Oops - knotting solution...

[Anonymous]

Hi I used to be a member of the old uk_woodworking forum, but I've been away from the hobby for a while. It's taken quite an effort to track you all down to this place!

I've been making a pine table for a place to put my Daughter's Christmas present (a dolls house), and like a fool, I was a bit slap-dash with knotting solution, now I find that when I applied the stain to the wood, that it's blotchy where the knotting solution has soaked in to the wood.

I've tried a light sanding as I can't be too heavy due to the routed edges and such like. Anyway, sanding didn't work.

Is there any way to remove the knotting solution from the wood, or is this table destined for paint?

Regards,
Mark

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Knotting is shellac in one of its forms. Shellac flakes are dissolved in alcohol to create the polish, plus there's a bit of tinkering about to get specific formulations for specific purposes by shellac polish makers whether they be manufacturers or polishers.

Fortunately for you cured shellac polish is one of the polishes reversible in the solvent used to make it in the first place (unlike oil and water based varnishes for instance.) Therefore you should be able to use alcohol to dissolve the knotting and wipe/scrub/abrade it off. Slainte.

 

[Terry Smart]

To clarify the above point, which is quite correct, for 'alcohol' read 'methylated spirit' (or you could use our Spirit Thinners but that's an expensive way of doing a simple job!)

Only thing to bear in mind is the effect this might have on the stain you have applied. This will depend largely on what type it was, so be careful until you know what the effects are!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, so there is hope!

What do I do - drench the wood in alcohol, or just keep rubbing it with a rag dampened with alcohol?

Regards,
Mark

 

[Sgian Dubh]

What's sold in the shops, (B&Q, etc.) as meths works fine. Try an alcohol (meths) damp rag and get more aggresive from there if needed. For instance you can well dampen the rag, bunch it up and lay it over the top of the area where you need to remove the shellac. Alcohol evaporates swiftly hence the advice to bunch the rag.

You can also soak the fine (grey) nylon abrasive pads and rub over the offending area. These pads are found near the sandpaper at places like B&Q if that's where you're shopping.

There may be, as Terry mentioned, some concern with lifting the existing stain you've got already which may lead to other work to get a proper colour match. It's hard to say without seeing the piece in front of me, but at least you can get the shellac off easily enough. Slainte.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a try on the underside of the table top last night, and had limited success, so I decided to just apply the wax finish anyway, and remake the table in the new year as there is no time left now as it's for Christmas.

Thanks for your advice anyway.

Regards,
Mark