Fuming lyptus

[Steve M.]

Hello

I figured someone out there might be able to benefit from my tinkering:

I've recently started working with lyptus, and have spent a fair amount of time screwing around with finishes, trying to achieve a dark, warm tone. I tried a few different methods for coloring the pinkish wood:

- Orange & Garnet shellac - very little difference between the two; produced a light golden/honey tone.

- Dye stain mixed with shellac - produced nice color, but very dark pores - not what I was looking for.

- Fuming - very nice.

After fuming a test piece for about 3 hours, the wood turned a nice medium-brown. After a coat of tung oil, the color was beautiful, and the figure of the grain really stood out - much more so than with shellac. I also left a chunk in my fuming container overnight, and it had gotten darker, though not a great deal. The red/pink color is pretty much invisible at this point, but seems to slightly re-appear after a coat of of oil.

Of course, test this out on a cut-off first to see if it gives you the color you desire. And be careful fuming - ammonia is nasty stuff! Hope this helps someone!

-Steve

[Never Enough Money]

Excellent post. I've been trying to get finishing info on Lyptus since I bough a bunch of it in the Spring.

Will you be trying Waterlox or Danish oil in the near future. I was planning to experiment with say (3) coats of each followed by paste wax.

Also, I've never fumed anything. I assume that means you put the wood and an opned can of tung oil in a closed room or container and wait for the fumes to be absorbed....can you clarify? Sorry for my ignorance...

[SonomaProducts.com]

Great info. What source are you using to get the strong ammonia? What strength? What is your "Container"?

BW

[SonomaProducts.com]

I'm pretty sure he means fuming with ammonia. This is a time honored technique used by the Stickleys and others of the craftsman/misson/prarie schools. Yes, set the piec in a tent with a pan of stronmg ammonia. Stronger than the house cleaning stuff you can get at the grocery market. I think you need about a 10% solution or greater.

[Steve M.]

I used 30% ammonia - got it from a blueprint supply place.

For my test, I used > Great info. What source are you using to get the strong ammonia? What

[Never Enough Money]

Sounds like a lot of unpleasant work!

[patrick conroy]

Yeah - thanks. There's a source of it up here and I'm thinking of using it on my next project. Much appreciated!

[Larry Jaques]

On 12 Jan 2005 11:14:46 -0800, "SonomaProducts.com" calmly ranted:

I found sodium hydroxide at a local Surveying supply house. It says "Solution #1, 26°, Baume Concentration 29.4%" $7.50USD per gallon.

This is roughly SIX times the household strength and this stuff is really nasty to work with. I didn't have gloves on when I opened the lid (held downwind on the back porch) and the fumes lightly burned my fingers from a couple seconds of contact with fumes only. Do be careful.

I have the wood, have built the fuming frame, and have the ammonia. All I have to do now is figure out what final shape the Webster's Hernia Edition dictionary stand will take.

I'll have to check out that lyptus stuff, too. It's half the price of white oak at some places I've seen.

I just called the local hardwood store to see if they stocked it and they'll call back with a price. They do have some 16/4 Philippine Mahogany for $5/bf which I really need to take a look at just for S&G.

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