• We just finished moving the forums to a new hosting server. It looks like everything is functioning correctly but if you find a problem please report it in the Forum Technical Support Forum (click here) or email us at forum_moderator AT aawforum.org. Thanks!
  • Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Peter Jacobson for "Red Winged Burl Bowl" being selected as Turning of the Week for April 29, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Removing anchorseal from wood

Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
61
Likes
0
Location
Claxton, Georgia
I have looked and couldnt find it. I know I have seen something on this before. I am trying to remove some anchorseal from a piece of wood that I want to use as a scuptural piece. Any help would be appreciated
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
2,560
Likes
34
Location
Annandale, New Jersey
Stacey S said:
I have looked and couldnt find it. I know I have seen something on this before. I am trying to remove some anchorseal from a piece of wood that I want to use as a scuptural piece. Any help would be appreciated

Rather simple, Stacey.

1. Heat gun or hot hair dryer to melt and wipe off as much as possible with rags or paper towels.

2. Solvent such as Mineral Spirits, alcohol, or Naptha (better) to remove the rest.

3. If you're working with a piece of burl with a spikey surface, a powerwasher after the heat step does very well.

m
 
Joined
May 6, 2004
Messages
630
Likes
129
Location
Sonoma, CA
I believe that some of the Anchorseal that one puts on a chunk of wood is absorbed down into the wood pores. Very hard to get this out and the Anchorseal may change the color of the wood some or keep finish from attaching properly. I am thinking end grain here. Just a thought.
Hugh
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
2,560
Likes
34
Location
Annandale, New Jersey
Hugh said:
I believe that some of the Anchorseal that one puts on a chunk of wood is absorbed down into the wood pores. Very hard to get this out and the Anchorseal may change the color of the wood some or keep finish from attaching properly. I am thinking end grain here. Just a thought.
Hugh

Hugh,

It's a common misinformation that wax will penetrate wood. Those Johnson people made billions selling that "Good-for-the-wood-'cause-it's-wax" slogan which is pure, um, "wax." ;)

General rule is that wax molecules are too large to penetrate wood pores, even on the endgrain, and even if dissolved in a thinner that will penetrate. Anchorseal is a water/paraffin emulsion and will not penetrate, even if heated to boiling. This is one of the reasons why wax is such a poor "finish" for wood. It will, however, do a good job of forming a temporary film to retard moisture loss.
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
61
Likes
0
Location
Claxton, Georgia
Thanks Mark. I will give that a try. I did a little mineral spirits and lacquer thinner last night in a small area but wasn't too sure if it was working. I will try it again along with the heat on a larger area along with using something more durable than a papertowel to rub the thinner.

stacey
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
2,560
Likes
34
Location
Annandale, New Jersey
Stacey S said:
Thanks Mark. I will give that a try. I did a little mineral spirits and lacquer thinner last night in a small area but wasn't too sure if it was working. I will try it again along with the heat on a larger area along with using something more durable than a papertowel to rub the thinner.

stacey

Hot solvent is NOT good and using a heat source along with something like lacquer thinner is asking for visits a) from the Fire Department and b) to the nearest burn ward. Please don't go there!

You can scrape much of the coating off, melt most of the rest so it runs and drips off, and then only use the solvent to remove the thin residue that's left. Lacquer thinner is not, however, a good wax solvent for some reason, so stick with the three I mentioned. MS will take the longest to dry, and alcohol is slower as a solvent.
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
61
Likes
0
Location
Claxton, Georgia
Sorry for the missunderstanding.I don't plan on heating the MS soaked piece of wood. Thanks again for the ideas I will give them a try. Now to get some Naptha.
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
882
Likes
2
Location
Wimberley, Texas
Might want to try the hair dryer before the heat gun. The latter can easily ignite the wax and the wood. The hair dryer on high should melt the wax easily enough.
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
2,560
Likes
34
Location
Annandale, New Jersey
Stacey,

If it's really Anchorseal, I checked with UC Coatings and they said it can be completely removed with hot soapy water. That translates to 5-minutes-of-fun-for-a-fin down at the car wash and you, your car, and your wood're done and clean. :D
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
178
Likes
0
Location
Saginaw, Michigan
Mark Mandell said:
Stacey,

If it's really Anchorseal, I checked with UC Coatings and they said it can be completely removed with hot soapy water. That translates to 5-minutes-of-fun-for-a-fin down at the car wash and you, your car, and your wood're done and clean. :D

I second that -- just recently I coated the ends of around 3 dozen blanks I'd just slabbed and before getting them into storage a shower hit and I watched the Anchorseal drip off the wood onto the lawn.

Stoppy
 
Joined
May 4, 2005
Messages
203
Likes
1
Location
Derby, Kansas, USA
Hot Enough Outside ??

Geez,

If you cut your blank slightly oversize and coat the ends. When you are ready to turn --- trim off the end.

Anchorseal, the brand name and the generics, do not penetrate. If you have a small crack, split etc or two --- you want to cut them off anyway.

So why worry about heat guns, MS, trips to the car wash?

John :)
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
61
Likes
0
Location
Claxton, Georgia
Thanks everyone. It looks I will be looking into going to the car wash. I will not be turning this piece so I can't just turn away the wax. Thanks again for the help. I will post my results when I get the wax off.

Stacey
 
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
26
Likes
0
Location
Tampa & NC
I was wondering about to get it off the rough edges of some rough edged burl wood I was doing,so I called the place where I bought it and was told to just use a stiff bristle brush and any kind of liquid detergent.So that is what I did and it took it all off in no time,then I rinsed it in clear hot water and the piece finished up great.They also stated NOT to use any chemicals.
 
Back
Top