Thread: White timber types please.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

An that’s the million dollar question will it stay white over time......

Almost certainly not, I'm afraid. As per above, the wood surface oxidises & changes chemically over time & any finish will make its contribution. The real question is "What colour will it end up?". Only time will answer that.....

Cheers,

Hey Matt someone above (Mature One - I just checked) mentioned Rustolium. I recently used this on some Jacaranda because I had heard that it went on very clear, and it does. I'll take some pics with bare wood for comparison if you like. Of course there's no gaurantee it will stay clear.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

An that’s the million dollar question will it stay white over time [emoji6][emoji6].

Cheers Matt.

I've got one or two items here with NIH in them that is still just as white as when they were first finished about 15 years ago

Originally Posted by TTIT

I've got one or two items here with NIH in them that is still just as white as when they were first finished about 15 years ago

Well that's reassuring TTIT, it's up there with Holly in that case, & amongst a rather small number of woods that that will remain pure white. Well worth noting & remembering....

Originally Posted by Picko

Hey Matt someone above (Mature One - I just checked) mentioned Rustolium. I recently used this on some Jacaranda because I had heard that it went on very clear, and it does. I'll take some pics with bare wood for comparison if you like. Of course there's no gaurantee it will stay clear.

Picko,
Yes please some pictures would be fantastic, if it’s no trouble.

Cheers Matt.

Originally Posted by IanW

Euge, could you post a pic of some Lagunaria wood sometime, just to satisfay my (& perhaps others') curiosity?

I have never come across the wood of this species, although I was well aware of it through its veterinary connotations (one of its common names is "cow-itch tree" for good reasons). I noticed it's a common street tree in upstate Victoria, & there were plenty of them in Benalla, where I lived for a while. Theey don't seem to be so common in S.E. Qld. - maybe too many folks had bad experiences with those nasty hairs in the seed-pods? I confess I once pulled one apart just to see what it was all about & of course got quite a few hairs in my finger-tips in the process. I didn't do that again!

Cheers,
Ian

Hi Ian, yes it is grown as a street and park tree in cooler parts if Vic. And occassionally cut down. But I haven't got any I can lay my hands on to show you. Sorry, if I come across some I will take pics of the fine medullary rays on a quarter sawn surface. Maybe someone else has some wood of Lagunaria patersonii. Fine textured too.

Cheers, Euge

While not pure white, Claret Ash is a very light timber and very nice to work with. A common street tree too.

Sorry Matt I missed this thread but I see you got what I consider to be the whitest timber in Aus NIH.

If you are after some more white timber I have Doughwood (Melicope elleryana) that is very white, and easy to carve, but as with many timbers you do have to be careful with the finish. I've found the best is clear boot polish of all things. This special order dining table however was done with clear coat car lacquer.

145010691_325551795471718_886878792840308192_n.jpg

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Sorry Matt I missed this thread but I see you got what I consider to be the whitest timber in Aus NIH.

If you are after some more white timber I have Doughwood (Melicope elleryana) that is very white, and easy to carve, but as with many timbers you do have to be careful with the finish. I've found the best is clear boot polish of all things. This special order dining table however was done with clear coat car lacquer.

145010691_325551795471718_886878792840308192_n.jpg

Do you just sand it and take it to a panel shop and ask them to spray it? How many coats does it require? Is it glossy or matt?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Sorry Matt I missed this thread but I see you got what I consider to be the whitest timber in Aus NIH.

If you are after some more white timber I have Doughwood (Melicope elleryana) that is very white, and easy to carve, but as with many timbers you do have to be careful with the finish. I've found the best is clear boot polish of all things. This special order dining table however was done with clear coat car lacquer.

145010691_325551795471718_886878792840308192_n.jpg

Originally Posted by qwertyu

Do you just sand it and take it to a panel shop and ask them to spray it? How many coats does it require? Is it glossy or matt? ...

I am also intrigued, Neil, please tell us more. What is the "clear coat car lacquer" and the technique?

Enjoy the rest of Christmas, everyone.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Picko,
Yes please some pictures would be fantastic, if it’s no trouble.

Cheers Matt.

Here ya go Matt. You can see it did darken a little when they're side by side.

P1010048.jpg

Originally Posted by qwertyu

Do you just sand it and take it to a panel shop and ask them to spray it? How many coats does it require? Is it glossy or matt?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

I am also intrigued, Neil, please tell us more. What is the "clear coat car lacquer" and the technique?

Enjoy the rest of Christmas, everyone.

After flattening post casting and sanding to 400 I tend to do a float coat of self levelling clear coating epoxy (warning - if both parts are not clear, then it's not clear coat. Maybe fine on dark timbers but NOT white), then sand to 400 again ready for painting. I do not use oil finishes on white timber tables as ALL of them will yellow the timber.

I've done spray painting for a long time and confident with a spray gun. I buy my car lacquer from a paint supplier, that is full gloss, then add a special additive (also from the paint shop) to get the finish I require (in this case Satin, ~10% additive that is basically a talc mix, gloss finish leaves finger prints on tables). Each full coat consists of a few light coats in different direction at around 1min intervals (to flare off). Then left to touch dry (0.5 hour) before wiping with green emery cleaner (kitchen pot stuff) and blow down/remove all dust. Then hit again with another full coat, and repeat 3 or 4 times. Then leave for a week to fully harden before wet sanding with 1200 grit or XXXX steel wool to flatten, before polishing with car cut and polish paste/cream to desired finish.

This is basically the same way cars are done, although a heat both maybe used to help cure the paint. If your not confident with a spray gun then after the prep you could take it to a car guy to do.