How to treat nude wood?

[Whopbamboom]

For a few months I have had a kpanlogo drum in nude wood (one-piece shell in tweneboa, I think), and I just got in another drum-- this one of staved oak in a completely nude finish. This second one is a nice hand-crafted drum that's a few years old, but I can see a few very tiny hairline splits just beginning to start (mostly between the staves on the bottom of the shell, and one in the middle of a stave) when I look very closely.

I like the nude finish, but I really hate to see the wood (or stave joints) on either drum go on to split over time. I guess I wouldn't mind oiled wood... so I was hoping that perhaps I could "stave" the cracks off (excuse the pun) by treating the wood. I'm thinking that perhaps I could try to keep the wood slightly moisturized by oiling the wood.... but what do you guys think?
Should I rub the shells with shea butter? Linseed oil?What do you guys know that ought to work? Personal experience??



Edited By Whopbamboom on 1195001626

[bongosnotbombs]

WBB,
There was a guy a while back that refinished his drums with natural products, if I remember right he used shea and shellac and maybe tung oil?
Its a post on this forum you can find it.
I use linseed oil on some things, it hardens the wood as tung oil does as it drys, linseed oil will get darker over time so that is something to consider.
The cracking you are experiencing we call "checking" in the construction world, it's often caused as the wood absorbes moisture and dries. I know furniture people have strategies to avoid it, like in table legs. I'm thinking buckoh would have some good advice on that.

[buckoh]

Thanks for the plug BNB! I think you said what I would have said. Probably cheaper than shea butter would be wax. Easy on easy off. Or, leave it on and periodically just renew it. I'd do it inside & out so the moisture level will be equal.

[Whopbamboom]

Thanks for the replies!

Well, I have some shea butter here already, so I wouldn't need to run out and buy something else... but you are right, it wasn't cheap. Perhaps I should think about just keeping it for my skins?

As for the Linseed, I was unaware that it hardens, nor was I aware that it darkens. I like the idea of the hardening if that helps the drum, but I'm not certain that I like the idea of the darkening.... I will have to try that on some scrap hardwood pieces that I have around here and see how I like it.
How long does it take to harden? Over weeks? Months, years? Quicker with additional applications? And how long to darken?

As for wax-- I hadn't thought of that... would that be pure carnuba wax??


And what about Watco stain oil?



Edited By Whopbamboom on 1194814549

[bongosnotbombs]

The linseed hardens fairly quickly, as soon as it dries. it flows into the pores of the wood and then hardens the surface, it is very good for wood countertops and tabletops.

I treated my claves and shekere with linseed and will do the same with my cata/guagua.

Painters putty uses linseed oil too.

It darkens slowly over time, like years, it can add a graceful aging. From what I have heard Tung oil is very similar, but I have never used it, I have linseed oil.



Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1194838734

[Tonio]

Check this out:
http://www.realmilkpaint.com/article-fryingpan.html

yet Minwax says not for floor use?

http://www.minwax.com/products/specialty/tung-oil.cfm

Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil

Maybe beter than linseed oil? Its still a nut oil. Mght be good to rejuvinate old wood eh?

T

[buckoh]

Tonio, that was a good article on tung oil. I think tung oil is a great finish. I use it on restorations. I can keep building it to get the desired sheen and build. Build meaning the filling of the wood pores, as on mahogany, until the surface of the wood is as smooth and even as glass regardless of sheen. Sheen is how shiny-high gloss like a Yahama piano down to flat matte. Tung oil soaks in and really can't be totally stripped. It is absorbed by the wood pores and coalesces, the molecules bond together and sort of encapsulate the wood fibres. As you build, it will eventually lay on the surface. Tung oil is a prime ingredient in varnishes. I love it because the smell reminds me of hanging out in boatyards as a kid when everyone was getting their boats ready and doing the varnish work. Also, its user friendly, non toxic. You can rub it in with the bare hand. The heat from your hand softens it and helps it penetrate. Its easy to repair nicks & scratches, just wet sand the area with tung oil and wipe on some more. You need to use pure tung oil, not the stuff from building supply stores. I don't use Formby's or similar ones because they have driers(chemicals) and thinners. You can order it from VanDykes.com. I kind of feel that with the bare drum I'd try to do what is ethnically correct to the spirit of the drum. Someone in this group will know. This is a lot of words for a simple project but I consider it an important one. Good luck, Buck

[Whopbamboom]

I think what is "ethnically correct" for the kpanlogo is.... play it a few times for rituals, then burn it and make another one. I think I read that somewhere.... I don't think the region of the world where that drum is from is too concerned about conservation...

I'll go ahead and oil it or something. I just have to play around with different oils and waxes until I find the one that I like.

[jorge]

+1 for Watco oil, with a reservation. Two of my 4 Skin on Skin oak congas were finished with only Watco oil. They look great, but in the the NY winter/summer humidity cycling, both cracked in one or more places during the first couple of years. The winter heating causes very low humidity, and the wood of the drums dries and shrinks on the outside first, which can cause cracking. I refinished one drum with more Watco oil, covered with polyurethane. The other I just left alone and had Jay fix the cracks. That was over 20 years ago, and neither has cracked since. The one with only Watco opens up the seams between staves a little on the outside when the drum shrinks every winter, but it has not cracked all the way through. Neither of the other 2 drums, finished with polyurethane, has cracked in 5 and 15 years. Leaving the wood unfinished will leave the drum even more vulnerable to humidity related cracking, if you live in a climate where you have a lot of building heat in the winter and humidity in the summer.

The Watco oil looks great, and I highly recommend it if you live in an area where you don't have humidity swings that could cause cracking. I saw some Watco oil in Home Depot last month, I think they have started selling it again.



Edited By jorge on 1195004669

[Tonio]

Watco oil has an inhalation hazard
http://www.woodnshop.com/MSDS_SHEETS/WATCOCHERRYGAL.htm

Its highly flammable too, so watch out folks. If you plan to use it, keep your working area well ventilated and use proper respiratory/handling equipment.

T



Edited By Tonio on 1195011324

[pavloconga]

I think what is "ethnically correct" for the kpanlogo is.... play it a few times for rituals, then burn it and make another one. I think I read that somewhere.... I don't think the region of the world where that drum is from is too concerned about conservation...

WBB,
Where did you hear that from? What was your source?

In all the time I've spent studying drums in Ghana, West Africa (where the kpanlogo drum and kpanlogo rhythm is from) with many different musicians and ensembles – not once did I see or even hear of such a practise. On the whole, they highly valued and took a great deal of care of their instruments.

As for the conservation aspect – per capita they probably use way less resources than we do in the western world.

[Whopbamboom]

Man, I don't know where on the internet I read that. I don't have time to try to search that back up, it's just not that important to me. I was just having a laugh over something I read sometime during my searches for information over the last several months. Don't take it to heart.

[tactikal]

Wow, some guys have a lot of info... maybe you can offer me some advice.

I love the look of nude wood too... when it's just been sanded and is very, very light in colour.

But that lightness disappears as soon as you put even a coat of supposedly clear varnish on it and at the very least you tend to get a golden colour.

How can I protect wood (for furniture AND congas) but without losing that initial light, white colour?

[Whopbamboom]

Not sure if there is ANY way to keep a whitish nude wood finish intact.


After looking at my options, I'm going to go for 100% pure tung oil on mine.

[bongosnotbombs]

Wow, some guys have a lot of info... maybe you can offer me some advice.

I love the look of nude wood too... when it's just been sanded and is very, very light in colour.

But that lightness disappears as soon as you put even a coat of supposedly clear varnish on it and at the very least you tend to get a golden colour.

How can I protect wood (for furniture AND congas) but without losing that initial light, white colour?

Maybe some clear wax? maybe you can't.

It kind of depends on the wood, some kinds of wood are very tough and don't need any applied finishes, other woods need more protection.

We used to apply a white stain to some woods to even the tone, maybe you can stain them a little lighter so when you coat them they are the color you want.