While letting my mind wander, I came across this situation:
You have a cold glass of vodka sitting on your newly finished table. The condensation drips down the glass and leaves a ring mark on the table. You pick up the glass and are shocked to see a white ring on your table. In your shock, you spill your drink over the ring and the water mark disappears.
Is this possible?
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
– Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
Replies
Not for me. I don't drink vodka.
To get my problems to disappear, I usually opt for spilling the vodka down my throat. ;-)
My guess is that the alcohol is pulling the water creating the white ring from the surface finish. Whether it would stay gone, and thus be a useful fix, I have no idea.
It's more possible IF the exact finish solvent with retarder was spilled on the ring.
Does Vermouth count as a retarder??
................................................
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. Jack London
When mixed with Vodka it can definitely be a retarder, usually temporarily
Neil
Only perhaps, but the vodka isn't more than 50% alcohol (100 proof), where denatured alcohol that would be a more usually choice for removing the white rings would have only about 5% or so water.
Better replace that old lacquer finish with dewaxed shellac and have much less chance of white rings in that situation.
Edited 8/4/2008 9:40 pm ET by SteveSchoene
Not here. The glass never leaves my hand!
I agree with the alcohol solvent theory, although the alcohol in vodka is not denatured (made undrinkable), but is still (pun intended) alcohol.
Anthing is possible with enough vodka....Just ask the Russians.
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Chris:
So was this the first glass of Vodka? I'm thinking maybe the ring is still there but you can't see it due to the alcohol fogging your vision. My old mother in law subsisted on vodka and soy milk for many years and she never could see much at all!
Be careful with that stuff!
Madison
Vodka and SOY MILK??? Yech.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
My thoughts exactly! But in her alcoholic world it made sense as vodka is clear therefore no calories and soy milk with nutrients equal low calorie complete diet. Of course she's dead now so we know that didn't work out!
She and her boy friend (also an alcoholic) visited us one summer and ruined the surface of a table I had made with glasses of cold stuff and the resulting condensation. My solution to the marks? We gave her the table for Christmas and paid for a hotel room for them any time they came to visit. New table is nicer than the ruined one and no more water marks!
Enjoy the day!
Madison
Madison,
That's a brilliant solution! Hope she took it well.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Consider that the ring was pure water, and the spill was alcohol. What finishes are alcohol soluble with? That's all I've got, dude. I even use coasters on the 'foreign' furniture of the house, though maybe I should stop being so gentile. Great riddle!
Brian
Hi Chris I prefer a single malt myself but what ever gets the job done as they say!
Chaim
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