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Author Topic: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish  (Read 4885 times)

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« on: July 23, 2009, 04:18:48 PM »
I have a fowler stained with lye, sealed with shellac and finished with Chamber's Antique oil varnish. It has heavy coats of Renaissance Wax over all.  it has some bad spots in the finish from use in the field and I would like to repair the spots.  The color is fine. just dull spoys from sweat etc.

What preparation would you suggest before I rub on more Chamber's finish?
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Offline KLMoors

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2009, 09:27:19 PM »
Good question and I'm interested too.  I've got Chambers' finish and regular paste wax on one gun and will put it on the fowler I'm going to build soon so I'm going to need this info too.
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Offline rick landes

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2009, 05:13:49 PM »
Have you contacted Jim and asked him? Might be the best route.
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Offline Mike Gahagan

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2009, 06:46:47 PM »
It`s possible that it is the shellac.I have heard that shellac will turn white when it gets wet.The top coat might not have been thick enough to protect it.You can fix shellac pretty easily if you can sand it back down in the areas that has turned and reapply.
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Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2009, 08:52:23 PM »
Mike, i think the original problem was that i inadvertantly left too much shellac on the surface in these areas and it softened and messed with the varnish.When sealing with shellac it is apparently necessary to rake the surface back to wood and just leave what is in the pores before applying varnish.  Then use in the field and sweat caused the fault to show up.  Its just a coupe of small areas on the wrist. My concern now is that because of the wax over the varnish that I may make a mess if i try to revarnish the area. Is there something safe to take the wax off without messing much with the varnish????

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Offline G. Elsenbeck

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2009, 03:34:05 PM »
Using turpentine will get rid of the wax, just dampen a rag with the turp and rub into your finish.  Use sparingly just in case you're worried about it ruining the overall finish.  It should be ok.  After the wax is gone, you are free to touch up.
Gary
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Offline Don Getz

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2009, 03:41:34 PM »
You can buy a liquid wax remover.   I have a bottle and have used it.   Don't have it here in front of me, but it is available............Don
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Offline rick landes

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2009, 09:07:57 PM »
I was checking out ren. wax and saw BEHLEN De-Waxer 741
among the products. It should do the trick for you if the notes are right. Perhaps this is what Don was remembering.
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Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2009, 12:26:39 AM »
Thanks guys I will get to Wood Craft next week and get to work!!  I have one more week before my new job starts so i gotta make good use of it!!
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Offline T*O*F

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2009, 01:18:58 AM »
Tim,
If you've got an auto body supplier close by, they sell a wax and grease remover which is used to wipe down cars before painting them.  Wax causes "fish eyes" in new paint jobs.

Or maybe you want to leave the wax on and have "fish eye" maple instead of "bird's eye" maple.   ???
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Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2009, 01:40:26 AM »
I use oil finishes exclusively and have touched them up with no problem but the shelac would concern me. I am not trying to be smart here but what is the purpose of the shelac as a sealer? One of the things oil finishes need to do is penetrate the wood and I would thing any type sealer would cause problems.
Dennis
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California Kid

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2009, 05:12:19 AM »
Dennis, I think he used the shellac as a filler to fill the pores in the porous cherry, the thinking that it would be more PC than a paste filler and easier than sanding in the oil with a stained stock. Just guessing though.
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Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: Repairing Chamber's Antique oil finish
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2009, 08:13:24 PM »
Yep, Sealed the cherry with shellac cause it appears to have been done that way some times in the 18th century according to some reputable experts.. ::) ;)  AND because it slows the movement of humidity in and out of the wood, which oil varnish does not do as well....and cause I could use a garnet colored shellac to add to the red tone in the overall finish....I did learn that you must take the shellac back to bare wood before you finish with oil varnish.

I think I can get the finish repair OK, I just don't want those "fish eyes" TOF  mentioned so I have to get the wax off.

I think I will see if the turpentine will work..... Hmmmm  ??? I wonder if Kramer's Best Antique restorer would do it??  It certainly has a lot of turpentine in it.  Not sure what it leaves behind though.... Better stick to the plain turpentine or the auto wax remover I think..

Thanks
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