Woodchuck question: How do you handle relative humidity

Federico

Federico

Joined
Sep 5, 2000
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Its been a strange summer here in Minnesota. Its actually been incredibly hot with almost tropical humidty levels lately. With my house as it is (old with lotsa wood paneling and floors) its like living in a giant humidor. I currently have the airconditioning going as well as a fan and a dehumidifier in my work area. But it doesnt seem that I can get a good handle on the humidity. Im currently re-working a bunch of scabbard and hilts, but the humidity is soaking the wood and causing the finish not to dry and the wood to turn all gummy. So its been alota one step forward two steps back. So the question is how do you handle humidity levels on unsealed projects.
 
Fred:

We lived in Mpls. for eleven years, and there were a couple of summers like that. Unsealed wood is going to absorb moisture. Period. The handles you have oiled are sealed, even if they won't dry for days. The wood inside the sheaths can be protected to some extent by spraying the inside with WD-40. Then, I'd put them in the area where you have the best/most climate control and hope for the bestbut try to keep them stable. If they dry too quickly they may crack (when it hits -10°, and the "humidity" is little ice crystals stinging your face), so this is the best bet for storage also. The woods will stabilize around a given amount of humidity, and are OK unless they are introduced to abrupt changes. If you take them outdoors in either extreme, try to make the transition as slow as possible. I've had shotguns freeze when taken out too suddenly, and the humidity from "indoors" hit good old Minnesota outdoor temps. A friend had a nice rifle stock crack after a couple of days out in the cold, when it was brought back into a 75° house, instead of a slow warm-up from the truck to the back porch and finally inside. He was also a great one for using a tire wrench on his bedding bolts, and that didn't help:eek:
 
Hi Fed, What Wal said about avoiding quick changes is very true. Wood will take a lot as long as it's gradual. On your finish, just about any finish will dry eventually, it just may not look great. It depends on what it is you're applying. Boiled linseed oil is s l o w drying under good conditions so it will take a bit longer in high humidity. You can thin most oils with a little solvent, mineral spirits or turpentine, and apply it in light coats that will help it dry quicker and set up a little better. Most oil finishes should not be built up with to many layers(or they stay gummy) with out wiping off the excess and rubbing in whats left.The heat created from rubbing a oil finish helps a lot. If you need more info on other types of finish E-mail me. Hope this helps.
 
Hmmm Im tempted just to seal them and put off work till humidity levels get to more acceptable levels. Ive been using a 50% boiled inseed oil 50% turpentine mix at this early stage. Wierdest thing is that the wood itself and not the finish is getting all wierd. I go through great pains not to over do the oil but the wood itself has become all gooey and soft. If it was a matter of the oil being on the surface that wouldnt be too bad but it seems that the wood itself is becoming waterlogged. Big dilemna is there is no where in my house that has a stabiler environment than the current room theyre in. Perhaps I should invest in another de-humidifier. Hmm Ill try and think of a better description of whats happening.
 
Fred:

Humidity by itself won't soften the wood to the extent you describe. If the surface is simply tacky to the touch, that is normal for boiled linseed. If the wood itself has been softened - made "spongey" as though it had been soaked - then your oil/turp mixture is suspect. To have this effect on the wood it would have to be applied very thickly. If your coats have been very light, applied by fingertip and spread very thin, then you have a bad batch of oil or turp (some additive intended for another use, that is contrary to what you are trying to do). Your best bet at this point is to strip what is on the wood and let it dry. Then, steel wool or sand it down to the bare grain and start over with another mixture. The Tru Oil I use doesn't dry any faster than linseed oil in high humdity, but it has never harmed the wood.
 
Hi Guys I'm back, I just conferred with a woodchuck friend. He agrees with Wal and me that it really shouldn't be the wood. One possible theory would be if the wood had a real sappy pocket, not likely though. He suggested WaterLox. I've used this product to and it is very good. It's a Tung oil base but is made so it will kick humidity or not. It will not alter the color of the wood as much as Boiled linseed oil so I feel it is a choice. It also does not remain oily to the touch after it kicks, but is a true oil finish. Hope this helps. Gotta go.
 
You woodchucks sound like you have the handle on wood problems--Can you give me any hints on how to remove a 1 inch cigarette burn on a table top???:confused: The Waterlox products look like what I need once the burn's removed..:)
 
Al:

If the table top is solid, and the burn is not deep, sanding down (the whole top) and then re-finishing is best. It will be the most even and attractive of several methods. If the top is veneer, or laminated, you may need the services of a good furniture re-finisher. There is a method involving sanding out just the burn area, and melting a colored wax into the scar, then re-finishing around that fill-in. I've seen it done, but the color has to be matched from a huge selection of "crayons", and the skill belongs to the real "old timers". You know how many of them are still around.
 
Hmm this is getting interesting. Ive been using this batch of linseed oil and turpentine on other projects I am currently working on as well and have not had any problems. This spongey wood thing has only started appearing lately with the high humidity that is why I thought it was a humidity problem. However my other projects werent affected. Specifically one scabbard which has two different woods only one wood is affected while the other is still fine. The scabbards that have been affected have been sucking up oil like there's no tommorow and both had mold/fungus/bug problems which is why I was re-finishing them in the first place. I left both in a warm oven for a while as well as soaking them in Isopropyl alcohol. Then I Stripped off all the nasty wood and then repeated. Is there a possility that Im still having a bug/fungus/mold problem? Also is there the possibility that its just the type of wood that doesnt agree with the finish that Im putting on. I can move to a harder less absorbent finish that I normally use as the final finishing coats and see if that gives better results. Once again thank you for all the help.
 
Hi Fed, You are having a really strange problem. I've thought on it a lot. The only other idea I've had was what you just touched upon that being the type of wood. With some exotic woods that you want to glue up, the resins in the wood will interfere with the glue bonding as it should, I wipe the wood down with acetone just before applying the glue. And know that I think about it just about all those types of wood get finished with a oil based finish, WaterLox or Sikens they both will actually dry and not have an oily feel like linseed oil. So I'm not sure if this helps or not it's pretty late for me right know and I tend to babble when I get tired. Nighty Nite!
 
I just read back over your thread. If the wood is soaking up an extraordinary amount of oil then it would have the same effect as putting to much linseed on, it gets gummy. I would really give a diiferent type of finish a try after cleaning up the piece. The WaterLox is really excellant and if you would apply one coat let it dry before applying any more it should be OK.Talk with you later.
 
Thanks for the help Gary. Ill switch over to my finishing varnish (same kind used on violins), and if that doesnt work then Ill look for some waterlox. Been trying to stay somewhat traditional since its an antique scabbard, but darnit traditional or not I cant have a scabbard that falls apart. Any luck on the Banati? Went to my local exotic wood store and theyve never heard of it. I have the feeling Im gonna have to make a trip to the Philippines to actually get some ;) Oh well at least Id be able to get some other exotic hardwoods for a decent price.
 
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