Comments on: Authentic Arts & Crafts Finish

By: Tom Holloway

Tom Holloway — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:36:26 +0000

I’m one of the few people I know who has actually tried fuming (several table lamp bases of white oak, with household strength ammonia, sealed in a 5-gallon plastic bucket) and I have been pleased with the results. But I have come to an even simpler way to get the A&C color and look I want, on larger pieces made of red or white oak: Minwax "English Chestnut" (#233) wood finish (for stain and seal), followed by a couple of applications of Watco Clear, rubbed out after cure, and paste wax a few days later. With the range of products on the market today, there are many paths to the desired result.

By: Ed Lindley

Ed Lindley — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:11:09 +0000

Folks, in my real life job I am a chemistry professor at our local community college. If any of you are convinced "low concentration"(s) of ammonia are not worthy of much thought and care before and during use, PLEASE Google "MSDS ammonium hydroxide 10%" and read about its hazards, first aid measures, handling and storage, and exposure controls and personal protection.

Aqueous solutions of bases require adequate eye protection at the very least. To prepare any aqueous ammonia solution, someone bubbled anhydrous (or pure) ammonia gas into water. The gaseous ammonia has a high affinity for water; that’s why it dissolves readily. However, it can easily return to the gas phase and search out, find, and redissolve in another water source, for example like your tears. There its concentration can reach much higher values than the original source. Please use ammonia solutions wisely.

Dr. Lindley (no kidding!)

By: Marcus

Marcus — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:15:14 +0000

Bob,

Only exposure to very concentrated ammonia gas can cause death through lung damage. At normal househould dilutions your body has a specific mechanism for getting rid of it. It’s very toxic to fish. I don’t woodwork around fish. The volatile organics contained in most stains and finishes are more dangerous to us than a low concentration of ammonia.

I’ll keep fuming, thanks.

By: Bob Demers

Bob Demers — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:30:17 +0000

Marcus
Why everyones is trying to find a replacement for fuming?
Simply because the fuming process is inherently dangerous.
Yes, it’s easy, work by itself for a few days like you said, but without proper precautions could be deadly.
Not just to the ww but to children and pets around us.

Not worth the risks, lets keep on the search. Besides as pointed in this article, even the genuine articles were not all fumed, so…

Must give that recipy a try, thanks Robert

Bob

By: Marcus

Marcus — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:33:03 +0000

The 10% ammonia works fine, and it IS a reasonable amount of time, not 6x as long or something, maybe 2x. I did this for my morris chair. Fumed it in a tent, 3 coats of amber shellac and a coat of paste wax and it looks brilliant and is holding up for the long term. I’m not sure why everyone tries to find a replacement for the process, however. What could be more easy than leaving it sit for 3 or 4 days while it fumes and then putting finish on it?

By: Mike Lingenfelter

Mike Lingenfelter — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:28:13 +0000

Thanks Chris and Robert.

My summer project is going to be a couple of Morris Chairs, for our library. I have been researching designs and finishing techniques. I will give your finishing technique a try. It definitely sounds easier then fuming.

Mike