Dear experts,
I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
and then washed it again.
After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
these while I was removing the paint.
What are these? Do you think that they might
have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
Thanks
"Roger Redford" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dear experts,
>
> I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
> painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
>
> I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
> and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
> took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
> also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
> and then washed it again.
>
> After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
> of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
> the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
> these while I was removing the paint.
>
> What are these? Do you think that they might
> have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
You used a hose to spray it off....mildew perhaps?
Or maybe bug droppings? I get the latter all the time on tools and projects
in my shop. Look like clusters of pinhead sized ink marks.
--
Cheers!
Duke
"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> > Or maybe bug droppings? I get the latter all the time on tools and
> projects
> > in my shop. Look like clusters of pinhead sized ink marks.
>
> Where is your shop??!!
Across the driveway from my house.
> It was a joke, wasn't it!!??
Sadly, no. But when you live next to 500 acres of pastures with cows
grazing in them, you're bound to have a few flies around. Good ole
fashioned fly paper does a pretty good job on them.
--
Cheers!
Duke
Roger Redford asks:
>I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
>painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
>
>I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
>and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
>took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
>also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
>and then washed it again.
>
>After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
>of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
>the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
>these while I was removing the paint.
>
>What are these? Do you think that they might
>have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
Good luck getting them off. Those are caused by a reaction between the tannin
in the oak--tannic acid--and the steel wool. Using anything steel on oak is a
mistake, and hosing it down afterwards intensifies the mistake.
Individual stain bleaching might work. An awful lot of work, though. Use oxalic
acid, rubber gloves and goggles and try on a small piece.
Charlie Self
"The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the
exercise of his mind." Jacques Barzun
MH <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Whats worse is the bad advice he got.
Such as what part in particular ?
>True it is oxidized metal from the steel wool.
No it isn't. It's a complex of iron tannates, not just iron oxides.
Rust stains (on many other timbers) are brownish, maybe blackish. The
deep black or blueish stuff like this occurs when you have this
problem on a tannin-rich wood. The pigment here is that of "iron gall
ink" - I've seen manuscripts written with this stuff that are over a
thousand years old and still dark.
As to the depth, then you might get away with it - always worth a try.
However I recall a hosepipe was involved and in a surplus of water,
then these stains can go pretty deep.
"George" <george@least> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> It is an oxidation reaction in the chemical sense,
True enough, but I doubt that MH appreciates the difference anyway.
What is clear is that it's not merely "iron oxides" that we're dealing
with, even if they are "oxidised iron".
It is an oxidation reaction in the chemical sense, which is why oxalic acid
reduces the tannate to near-colorlessness.
I daresay, as well, that fragments of steel wool don't have enough ferrous
material available to penetrate very deep before being completely oxidized.
"Andy Dingley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> MH <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
>
> > Whats worse is the bad advice he got.
>
> Such as what part in particular ?
>
> >True it is oxidized metal from the steel wool.
>
> No it isn't. It's a complex of iron tannates, not just iron oxides.
> Rust stains (on many other timbers) are brownish, maybe blackish. The
> deep black or blueish stuff like this occurs when you have this
> problem on a tannin-rich wood. The pigment here is that of "iron gall
> ink" - I've seen manuscripts written with this stuff that are over a
> thousand years old and still dark.
>
> As to the depth, then you might get away with it - always worth a try.
> However I recall a hosepipe was involved and in a surplus of water,
> then these stains can go pretty deep.
Just a guess, but they may be tiny pieces of the steel wool embedded in the
oak that have oxidized with the combination of water and tanic acid from the
oak.
"Roger Redford" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dear experts,
>
> I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
> painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
>
> I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
> and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
> took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
> also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
> and then washed it again.
>
> After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
> of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
> the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
> these while I was removing the paint.
>
> What are these? Do you think that they might
> have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
>
> Thanks
Well, here is the secret.
I looked for some oxalic acid. It was hard to find, but I
finally found it in product used for cleaning decks:
Behr Wood cleaner brightener conditioner
It did the trick. Actually, quite quickly. And that was
diluted. I also used a scotch bright this time.
As for the idiot who thought I was stupid, I was just
following the directions of the paint remover. It said to
use steel wool, and so I did. It gave no warning about
possible black marks. Warning: Even more idiots are behind
those products you buy.
[email protected] (Roger Redford) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Dear experts,
>
> I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
> painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
>
> I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
> and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
> took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
> also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
> and then washed it again.
>
> After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
> of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
> the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
> these while I was removing the paint.
>
> What are these? Do you think that they might
> have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
>
> Thanks
You missed April fools day by quite a margin there but still, it's
interesting to see how many fall for it.
Next time try not to be so obviously heavy handed with the stupidity. It'll
work better.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Roger Redford" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dear experts,
>
> I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
> painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
>
> I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
> and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
> took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
> also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
> and then washed it again.
>
> After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
> of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
> the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
> these while I was removing the paint.
>
> What are these? Do you think that they might
> have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
>
> Thanks
"Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> You missed April fools day by quite a margin there but still, it's
> interesting to see how many fall for it.
>
> Next time try not to be so obviously heavy handed with the stupidity.
> It'll work better.
>
Whats worse is the bad advice he got. True it is oxidized metal from the
steel wool. All he needs is a scraper and they come right up. Leave the
chemicals alone.
I've had extensive issues after filing my scraper on a bare floor and then
grain popping. All those fillings...Beyond that, a scraper is your friend.
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On 1 Jun 2004 07:30:47 -0700, [email protected] (Roger Redford)
wrote:
>After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
>of little black marks on one side.
Steel wool - bad idea on oak, especially with water.
Oxalic acid bleach should shift much of it. Don't waste your time on
other bleaches like hypochlorites or hydrogen peroxides (and that
includes "wood bleach")
You can probably find oxalic acid as "Barkeeper's Friend", a white
powder sold in hardware stores and even supermarkets. You might also
find it as one ingredient in some patio deck cleaners. Be warned, the
stuff is somewhat toxic - wear gloves and watch out for the dust.
--
Smert' spamionam
I bought oxalic acid in Southern Califonia packaged as Wood Bleach.
On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 20:25:48 +0100, Andy Dingley
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 1 Jun 2004 07:30:47 -0700, [email protected] (Roger Redford)
>wrote:
>
>>After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
>>of little black marks on one side.
>
>Steel wool - bad idea on oak, especially with water.
>
>Oxalic acid bleach should shift much of it. Don't waste your time on
>other bleaches like hypochlorites or hydrogen peroxides (and that
>includes "wood bleach")
>
>You can probably find oxalic acid as "Barkeeper's Friend", a white
>powder sold in hardware stores and even supermarkets. You might also
>find it as one ingredient in some patio deck cleaners. Be warned, the
>stuff is somewhat toxic - wear gloves and watch out for the dust.
On 1 Jun 2004 07:30:47 -0700, [email protected] (Roger Redford)
wrote:
>Dear experts,
>
>I am refinishing a coffee table that had been
>painted. It is solid oak, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
>
>I got most all of the paint off using paint remover
>and number 2 steel wool. I then put it on the grass,
>took out the hose, and sprayed it thoroughly. I
>also rubbed it with steel wool while it was wet
>and then washed it again.
>
>After it was dry, I noticed that there are now a lot
>of little black marks on one side. Also, a few on
>the top. It reminds me of measles. I never noticed
>these while I was removing the paint.
>
>What are these? Do you think that they might
>have developed while drying? How do I get these off?
>
>Thanks
Most likely those are stains cused by reaction of tannins in oak,
water and left over particles of steel wool. Steel wool anywhere
around bare wood is a generally bad idea
Look for wood bleach and check label. Mine is oxalic acid.
On 26 Jun 2004 23:02:12 -0700, [email protected] (Roger Redford)
wrote:
>I looked for some oxalic acid. It was hard to find, but I
>finally found it in product used for cleaning decks:
>
>Behr Wood cleaner brightener conditioner