Strip/refinish

[WriteON]

I bought a cane from a professional builder (not cheap). I was expecting a showpiece and got anything but. It is stained black oak. Finished with tung oil. Out of the box the finish is coming off. I wiped the cane..the rag turned black. I am going to refinish it. It has mineral oil, stain, tung oil and Pledge as I used it to remove the sticky surface.
To strip...should I simply sand it down...or use a stripper. If a stripper..what brand?

 

[egnald]

Unless the current stained appearance is not acceptable, instead of sanding, you could first try wiping it down good with acetone and apply a followed and applying a new finish over whatever is left. If it is stained, sanding to get a uniform coloration could be a challenge depending on the level of stain penetration.

It sounds like maybe it was not left long enough to cure before sending it to you. Tung oil might dry in a day, but like many natural oil finishes it takes it much longer to fully polymerize - tung oil can take a month or more to fully cure.

Dave

 

[1080Wayne]

Make it known to the `un-professional` builder ! Maybe send him the rags , with a suitable charge attached .

 

[Woodchipper]

Got tung oil today for food free finish. Dave answered the question about polymerization...one month. So I need to set bowls, etc., aside for a month or so?

 

[WriteON]

Make it known to the `un-professional` builder ! Maybe send him the rags , with a suitable charge attached .

I'm disappointed but not totally PO'd. I gave them feedback… they offered to pay shipping both ways and refinish it. We should not be at this stage but we are and Ill let it go. They have 2 more of mine being processed. I requested to please fully inspect before shipping. If they are substandard they are getting returned and PayPal reversed.

 

[leehljp]

My concern would be the Pledge. Pledge contains silicone and silicone will cause "fisheye" in most final finishes. They are not pretty. Here is google's suggestion for finishing after the wood has had a silicone based shine or wax on it:
"To prevent "fisheye" in polyurethane, add a small amount of fisheye eliminator, which is a high-concentration silicone additive, to your finish. Alternatively, apply a barrier coat of dewaxed shellac before the polyurethane to seal surface contaminants. Preventing fisheye requires identifying and eliminating surface contaminants like silicone, waxes, or grease through thorough cleaning before finishing."
Varnishes:
To prevent fish eyes in a varnish finish, you can add a small amount of a dedicated fisheye eliminator or, as a last resort, a small amount of silicone to the varnish. The best approach is to prevent contamination in the first place by thoroughly cleaning the surface with a solvent like Naphtha or a strong degreaser, as fisheyes are caused by surface contaminants such as silicones, waxes, and oils from furniture polishes.

Fisheye:

The problem with silicone in pledge or any other silicone items is that it often gets down into or onto wood itself. For one who is not skilled in finishing processes, it is not a simple wipe off or wipe down solution.

 

[WriteON]

The problem with silicone in pledge or any other silicone items is that it often gets down into or onto wood itself. For one who is not skilled in finishing processes, it is not a simple wipe off or wipe down solution.

I'm usually nuts about finishing. Tend to make something look so good I hate to use it. I did several other things..light sanding, different oils, etc. Last thing I did was spray with Pledge again and buffed with a Dremel Versa. There are traces of the oak showing through the black... It looks like Ebony. Might leave it or go full bore and strip/redo. On pause for the moment............... I politely bawled out the vendor.