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Sanding damp wood

961 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  aimeebeme 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello, the forum :)

I found a beautiful bench much in need of loving repair. 98% of the original finish has weathered away (great good fortune, that!) so I scrubbed it with tsp and water yesterday. The results today are stunning. The rings in the wood are so much more beautiful than I was expecting.

My plan was for today's temperature to be as warm as yesterday, then the wood would be dry enough for a light 220 grit sanding. But today is fully chilly and my wood is very thoroughly damp. Would it be okay to go forward with the light-handed fine-grit hand sanding?

One more detail. I have yet to rinse off the TSP. My plan is to do the light sanding, rinse with light scrub, allow to dry fully (I'll hasten this by bringing it into my warm study). Then I take it back outside for a final light fine-grit sanding and will stain with a one step outdoor poly stain. After it cures I will do a couple of repairs, then attach the back to the bench.

I'd appreciate any guidance you have to offer.

//This bench is the most fun project I've had in ages. What a wonderful find!\\
 
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#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
what part of the world do you live in ?
TSP is a pretty caustic product. it says right on the container to rinse "thoroughly".
if you are letting the TSP sit on the wood for any period of time, I would have deep
reservations about any primers, paints or clear coats performing as the manufacturer intended.
will this bench be used outside or inside the house when you are done with it ??
it is a well documented fact that those "One Step Stain and Polyurethanes" are not UV safe
and will fade and deteriorate pretty quickly in the weather.
I know it is a fun project to bring a neglected piece back to life. but, if not properly done,
you will be doing it over and over because the finish failed prematurely.
a little more research into the products you are using and following the instructions on the label
to the letter may save you some grief in the future.
looking forward to seeing photos of your bench when you are finished restoring it.

Edit: some repairs should be done prior to staining and finishing.
so maybe a photo or two of the repair area may help with more accurate responses.

what you been doing for the past 8 years ?? how did your paper art hobby go ?

.

.
 
#5 ·
I'm in Colorado, where we now get occasional bursts of winter mixed with verrry long fall and spring seasons. (It makes me wonder if all of the people who move to Colorado and complain about the winters are affecting our climate. lol)

The paper mache project was a success! I had one perfect specimen on my first try. I gave it to a friend for christmas and she loves it to this day. Interestingly enough, I just unpacked those supplies yesterday. Perhaps it's time to start on next winter's presents!

For the last 8 years I've been reorienting myself to not being a nomad. That process included moving, a lot. With furniture. Happily, I've finally found a home to stay in until I can buy my own. (This is a huge accomplishment.) Over these years I've also been playing with a lot of clay (I have my own wheel though no kiln currently), growing plants, writing, mycology (reishi!), learning guitar, and becoming able to sing as well as I think I can. I even toyed with the idea of going back to school, but what they teach is so much more boring than what I teach myself. (And in my first class, I learned that I am a very rare type of person - someone who never stops seeking out skills and knowledge. So, at the age ofd 49 11/12ths, I have decided that don't need no stinikin' degree.)

Fun fact from both the self-learning and nomad topics - during my nomadic years I became an excellent wood and tile cutter, you call for a 7 5/16ths exact, long, short, take the line, or leave the line, you'll get exactly what you asked for. And I learned tile laying well enough to tile a tub shower surround and bathroom floor perfectly. Once.

Update on the bench:

The sun is totally working in my favor today. And with your advice, I've switched gears from a good enough job to a professional quality refurbishment.

Following your tsp caveat, I double scrub/rinsed it with a constant flow of hose water (very cold hose water). The water that splashed on my shoes at the first rinse left white residue, the second rinse did not, so we should be close to tsp free.

Now the pieces are drying in the sun, with me turning them every 40 minutes or so. If today doesn't dry them enough, I'll bring them inside before the cold clouds return tomorrow.

I'll return the one step poly stain and exchange it for separate stain and poly finish steps. This will allow me to control the depth of the stain color. Which is so much more important now that I've seen the beauty of the wood grain.

My idea for the good enough bench was that it would live outside all year, covered from rain and snow. Now that it's becoming a piece of furniture, I think he'll be outside for the summer (and the summer sun here is a b*h) and move inside for the cold and wet weather months.

So I it looks like I need a heavy duty poly finish that can withstand Colorado sun.

The repairs that are needed - to shore up one of the feet and to repair where the top connects to the bottom. My dream is to complete the last step of these repairs with clear epoxy resin after the staining and finish, so they become a visible part of the history of this piece.

Thank you for your participation in my refinishing project!

Photos

The bench itself:

Wood Plant Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


The foot that needs to be shored up:

Chair Wood Tree Trunk Plant


Bottom view of the foot that needs to be built up:

Automotive tire Wood Road surface Trunk Asphalt


The part of the top of the bench that needs to be filled in before it gets attached to the bottom. It's not a great photo, but you can see the imprint of one of the screws to give an idea of how deeply this part broke.

Pollinator Wood Arthropod Insect Wood stain
 

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#6 ·
wow - quite an update !! thanks for sharing.
there are many good exterior oil finishes on the market these days.
such as Wooden Fence Stain and Finish, Wooden Deck Stain and Finish, etc.
problem with that is they only come in gallons and quite costly.
totally your call on that one.
I would stay far, far away from a hard film finish like polyurethane & Helmsman Spar.
with oil, you can re-apply the finish when needed and keep it alive.
with varnish or hard poly, you "may" have to remove the finish periodically - not fun.
all the best in all your projects !!

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#7 ·
Apologies for the overly detailed reply. Your questions pulled out stories that were just too much fun not to summarize.

I'm taking your advice and using its mirror image. Understanding that single step poly stain is not worth the time and labor, and knowing that spending a buck fifty on a gallon of finish is not feasible, I have decided to go with stain and marine varnish. I'll build semi-shade for it for the summer, and bring it inside for the weather months (it already has a spot reserved). When it gets old enough, it'll stay outside year 'round and I'll let the varnish weather off. I'm guessing I'll refinish in 10-20 years.

Thank you ever so much for your guidance.
 
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