Hi

It’s been a bit touch and go this week with stock, some raw materials have been a bit hard to get. Stuff is arriving late, but always seem to arrive just in the nick of time! It’s cutting it finer than we like, but we seem to manage. There’s only one more Newsletter after this one before the Virtual Weekender, but please check below for details of something we’re doing online TONIGHT!
But only after we’ve answered some questions of course…

Although I know I’ve dealt with this one before, it still comes up frequently and sometimes disguised in a different form, as it did this week. Fundamentally, it’s about the difficulties of applying a sealer over a stained piece of wood. The solvent in the sealer will sometimes reactivate the stain and if the sealer is applied by brush or cloth it will make the stain move and run. Unless using Acrylic Sanding Sealer this is almost inevitable, but the solution is relatively simple. If an aerosol sealer is used then there is no mechanical contact with the stain (the sealer hits the surface and dries where it lands) so there is no opportunity for the stain to move. Once dry, it can be lacquered or waxed or polished as you see fit.

Disposing of empty tins of product can be a problem and we were asked about it this week. The question included the suggestion to put the tins in the woodburner to ‘cleanse’ them. DO NOT do this. The tins could still contain some residue or vapours that are highly flammable and the result could be catastrophic.
Checking on the local council website the information regarding disposal was somewhat ambiguous. It talks about disposal of hazardous goods (bleach, paint stripper etc) and empty paint tins, but nothing inbetween. So, this is a common sense answer, but you should check with your authorities first. Make sure the tins are as empty as possible, preferably by using everything contained within. If not, drain as much of the dregs into a bundle of shavings or sawdust. Once you’ve removed as much as humanly possible, leave the lids off the can for a few days, preferably somewhere outdoors but away from little hands (or paws or beaks) to allow any lingering solvent to evaporate and the product to go hard. The cans should now be devoid of anything hazardous and it should now be possible to dispose of them in the normal way.

And finally this week, a question that sort of relates to the first question. Can a sanding sealer be applied on top of the Iridescent Paints, especially if not all of the timber has been painted? The answer is yes, and pretty much everything in the first answer applies, but in this case it’s not really the right thing to do. Ideally the timber should be sealed before applying the paints. The paint will apply better and give a more even finish, and then the whole item can be finished as required. Over the Iridescent Paints we’d recommend a wax or the Acrylic Gloss Lacquer.

As mentioned earlier, we go live with our Weekender soon, in eight days. Nerve-wracking! We thought it’d be a good idea to check the software and set-up in advance, so we’re having a try-out tonight (24 July) on our YouTube channel, at 7pm. There won’t be any turning, but we’ve got lots of guests coming along to chat to and keep things moving. There’s no need to book, just turn up when you want, leave when you want. If you’re on a suitable device (laptop, desktop etc) you can even join in with questions in the comments box. It’d be great to have you there, I hope you can make it. Here’s a link button if it helps…

Whatever happens, I’ll see you back here next week.

Cheers

Terry