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  1. #1
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    Default Cheap Grandfather Clock, Darken Wood & Wooden Veneer

    Hi Guys,

    I just picked up a Grandfather clock for $50 and want to darken the wood & make it look more antique. I'm not sure what sort of wood it is and unsure of the best way to go about darkening the wood. Here are the photo's of the clock without the doors on:
    IMG_6589.jpgIMG_6590.jpgIMG_6591.jpgIMG_6592.jpgIMG_6594.jpg

    In one of the photo's the verneer needs sticking back and gives an idea of how thin it is. I would like to either stain/ stain varnish to
    a finish the same/similar to this:
    IMG_6595.jpg
    I dont want to screw this up because I really like the clock so I need help in choosing what products I should buy and process.

    Cheers, Sam

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  3. #2
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    Does anyone know what type of wood it is or if I should sand it back and use a sanding sealer?

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    It looks like mahogany to me from the photos. Does it have any makers marks or similar on it anywhere? To be frank it doesn’t look that high end a clock; the sides look like veneered ply and the back appears to have been stapled on. Saying that, $50 is a bargain if it is a genuine mechanical movement.

    As for trying to make it darker, the only way you could do that would be to spray the whole thing with a darker tinted varnish. I really advise against trying to sand it back, it is full of sharp edges and corners that will resist getting an even all over finish. Plus the veneer is less than a millimeter thick, it be nothing to accidentally sand through it.
    Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak.

  5. #4
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    Its a blonde wood hardwood. Looks a bit like Beech as in Euro Beech or a bit like Maple , the US type ? , I cant spot any Medullary rays though for Beech, possibly because there's no 1/4 cut visible but that'd be my first rough guess. If its not beech Its a wood Ive seen before in mod stuff which I don't know the name of . The Dark Back picture has a Mahogany type grain look to it .

    Colouring over the top is one way . A bit cheap and nasty . Ive done stuff like that where I heavily coloured and aged a light piece that wouldn't sell . Made it look like a dark crusty shiny cow pat and it sold a week after that ! . Basically bagged it over with water based colours sprayed it down with shellac and set fire to it a few times . Put it out and made it shiny .
    Test edit , forum edits out ( )

    The good way is strip back to wood , lightly sand , re stain seal and polish to the colour you like . You need to pick a stain you like and know how to seal and polish If you want the hand polish look . Which is a fine look . If you go spraying then you will get the sprayed look . Skillful finishers good at spraying get a pretty good looking job of it . Skillful hand polishers get a better finish which is why the method never died off . Skillful hand polished with skillful aged finishing is another thing again .
    What gives a good look is at the start, staining lighter than you may actually want at the end, and adding colours and effects on the way up within the layers to end up where you want with an un noticeable distinctive variation in the finish on the way through . One great way of getting this is trying your best then stripping it back by rubbing off the lot with Metho . leave some there and start again .

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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    The good way is strip back to wood , lightly sand , re stain seal and polish to the colour you like . You need to pick a stain you like and know how to seal and polish If you want the hand polish look . Which is a fine look . If you go spraying then you will get the sprayed look . Skillful finishers good at spraying get a pretty good looking job of it . What gives a good look is at the start, staining lighter than you may actually want at the end, and adding colours and effects on the way up within the layers to end up where you want with an un noticeable distinctive variation in the finish on the way through . One great way of getting this is trying your best then stripping it back by rubbing off the lot with Metho . leave some there and start again .
    What varnish/paint stripper should I use?, should I use paper towls or wire wool to wipe off the stripper?.

    As Stated by the previous poster Cheif Tiff, the veneer is less than a millimeter thick, is it still ok to use paint/varnish stripper on it?.

    Should I use a wood conditioner/primer to get an even stain finish?, if so which one would you or others recommend?

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheeny71 View Post
    What varnish/paint stripper should I use?, should I use paper towls or wire wool to wipe off the stripper?.
    You could pay to have it dipped at Colorex in Huntingdale Colorex Paint Strippers-Home. That makes a messy long job quick. Otherwise buy and test a stripper from Bunnings ?
    I cant recommend what I use . Its lethal stuff that came from Wortheim I think . My brother gave me a few liters off his last buy .

    Quote Originally Posted by sheeny71 View Post
    As Stated by the previous poster Cheif Tiff, the veneer is less than a millimeter thick, is it still ok to use paint/varnish stripper on it?.
    Yes its ok with most strippers . Dont use caustic soda though . Its a bit to rough on timbers left soaking in the stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by sheeny71 View Post
    Should I use a wood conditioner/primer to get an even stain finish?, if so which one would you or others recommend?
    No . Depends on how it takes stain in the first place . And that looks like it will be OK with a guess. A hard close grained wood like that looks to be could be the opposite and you may need it to be taking the stain better than it can . Any sealer holds this back and is conditioning or priming to slow down uptake and give an even look .

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    I used some Polystrippa Paint Stripper from Bunnings on the side panel, it seems to work ok but is leaving what looks like bits of stain on the wood, sould I be concerned with that?

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    Quote Originally Posted by sheeny71 View Post
    sould I be concerned with that?
    Wet it again and scrub it till its clean all over the whole section then wash the final wet coat off with a thinner solution of either water or metho before the stripper dries wipe that off and have extra dry rags to buff it dry before it dries by itself .

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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    Wet it again and scrub it till its clean all over the whole section then wash the final wet coat off with a thinner solution of either water or metho before the stripper dries wipe that off and have extra dry rags to buff it dry before it dries by itself .
    Should I use wire wool to scrub it off?.

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    So I decided to try stripping the sides which are veneered, is this how far I am supposed to strip it?, too much or not enough?. I will be tackling the ornamental top next which has lots of corners and intricate bits, I would appreciate any advice in going about this.

    IMG_6599.jpgIMG_6598.jpgIMG_6597.jpg

    Didn't get as much done as I hoped today because I got rained off. Hail actually!.
    Last edited by EagerBeaver71; 26th November 2019 at 02:52 PM. Reason: Update

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    I wouldn't touch the harder shaped bits until you know your doing the flat bits right . a whole job not right is one your going to have to do twice .
    You have to test it as your stripping .

    I use steel wool , always have . it can cause not wanted effects like iron oxide staining or fine steel particles in open grain . I think you'll be right with that though.

    You can feel when the wool stops sliding about on Jam like stuff made up of finish and stripper . You can scratch the jam and look at it when its almost done and when its right to educate yourself .I scratch with a stick or flat screw driver or fingernail . depends how deadly the stripper is . Its not much different than washing a greasy plate and trying to figure if the hot water and the detergent are getting it all off or not . I normally wash down and buff dry at the end like I said above . If you don't get it all off even after sanding its not going to stain good . It wont sand well , It wont stain well .

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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    I wouldn't touch the harder shaped bits until you know your doing the flat bits right . a whole job not right is one your going to have to do twice .
    You have to test it as your stripping .
    Hi Rob, Thanks for the advice. Do you think what I've done so far is enough stripping and sanding?, I've gone upto 120grit and left it at that until I got further advice as to whether this is enough.

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    No one can tell if you've stripped it right but you . I'd have to be 8 inches away to tell . What I can see looks OK but be careful with the sand paper . What do you mean you've gone up to 120 grit ? What did you start at ?

    A nice flat thing like that stripped right could just need a 280 then a 320 to 400 to be right . 120 is OK but bordering on to strong . Anything more coarse could mean big trouble .

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    The veneer started at .6mm when laid then was sanded. You don't want to go through .

    You should take out the glass , remove handles / brass ware . Stick it all somewhere safe . Put the work up on a table if you can .

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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    No one can tell if you've stripped it right but you . I'd have to be 8 inches away to tell . What I can see looks OK but be careful with the sand paper . What do you mean you've gone up to 120 grit ? What did you start at ?

    A nice flat thing like that stripped right could just need a 280 then a 320 to 400 to be right . 120 is OK but bordering on to strong . Anything more coarse could mean big trouble .

    I started at 80grit but soon realised it was clogging too quick so decided to go the steel wool route, then hit it with 120. As a professional cabinet maker what do you look for and know the piece is ready for staining?.

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