White Vinegar to clean up wood!

Mike-in-WV · #1 02-05-2005, 07:01 PM

Talked to a man today who is 85 years young. He is a wood whittler from way back. We were talking about cleaning up the fuzz and oil from the hands before staining and he asked me if I ever used white Vinegar and a tooth brush. He told me how to do it so when I got home today I tried it on a wood spirit I was getting ready to stain.
I dipped the tooth brush right in the bottle and brushed the Vinegar on from top to bottom in one direction only on the spirit face and fairly hard. I did it twice as the old man told me to and then set it out side to air dry for about an hour. Guess what? It worked great!
The vinegar has a tightening effect on the wood fibers and it also got rid of the grease from my hands. Clean as whistle, no fuzz and tight grain.
Don't know that it will work on all wood but it sure did a nice job on this Hackberry. Mike

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #2 02-05-2005, 07:13 PM

and smells beeeaaauuutiiifullll LOL

Mike-in-WV · #3 02-05-2005, 08:44 PM

Lol, Only for a few minutes. The wood takes staining after being washed with Vinegar real well, nice and even.

squbrigg · #4 02-06-2005, 08:14 AM

Great tip Mike, I must give that a try and see how it works on Basswood. Always trying to cure the fuzzies on it.

Bob

Paul_Guraedy · #5 02-06-2005, 11:45 AM

When I was young we used to boil cypress knees to get the bark off. We then "neutralized" them in white vinegar. Never understood this step, it was just something that required doing. The only thing cypress knees were used for "back then" was to make lamps. We finished them with shellac. I guess the vinegar helped this process.

Colin_Partridge · #6 02-06-2005, 12:07 PM

great tip I will definatly give it a try. Thats whats so great about this board you can always learn something new.
Colin

Mike-in-WV · #7 02-08-2005, 07:50 AM

Colin, So far I have tried it on two carvings and it works great. It's nota cure all for the fuzzies but it sure does help and it makes the wood fibers tight and smooth. I just dip the tooth brush right in the bottle ang get it real wet and then brush one way on my walking staff spirits.

Hope your staying warm up there? It's was nice here in WV the past few days and It felt like spring was here, had the front and back door open to air out my work shop but Now it's turning back to winter again. Mike

Ky_Whittler · #8 02-08-2005, 11:59 AM

A great tip Mike. I would beat the heck out of the scotchbrite for the oils from your hands. That is the one thing I have always had trouble with. When I want to leave a carving white I have to take great pains to keep my hands off of it.Whittler