Staircase treads...
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stuckinthemud
Established Member
It does dry clear. You only notice there's a creamy colour in the liquid if you splash it on white gloss....
Slowly getting there...
For the small cracks, is this stuff worthwhile or is there a general purpose epoxy that would do the job?
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.co...7ZhEahnhAvzi_5n5nnWrBW1qMQ-00IewaAjhvEALw_wcB
Doesn’t seem to be a two part mix?
Presumably standard floor finishes such as the OSMO stuff will be ok over the top?
For the small cracks, is this stuff worthwhile or is there a general purpose epoxy that would do the job?
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.co...7ZhEahnhAvzi_5n5nnWrBW1qMQ-00IewaAjhvEALw_wcB
Doesn’t seem to be a two part mix?
Presumably standard floor finishes such as the OSMO stuff will be ok over the top?
I'd just mix ordinary pva wood glue with sawdust.
stuckinthemud
Established Member
I use sawdust and pva, which very rarely matches the surrounding wood, so I tint the filler with acrylic, usually burnt umber. If you go darker than the wood it looks more natural than going too light. Water based finishes go just fine over these.
Great, I’ve got plenty of that. Does it sand OK? Not something I’ve tried before.
Yes I (and others) use it a lot, normally to fill badly fitting joints 
and yes if you get the right amount of sawdust to glue it sands well without looking like a glue splodge. I suggest testing it on a piece of scrap. Knock a few nail holes in it then try different proportions of sawdust to glue. Sand when dry then apply whatever stain/varnish/paint you intend to use.
and yes if you get the right amount of sawdust to glue it sands well without looking like a glue splodge. I suggest testing it on a piece of scrap. Knock a few nail holes in it then try different proportions of sawdust to glue. Sand when dry then apply whatever stain/varnish/paint you intend to use.Doug71
Established Member
I watched this on Youtube last night and thought I would add it to this thread then found it's already here!
The handrail he made looked fantastic, I'm looking forwards to the video of him making it.
stuckinthemud
Established Member
How did he do it in 3 days? I needed 3 coats of paint stripper, hours of (cold) scraping of 100 year old varnish that heat only turned to glue, minor filling, moderate sanding, touching up white dents and nail holes with acrylic, 3 coats of wax and 2 of white gloss on all surrounding woodwork. 15 treads and risers at 3 hours each (minimum) makes 45 hours without breaks. Budget 2 solid weeks for this job
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The top step was beyond saving, so I made a new tread - a few mm thicker than the old one to (combined with new ply subfloor which is a few mm thinner than the old floorboards upstairs) give me the transition needed for the carpet.
The problem is the new pine seems very soft and dents easily. Presumably the stuff used for the rest of the steps would have been better quality than this off-the-shelf PSE. Is there anything I can do to harden it up before finishing? Or should I be looking for a reclaimed board instead?
The problem is the new pine seems very soft and dents easily. Presumably the stuff used for the rest of the steps would have been better quality than this off-the-shelf PSE. Is there anything I can do to harden it up before finishing? Or should I be looking for a reclaimed board instead?
Picalilli
Established Member
Hi, I was wondering how you got on with this? I’m going through a very similar process at the moment and my girlfriend also isn’t too keen on the ‘rustic’ look of some of the darker scuffs. It’s not so much the different colour in the middle but there are a lot of small dents that have gathered grime over the years and stand out a lot when wet, so assume they will also when the finish goes on.
did you have much luck with oxalic acid?
Wondering if it will remove these little blemishes. I’ve tried sanding and scrubbing with wire wool and white spirit but they won’t budge. I’ve bought some osmo ‘tints’ oil in an amber colour to finish but not sure it’ll hide them
did you have much luck with oxalic acid?
Wondering if it will remove these little blemishes. I’ve tried sanding and scrubbing with wire wool and white spirit but they won’t budge. I’ve bought some osmo ‘tints’ oil in an amber colour to finish but not sure it’ll hide them
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Hi,
All the plastering and paint needed to be done first, and with the lockdown and home schooling two small kids that’s only just reaching completion...
Hoping to update soon but I haven’t done anything further on the treads yet. Keen to see results of any more experiments you do!
I have fewer dark blemishes and intended to fill these with dust / glue. The oxalic acid I’m hoping will lighten the area where the carpet has been.
Picalilli
Established Member
I’ve ordered some oxalic acid and going to try a test step this weekend, will let you know how it goes. Pretty much my last resort, after that I’m just going to finish it with one or two coats of the osmo tint
did you use any epoxy resin for cracks? I’m not sure whether to repair a couple of the cracks or not. Think they look quite nice in a way.
did you use any epoxy resin for cracks? I’m not sure whether to repair a couple of the cracks or not. Think they look quite nice in a way.
I’ve got some epoxy but consensus on here was PVA would be fine. Some of the cracks I have to deal with are fairly bad...
Picalilli
Established Member
Ah right - I guess if they’re at the edges that’s different. The ones I’m considering leaving are sort of splits in the middle (pictured)
