A small problem

[Kittyhawk]

Attached a photo of the top of my walking stick.
I dont know what the timber is - it was made from a glut from under packets of imported Kwila decking so presumably some sort of very hard Asian hardwood. The finish is multiple coats of Boiled Linseed Oil.
Once a year I do a recoat - the process is a rub down with 0000 steel wool, a wipe down with solvent and then the BLO, being careful not to touched the prepped timber during application.
Around the area of the brass insert there is now a dull patch. So far I have put 5 coats of BLO on it, but it's still there. In the scheme of things this doesn't matter less. It's just that it drives me crazy because I don't know why. Any ideas?

 

[paulrbarnard]

I assume the pin is glued in. The dullness might be the glue where it has permeated the pores of the wood and over time become exposed with the gentle rubbing down.

 

[Kittyhawk]

I assume the pin is glued in. The dullness might be the glue where it has permeated the pores of the wood and over time become exposed with the gentle rubbing down.

Yes, could be. I put it in with epoxy. No cure for that, then..

 

[stuckinthemud]

Consider Switching to a Danish oil- the varnish may restore the shine but not be too thick to affect the feel of the handle

 

[Alli]

If the cane is in regular use, could the dull patch be from sweat/grease from your hand getting ingrained into the surface? Then the top coat of BLO not adhering properly to it. Sorry, no help in how to cure it but just a random thought to what might be causing it! I wonder if there are any solvents that can degrease the wood?

 

[paulrbarnard]

Yes, could be. I put it in with epoxy. No cure for that, then..

You could try a polishing compound, like they use on epoxy tables and see if you can bring up the shine of the epoxy but most epoxy glues tend to be softer than poured epoxy so it might not shine up.

 

[--Tom--]

Show shine motion with a cloth will generate some friction that may well buff it up. If it’s had a few coats of linseed over the years it will have polymerised in the wood so should respond well to a buff.

 

[Fergie 307]

Could it be a long term reaction between the wood and the brass? Often see staining on the baseboard of old long case clocks where the brass movement has been sitting on it. Admittedly these have usually been in contact for a couple of hundred years or more Seems to vary with different types of wood, presumably down to the particular chemistry of the wood used.

 

[Kittyhawk]

Show shine motion with a cloth will generate some friction that may well buff it up. If it’s had a few coats of linseed over the years it will have polymerised in the wood so should respond well to a buff.

A hard rub as suggested brought up most of the shine so all good. Don't know why that bit of the handle needed a much more vigorous rub than the rest of it did though..

 

[--Tom--]

Glad to hear it worked