Oven Cleaner on Osage

[Okie]

Anyone used this trick before? I tried it for the first time last week and after a few days it really does look like my bows that are 10 years old. I hope it doesn't have any ill affect on the wood. I am saving the pictures for when I am done with the bow. All I like is a few coats of Tru Oil and a handle wrap and she'll be done. If you have pictures of one you have used the oven cleaner on please post them.

[mullet]

 I use it when I'm trying to degrease for glueing or sinew backing. Another good one is bug and tar remover from the auto parts store. It works good on Ipe also.

[George Tsoukalas]

No, I never used it but I watched my wife use it on ann oven once.   Jawge

[islandpiper]

I stay away from oven cleaner.   No adjustment of the mix is possible.  I use plain lye, cheaper and very adjustable in terms of mix concentration.  First, read this, and recite: I WILL ALWAYS KEEP EYE PROTECTION ON, I WILL WEAR GLOVES, I WILL KEEP WHITE VINEGAR HANDY TO NEUTRALIZE THE BASE, LYE!!!   

I have been using lye for years, to color cherry, oak and a variety of woods.   Works great on osage.   Don't want to buy or use lye?  then mix some fireplace ashes with water, that works great.  Where do you think lye soap came from? 

Posted below are pics of an osage stick i was playing with and broke.  So, prime chance to mess with dangerous chemicals.  The first pics show the wood untreated. In others the test spot is shown next to the untreated spots.  Note: the longer you leave it on, or the stronger it is, the darker your wood gets.  When you like it, rinse it, and use vinegar to stop it, then rinse again.  This is not a dry process.  You must neutralize the chemical, no matter what you use, or it wil continue to "work". 

The last pic shows where I steel-scraped off some of the old tung oil finish.  Actually, that part is pretty.  Leads me to think that you could oil a bow, scrape some off and then color it. 

Hope that helps.......WEAR EYE PROTECTION.  LYE DAMAGE TO THE CORNEAS IS PERMANANTLY BLINDING.  CORNEAL TRANSPLANTS ARE THE ONLY CURE.  I HAVE HAD TWO OF THEM.......   WEAR EYE PROTECTION.   piper

[Okie]

Thanks Piper, I do wear eye protection and a mask when using chemicals. Thanks for warning though. I know a lot of people who don't.
 
So should i neutralize the oven cleaner with vinegar? It's the color I want it now and I don't want it to continue to darken.
I've heard guys talk about doing this but never seen it done so I'm experimenting here.

[El Destructo]

Yeah John....wipe it down with a rag soaked in Straight Vinegar....then wash it off with water...because the Vinegar is Acidic

[Okie]

Thanks Mike.

[islandpiper]

Just to be safe....and develop the color slowly.......try some wood ashes in water, strained.  That's the more PRIMITIVE  thing as well.  Just walk over to the neighbor's house where they have a fireplace and tell the lady you'd like to haul her ashes and see how long it takes her to get the shotgun from behind the door!   

Seriously......the best colors I have ever gotten on Cherry Dulcimers was with wood ash solution.  piper

[OldBow]

Oven cleaner? What would Ishi say?
Hmm. I've got to remind my wife to pick up my new bandsaw blade this week.

[Okie]

Oldbow, I thought the same thing. I wish I had found out about the ashes first. I'll try that next time.

[Eric Krewson]

Clorox works the same a lye and isn't as dangerous to work with.