Salvaging attempt of my 1 litre tin on Floorseal varnish...!

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

I normally turn or finish some of my rough turnings from the previous years, only in Winter time but this time I had to change a few things around to accommodated a unexpected job, there is finish as many pieces I could to utilize a 1 litre of my expensive Floorseal that after 6 months in the shed with days of 45+C degrees and a few too many tin openings for coating my pen blanks samples that I do every so often, they used nothing of the varnish but it started getting jelly 4 days ago, and from experience, you get one go at it with plenty of thinning and stirring, withing 48 to 72 hours after the jelling process starts.

I didn't really wanted to waste a full litre of this product at about $58 so I got turning some of my dry rough turned pieces. One didn't make it, blowing in to pieces like a melon, another 2 gave me all sorts of troubles, as I turned them too thin while green and then I had to suffer the results of re-turning them to some shape and balance. The 2 Majestic Olive plates where a absolute nightmare, one was flown of the lathe when I was trying to finish it first a few months ago as a gift, never made it so I turned another one more successfully as a replacement, the other one is no more than 1mm thick in most of its body, reinforced with Golden Wattle in the ring and Colonial Gum on the base.

The first one end-up been reconstructed with a new base in Colonial Red, which after a small mistake, went flying again, braking the base for the second time so I decided to give it one more chance and made another base center out of She/Bull-Oak, living part of the previous repair out of the Ancient Red.

I could have turned a few more rough turned pieces but, I persisted with the beautiful pieces of Majestic Olive of those 2 plates, so I had to cut short of my plans, thinking of the possibility that one more day could be just too late for that varnish.

The plan was 2 1/2 days turning and half a day coating the pieces with sanding sealer and then one coat of the Floorseal. Off-course my days are short ones as I do maybe 4 hours of work each afternoon/evening, If I'm feel up to it so I got going as fast as I could. Yesterday afternoon I got the pieces sealed and coated with the Floorseal but I only manage to do the bottom of the pieces with it as the varnish wasn't thinning any more and spray gun was fighting with it all the way so, the varnish which normally dries quite quickly, this time wasn't drying as fast so I had to leave the pieces to be turned over and finished the next day.

Put the spray gun half full in the fridge overnight to slow the drying process and about lunch time I struggle to get a even coat on the pieces as the varnish was in its last legs...! I may shouldn't have used it at all, as the finish is far from what I could achieve with a fresh tin but, I didn't really bother too much as these pieces end-up in the house as ornaments like 100 of its mates...!

I don't put anything on consignment anymore, nor I do any shows or displays neither, whatever I feel like doing (turning) goes upstairs to the house and maybe if a visitor like some and wants to buy it/them, then I will think about it...! in the meantime the wife is not complaining anymore, about all the good stuff that was getting sold and she gets nothing proper, well... I reckon now she is thinking..."where in the heck am I going to put all this stuff, now...???":biggrin:

Anyway, I just though in share, what sort of saw-dust of have been breading lately...!

From above, left to right;

Mt. Compass Stone pine, Majestic Olive sapwood, Majestic olive heartwood, Majestic olive heartwood/sap.

From bellow, left to right;

Majestic Olive sapwood, Poplar, Majestic olive sapwood (flaws), Majestic olive heartwood/sap.

Cheers
George

 

[David Keller]

You've been a busy man, George. Nice save on the olive platter, and I think the two wooden inserts look good.

That olive is some amazing wood!

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Wonderful 'pieces', George. Is it really a 'requirement' to keep the 'good stuff' for the wife?

 

[CaptG]

Awesome looking work. I really like the inserts.

 

[broitblat]

Those are some great looking pieces.

-Barry

 

[robutacion]

Thanks guys...!:biggrin:

Yeah, certainly not something that I like to do in a hurry, like this lot, I may have saved half of the tin but, the finish is a bit of a disappointment to me, half of them I have to fine send them again and give it another coat, but this time with new/fresh varnish. I'm also buying only a half a litre at the time now unless I have lots of wood to spray, is not cost efficient but I lose a lot less if it goes bad on me...!

In no way, I put any fault to the product, by the contrary, I haven't found any better product for what I do, just sometimes the self life of these products are seriously reduced or compromised by the constant tin opening for little jobs under extreme hot conditions...!

Oh well, such is life...!:wink:

PS: Has anyone seen the type of pine on the biggest bowl??? (Stone Pine)

Cheers
George

 

[arjudy]

Very nice pieces.

 

[David Keller]

George, the stone pine looks like what we call Norfolk Pine that grows in Hawaii among other places. When turned thin(really thin) and soaked in oil, it becomes almost translucent and the red 'eyes' absolutely glow.

 

[Fred]

Don't know if I have seen any Stone Pine. However, being from GA, I have often seen Pine when stone**, er, out in the woods years ago. I have even seen some other stuff lately.

Your turnings are great and I applaud you on all your efforts.

Have you ever used something like nitrogen to displace the air in your cans just before you reseal the lid. Many paint stores have a spray can of the stuff. It may not be nitrogen, but whatever it is it helps keep 'stuff' usable.

 

[robutacion]

Hi peoples,

Thanks again fellows...!:biggrin:

Stone Pine trees in Europe have a slight different canopy shape but mostly due to the trimming they constantly do void any bigger branches to form low, as these trees are very common in the cities as shady trees. They can grow really tall (30 meters or more), and they also also liked by their nut production. They only start producing nuts after reaching maturity and that can take 30 to 40 years.

A Google search on these pine species will provide a lot more information.

I wish they were Norfolk Pine David, I would me making some good money out of them, I know where are a few pretty large ones growing, nice specimens too but unfortunately they are dead smack in the center of the Town of McLaren vale, 25km away. They have been there for many years, just by looking at their size, because they are located in the town I most visit for shopping, etc., I have "stared" at every single one of them, that many times that I reckon, I got 100 bowls and other stuff made out of them, in my dreams...!

Fred, I have never saw anyone use anything at all in any paint shops or panel beaters shops or anywhere else were paints or varnishes are constantly use. I didn't even know that it was something out there for that particular purpose but, if it is and works, I would like to know...!

I went to get a 1/2 litre of Floorseal today, only to be told that they don't stock anything smaller then the 1lt can on that particular product, next one is a 1 gallon and then the 5 gallon ones. I shouldn't be complaining really, as most of varnishes and so many other products that I buy to use in timbers, don't last half of the Floorseal. I used many 1 gallon cans of this stuff, and never lost much but since I'm not doing as much with wood (bigger stuff) and pens only take a little "smidge"at the time, that was what buggered me up, not forgetting the extreme temperatures we have experienced this Summer and these small and low sheds get pretty hot!:frown:

Anyway, I found a couple of pics from when I cut these trees, just on the other side of my back fence, I should have some more of the logs by itself for the next time...!:biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[bubbatww]

George,
They look great. The insert just adds to it..great job.

 

[Fred]

George ... Try a hardware store for the replacement stuff. I'll try to stop in my local Proter paint store and see if they have it and let you know.

Meanwhile, something else you might try is dry ice. Take a piece of wax paper and cut a circle to fit the inside diameter of the can. Float the wax paper and put a small 1/2" piece of dry ice on top in the center. Then loosely place the lid back on. Wait a few seconds or so and then seal the lid back down. As the dry ice goes back into a gaseous form and being heavier than Oxygen it will fill the can and force the oxygen out. Trial and error will tell you how much to use and how long to wait to completely seal the lid. You will know when as the lid will quit being popped back off as the dry ice turns into gas. Just an idea!!

Good luck on saving your finish. If the finish is jelling due to a chemical reaction, then not much is going to help save it. Is what you are using pre-catalyzed by any chance???

 

[robutacion]

George ... Try a hardware store for the replacement stuff. I'll try to stop in my local Proter paint store and see if they have it and let you know.

Meanwhile, something else you might try is dry ice. Take a piece of wax paper and cut a circle to fit the inside diameter of the can. Float the wax paper and put a small 1/2" piece of dry ice on top in the center. Then loosely place the lid back on. Wait a few seconds or so and then seal the lid back down. As the dry ice goes back into a gaseous form and being heavier than Oxygen it will fill the can and force the oxygen out. Trial and error will tell you how much to use and how long to wait to completely seal the lid. You will know when as the lid will quit being popped back off as the dry ice turns into gas. Just an idea!!

Good luck on saving your finish. If the finish is jelling due to a chemical reaction, then not much is going to help save it. Is what you are using pre-catalyzed by any chance???

Hi Fred,

No, I'm not...!

This is a very special floor varnish with the consistency of water (or very near) when fresh, not exactly clear, does have a very small yellowish tint not noticeable and medium to dark colour woods but seen in very light coloured woods. One of the many things I like about it, is its easy application, from spray, brush, roller, paper towel and even by finger, not forgetting my most used process for all my blanks samples and other small pieces, "dipping" and then shaking the living life out of the piece forcing the excess to fly off.

This product as the capability to self level in any circumstances, and a initial drying of at least one hour to fully cured in 24 hours. This is exceptionally important if something happen and you have to re-touch before the surface skin is formed, as it always self levels within this time frame. Being so thin has also lots of advantages when used in many types of pieces where tolerances are of importance. The full shine capabilities is easily achieve is most woods by preparing the wood with one coat of sanding sealer and a light touch with the fine sandpaper.

Very dense woods or other materials with no porosity, will need no sealer, only a smooth finish to the material to be coated. Indeed, the finer finish is given to the timber or other prior to coating, the shinier the 1 simple coat will be. For any pieces that will have a heavy ware pattern, I like to use the same principle as I did many years ago when I was installing all sort of parquetry and cork floors, there is, seal it, one finishing coat for protection and another coat for wearing...! :wink: A good principle for pens...!:biggrin:

The toughness of this product is easily demonstrated by the main application it was made for, floors (wood & cork), durability, stability and flexibility are also main factors any floor varnish has to have.

You mention about possible chemical reaction as the reason of the product to jell after some use/"abuse", and yes it had a "constant" chemical reaction as it should, when the product becomes in contact with wood or other materials, as it did for 20 or 30 times that I open the can to "dip" one or two pen blank samples, with days or weeks appart...! Yeah, I know...! not too bad if you use that 1 lt can within the first couple of months or so, after that, opening the can in hot days only to dip a couple of samples, is asking for troubles later on.

Not so much, the number of times you open the can in this case but, the decision to take the quicker and easiest road for coating the product on my wood samples and put the sample inside the can (dip) to coat it, exposing all the contents to the wood surface, starting a very slow reaction, becoming detrimental for the life expectancy of the product inside the tin.

I did make clear that I wasn't complaining about product going jelly on me but rather the quick steps and timber preparations I had to "preform" to attempt saving as much as I could of the can contents...!:redface:

There 3 morals to this story;
- First, don't dip the material you need coating inside the can or, put the contents into a larger container, deep it and then put it back in the can. If you need to do that, make sure all the can contents are use in the shortest period of time possible!

- Second, buying a bigger container (can) only because works cheaper per litre, is going to turn out a lot more expensive if the product goes bad due to all possible considerations, less the one the product was made for, be used in a "reasonable" amount of time!. Unless you have use for the bigger containers, buy the small quantities, you end-up losing a lot less...!

- Thirdly, one would think that I have some sort of special financial or monetary interest in promoting this product, right..???, wrong...,no such thing or even recognition from the manufacturer that I'm speaking well of the product. They wouldn't have a "fogging" clue of what I'm saying about their products to start with, nor I give a damn, I'm happy to have it available to me and that I have had the best results than any coating product I've used in the pass...!

This will not help anyone that can not access such product for whatever the reason, for those that can, Floorseal from Feast Watson, is a product to try!

That's all for now, folks...!:wink:

Cheers
George