Wood Tux and Red Mahogany

[RPetry 564]

We are "newbies" with Wood Tux. Used it once 3 1/2 yrs. ago on PT, and again last year on ipe'. Maybe the 3rd time is the charm.

Red mahogany 1 x 6 elevated deck. Built in October 2006 for 68K. Stained with some type of water based stuff by a painting co. in April of 2007. Got a call 3 weeks later. Stain was very "blotchy" and uneven. Advised the customer to allow it to weather for a year and call us. Closed the job in mid-April this year and started stripping this afternoon. No problem stripping.

Customer wants the "look" of a mahogany-PT deck next door. Do not know who did the next door job or with what stain, but it has that "Wood Tux" or more accurate, "WoodZotic" look. Emailed a pic of WZ on ipe' we did last year with the caveat of different species, etc. Have 2 5'ers of WT due in tomorrow when mixed will approximate the pigment of WZ.

BTW, thank you Scott Paul of the Sealer Store. Same day shipping and tracking #'s emailed immediately.

Two questions. First, we will brighten/neutralize with citric acid at 6 oz./gal. Should we rinse off the citric after it has done its' job?

Second question. This is real mahogany, not the South Asian wannabe's. What is the proper application method? And how many apps? Being use to using RS on all woods, our usual process in one heavy on the vertical wood and two separate apps on the horizontal wood and stair risers.

After buffing out all the mahogany with a Makita and 3M pads, have been planning on using lambswool to hand apply the WT to all surfaces.

Any advice and suggestions are welcomed. Thanks.

[plainpainter 217]

Rick - you saw my pictures of a red mahogany deck with wtw brown sugar. Yes, rinse the acid after it has been on for 10-15 minutes. I used a 6' staining brush on the end of a pole and slopped on tons of woodtux, absolute puddling. then after doing like 4 boards. I took a lambswool applicator and ran back over those boards to soak up/redistribute the excess. I just hand brushed the railings with a china bristle until saturation. soak the lambswool with a bit of spirits every 10 minutes and shake it out a bit over the grass each time.

[RPetry 564]

Rick - you saw my pictures of a red mahogany deck with wtw brown sugar. Yes, rinse the acid after it has been on for 10-15 minutes. I used a 6' staining brush on the end of a pole and slopped on tons of woodtux, absolute puddling. then after doing like 4 boards. I took a lambswool applicator and ran back over those boards to soak up/redistribute the excess. I just hand brushed the railings with a china bristle until saturation. soak the lambswool with a bit of spirits every 10 minutes and shake it out a bit over the grass each time.

Daniel,

Wait a minute, do what? I know WT is a bit difficult to work with, but do my helper and I need to chant incantations while performing an Indian dance?

Shaking mineral spirits over a customer's lawn is not in our customers' or our best interest or practice.

Edited June 3, 2008 by RPetry
addition!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

soak the lambswool with a bit of spirits every 10 minutes and shake it out a bit over the grass each time.

If I saw one of our guys doing that he would...hear from me about it.:eek: That's what we call a Bozo No-No around here.

Beth

[RPetry 564]

Thank you Beth. Thought I was having a brain aneurysm or 30 yr. flashback or something.

[Scott Paul 164]

You are welcome!

[MMI Enterprises 289]

What? ..all these fine visitors and no comment to keep the application to a minimal one coat followed by a backbrushing? I haven't used the stuff hardly much either but that I do know off past postings..

psst... I know how to get a shine going if that is what yer after beyond having the right color and durability of the wtw..

[plainpainter 217]

Then shake the excess into a bucket or something - jeepers!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Then shake the excess into a bucket or something - jeepers!

Precisely! Thank you! ;)

Beth

[RPetry 564]

Sorry Daniel. The thought of getting rid of excess mineral spirits on a customer's lawn was too much to ignore. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. Let me see if I have this right.

Rinse off the citric acid. As Kevin mentioned, one single application of WT to both the deck floor and vertical wood is correct? Next, for the floor, brush in a good amount of WT with china bristles, allow to soak for a bit, then wipe up any puddles or excess with a lambswool pad.

I assume the mineral spirits part is for "cleaning" the lambswool pad, not for rubbing into the newly laid WT stain. Is this correct? Again, thanks.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Rick,

Do you own an airless sprayer or just a decker?

Beth

p.s. don't suggest slopping it on...suggest a controlled, even application. Just like with anything else.

Edited June 4, 2008 by Beth n Rod

[RPetry 564]

Beth,

We have both. The Decker 5'er is reserved exclusively for Ready Seal. Will not put any other stain or any chemicals through the pump. Has not seen anything other than RS for 5 yrs. and is as new as the day I bought it.

The airless is a huge old Binks SuperBee monster. Works very well, just hate to use it. It has only seen solid Cabot oil stains. Heavy, a pain to load/unload from the truck, and to clean out.

Can we not achieve an even coat of WT with careful use of natural bristle brushes? Thanks.

[PressurePros 248]

Rick, as long as your spread rate is at 300 s/f per gallon with back padding you will be good to go. After ten minutes the deck should not look overly "wet".

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Beth,

We have both. The Decker 5'er is reserved exclusively for Ready Seal. Will not put any other stain or any chemicals through the pump. Has not seen anything other than RS for 5 yrs. and is as new as the day I bought it.

The airless is a huge old Binks SuperBee monster. Works very well, just hate to use it. It has only seen solid Cabot oil stains. Heavy, a pain to load/unload from the truck, and to clean out.

Can we not achieve an even coat of WT with careful use of natural bristle brushes? Thanks.

You can, yes. Personally, I would spray and back brush it. That's just me. If you put it down well, you should not have to wipe or back brush much. Look for areas of uneven absorption, and make sure those get extra attention if needed. You know what to do.

Beth

[Bryan C 14]

Rick -

I almost use WTW exclusively and spray it. I have found nothing that works in getting the stain in the cracks between boards other than spraying. We hit the floorboards about 3 wide, then backbrush with a floor mop (Scott sells them).

WTW needs very little backbrushing if you spray evenly. I haven't had it leave lapmarks but I couldn't imagine trying to hand roll it on. JMO.

[plainpainter 217]

Rick - with ptp, that last thread I posted, I drench two boards at a time with an airless - I have a feel for how much stain to lay on, then I backbrush it in with a big china bristle attached to a pole. You can do the same with a hardwood deck - but instead of a china bristle - use the lambswool applicator to brush out excess. The softer species of wood are much more forgiving. And after a while you develop a feel once you start backbrushing as to whether or not you laid on enough stain - basically if it absorbs too fast you still need to add more. Hardwood will tend to develop the 'shinies' much more easily and that's why I go with a lambswool - and not to mention hardwoods are smooth enough to allow you as well to use a lambswool applicator.