What's happening with my Amboyna??

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monark88

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I made an Art Nouveau pen with Amboyna blank about 5 years ago. Ever since its been sitting in my Pen storage box, never used. I look at the pens about every 4-6 months and this one pen keeps getting a white mold-like substance on it. I have tried just wiping it off and waxing or polishing it as I sometimes do the other pens. Doesn't make any difference.

It's placed next to an identical Amboyna A. N. pen and no problem with that one or any of the other wooden pens.

The wood was well seasoned when I first turned it/them. I'm curious as to what it might be. Toxic? non-toxic? Any ideas?
Russ
 
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seamus7227 said:
Is there any way you can provide pictures of this? I too am curious on the type of finish you used as well
Click to expand...

I finished both with sealer(all my wood pens), then finish off with Shellawax, after sanding and burnishing to 12000 grit.

Sorry, I wiped off the stuff before thinking.
Russ

This image will show what is left of the stuff after I wiped off. I didn't get the amount beneath the clip.
 

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monark88 said:
I made an Art Nouveau pen with Amboyna blank about 5 years ago. Ever since its been sitting in my Pen storage box, never used. I look at the pens about every 4-6 months and this one pen keeps getting a white mold-like substance on it. I have tried just wiping it off and waxing or polishing it as I sometimes do the other pens. Doesn't make any difference.

Russ
Click to expand...


I have the "exact" thing happen with an amboya pen that has been sitting in storage for 7 years. Get a white haze but it quickly disappers with quick wipe from a cloth. Within a month or so, the same haze reappers. I did mine with a CA finish.
 
that is very interesting, i wonder if the lacquer is creating an "outgassing" effect. But the fact that there are two pens with the same wood and finish and only one of them is doing this, is quite puzzling.
 
Archival systems are heavy in the 'acid free' group because things like that degrades objects over time. Common is when you have pens touching certain materials they will do things like described here.
 
Huuuuuummmmm. I've been kinda watching this thread a bit. I have a piece that I have been saving for a high end pen but I'm cautious now reading this thread. I mainly do CA on all my wood pens, but someone said it happened with that finish too! I thought of moisture maybe but don't know either.
Hope someone can narrow it down for us!
 
I have about 10 slices of amboyna burl, about 5" x6" and roughly 3/8" thick, that were resawn about 4 years ago. Intend to use them as inset panels in a couple of humidors some day soon. Was flipping through them this last weekend, and it looked like three of them had a white film, kind of a "ghosting" look, on one side/face. Weird, given these were kept in the same sequence in which they were resawn, that the sides with the ghosting were not in the same sequence, or facing each other...
 
I can't really add any clarification to the subject at hand, but I've seen this mysterious white stuffs on my blanks show up in threads over the years and it always involves Amboyna.
 
Amboyna is an oily wood and I think that the finish never really cures. Mold/mildew can grow on oily surfaces. The same thing happens on leather.
 
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I actually have a sierra amboyna pen that I did long long time ago that has these white spots on them. I have it in the closet and never used it much. Because of this thread I will pull it out and take some good close up shots of the white spots to show what is going on there.
 
Well brining up the oily topic, do you think it's possible that the blank was not wiped down with acetone prior to finish application? Or if it was wiped down prior to finishing could the acetone have caused an issue some how? Just a thought....
 
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This really got me wondering so I did some "Googleing" and here is what I found. Amboyna is the same wood as Narra, it is called amboyna when in the burl form, so I wonder if it happens on Narra too.

It is probably not mold or mildew, they require > 27% moisture content to grow, if your pens that that high of moisture you are going to have other problems. This is not unique to pens, I found razors, duck calls, etc all have the same problem reguardless of finish.

Here is a response that I found on a duck call fourm that made the most since:
The technical definition is called "blooming". It's a chemical reaction between the oil finish and the natural extractives in the wood. Exotics have all kinds of extractives, some water soluable, some that dissolve in solvents-(oil based finishes contain some mild solvents). I'm not 100% certain, but I believe an oxidization layer (that greyish/white matter you've been seeing) forms on the surface when the oils react in the presense of air. -That oil finish no matter how thick, does not prevent air from moving in and out of the wood. In a dry environment a gradient is formed that tends to pull moisture (remember our water soluable extractives and oils) toward the dry surface. Just like a vacuum. So there is a constant march of goodies from the innards of our call, to the outer surfaces. The good news is that it will eventually subside. The bad news is that no one knows when? So you just have to keep wiping it off. Just part of the baggage when using exotic species.

So it looks there may be some pieces of wood that will have less problems than others and that is why not everyone sees a problem. At some point it could stop but it might take quite awhile.

Good luck, Mike
 
Bravo, I was debating mentioning 'chemical reaction' and bring up that CA may be to blame but that would likely start a flame war on CA. Then I figured I would take 3 shots, the blocks that I have that has no problems on it and they have been sealed up for years, the CA ones that have white spots all over then the knives that I have done with an oil finish with no problems.

For what we do stabilize it, sand and buff. nothing special like CA or the like is needed.
 
Well, maybe you hit on it. I called Gilmer Woods here in Portland and told them about what some of us were experiencing. Jim, (the bossman), told me that it is actually what causes the "spiciness" in the wood that causes this white film. Working with the wood, cutting, turning, sanding, etc aids in causing the wood to rid itself of the "Sap" or as used here "Extractives". He agreed, this will in time go away, as the spicy odor begins to wane, so will the white film.

He also shared that this happens to the Red Narra wood. Maidou wood, which is similar and is a yellow-lighter wood doesn't have this problem. He also said that it doesn't matter what finish is used.

So, 2 sources agree and now I'm satisfied. Know what to tell customers and I can now use my last chunk of Burl.
Russ


Indiana_Parrothead said:
This really got me wondering so I did some "Googleing" and here is what I found. Amboyna is the same wood as Narra, it is called amboyna when in the burl form, so I wonder if it happens on Narra too.

It is probably not mold or mildew, they require > 27% moisture content to grow, if your pens that that high of moisture you are going to have other problems. This is not unique to pens, I found razors, duck calls, etc all have the same problem reguardless of finish.

Here is a response that I found on a duck call fourm that made the most since:
The technical definition is called "blooming". It's a chemical reaction between the oil finish and the natural extractives in the wood. Exotics have all kinds of extractives, some water soluable, some that dissolve in solvents-(oil based finishes contain some mild solvents). I'm not 100% certain, but I believe an oxidization layer (that greyish/white matter you've been seeing) forms on the surface when the oils react in the presense of air. -That oil finish no matter how thick, does not prevent air from moving in and out of the wood. In a dry environment a gradient is formed that tends to pull moisture (remember our water soluable extractives and oils) toward the dry surface. Just like a vacuum. So there is a constant march of goodies from the innards of our call, to the outer surfaces. The good news is that it will eventually subside. The bad news is that no one knows when? So you just have to keep wiping it off. Just part of the baggage when using exotic species.

So it looks there may be some pieces of wood that will have less problems than others and that is why not everyone sees a problem. At some point it could stop but it might take quite awhile.

Good luck, Mike
Click to expand...
 
PEN TURNERS: GET RID OF YOUR LIFE"S PROBLEMS!!! RELIEF IS AT HAND!!

Anyone who wants to get rid of their troublesome Amboyna can send it to me , and I will make sure it will trouble you no more. There will be no charge for this service...I just see it as my civic duty. Just PM me, and I will send you my address. (There is no charge, but cash donations will be accepted, and may help me to be able to keep up this great work, and fill a need of my fellow "Pen-folk".)
Steve
 
Here,

This is a close up. From visual distance you can not see the valleys or the ripples that is happening

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This is a sierra that I did back in 2008, about 5-6 months after I finished the pen started changing into this. I left it alone until later and I guess now is later :) Oh and yes it was flat and shiny when I was done with the finish.

This may not be the same cause/problem that the OP listed but from the photo posted and description it is.
 

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