Topic: WD40 Disaster (Read 9458 times)

911377brian · « **on:** April 04, 2015, 12:28:43 PM »

Just been asked to stain and polish a 1930's 1040 that has had the original finish sanded off. Sadly the owner has managed to squirt WD40 onto the bare wood. I've tried the old hot iron and brown paper trick which has got rid of most of it, but not all of it. Any ideas anyone?

Graham Spencer · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2015, 01:32:16 PM »

Never tried it myself, but I've been told a product called "Oxi-Clean" works removing motor-oil stains from wood, so it might be worth a look. I must say, though, I don't really fancy your chances if you're going for a polished natural wood finish...........the trouble with a lot of these stain removers is that they leave their own area of discoloration in place of the stain they've removed, and as wood naturally darkens with age there's likely to be a lighter area where the stain was. Sorry not be of more help.

Graham

Nick Collis Bird · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2015, 01:45:23 PM »

Oh dear. I presume the WD40 has been absorbed beyond sanding level. That's a real problem.
This maybe a stupid idea, but what if you sprayed the whole thing with WD and then stained it with a wood dye ?

911377brian · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2015, 01:54:50 PM »

That had occurred to me Nick, might work with an oil or spirit based stain. I'll do a test run on some scrap...

brazilian.BOX · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2015, 02:21:02 PM »

Quote from: 911377brian on April 04, 2015, 12:28:43 PM

squirt WD40 onto the bare wood.

Uoow, such a weird idea no? $:-\$

911377brian · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2015, 02:55:01 PM »

That's what Melnet is all about, B.Box, weird ideas that more often than not tend to work...eventually.

.

Theo · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2015, 05:17:37 PM »

A simple method would be to just use a wax polish.

triskel · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2015, 05:20:11 PM »

Veneer the sides?

911377brian · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2015, 05:32:43 PM »

Thanks Theo. I'll give that a go. Can't help thinking the large map of Africa that seems deeply embedded in the wood will remain though; but who knows, it might look quite attractive....

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2015, 05:45:28 PM »

If you are thinking of wax polish, you may as well go a stage further and try Liberon finishing oil. Rees uses this for his Wesson Clippers and it makes for a very nice finish.

The advantages of using finishing oil rather than wax polish are (a) it penetrates the wood a bit more than wax polish, so is more likely to blend in with and disguise the old WD40 mark, and (b) you can use it in conjunction with a wood stain, so with the right colour, that might help further disguise the WD40.

http://www.liberon.co.uk

streb · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2015, 06:10:47 PM »

Wick it out with lots of white spirit and tissue paper? Evaporate it with gentle heat from a hairdrier?

mory · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2015, 07:49:00 PM »

Danish oil then wax. AtB

911377brian · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2015, 08:40:44 PM »

Thanks to you all, Plenty of good ideas to work on there. Particularly liked Danish Oil and wax Mory as I've got both in the workshop.

..

boxcall · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2015, 09:14:32 PM »

Quote from: 911377brian on April 04, 2015, 05:32:43 PM

Thanks Theo. I'll give that a go. Can't help thinking the large map of Africa that seems deeply embedded in the wood will remain though; but who knows, it might look quite attractive....

You could always spray the rest of the continents and say I meant to do that

911377brian · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2015, 10:06:51 PM »

Broadland Boy · « **Reply #15 on:** April 04, 2015, 11:39:12 PM »

Leave in a dry well ventilated place for more than 40 days (WD40 = Water Displacement, 40 Days) its primarily a paraffin / kerosene base but that magic 1% is a closely guarded secret.

If too long to wait, Methylated spirits wipeover then a match, repeat until clear.

If you soused it in WD40 anything up to 40 days before SidsMouth you would be OK to follow in NCB's soggy footsteps

Tell him it's lucky he hadn't annointed it with AC90

To deviate down the path of seriousness for a moment, I'd weigh in with the oil or wax finish suggestion

Andrew Wigglesworth · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2015, 11:54:03 PM »

Quote from: Broadland Boy on April 04, 2015, 11:39:12 PM

Leave in a dry well ventilated place for more than 40 days (WD40 = Water Displacement, 40 Days) its primarily a paraffin / kerosene base but that magic 1% is a closely guarded secret.

If too long to wait, Methylated spirits wipeover then a match, repeat until clear.

If you soused it in WD40 anything up to 40 days before SidsMouth you would be OK to follow in NCB's soggy footsteps

Tell him it's lucky he hadn't annointed it with AC90

To deviate down the path of seriousness for a moment, I'd weigh in with the oil or wax finish suggestion

Nowt to do with "40 days", it was simply formula 40 from the lab notes during development.

It was on radio 4 a while back, with a chap from the company talking about WD-40.

Theo · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2015, 11:54:10 PM »

And make a sign to hang round the neck of the user of the WD 40 saying "I am a complete idiot"

Gromit · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2015, 12:26:35 AM »

A few suggestions here which may work - (Oxiclean is available here)

http://www.finishing.com/163/83.shtml

Broadland Boy · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2015, 01:03:56 AM »

Quote from: Andrew Wigglesworth on April 04, 2015, 11:54:03 PM

Nowt to do with "40 days", it was simply formula 40 from the lab notes during development.

It was on radio 4 a while back, with a chap from the company talking about WD-40.

I didn't hear that Andrew - too far back to still be on iPlayer ?

Perhaps 40 days was seen as limiting in some way by the current owners of the company - any old ex USAF techies in this parish ?

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Author Topic: WD40 Disaster (Read 9458 times)