The Nitrogen Family Elements at a Glance

Author: Allison Ryanbr
Source: isnare.combr
br
There are both advantages and disadvantages to using pigment oil stains. While you may enjoy the advantages of this stain over the other two types, you should be aware of the disadvantages before you decide to use this stain for your wood finishing project.

Advantages:

• Pigment oil stains are easily prepared.

• They are very versatile, and are ideal for all kinds of woodwork from plinth blocks to custom millwork.

• They are very easy to apply, even by children.

• They do not raise the grain. Consequently, sponging and re-sanding are unnecessary. This saves you a lot of work when using this kind of stain in wood finishing.

• They may be used on thin veneers without any danger of loosening the glue.

• They are cheaper to apply than water-stains. As a result, they are used on cheap furniture, and frequently in house finishing.

• They are good to use on the interior of case goods where raising the grain and re-sanding are difficult. Large pieces of wooden furniture such as wooden bar rails, or a wooden cabinet, for example.

• They generally contain a certain amount of some drying oil, such as linseed oil, and in drying, they leave a thin varnish-like film which protects the wood to some extent.

• A drying-oil, such as linseed oil, unless it is bleached, darkens the wood even without being mixed with any colors.

• Oil colors can be mixed with wood-filler, and this allows for the combination stains and fills in one operation.

• Oil stains can be used successfully on certain very absorptive woods, such as cypress, which becomes very rough and porous when water staining is attempted.

• Stains containing a drying oil, such as linseed oil, do not penetrate as deeply into the wood as they do when turpentine is used. Stains with drying oils as the vehicle give an even, flat tone, however, because they do not penetrate unevenly in spots on account of irregular wavy or end grain around or near knots.

• Attractive effects can be produced with several of the pigment oil stains on some of the close grained woods, such as poplar, cherry, maple, white pine, and even on walnut, which is somewhat porous.

Disadvantages

• Oil stains do not penetrate deeply and as a result they are easily cut through by sandpaper or are quickly worn off by use.

• Re-staining is difficult with oil stains. Therefore the proper color must be secured with one coat. (If the stain is raised with benzene, another darker color can be applied
with some success.)

• Oil stain pigments are opaque and remain on the surface to some extent; they obscure the grain and cause a loss of transparency.

• Oil stains are more expensive than water-stains, and do not cover as much surface gallon for gallon.

• If it is applied too slowly, or if it is not rubbed soon enough, an oil stain may go into the pores too deeply to dry promptly. Later on, it may ooze out and cause
trouble.

• Oil stains require several days for proper drying. For this reason, if you choose to stain fireplace mantel shelves, or entire fireplace mantels for either an electric or gas fireplace, you must wait until it is completely and absolutely dry until you light a fire.

• Oil stains are likely to lift or come off to some extent with filler.

• The shades of color available in pigment oil stains are more limited in number than in water-stains.br
br
Allison Ryan is a writer specializing in do-it-yourself home improvement, from a href=http://www.ferche.com/products/StandardMouldings/walls-mouldings/paneling rel=nofollowplinth blocks/a and a href=http://www.ferche.com/products/door-window-toppers rel=nofollowwooden bar rails/a to a href=http://www.ferche.com/products/StandardMouldings/crown rel=nofollowfireplace mantels/a and custom mouldings. For the best in the hardwood moulding industry, check out a href=http://www.ferche.com/ rel=nofollowhttp://www.ferche.com//a.br
br

Author: Allison Ryan
Source: ezinearticles.com

Changes in the art of wood-finishing has come about through the rapid progress in the development of quick-drying, very permanent, nitrocellulose lacquers which are new finishes derived from the realm of magic and mystery. Present-day lacquers contain varnish-gums in addition to nitrocellulose, and dry so quickly that they are practically dust-proof; yet they set slowly enough so that they can be applied with little training by use of either a brush or a spray-gun.

The student wood-finisher in the school, the arts and crafts painter in the home who wishes to refinish old furniture, door toppers, or woodwork, and the professional painter will all find new and helpful hints and much practical information about lacquer and its use.

While it is true that the emphasis has been placed on new materials and processes, mention should be made of the fact that the entire field of wood-finishing, including wood-filling, shellacking, and enameling has changed.

Many microscopic studies have been made of the reaction of various finishes, especially wood-fillers, in the pores of several kinds of wood. Many technical difficulties were encountered in attempts to prepare photomicrographs of wood filler in the pores of wood, but nevertheless some interesting information was secured.

Some new and very valuable paint-pigments, such as lithophone, titanox, and “extenders,” such as asbestine, are now used rather extensively in the paint trade since they were developed. For many purposes these new materials can be used to advantage. The person who applies paint at the present time has a wide field to choose from in selecting pigments, extenders, colors, drying-oils, and thinners, and needs information about these materials.

Another very fundamental characteristic of wood-finishing is that it is treated as a science as well as an art. It is for this reason that a rich background of related science is given in connection with the descriptions of the materials and the methods of using them.

The chemical formulas of the substances described are usually given, and some of the chemical and physical reactions of the materials are pointed out for the benefit of the amateur, the apprentice, or the master painter who may lack a thorough scientific background for his trade.

Experts gather information about wood finishing with meticulous care through visits to some of the best paint, varnish, and lacquer factories in the United States in order to obtain up-to-date, reliable information. A very careful study has also been made of the writings of scientists on this subject, on everything from finishing wooden bar rails to wood fireplace inserts.

In the industrial-arts departments of schools, wood-finishing and painting have often been taught in connection with woodworking, but at present there is a strong tendency toward the establishment of separate courses in which the informational aspect of wood-finishing and painting can receive proper attention.

The industrial-arts departments of 30 years ago gave little attention to wood-finishing, and attempts were made to finish articles in dusty woodworking shops; now separate rooms, after the universal practice of industry, will be found in all schools where serious work in wood-finishing is done.

The science and art of wood-finishing can be more clearly understood through a study of wood as a material. There is a book entitled “Wood and Lumber” which can be used to advantage in schools when related information and a scientific background are desired in order to give a more intellectual trend to shop work which may be too largely manual or manipulative to be educational and vocational in the best sense.

Allison Ryan is a freelance marketing writer from San Diego, CA. She specializes in do-it-yourself home improvement from finishing wooden bar rails to custom moulding on window and door toppers. For the best in the hardwood moulding industry, check out http://www.ferche.com/.