How to remove Kitty from under the tree...

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

The title says it all...

How to remove "Kitty" from under the tree


Unhappy "Kitty"


Cannon Inspection


The gun is "Barney" - a Hern 5/8 Carronade that I got myself for Christmas last year.  It's one of a pair that I ordered - the other was given to a member of my crew by his wife.  The carriages were finished up in October, though I still have some chain I plan on using to attach the trunnion pegs to the carriage.  They started out as a single board of 8/4 oak that was 13' x 14", which was not the easiest thing to transport in my Camaro .  The trunnion caps and bolts were forged by hand out of 1/4" bar stock and 5/8" rod.

"Barney" got his name due to the finishing process I used.  I made an iron acetate brew using vinegar and steel wool, which when applied to the wood turned it purple as a dinosaur.  Once I applied some boiled linseed oil to it, it took on the nice weathered brown look, but when I told the story of my purple cannon to a few friends, each of them in seperate tellings told me that when I said I had a purple cannon they envisioned "Barney."

MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone!

[Terry C.]

Barney looks good, and the kitty appreciates fine artillery!

Can you tell me more about the vinegar/steel wool recipe? I may have to try that sometime.


Speaking of felines, Lucy has her own artillery piece, a vintage Big Bang...

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Pour a bit of vinegar (roughly a cup) into a NON METAL container - I used white vinegar and a plastic cup
Add steel or iron - old uncoated nails and steel wool work well - make sure there's no oil on it - I used 0000 steel wool
It will almost immediately start bubbling, and reacting.  Make sure it's vented, and let it go for a few days until the iron is completely dissolved in the vinegar.
Wipe it on your wood, and it reacts with the tannins in the wood - oak being high in tannin content, will react instantly - other woods can have tannin added by brushing with strong tea.
I've got a number of samples from testing different methods, but that's the basic process.  I'll post more later.

[Terry C.]

Virgin steel wool straight from the pack would be oil-free, I assume.

White vinegar, we keep some around all the time for cleaning purposes.

I may mix up a batch after the holidays. I have a small woodworking project going, and I think this finish would look good on it.

Thanks.

[Skunk]

How to remove Kitty from under the tree...?

I usually just turn my German Shepherd loose and let her deal with Kitty. Kitty moves like greased lightning.

OK, OK, I know there are cat lovers present. I'm just kidding.

[dan610324]

there was another process discussed a year ago or so also with vinegar
there you just hung the wood pieces in the fumes from the vinegar for a few days
it gave the white oak an very beautiful "antique" look

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

I also have a 90lb rottweiler, but Kitty isn't afraid of her at all...

I think the fuming process you describe was probably done with ammonia rather than vinegar.  Ammonia fuming is a traditional "staining" technique that was very common for oak.

[dan610324]

yes you are correct, ammonia it was , sorry its the age   

[GGaskill]

Most steel wool comes oiled to prevent it from rusting on the hardware store shelf.  You can either clean it off with solvents or buy oil free steel wool sold for wood finishing.

[Terry C.]

Would a quick bath in acetone do the trick? That's something I keep on hand as well.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Should work fine.  I bought mine from Lowes, and it was fine as is.

[Double D]

Make sure you check, there is two kinds oiled and degreased or oil free.  You have to look.

[Double D]

You can degrease the steel wool with acetone

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

I guess my earlier response wasn't clear...I meant the acetone should work fine for cleaning it, but that the stuff I got was fine as is.  Mineral spirits/paint thinner should also work if that's what you have to work with...