Pressure washers/sand blasting

[David]

I have read the spec. for a KARcher pressure washer and it includes a sand blasting nozzle as an option. Any comments on this or other such models ?

[Lobster]

I asked the same question here a few months ago: here's the answer for you!

[David]

Thank you Lobster for that, (cornish fisherman) ? To fill in a big gap in my request, the idea is to clean timber, I make furniture from scaffold boards, and what i would like is an effect similar to that found with beach found timber. If sand blasting is rather messy is the pressure itself enough to erode the wood, that is if it is high enough.

[Magician]

High pressure water will clean the wood and raise the grain if that's what you are after. I doubt sandblasting would make much difference.

Dave

[Rob Morley]

Sandblasting brings the grain into relief by removing the softer wood, I suspect pressure washing just makes it swell and it will dry out again.

[Paul Mc Cann]

I think you might be better off with an air driven sand blaster. The Karcher is very messy.

[David]

Thank you for that Paul. As for the 'superglue' comment, seems like an 'Eastender' comment to me. How do you know what i know ? Could go on to explain but as a professional furniture maker like yourself time is precious.

[Holly, in France]

enough.

Yes, I think you will get exactly the effect you are looking for. We sandblast timber regularly, almost always oak though, which would be harder than your scaffolding boards. It gives a rough, aged sort of effect. A bit more blasting would create a bigger difference in the grain, more like beach timber. It is not ideal but people seem to prefer to it to cut timber in old buildings, which otherwise shows regular saw marks or would have to be planed and sanded. We replaced a big oak beam in a house last week where the joists were still in good condition. The joists are black since the room was originally used as a forge. The new beam sticks out like a sore thumb! When the oak floor is down we will sandblast the whole lot, including the underside of the floorboards. There will still be a difference in colour but overall the effect will be more uniform. One thought though, I wonder if this would be suitable for furniture since the rough surface would be prone to collecting dust, making it harder to clean.

-- Holly, in France. Holiday home in the Dordogne, website:

[Chris Bacon]

IMO it copmpletely ruins timber.

Why not blacken the replacement, instead of spoiling the lot?

Quite.

[bigcat]

suitable

would suggest talking to these people before going ahead.

[Holly, in France]

darkening oak using ammonia? Will certainly look into that for future reference, thanks.

-- Holly, in France. Holiday home in the Dordogne, website:

[Holly, in France]

Fair enough. What would you recommend should be done on green oak beams, joists etc? The economics of the job would make using anything other than machine sawn timber too expensive for most people we deal with, and the saw marks do remain quite visible. Most people seem to prefer them sandblasted.

The whole room is, or was, filthy with soot. It is also a small room with the floor below road level with only one window and a solid wooden double door which planning restrictions wouldn't allow to be changed. The client wants to use it as a dining room or studio eventually and she wants it brighter. We might end up darkening the new beam a bit because it will still be lighter than the joists for a long time to come, but that is up to her.

-- Holly, in France. Holiday home in the Dordogne, website:

[bigcat]

No I meant sandblasting. :)

NT

[Holly, in France]

It would be helpful if you quoted who and what you are replying to! Having messed about with the view, I see it was me. :-) Maybe it is more obvious in googlegroups? Give me a clue, where on the page is it please? There is a huuuuugee long list of threads. The ammonia thing was interesting anyway, thanks:-) Holly

[bigcat]

ok, point taken.

its not on that page, you need to search for threads on sand blasting. You'll find a wealth of good info on it.

If you cant find it, just ask them about it.

NT