Question on veneer repair

The peril of solvent cleaning beforehand

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

If you dissolve the oil it is going to penetrate any place can find. If the glue looks clean I would glue first.

Re: The peril of solvent cleaning beforehand

Barry Irby

I agree with Bill.

Also, I watch YouTube Videos from Thomas Johnson on the topic of furniture restoration. He seems to swear by KrudKutter, which is available at the borg. Might pay off to spend a few minutes watching some of his stuff. I have seen him warm up hide glue and Old Brown glue and slather it under lifted veneer and clamp it in place and clean up the excess glue later.

Re: The peril of solvent cleaning beforehand

CJ in MPLS

I was leaning towards the hide glue treatment as is. The fact that the case is filthy made me pause. Thomas Johnson's youtube channel is a very good one. Thanks.

Re: Question on veneer repair

David Yoho

I seem to remember seeing a tour of the Gerstner operation somewhere but what I don't know or remember is the kind of glue they used. The problem is if they used something other than hide glue under the veneer. Without removing the veneer and scraping the old glue, I'm not sure new hide glue would stick long term. If they did use hide glue, then there shouldn't be a problem adding new under the veneer to attach.

I would likely save any cleaning for after gluing. I've use Krud Kutter at times, sometimes straight and sometimes diluted in water, with good results. However, I still fall back to a method I learned from a local acclaimed restorer that really works too. I take some Permatex DL Blue Hand Soap and rub it on with a white Scotch Bright-like pad. I don't use a lot of pressure on the pad. Let the stuff work for about 5 minutes before wiping it down with a dampened rag. Keep rinsing the rag and wiping until no more dirt is coming off on the rag. Allow the surface to dry thoroughly before proceeding to any finishing you might want or need to do. This method should not remove finish, as there's no solvent or abrasives in it. It does a great job of cleaning away years of grime.

A good point here

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

If you use solvent you will wind up with oil dissolved in low viscosity solvent which will penetrate any place it can find. Soap works different. Soap busts the oil up into microdroplets that suspend in the water and prefer to stay in the water. Remove the water by padding for example and the oil goes with it.

If the box was only a few decades ago the veneer glue will not be hide glue.

Re: Question on veneer repair

Brad Chenoweth

Gerstner has a whole series of videos on youtube, done by the fellow who does their in-house restorations. An excellent series, I've been watching some them in preparation for doing some work on my wife's grandfather's tool chest that she wants to use for a jewelry box. I'd start there, lots of fascinating information.

https://www.youtube.com/user/gerstner2010

Re: Question on veneer repair

Ray Mtn. Home Ar.

The original owner must have dropped something on the drawer cover. Looks like he added those brass straps to reinforce it. When I got my new machinest chest back in the 60s the instruction book said to wipe it down with gas to clean it.

Re: Question on veneer repair

CJ in MPLS

I love working with gasoline as a solvent. I sometimes dab a bit behind my ears.

The door is definitely next on my list. All of those joints are loose, so I envision having to take it all apart anyway. I will see whether I can master the super secret technique of removing the door. A casual attempt failed.

Not a chance

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Using gasoline as a solvent is so dangerous, especially indoors, that no company would make this recommendation. No company employing a machinist would tolerate an employee doing it. I encourage you to remove your post so as to not tempt anyone to try it.

Bad idea

Craig

One of my dad's co workers was cleaning some parts with gasoline in the garage and burned to death when the fumes were ignited by the water heater. Not a pleasant way to go I imagine. Not recommended as a cleaning solvent.

Re: Bad idea

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

In my youth someone at nearby service station was burned outside cleaning parts. Gasoline vapors are heavy and will sink and flow along the ground. They did and found an ignition source and flashed back to the person cleaning.

To be able to start an engine gasoline contains a fair amount of butane and similar components that readily volatilize from an open container of gasoline. It is these flammable vapors that create the hazard. Mineral spirits and "paint thinner" lack these components, making them more safe to use.

Re: Bad idea

TomD

I always learn stuff from Bill. A friend from college, her father was rendered fairly useless when he caught on fire in one of those garages where rather than there being a lift, there was a concrete slip trench in the floor. Probably due to the fumes Bill mentions. His body was devastated.

I went through a plane crash where the plane was stuck on full thrust for 20 minutes due to a pinched control, and you could smell the heavy scent of spilled fuel. I was all banged up in the crush, and did not get out for 4 hours, but some guy from the back, came forward, and as he approached the emergency door stopped to light his cigarette so he would not have to struggle to light it in the cold out of doors. Someone put him off that idea. It was 4 hours before we were rescued, as the firemen did not want to approach the plane. Finally the ambulance guys decided to risk it. The rescue would have taken a while anyway, as even though it happened at an airport, it took them some time to borrow the jaws of life.

Not really relevant to anything, but fuel is a psych for sure.