Hi

Has summer been and gone? Was that it? I’m hoping not, as there’s lots going on this year for woodworkers and it’d be nice to be able to enjoy some sunshine at the same time. We’re out and about at lots of events, including Makers Central at the end of this month – gulp! We’d better start getting ready for that! If you’re at any of the events we’re at, do come and say hello, it’s always nice to meet the Chestnuteers!
And now… the questions!

What do you do if you’ve oiled something but it’s not quite as dark as you want it to be? That was a question that came in this week, and whilst it’s not easy, there are some options available.
Depending on the oil used (and it’s best to carry on using the same one if possible) it should be possible to add some of our Spirit Stain to it, to create an oil tinted to your specifications – although we’d only recommend adding 10-20% stain to the oil. This could be enough to give the required colour.
Another option would be to use a tinted wax – we have three in our range, ranging from a fairly light brown (Medium Brown) through a golden brown (Golden Brown) to a dark brown (Mellow Brown). These will go over an oil or pretty much any finish.
And of course, it’s possible to use these methods together, using the oil first and then the wax if a darker colour is still needed.

One of our regular correspondents contacted me this week, more with an observation than a question, but it’s worth sharing as it could provide the answer to a sticky problem you might be having…
I’d like to think that this doesn’t happen with our products, but just occasionally you might come across a finish that doesn’t dry properly, leaving a slightly ‘tacky’ feeling to the surface. I’ve noticed this in some eateries where a harsh cleaner has been used on a wooden table, which has attacked the finish applied. It should be easier to solve than you might think…
A coat of wax applied over the top should seal everything in, leaving a good looking, non-sticky finish. Cut’n’Polish is especially good for this as the abrasive in it will clean down the surface, removing some of the tacky element and applying a wax finish at the same time.

Finally this week, a query about End Seal. We don’t get many questions about this product – it’s a simple, low-tech coating, but we’re always happy to help. The question here was about using it on very wet timber. It was slowing down the drying time, was it ok to apply another coat whilst the one before was still a little tacky? Hmmm… I’m not really sure on this one, but my instinct was to say that the earlier coat should be completely dry before the next one is applied. If not, the second coat would slow the drying of the first even more, and this could affect the performance of the End Seal. Although a second (and sometimes third) coat is useful, the first coat will be making a difference straight away, so a small delay before the next one shouldn’t hurt.

So there you have your questions for this week. I hope you have a good weekend, I’ll be working in Hampshire on Friday and Saturday so do come in and say hello if you’re passing. I hope you also find some time to get out into your workshop and get creating – and if you do, don’t forget to send us a picture to put in the draw to be included in a future Newsletter!

I’ll see you in seven,

Terry