Soap Finish Using Turpentine As Solvent

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I have used a soap finish and I like it as a finish. However I was thinking about using turpentine as a solvent instead of water. Since soap is an alkaline fat would turpentine work as a solvent?

Why? Not having the water the finish will reduce lifting of the grain also it should get around the propensity of water in a soap finish splitting end grain.

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Since no one had anything to contribute I have opted to undertake a little science project.

I measured out 5g of soap flakes into two separate cups. I then added 5g of turpentine to one cup (marked T) and into the second cup I added 5g of boiling water (marked W).

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The turps dissolved almost instantly were the soap flakes water remained in suspension.

I waited 5 minutes and then stirred each cup. The turpentine solution emulsified instantly taking on the consistency of a thin wax solution. Then water mix was more like snot.

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After 10 minutes the water had cooled so I gave both solutions a good stir. The turpentine firmed up a little but the soap and water mix took on that thick mucus I have seen before.

I took some maple and I planed a smooth face. I then divide the board into 3 sections labeled “N”othing “W”ater and “T”urpentine.


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I applied the correct finish to the areas demarcated. Both areas showed visible yellowing on application however the yellow fades as both dry. I waited 5 minutes then wiped up the excess. After the first application all three areas look the same, tomorrow I will apply a second coat.

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Here is what it looks after an hour of drying

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Summation

the turpentine dissolves the soap instantly and gives you a product much more akin to a traditional wax emulsion. It dries the same as the water/soap emulsion and gives the same neutral Matt finish. I think that next time less turpentine will be more then sufficient to achieve an emulsion.

Also my research says that fatty esters (soap) dissolve in ethanol so next time I will try ethanol.

Hopefully someone will find this useful.

[auscab]

Now that’s very interesting . I had a lady make me do a soap finish on a big Oregan shelf she had some builder install in her house . Reclaimed wood . I was fairly sceptical of the idea and had not heard of it being used until this job . I was thinking “ A soap finish repels oils and fat but what about water based spills ?”
The water and flakes I used gave a similar snot mix �� . Bldy foul feel to the stuff !

This turps idea , worth another look I think, after reading this . I’m asuming your using mineral turps here?
I have a nice big 20 lt drum of pure gum turpentine I use for wax making . I’ll try the mineral but I’m curious now about how the gum turpentine would go as well. It adds a great smell to the wax mixes . Wonder how it would go with the soap flakes ?

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I had originally planed to use gum turps but its so expensive so I just used mineral turps. While chemically they are different functionally I think most people tend to use them interchangeable.

My only advice is start with 75% soap flakes and 25% turps and add a little turps at a time.

I am tempted to try orange solvent as I think that would make a nice finish, that clean smell of soap with the hint of orange.

Soap finish is not an apply and forget finish. You have to care for your furniture something most people have no clue about these days. I am more then happy to reapply a touch up on my soap furniture, something you should do with any wax finish anyway. For me I love the look of raw freshly planed timber that a soap finish gives me.

As for water, Alan Peters the English Arts & Crafts maker build his own kitchen cabinets and finished them with soap, when ever it got a bit dull he supposedly scrubbed down the bench tops with hot water and a stiff brush, then dried it all up and reapplied some new soap.

Also in all honesty the only finishes that would repeal water would be 2 pac epoxy and Nitrocellulose. Oil, wax and shellac would not be up to the task.

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Mixed 100g soap flakes with 50g of turpentine as I suspected this was enough to cause emulsion with 30 seconds of mixing. The consistency is like firm margarine or soft coconut fat.

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[auscab]

I remember reading or possibly hearing somewhere that mineral turps wasn't used making wax finishes because of it leaving a white film on evaporation . Think I tried it a long time ago and it wasn't good. I don't actually remember exactly what happened now. It went white I think.

If its working though for what your doing then that's all that matters. Sounds good.

[thumbsucker]

If you have gum turpentine then do a small test sample I am sure it will work just as well

[ubeaut]

Bit of (hopefully helpful) info for anyone making their own polishes:

Using mineral turpentine is safer than gum or pure turpentine, which can cause some bad things when absorbed through the pores of the skin. Including kidney, bladder, renal, nervous system and mental problems.

Almost all high aromatic solvents are similarly dangerous. :bones:

Mineral turpentine isn't safe but definitely isn't any where near as bad.

For this reason we always use mineral turpentine as the preferred solvent in our polishes.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil :U