50 window frames to sand .. in situ.

[Adam W.]

I'm making my own linseed oil paint at the moment, It seems to work well, but likes UV light to dry quickly, so on windows you should be ok. It does tend to lift the old finish if you haven't prepped properly.

I'd scrape the varnish off with a sharp 1 1\2" chisel and whisk over it with a block and some really good roll sandpaper 80, 120 then paint. Hermes or something like that. I just wouldn't bother with all the machinery, as the cost of the paper will put you out of business.

 

[Jacob]

..... It does tend to lift the old finish if you haven't prepped properly.
......

I'm open minded about that so far!. For me it seems to stick to everything; old gloss paint, old oil paint, bare metal (wrought iron gates, cast hinges). It even seems to stick down loose modern paint and stabilise it.
The oil alone is brilliant on rusty old woodwork tools - it stops further rust and with use slowly polishes up - you end up with a brown but low friction shiny saw

 

[baldkev]

A cautionary tale about chemical dipping:

I once had a beeck and maple kitchen to strip back and refinish ( i didn't want to do it, but I like the customer ) and after a bit of thinking, i contacted a local stripping company ( not that type )

I explained the job and the guy said it was straightforward and both types of wood work well with the chemicals.

When i went to collect, i walked past a sorry looking pile of doors that could easily have been skip fodder, and i said to the guy i was in to pick up the kitchen components and he pointed at the skip fodder and said ' you just went past it '


Holy cr4p

The glue hadnt help up well and some frames were coming apart. The beech was now fully grey and the mahogany was deep purple. He said it'll dry back and look fine, but i knew it wouldnt. A week and a couple of dehumidifiers later and it was dry, but no change. I phoned them and he said he has never had that before etc, and couldnt help.

After much research and testing, a mix of coats of oxalic acid and peroxide brought it close to retrievable. A couple of days of sanding and i was in business. That was honestly the most stressful thing I've had to correct at work.
It seems he probably hadnt changed the chemicals for months or years ( according to the magical interweb )

 

[Jacob]

A cautionary tale about chemical dipping:

I once had a beeck and maple kitchen to strip back and refinish ( i didn't want to do it, but I like the customer ) and after a bit of thinking, i contacted a local stripping company ( not that type )

I explained the job and the guy said it was straightforward and both types of wood work well with the chemicals.

When i went to collect, i walked past a sorry looking pile of doors that could easily have been skip fodder, and i said to the guy i was in to pick up the kitchen components and he pointed at the skip fodder and said ' you just went past it '


Holy cr4p

The glue hadnt help up well and some frames were coming apart. The beech was now fully grey and the mahogany was deep purple. He said it'll dry back and look fine, but i knew it wouldnt. A week and a couple of dehumidifiers later and it was dry, but no change. I phoned them and he said he has never had that before etc, and couldnt help.

After much research and testing, a mix of coats of oxalic acid and peroxide brought it close to retrievable. A couple of days of sanding and i was in business. That was honestly the most stressful thing I've had to correct at work.
It seems he probably hadnt changed the chemicals for months or years ( according to the magical interweb )

Yes dipping often a disaster. I've had people bring in what looks like a heap of salt encrusted driftwood found on a beach and saying "can you put this welsh dresser back together?"

 

[KevinLycett]

Never heard of Linseed Oil Paint before. I'll have a look at this one too. Thanks.

I have around 50 fitted window frames to sand (mullion windows with lots of frames) They are only 5 years old and made of Sapele. They've been varnished with a suitable outdoor varnish, but now ready for re-doing.

I'm happy to buy any sander that will make this time consuming chore easier.

Festool have the smaller rotex 90 which they claim is good for narrow/tight sanding jobs :
https://www.festool.co.uk/products/...ander-rotex/576261---ro-90-dx-feq-plus-gb240v
I also wonder if their back-and-forward linear motion sander would work here. They claim it works well with rebates and profiles :
https://www.festool.co.uk/products/...ing/567853---ls-130-eq-plus-gb-240v#Functions
Any suggestions/experience very welcome.

Thanks.

Plus 1 for the Bahco scraper. I had to strip 40 antique metal balusters back to the metal. I tried heat, strippers, scrapers, sanders. Then the Bahco, it cut the time and effort by over 50%. It’s amazingly good.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Carbide-Edged-Pocket-Scraper/dp/B000288LOW

 

[Illy]

Plus 1 for the Bahco scraper. I had to strip 40 antique metal balusters back to the metal. I tried heat, strippers, scrapers, sanders. Then the Bahco, it cut the time and effort by over 50%. It’s amazingly good.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Carbide-Edged-Pocket-Scraper/dp/B000288LOW

The Bahco scaper is brilliant, lots of uses and a massive time saver.

 

[ChrisMa]

I've ordered the small and large Bahco scrappers from Amazon.

Appears they are highly rated on here ... so I'm in.

 

[daftdog]

Try a power hose

 

[cowtown_eric]

For sanding in place., I'm quite partial to the oscillating sanders ? originally developed by Fein, the patent seems to have run out. I hadve several corded versions, but recently upgraded to a Dewalt cordless which has a quick release mechanismThe Hook and loop sanding triangle has rubber on it, so if yer careful about sandpaper placement, you can ssand right up to the glass without worry about scouring the glass. And the rubber base will conform to ogees and curves.

If you cannot get the sandpaper grits you want, it takes only a few minutes to cut out of hook and look sandpaper discs or sheets

Another benifet is it allows you to get into corners. with the point of the triangular shaped sander.

Love em for window work.

Eric
in the colonies

 

[keithy1959]

Never heard of Linseed Oil Paint before. I'll have a look at this one too. Thanks.

I think New Yorkshire workshop has done a video about using it - might be wrong though !!!

 

[Jacob]

I think New Yorkshire workshop has done a video about using it - might be wrong though !!!

Brouns do a series of vids


I've been using Allback International | Allbäck Linoljeprodukter which you can buy from various places

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Toolstation do Abranet in 80g and 120g - brilliant stuff if you've not used it before, and probably as good a price as you'll find.
https://www.toolstation.com/search?q=abranet

 

[nickds1]

I've just done 30 or so in oak - on top of a hill in Kent and exposed to the South Westerly prevailing winds.

Two tools: random orbital (Makita in this case) with a big box of 120 grit, plus a Fein multitool for the corners. Also a straight Stanley blade to clear out tricky bits.

I used Osmo wood restorer where needed, then two or three coats of Osmo 420/425 UV stable oil. Easy to apply and a good finish IMHO. Osmo area rep came onsite to advise. - very helpful bloke.

For exposed sites like this I find that a refresh every 5 years is not unreasonable, certainly on the SW sides. The north and east sides get done every 8-10 years...

Also re-stained all the weatherboarding, sofits etc. with Sadolin Classic Ebony and cleared all gutters and refitted leaf guards. Did it all from a cherry picker (NiftyLift 120) in a week.

Osmo & grits came from woodfinishesdirect.

 

[ChrisMa]

I've just done 30 or so in oak - on top of a hill in Kent and exposed to the South Westerly prevailing winds.

Two tools: random orbital (Makita in this case) with a big box of 120 grit, plus a Fein multitool for the corners. Also a straight Stanley blade to clear out tricky bits.

I used Osmo wood restorer where needed, then two or three coats of Osmo 420/425 UV stable oil. Easy to apply and a good finish IMHO. Osmo area rep came onsite to advise. - very helpful bloke.

For exposed sites like this I find that a refresh every 5 years is not unreasonable, certainly on the SW sides. The north and east sides get done every 8-10 years...

Also re-stained all the weatherboarding, sofits etc. with Sadolin Classic Ebony and cleared all gutters and refitted leaf guards. Did it all from a cherry picker (NiftyLift 120) in a week.

Osmo & grits came from woodfinishesdirect.

Sounds like you are in a very similar position to us window-wise. Thanks for passing on your experience. I'll take a look at your suggestions.

For access I have a cheap scaffold tower ... the NiftyLift looks great by comparison but is a lot more expensive. Most of my height access is via the tractor loader arms but I can't get that near enough to the house !

 

[nickds1]

I hired the NiftyLift from a local toolhire place - was about £350 for the week if I collected and returned, which is easy as it's road legal so you just need a towbar (Volvo estate in this case).

I've used towers in previous years with mixed results - they are ok if everything is a vertical surface with adjacent hard standing for the tower, but life is rarely that simple.

One South gable end (which catches a lot of weather) is not accessible by a tower as there is a ground floor conservatory extension which means that a tower can only get about 2-3 metres from the first floor and up, i.e. useless. Other elevations are similarly restricted by raised flowerbeds etc.

A cherry picker is a wonderful thing. Yes they are expensive, but I saved probably 2 days and got to parts I've never reached (safely) before, all the way to the roof ridge.

 

[Ollie78]

That is a very cool roof.

Ollie

 

[AJB Temple]

You worked hard to do that lot in a week. I think I will have to hire a cherry picker to do the tops of our hedges, as they are 3 metres across and 6 or 7 metres high. You look safe enough in it so I should tough it out (hate heights).