Not listening to the little voice in my head I stupidly installed built-in white oak shelving before treating the wood. The little creatures that live in my house have recently placed their lotion covered hands on the wood creating greasy prints and smudges. How do I treat the wood now and hide/cover/remove the hand tracks from these pesky creatures. Due to $ & time invested in the oak & install I don’t want to replace it. I originally had hoped to simply polyur them with clear satin to match all the other white oak trim but now I fear this will only preserve & showcase my foolish mistake. HELP…Sand it & poly? Use oil? If so what kind to get the lightest hue of the oak possible?
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I'm not an expert but the first thing I would do is go find some scrap material and have those creatures mark it. Then I would probably wipe down the scrap with paint thinner, then sand and try a couple of different finishes depending on how the oak is used. Then if you find something that worked you can apply it to the good wood
Great ideas. Thanks. I'm listening to the voices in my head now.
(That didn't sound good)
Thanks again.
Agree with arkriver, try anything on a test board first. My guess is that a coat of boiled linseed oil under your top coat should conceal any grease-based marks. The thing I would be most concerned about is if there are any black marks resulting from contact with water, white oak is particularily suceptible to this. These marks should be bleached out before applying any finish.Good luck, Mike
To remove the handprints, I'm thinking that a scrubbing with some T.S.P. would do the trick and then a thorough rinsing with water will remove any residue before finishing. This will raise the grain and you'll have to sand again. As stated above, try test pieces.
Make a poultice of plaster of paris and lacquer thinner. It's just sort of a wet putty. Initially the wood will absorb the lacquer thinner but the plaster of paris will give it more freely to the air and draw it right back out of the wood with all the oils and dirt it dissolved. This is what a local stone sculptor told me to use to remove oil from limestone and is the way he cleans his white marble carvings work after exhibitions. It works on wood too. It's also flammable so make sure you're careful and don't turn your whole house to ash.
Awesome tip. Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou.
Test first then set traps for the lill "creatures". Have them reapply their hand goo and recreate it on scrap. Thinner or mineral spirits may cut the oils.
Sorry about the traps :)
Joe
Is it really saw dust or wood dust?
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