MMI Enterprises

Only two must have brushes in my arsenal... -4x14 china bristle from Ace- says made in Italy. Handle screws off so head can be attached to extension pole. Holds tons of product. -2.5" angled sash brush-Gunfighter from Kelly Moore. Is the alkyd version with china bristle. All I need to cut in anything.

Apparently this thread was brung ttt via poll voting. Just wanted to note to viewers that this thing should be thought of as dated. Is kind of a shame that as time goes on the original figures of the year it was presented will be tainted. The $1 rate is surely old due to cost increases.

My radar says "HEAT WAVE!!"...and we are not at all adjusted to handle it..Too hot too quik. Some prices on strippers and things went up on me but I raised prices and have landed some better jobs lately...However, can't say I can make it through next winter or through the dry holiday spells soon to come with much cussion.

Nope Beth..I don't use it. Since it "has a great surfactant package" your, by logic, adding a 'boost/surfactant' each time you reapply it to keep it wet..aka-"keeping it wet w/ product". Regardless if talking acrylics or oil the usual is that just keeping wet with mist or water spray for longer dwell is sufficient. By the very fact of reapplying the chem no one can say that a finish only takes 8oz, etc. as when the water evaps to point of almost being gone you've then not only used more and but higher concentrations have been at play. Frankly by using more product your relying on burning the finish off. I know for FACT all to well that in coating removal it is not all about caustic strength. Wetting is key. So much so that in using acrylic strippers over the years I can confirm there be a difference between cheap caustic stripper and higher tech/boosted versions. The one type ya are forced to turn up concentration by way of turning down the amount of water involved and the other actually relies on more water than most would think makes sense. The surface sees the same amount of heat but ratio has you putting down alot more liquid. If it were just caustic it be better off letting it evap some for to get strength as if you add water it don't have the same surfacting action as a "" boosted version. Some anufactures I know that make such stuff would balk or have a cow if they heard of folks mixing their stuff stronger. When someone has problem of the best stuff on the market costing over $20 per gal not working they immedietly ask what ratio they used. I also know for fact that some go ahead and plan for such mistakes of over concentration by cutting the stronger mix to a level that it will work. Sounds crazy but that is the nature of surfacting. Instead of like 20:1 they make it 6:1 so a fella that likes to put a whole gal in a bucket can still get it to work. So in summation if you boost yer product but then dilute it well you'll end up using less caustic..

Instead of thinking of it as a boost Beth have you ever thought to try reversing the roles of the chems and viewing the hydroxide as the boost? Honestly the way the surfactants are portrayed sometimes seems to be saying that they would be doing damage or should be thought of as a lesser ingredient of participation. I contend that the whole thing of dwell and keeping wet directly relates with the role of the booster/surfactant. Why you think you need so much heat of hydroxide on a little rosewood oil could be a valid question.

Ought not blaim fur or fuzzies on the pressure or washer. Some wood just does it while giving up the ghost. picture them particles as fingers sticking up that were holding the dead gray wood or finish... Pressure damage comes in the form of gauges or splintered wood. Some fur can fall off over a few week or they can deck brush it, or 3m pad it, or sand it. Depends on how much being left is tolerable.

My experience with it tells me the opposite Beth. The keeping it wet = more wetting/wetting agent/surfactant. That kind of oil don't usually need more heat persay than another but rather penetration.

You got boost?

Good to hear of the durability Jeff. I've used the 5 year and it is good stuff for some situations. Among other reasons I like it for verticles and for its wide color selection. The dark colors tend to not show off the grain sometimes though.

What amount does it attract Rick? How many Cali users are on here?..Can only assume since the product comes from here in Cali that most the sales are here and they haven't had much need to tread elsewhere. Realize we are like our own economic world out here and most folks in these cleaning,staining, or construction trades are out there workin under a different type of business plan of large construction situations. When a large commercial painter out here needs something they usually goto the store. And when a stain manufacture needs to make sales they probably goto a store as well. There are thousands of stainers and painters that don't even bother with internet for either their customer base or supplies. What I can confirm is that Armstrong-Clark only just recently considered or realized a market of pro users hanging out on the net. Whatever the case..try it, test it for yourself.

Stop by before he starts and drop a hint that a turbo nozzle is the only way you would go about getting all those decks done in time..or while he there workin all dead dog tired barely on his feet let him know how much they were willing to pay you until he lowballed the job. :lgbounces

Yes far as I know glycol ether is same as 2 butoxy and also as well as butyl cellosolve. I like purple power from walmart for certain applications. Has different qualities than the castrol. Thats not to say it better but is just different. Disclaimer- butyl has had a history of causing vinyl swelling and such cleaners can remove paint if too strong or dwelled long enough.

Longevity? In worse case scenario it couldn't be worse than some others. Heck it would then fit into some folks idea of a business plan of servicing every 1-2. By the way it went on in I can tell that there isn't a chance for it to chip off like a top coat could. Similar to woodrich.. Only time will tell of course but I suppose we could check with the ski resort up in Tahoe...think it either Kirkwood or Heavenly up at 7k' but I could be mistaken. Is here now.... think I heard for 7 or 8 year.. who ya talkin about anyways?.. Jim?

I'd like to give props to Jake Clark of Armstrong-Clark Company for the utmost in professionalizm and customer service. Innitial testing went real well. Product has a good balance of qualities. Held verticles well with not much need for backbrushing, if any, and pigmentation was swell. It was also very friendly on the nostrils and sprayed as perfect as any other. It is a combo product with both curing oils and penetrating oils. The color sample fans and sales flyers are second to none and are above par with picks of bright blue sky and mountain ski resorts. I talked to Jake on a weekend and had my product by a Tuesday evening UPS shipping. The product is also carried in some Kelly Moore or Sherwins I believe so between quik mail order and local availability the product is real attractve to me... Thanx Jake!! Could use some better lighting here but below is example of Sierra Redwood. Is abit richer in person and was perfect match for a Superdeck color that had failed all over:

Matt, How long have you been applying the RS out here on the redwood?

Couple test spot on horizontal with a couple strengths as well as a couple on low exposure areas of the rail system where the spindle meet the rail will let ya know. If the horizontal comes right off but the other is tougher it can still work out easy enough if ya plan for some spot stripping with meth cloride or straight stripper after the innitial strip....just take maybe an extra 10 min to an hour to get it...If it seems the rails not come off hardly at all during a test then I sell it as a resolid. Sometimes rails are done on purpose at some point in a decks history with a tougher product on rail areas. Like I might use a urethane or acrylic fortified or solid oil on rails or pergola but then use a paraffinic on the deck below. I pity the fool that goes in half cocked down the road on those.

I don't think so. It may come right off without extreme measures. Just a matter of getting it wet through and through with surfactant as the gray that is surely underneith will give it all up rather easy. Some butyl or tsp along with percarb should do. Covering them plants might be sound advice though.. This was just with garden hose in a somewhat controled acidified bleach experiment. Not nearly as thick as what you got Matt but it just goes to show how weak the stuff can be to get off: Although not same gross buildup this deck did fine with boosted NaOH and didn't kill any flowers or plants that were overgrown all over the railngs.The first pic is the test section with garden hose and I ended up diluting about half during actual job. The stair rails looked same as Ricks pic:

Can't entirely agree with the logic posed of not sealing Ipe from get go. I see it that there are many things to consider.. For your consideration I point to conversation in Rick's ipe thread below. Letting it season only rings true to me if it can be proven that a deck that was sealed from get go every year or so is STILL a very fickle character compared to the one that went 6 month or so before it got it's first. I just can't say I've seen a shread of evidence saying either deck would not be well situated to take stain a few year in so I have to relate the topic to being about trying to save money rather than providing initial asthetics. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/10202-thoughts-oxalic-ipe-5.html#post128154 Russell, you said heaps here mang!! very smart thing to point out... "In a sense you can think of them as "oiled down" versions of Wood-Tux but in reality, only the percentage of oil to resin changes. The percentage of pigment and other solids is virtually identical. "

Matt, Oh Holy Hell!!.. I always screw up something or other in the numbers by way of writing the ratios wrong...please forgive. My 1:5 is incorrect and supposed to be refuring to 4:1 (20%) downstreaming. 2.5gal= 5 tot parts when the one part of chem is .5 gal ..see the following thread where Eric and I went through this before: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/residential-pressure-washing/6857-sil-o-wet-plexmaster.html Also, perhaps the "/" I use to show division one moment and then to show a fraction the next is confusing. Is why I tried to write the fractions out. Whether yer using a downstreamer, xjet, or predilution by hand doesn't matter...they all are a way to cut or dilute. The formula does work if you put figures down correct... Good luck guy!... ps--please correct if wrong..lol

Excel or Open Office Sheet assumes using that product and bleach

It a 2.3gpm but apparently when not under pressure ya pump abit more. If your pumping close to or want to call it 2.5gpm then could look at figures as such: 2.5/.5= 1:5 (is 20:100, 20/100, .20, 20% injection) edit: sorry, should say it is 4:1 or 4 to 1 downstreaming. The translation to percentage is partially correct in that it comes from the chem being 1/5th of the tot 2.5 gal pumped...but then of course you did imply you maybe closer to doing 3 gal so it probably off regardless..:lgbonk: If you first cut or preproportion your chem in half before injection then your injector will make it 10%. By calculator I just use the decimal forms of whatever I am starting with and wanting to end at. This case it would be .20/.10=2 (is 1:2, 50:100, 50/100, .5, 50% predilution) ps- I always get these things wrong so don't quote me.. :) Can also use formula worked out for cutting found here: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/residential-pressure-washing/10204-12-5-sh-quesiton.html#post100185 Formula being C x (t/b) C=desired cut percentage, t= tank volume, b= starting bleach, etc. percentage example- .10 * (1gal/.20) ..or on paper can be written as: .10 X 1 = .10 = .10/.20= .5gal chem in a 1 gal container 1----.20--.20

Don't let the one incident of perceived overcharge result in your not discounting or providing services. You do after all owe him at least your professional availabilty for use of the space..Just do work as you can fit it in and without effects to other customers or your bottom line.

files above aren't workin fer me now.. Beth?

Post it up Dan...we'll call it "Danno the Manno's SES" (surfactant enriched stripper)

My best advice for you would be to go with a premixed stripper. Message earlier on was that it takes more than the raw chem alone. You can hurt yourself if you don't know how to handle the raw dry stuff. BTW, neither is acidic but rather are alkaline.