaveTTC]

Dont think she will go for it

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Simplicity]

There very traditional and later you can turn the things can't rember there name to tie the carpet down

[DaveTTC]

After much deliberation and toing and froing I have finally started a mix of shellac.

From bunnings.

It says 250 gm to 1 L

Letting it sit overnight and see what happens. It is flakes

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[rwbuild]

There very traditional and later you can turn the things can't rember there name to tie the carpet down


Stair rods
FAQ's — Stairrods Australia - Manufacturers of Luxury Carpet Accessories (http://www.stairrods.com.au/installation-information/)

[pickles420]

Im a timber floor sander by trade and tnere is a new australian standard for all timber stair cases treads have to be coated in an anti slip protection

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

[DaveTTC]

Im a timber floor sander by trade and tnere is a new australian standard for all timber stair cases treads have to be coated in an anti slip protection

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk
Yes i wondered about that. Whatare the options

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[pickles420]

Well i use the bona intense for sealer
Bona mega for 2nd coat
Light rubback with a fine grit sand paper to eliminate grain raise fill all tack and nail holes then the bona hd anti slip goes on job finished

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Traditionally the stairs were usually covered by a runner - a long strip of carpet that ran down the middle only. The edges were usually either shellac or Black Japan finished. With time many of the carpet runners wore out and the bare timber treads were sealed with shellac. That just seals the timber, it doesn't make it slippery. If you are worried about slipperyness you can just mix some grit into the shellac (for the treads only). On boats it is common to mix some grit or sand into the paint or other finish (often a marine finishing oil for boats) as or after you apply the final coat. Because shellac dries so fast it would have to be mixed in beforehand rather than sprinkled on later as can be done for slow-drying finishes. Marine shops will sell suitable grit/sand and so might many specialist paint shops. Usually, an old stair tread has plenty of wear on it so the seal with shellac may just raise the grain a bit to prevent slip - or else if you wipe the bare wood treads over with water to raise the grain slightly, let it dry then shellac. It is worth a try as the shellac is so reversible it doesn't lock you in for the long-term like all the modern finishes which would have to be painfully sanded off if you want to change later..

[DaveTTC]

Part of the stair priject is to paint the room at the top of the stairs

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160206/b384d324c13c970d310c7419deb907fb.jpg

Some was old work and some is new work from an extention towards the rear of the house

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160206/6d096fbd9e474c1e8d1aa8cb01b2123c.jpg

I have gapped (as in filled the gaps) to some of the new molding and boards and partial undercoat

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160206/7d075644717f21306f6e9aadedac6431.jpg

But a close inspection will reveal a lot of gapping yet to be done.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160206/0b91674ce7d40266e93f925c73de5ea8.jpg

It will be all white when its done. No seriously it will be all white. So pics will be hard to show up any detail once painted. Might need a refresher from oldgreybeard as to how to make it atand out.

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Xanthorrhoeas]

What a lovely attic room. We had two like that in our house in Hobart. The lining boards were Baltic Pine and had originally either been sealed with shellac or left bare timber. One of the two rooms was still lovely aged timber but someone had painted half the other room white. Such a shame. Some of our lining boards were warped and twisted like that too, though other areas were perfect. Our attic rooms had the chimneys coming through the middle of them - also covered in lining boards. Very quaint - especially as one of them opened onto a third floor balcony with a castellated stone parapet.

Its good to see you are doing such a good job with this house. That stair decoration is very pretty, perhaps Gothic revival as was common in the Picturesque Style common in the 1890's. Is that the date of the house?

[DaveTTC]

Yes I believe the house dates around then. There is a balcony here too

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160206/be3f395c2fa57f6e646af72f535f14a6.jpg

Warch out for the wires just outside rhe balcony though

Here is a front view

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160206/81c62d3b1c1f4b82bc770f75c0ea1c56.jpg

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Not the stairs but the painting upstairs.

Likely installed green and then shrunk these boards have been filled with what I presume is linseed putty.

With harsh cross lighting it is easier to see the 'v' joints are a lot deeper than the 'v' grooves in the centre if the board. Also the filking is very uneven

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/c84113e7ab74448f566624bc309b159e.jpg

A close up shows an example of a bad spot. Some areas in the ceiling it was bulging down and had to be pulled out and refilled

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/c8dc77af0ba95d84a34b736dfbc50dba.jpg

With use of 'no more gaps' i will try and even it out so it looks more acceptable. Somewhat like i have done on the vertical boards above.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/c72d48c6dfdf7064bb08fbdb44a60276.jpg

Hope to get all the prep finished and two coats today.

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Not as good as i would have liked but two coats

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/7cb2c91de684b410a4fe989c4765d185.jpg

The room is looking finished

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/4e6ca60d213acae5bbf1ce1e0cb777e6.jpg

Glad to see it virtually done

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/b0d914392ecd1960e1f6dd4974d292b9.jpg

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Up stairs is looking 'all white' now. So bak to the main attraction.

Instructions were just to oil or what have you 'as is' but .... I couldn't help myself. It just had to be fixed at least a little bit as you see the lower section before and after

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160208/89da57f3cf5a2f50dc8a02a9da6733a2.jpg

And the top rail at the landing. Forst coat being applied. There isjust one panel still in the raw

371053

Yes I went the shellac



Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Well im not claimong its a liece of furniture or that im anygood at this shellac game but tried to tidy up that first rail section a bit and a few coars later it looks something like this

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160208/c7b596775eebdb3bda52ab889a5dcfef.jpg

Perhaps i need a few lessons

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Pittwater Pete]

Looking good mate.

[DaveTTC]

Cleaning up post at top of stairs

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160209/13d5bc8a18bee8c1aae0c203686ca1ce.jpg

This one needs more work

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160209/ac484b2385d4f17e4f5817f0a888645e.jpg

I think i could use one of fencefurniture's fancy float things. They'd be good on paint wouldn't they?

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[DaveTTC]

Ok cleanes up a bit more now

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160209/031536aa7ad4697098409c653ce6bea8.jpg

And a close up

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160209/d3c132d5f638dd65be56e5eecdb2c905.jpg

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[FenceFurniture]

They'd be food on laont wouldn't they?Ah, say what??

[DaveTTC]

Ah, say what??
Ooopps

Good on paint

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[FenceFurniture]

Maybe a bit harsh on the softwood though.

[DaveTTC]

Oh.

What would you suggest

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[FenceFurniture]

Maybe a file?

[DaveTTC]

Whats a good way to clean a file when it gets clogged. I did end up using a file but its all gummed up with paint now

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[FenceFurniture]

Brass brush (solid brass bristle, not the stupid brass plated steel, and definitely NOT a card file).

[Simplicity]

Sorry
But why not a card file
If you mean what I thinkhttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/09/1d9721785446b32ab3e29d054592d0b3.jpg

[FenceFurniture]

Best way to prematurely blunt a file Matt.

Edit: because the bristles do not fit into the teeth - the are wider in diameter than the gap between the teeth, so that means two things: the don't get into the gap properly to clean (which is the whole point) and because of this they therefore only go across the top of the teeth, therefore blunt them.

[Simplicity]

But a tooth being an upside down triangle
What is going to fit in the valley to dislodge material
When it's stuck down there

[FenceFurniture]

I guess it depends on how widespread the gunk is. I've used a compass point (north is usually best :D) to get out aluminium. However, best not to get it in there in the first place - for "sticky" metals like alum, chalking the file works really well, and maybe that's worth a go with paint. It stops the gullets filling with the sticky stuff, and also prevents the stuff sticking to the steel.

[DaveTTC]

Big thanks to David for his initial reply with shellac and rh feneral concensus that agreed

Ive had lmoat no exleriwnce with rhe stuff and while ixohld have done a bettr job am generally pleased with rhe outcome. Pics to follow

Continuing my trip home. Hope to see th family about 2 or 3 but wxpect they'll all be asleep

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[rwbuild]

Dave, stay safe in traveling, eyes on road, not phone, there's always tomorrow for that, you and your family are more important than whats being posted, but if you did it during a rest break, that's ok and my apologies. Take care mate.

[DaveTTC]

Made it safe and sound. Few kids especially want my attention. Will try and sort out some pics when I have a moment

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Hi Dave,

In the past I have cleaned turned furniture legs like those balusters using a heat gun and a shaped paint scraper - with a turned handle, round shaft and end that is triangular at one end and rounded or concave at the other. That usually leaves a few speckles, but because the paint was applied over the original shellac some 0000 steel wool and metho dissolves the shellac under the paint spots and it cleans off pretty easily.

Your shellac work looks good to me. The tonal variation is because the timber is old and just adds to the patina and beauty of the woodwork IMHO. Most finishes would reveal the same variation in the wood.

David

[DaveTTC]

Here is a view from the top

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/6a0124c1789b96373c434f2bd342aa6a.jpg

A look at the last two posts that had to be cleaned

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/e6be5d5de266ef3d478b26b375d87739.jpg

A close up

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/36b18a3d12ccc834edee0ec611e4e096.jpg

Looking down the stairs

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/b2134622385001893a58a68b3a01b0eb.jpg

And at the treads

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/b5ebc0be2b3aaeaab57c84d4dc8ccf78.jpg

From the ground floor

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/98112cb3fdcc2dfcdb5dad25f61844a1.jpg

And thisnis the paneling that still had paint residue on it

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160213/83d4a8a6fe1b8c50b0311fa757404a0a.jpg

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[rwbuild]

Dave, there is much more satisfaction and skill in what you have achieved on these 2 jobs as compared to the mass produced glorified boxes masquerading as houses today, well done :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[DaveTTC]

Hi Dave,

In the past I have cleaned turned furniture legs like those balusters using a heat gun and a shaped paint scraper - with a turned handle, round shaft and end that is triangular at one end and rounded or concave at the other.

Yes i wish I had had my heat gun with me. Wiuld have been good to see how that might have worked.

I have similar scrapers and on old three sided traingle one. The shaped ones i ground to more suit the profile. Cheap steel and did not keep a cery good edge compared to my older one






That usually leaves a few speckles, but because the paint was applied over the original shellac some 0000 steel wool and metho dissolves the shellac under the paint spots and it cleans off pretty easily.


Would have been good to have put this to test on the job. Ive left now ... next time. 😉






Your shellac work looks good to me. The tonal variation is because the timber is old and just adds to the patina and beauty of the woodwork IMHO. Most finishes would reveal the same variation in the wood.

David

Thank you. Now that it is all done and dusted I am quite satisfied

Thank you too Ray. Agreed, much satisfaction from such a job. Would have been nice to have been allowed the time to redo the original section to a higher standard but it covered well considering




Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[FenceFurniture]

That looks a great job Dave! SIL must be chuffed with the result.