Hand Rubbed Oil Finish Floor

Re: Actually, indeed

Rod Peterson -- Ormond Beach

>> Mr. Rumpole, noted barrister of the Bailey, originated the term "She Who Must Be Obeyed" aka "Swembo" or "SWMBO"

Swembo? Uh, popularlized, perhaps, but not originated. H. Rider Haggard, in his 1886 book She should get credit for the phrase. For a detailed discussion, my website article on SWMBO will provide more information than you ever wanted.

Rod

Re: Actually, indeed, indeed

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>And here I thought that the Greeks invented the concept in Lysistrata. "She Who Disbands Armies"

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What is wrong and how to fix it.

Michael Dresdner

>Ellis asked me to come in and help you out on this. We'll start with what should not have been done, and then I'll explain how to fix this problem.

First, I NEVER recommend mixing your own finishes unless you are a trained coatings formulator, (Yes, I am.) because it is much more complex than people think. For starters, you should not mix chemicals unless you know what the reactions will be. In this case, that's close to impossible, since you don't know which chemicals are in off the shelf finish mixtures, mostly because they don't tell you. Hence, it is almost always risky.

In particular, you mixed two things into finish that should never be mixed into finish: stain and mineral oil.

If you want to add color to finish, add a compatible color paste. In the case of oil based coatings, you would add artist's oil colors in tubes, or Japan color, or universal concentrates, such as Mixol. The other components in wipe on oil based stain will all but disable the finish in addition to slowing its dry time. Even when you do add color, you must be mindful of pigment loading. In English, that means that the amount of pigment and resin in a drying system must not be above a certain ratio. There is no such restriction in stains because they are not intended to form a film with integrity. They merely get absorbed into the wood, then top coated. Hence, by mixing off the shelf stain into finish, you can completely disable the finish balance, and from the percentages you gave, I would say you probably did.

Second, oil based finishes work because all the oils used in the mix are drying oils. That means they react with oxygen in the air to convert from liquid to solid. All drying oils are nut oils, or modified plant oils. Mineral oil is a non drying oil; it is a petroleum product. Never mix mineral oil into any finishing schedule. You can use it on raw wood if you do not ever plan to put a curing finish atop it, such as on a cutting board, or you can use it as part of furniture polish on top of a finished surface, as in lemon oil. However, you must remove all of the mineral oil before trying to add any curing finish, whether the mineral oil was on top of a finish, as in polished wood, or in raw wood. The former is easier to remove than the latter.

Now that you know what to avoid in the future, and why, let's deal with how to fix your current problem. You might want to sit down, because you are not going to like this part.

Because you have created a finish with little or no structural integrity, even if it ever dries, which it may not, it will not form a decent protective film. My advice is to cut your losses now. Take some paint remover and remove all of the finish you have put on. Follow that with a scrub of mineral spirits (NOT mineral oil) with is the solvent for mineral oil. Follow that with a scrub of a small amount of ammonia in warm water, but wipe it all off right away. The ammonia is a surfactant that will help remove the traces of mineral oil, but because it can also darken oak, it is important that you use only a small amount (an ounce per cup of water) and wipe it off immediately. Rinse by wiping the floor with clean water.

Once the floor dries, you will need to sand it very lightly with fine paper (320 or finer will do) to de-fur the raised grain. At that point, start over with a proper finishing schedule.

If you need more specific information about all your finishing options, including ones that will not create offensive odors for your wife, write to me directly at the email address above, or through my website at www.michaeldresdner.com

Thanks, Michael

Ellis Walentine

>It's nice to have knowledgeable answers to complicated questions like this.

Cheers,

Ellis

A Double Thanks....

Andy Halterman: I like cooler weather

>for mentioning the proper way to use ammonia with regards to cleaning oak floors.

An all too common mistake that lots of people make.

Andy Halterman

Five dollar footlong subs are the shizzle in Hendersonville, NC�

Um...

Ellis Walentine

>...perhaps he's that troublemaker who sneaks in here when I'm typing faster than my fingers or my cheap keyboard can handle.

Ellijsdfles

Re: What is wrong and how to fix it.

Vincent Booth

>Michael,

Thank you. I very much appreciate the benifit of you knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, for me, I did not anticipate your advice. Having taken a beating and having to swallow my pride, I have already cleaned the surface with mineral spirits; wipe on, wipe off. I followed with a light sanding, as a hard shine had formed on much of the surface. I then applied a thin coat of poly. It seems to be setting up nicely.

I will let you know how it turns out and would appreciate your thoughts on this approach.

This was my first floor finishing project and I have to say it's been a learning expereince.

Re: Thanks, Michael

Vincent Booth

>Ellis,

Thank you for your advice and bringing Michael in to advise me.

Andy, JL, Bill, Rod and the several others, thank you for your advice and input.

Live and Learn, eh?