I have just completed a teak cover (top, bottom, and sides) for my crappy stone mantle on my fireplace. I want to sand the teak to remove some marks. I know teak is an oily wood. Does anyone have any advice for me? All I can find when I google is advice on boat decks and outdoor teak furniture where the teak has dried out in the sun. My mantle cover is 3/4" teak I purchased from a wood supplier in my area and it is still pretty oily.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Dick Snyder
Is there a question in there somewhere?
Yes, the question is how do I sand it. I assume sand paper will just load up with oily wood. Should I use a coarse sand paper or maybe steel wool or .....?
Wet or oily?
Now's the time to buy a cabinet scraper and learn how to use it. They're really great. Find 'em locally or buy online.
-- Poverty is easy. It's Charity and Chastity that are hard. --anon
I will try both methods. I used acetone to get rid of the oil where I glued pieces together so I have some already. I have a cabinet scraper too and got a nice lesson on forming the burr at a woodworking show out here 3 weeks ago. I haven't had time to practice what I learned yet. I guess I will now.
Thanks for the tips.
Remember that for a less aggressive scraper, you don't have to turn a burr at all. Just file flat and smooth on a diamond plate. I prefer 'em this way.
You're welcome.
-- Poverty is easy. It's Charity and Chastity that are hard. --anon
It will load but the type sand paper you use will make a big difference. An open coat sand paper will be less likely to load up. FWIW I have sanded a lot of oily woods, cocobolo and bocote to name a couple and they felt oily. I'd suggest sanding and see what happens. If you get a loading problem go to a hand plane or scraper.
"Larry Jaques" wrote
45 minute flu, eh? I always ventilated well with that stuff. Had big fans going, etc. I did a project about 3 months ago that involved several cans of Rustoleum. I did them all outside. It dried a lot faster when exposed to direct sunlight. Which only works when there is sun.Take care of yourself Larry. What we used to get away with as youngsters just don't work any more. :(
"Larry Jaques" wrote
------------------------------------------------------------------ If you EVER use acetone, or similar hydrocarbon solvent indoors, make DAMN SURE ALL gas pilot lights are turned OFF.
Failure to do so will almost certainly insure you will have a bomb go off and a resulting fire.
Ask the flooring contractors or guys who reface cabinets with laminate.
Lew
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:51076141$0$46956 $c3e8da3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
Isn't acetone a key ingredient in some nail polish removers? All the more reason to stay away from nail polish... *g*
Puckdropper
I saw a guy who was putting laminate on his counter with contact cement. He forgot the pilot light. It blew him through the door out into the yard. No serious injuries though. It may have been the alcohol fumes from his breath that caused the explosion.
There is nothing special about sanding teak. Regular ol' aluminum oxide paper in your choice of grits by hand, ROS, belt, disc, pad...
You're absolutely right. I had thought the project was small enough (and the shop lost enough air) that it wouldn't be a problem. (3' long 4" sat dish tube) Never again. That's some nasty shit, Maynard.
-- Poverty is easy. It's Charity and Chastity that are hard. --anon
Acetone is one of the least toxic solvents.
Teak has a high silica content. Plan to sharpen frequently.
Sand from 60 through 150. Coarse-textured wood, so no sense going finer. It loads paper, so plan on burning up a few sheets.
I agree, but remember that acetone is a very volatile material, so it is like gasoline, and can be dangerous.
Also while it is not very toxic, unrestrained use can cause damage to the body. The most obvious will be the defatting of your skin. If you use it, the fat loss must be replaced with a good hand cream. (No it will not work on love handles that meet in the middle of your stomach)
Like any solvent and many drugs; alcohol, acetone, Acetaminophen, etc can caused liver damage, so another reason to handle it with care.
Perhaps more volatile than gasoline, it will evaporate before your eyes.
I'm not going to even ask. 8-)
Mike M
Larry, the cabinet scraper worked great. I did not put a burr on it as you suggested. I finished up with a light touch of Abranet sanding mesh attached to my ROS with a shop vac so I did not get much loading up. Thanks again for the idea.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.