# Stripped pine finish?



## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

Hi, i have just completed a three legged stool and want to create a 'dry' stripped pine looking finish. 
Thanks!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I had a antique dealer next door to me one time that sold nothing but pine. For a finish they used Briwax. It's similar to Johnson paste wax but comes in different colors to provide a stain if someone chooses.

I may have read the post wrong. The antique dealer was using the briwax on furniture they stripped the finish off of so it was going on raw wood and used like someone would use an oil finish.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Be careful with Briwax. The "Briwax Original" uses toluene as a component. The toluene can easily damage new oil based and waterborne finishes. Do not use on any finish less than a year oil. Briwax is intended as a restoration treatment and the toluene cleans off a lot of the old gunk on furniture. It's an excellent product for that purpose.

Ten years or so they came out with a new product called "Briwax 2000". This product is formulated with mineral spirits like other paste waxes and will not harm new finishes. It comes in the same colors as the Briwax Original.


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

I made the stool for a friend and she doesn't want a wax finish. She wans it to look 'antique'. I think the look that i am trying to achieve may be produced when furniture is dipped in some sort of paint stripping solution to remove old paint finish. This results in a warm antique tone and leaves the wood looking quite dry looking. I am unsure how to replicate this look without taking it to a comercial paint stripping company.
Thanks


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

andygorst said:


> I made the stool for a friend and she doesn't want a wax finish. She wans it to look 'antique'. I think the look that i am trying to achieve may be produced when furniture is dipped in some sort of paint stripping solution to remove old paint finish. This results in a warm antique tone and leaves the wood looking quite dry looking. I am unsure how to replicate this look without taking it to a comercial paint stripping company.
> Thanks


Then you might try caustic soda /lye/ sodium hydroxide [all the same thing] and when dry neutralize it with oxalic acid and then wash off with clean water and rags a few times and then let dry again. always do test runs first on scraps to insure this is what both you and your client/friend want though ok? And be sure to apply whatever coatings you intend to use to the same level of build that will be used before making final judgement on the end products looks before doing so in the stool itself. :yes:

If you need futher directions on this just post ok?


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

Thanks for that i'll give it a whirl!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

andygorst said:


> I made the stool for a friend and she doesn't want a wax finish. She wans it to look 'antique'. I think the look that i am trying to achieve may be produced when furniture is dipped in some sort of paint stripping solution to remove old paint finish. This results in a warm antique tone and leaves the wood looking quite dry looking. I am unsure how to replicate this look without taking it to a comercial paint stripping company.
> Thanks


Could this be the look you trying to do. This piece is glossier and has more white on it than it should but it's called a pickle finish. It is done by spraying it with an oil based flat paint and wiping most of the paint off with a clean rag.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

I'm not sure Steve, but from the sounds of it i think he is looking for just a wood look with no paint.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I'm not sure he would like the caustic soda look. When I had a dip tank the pine furniture would come out a little green. I can't remember if it did this on a fresh batch or because we used the same stuff for months. I think you could come up with the same look with a thinned down green dye stain and not have the salts to neutralize. Anyway since we are still guessing on the finish I thought I would throw the pickle in the barrel. When I did a pickle finish I used Promar exterior alkyd flat for a finish and it ended up looking like a piece of white painted furniture that was stripped and you didn't get it clean. Since it was a flat finish it looked dry so I got to wonder if this was the look andygorst was looking for.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Steve Neul said:


> I'm not sure he would like the caustic soda look. When I had a dip tank the pine furniture would come out a little green. I can't remember if it did this on a fresh batch or because we used the same stuff for months. I think you could come up with the same look with a thinned down green dye stain and not have the salts to neutralize. Anyway since we are still guessing on the finish I thought I would throw the pickle in the barrel. When I did a pickle finish I used Promar exterior alkyd flat for a finish and it ended up looking like a piece of white painted furniture that was stripped and you didn't get it clean. Since it was a flat finish it looked dry so I got to wonder if this was the look andygorst was looking for.


Don't know yet Steve, and your correct on the possibility of a greenish looking finish, that is why i had said to get back if he decided to go that route, so other things could be done if this was the case, a mild solution of PP potassium permanganate would have quickly soved that problem and gave him a nice antique brown shade of wood. guess will find out huh? :yes:


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

Thanks for your input guys. I am indeed looking to create a warm brown matt finish without any traces of white paint. Funny you should mention potassium permanganate as i have access to this as i use it as part of my domestic water treatment. Would i mix some with water and apply it, and if so will it turn my timber purple?:blush:


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

andygorst said:


> Thanks for your input guys. I am indeed looking to create a warm brown matt finish without any traces of white paint. Funny you should mention potassium permanganate as i have access to this as i use it as part of my domestic water treatment. Would i mix some with water and apply it, and if so will it turn my timber purple?:blush:


Yep - A brilliant shade of purple by the way, you will actually see it purple before it's applied as you must know already, lol. 

But when it comes into contact with organic matter, [hands clothes etc.] it immediately starts to oxidize into various brown colors [depending on the strength of the mix] on wood, this can be done to provide a very wide range of browns from dark to light. 

To start out with, try a 1 oz. to 1 quart or any smaller reduced amount needed [1/2 oz to pint, etc.] on some scrap wood from the project, let dry, apply a couple of clear coats and determine if your Friend is wanting it more or less dark or browner. with that you can either dilute or strengthen as needed ok?

As i said, this will also stain your skin or clothing so wear protective gear - gloves/goggles etc. ok?:yes:


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

I'll get my gloves on and do some test pieces!


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Have fun, be safe!!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

andygorst said:


> I am indeed looking to create a warm brown matt finish without any traces of white paint.


What you might try is to experiment with a flat oil base paint in a solution of mineral spirits. The ratio of paint to mineral spirits would only be approximately 5%-10%. Make it up to be a wipe on. Using whatever color you start with, it will act like a penetrating pickle stain and dry flat.

Keep track of your starting ratios with using cooking measuring spoons or something similar. Starting with a very diluted version, it can be made more concentrated to get a desired finish. This is a very simple safe process that may give the results you're looking for.








 







.


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

Well i had a play today and did some test samples. It looks like potassium permanganate is my new best friend and i only managed to get a couple of splashes on my hands and yes i did wear gloves.... (don't ask!).
What would you suggest i use to as a finish? I would leave it in its present state if i thought that there was no risk of the stool marking light coloured clothes (hence the reason for not wanting to use a wax finish).


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If it were me to keep the look as close to what you have now, I would use a flat finish. The flat finish can be done in lacquer, oil based polyurethane and water based polyurethane. If you have spray equipment I think a nitrocellous lacquer would be the easiest for you. You can just put a coat of sanding sealer on it and scuff it off with fine sandpaper and topcoat it with the lacquer in about an hour.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

andygorst said:


> Well i had a play today and did some test samples. It looks like potassium permanganate is my new best friend and i only managed to get a couple of splashes on my hands and yes i did wear gloves.... (don't ask!).
> What would you suggest i use to as a finish? I would leave it in its present state if i thought that there was no risk of the stool marking light coloured clothes (hence the reason for not wanting to use a wax finish).


Hi Andy, post some pics please!!! buy a lime and cut in half and rub it on your stains, that will eliminate most of it or all of it ok? Also if you continue to use it, get some photographer's "hypo" solution [sodium hyposulfate or sodium thiosulfate, to remove stains in the future ok? be sure to wash with cold water for a few min. afterwords. 4 0z. to a pint.

So tell me what percentages you finally came up with for your liking?

Steve's got god suggestions but to keep the color as close as possible i would suggest acrylic will will not add any additional color overall, get a couple cans of flat Krylon, apply a few of coats, let dry 1/2 hour or so in between, sand "lightly" with 600 grit wet or dry black paper, just to remove any fuzziness, and then 1 or 2 final coats, if it looks to dull, then you can bring up the shine a little with 4/0 4-0000 steel wool ok? The thing about acrylic is it does not add color or amber or yellow out over time so what you see is what you get. 

I'll be real disappointed if you don't post pics!!:yes:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Come on Chemmy, I'm not up there with God :laughing:


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Steve Neul said:


> Come on Chemmy, I'm not up there with God :laughing:


Well... i hope some day you are, but not soon!!!:laughing:


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

I haven't stained the stool as yet (i need to get aproval from my friend) but i can post some pics tonight when i get home from work as to my progress.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

andygorst said:


> I haven't stained the stool as yet (i need to get aproval from my friend) but i can post some pics tonight when i get home from work as to my progress.


No problem :smile: but actually i would rather see them in daylight where i can get a better idea as to the color than by artificial light ok?


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

chemmy said:


> No problem :smile: but actually i would rather see them in daylight where i can get a better idea as to the color than by artificial light ok?


:whistling2:Well it never occured to me that i would have to take pics during daylight hours.... but now you come to mention it..... leave it with me i'll see what i can do


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

Ok as promised some photos.
The first photo shows the results of watering down potassium permanganate to create different shades.
The second was an experiment to see what would happen if i recoated a couple of times using the same strength mixture. As expected the more coats the darker the result.
I also found it necessary to wipe off any excess to avoid watermarks.
Now I thought i would give Steve Neul's "pickling" suggestion a try which is the pannelled door. Whilst doing so my friend arrived, saw the pannelled door and insisted that this was the finish she wanted and not the stripped pine look as she had previously indicated:wallbash: (Now i remember why i am happy to remain a single man)
So the stool was quickly given a coat of thinned white oil based paint to resemble a limed look.
See was happy and i was relieved and even though i didn't end up using the stripped pine look i learned a lot.
The photos of the panelled door and the stool don't do justice to the actual items in real life as the white dosen't show up very well (maybe i need some photography lessons?)

Thanks to those who posted and gave advise


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

andygorst said:


> Ok as promised some photos.
> The first photo shows the results of watering down potassium permanganate to create different shades.
> The second was an experiment to see what would happen if i recoated a couple of times using the same strength mixture. As expected the more coats the darker the result.
> I also found it necessary to wipe off any excess to avoid watermarks.
> ...


Andy, just one thing, in the future if your going to do more than one coat, sand between coats with fine paper, [lightly - 600], otherwise you will build up a crust the the next coat won't penetrate after a few and actually will start giving a purple cast instead of a brown ok?


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## andygorst (May 4, 2012)

chemmy said:


> Andy, just one thing, in the future if your going to do more than one coat, sand between coats with fine paper, [lightly - 600], otherwise you will build up a crust the the next coat won't penetrate after a few and actually will start giving a purple cast instead of a brown ok?


Ok i will do!


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