Sanding Yellow Pine

650 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by ibewjwjon176, 2 mo ago

BlakeH86

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

Newbie here, Having some trouble removing stains/discoloration from some yellow pine trim around my laundry chute. Restoring the original woodwork in my 1920s Foursquare so any tips, ticks, or advice are welcome.

At some point in the last 100 years, someone "refinished" all the yellow pine trim. However, there is still paint on parts of the wood, sanding was an afterthought, and everything is coated in a tinted hard wax.

The laundry chute was sanded against the grain and the tinted wax put on top. I have tried various sanding methods and different chemicals but you still see the discoloration in the corners where the trim comes together. How do I get rid of this.

I've tried denatured alcohol, acetone, mineral spirits, paint stripper, vinegar, oxalic acid, sanding with different grits.

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I have since removed the trim from the wall.

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BlakeH86

Discussion Starter · #2 · 2 mo ago

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BigCountry79

· #3 · 2 mo ago

I think some of that is just the pine darkening as it ages. Some of that will probably even out over time, but I am getting the same problem with my trim. I probably need to stain it before refinishing.

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Steve Neul

· #4 · 2 mo ago

It lacks sanding in the corners which is beyond difficult. The easiest fix would be to use a wax and grease remover to cut the wax and then stain the lighter wood to match the dark areas. Because of the door panel to achieve the lighter color I think the best bet would be to tear all of it out and remake it. You could remove the trim, sand it and re-install it but the door panel would need to be cut out and replaced. You could never adequately sand the wood in the corners.

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Jay_L

· #5 · 2 mo ago

IMO, the only effective method for removing deep seated oxidation and evening out color in antique SYP is to bleach with a two-part sodium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide wood bleach followed by neutralizing with vinegar, yet it considerably lightens the wood which is kinda trendy. Oiling will darken it to a degree & somewhat restore the color.

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BlakeH86

Discussion Starter · #6 · 2 mo ago

Jay_L said:
IMO, the only effective method for removing deep seated oxidation and evening out color in antique SYP is to bleach with a two-part sodium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide wood bleach followed by neutralizing with vinegar, yet it considerably lightens the wood which is kinda trendy. Oiling will darken it to a degree & somewhat restore the color.

I had plans to use boiled linseed oil on all the wood and then using shallac as my top coat. I'll test the wood bleach and peroxide, I've not mixed the two before.

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BlakeH86

Discussion Starter · #7 · 2 mo ago

Steve Neul said:
It lacks sanding in the corners which is beyond difficult. The easiest fix would be to use a wax and grease remover to cut the wax and then stain the lighter wood to match the dark areas. Because of the door panel to achieve the lighter color I think the best bet would be to tear all of it out and remake it. You could remove the trim, sand it and re-install it but the door panel would need to be cut out and replaced. You could never adequately sand the wood in the corners.

I didn't want to but it is all off the wall and sanding is better. I like the idea of replacing the middle panel but I would need to read up on how to do that.

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Steve Neul

· #8 · 2 mo ago

BlakeH86 said:
I didn't want to but it is all off the wall and sanding is better. I like the idea of replacing the middle panel but I would need to read up on how to do that.

If you have a router you could get a template guide and make a jig to route the frame out on the back side. Then remove the panel and either sand it or make a new one and install it like it was a piece of glass with trim to hold it in.

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Horseapple Man

· #9 · 2 mo ago

It's 100 years old, so it should look like it's 100 years old. It's called character. If you made it look brand new, people would just think it's new. Like putting new parts on a Model T that's otherwise all original.

I'd just sand off the last traces of paint, make sure to get rid of the perpendicular sanding marks, then just oil and shellac it.

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BlakeH86

Discussion Starter · #10 · 2 mo ago

Horseapple Man said:
It's 100 years old, so it should look like it's 100 years old. It's called character. If you made it look brand new, people would just think it's new. Like putting new parts on a Model T that's otherwise all original.

I'd just sand off the last traces of paint, make sure to get rid of the perpendicular sanding marks, then just oil and shellac it.

I like the no nonsense approach but I enjoy taking wood that is old, damaged, and just about trash and bringing it back to life. There is a sense of accomplishment restoring and saving antiques. Also working on a 1890s handmade buffet that was left on the side of the road with alot of damaged. I don't get into the creative aspect of wood working.

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ibewjwjon176

· #11 · 2 mo ago

The top picture looks great. Maybe a scraper to try to lighten the dark parts at the joints, and replace the wood filler with a closer match, but don't try to make it look perfectly new. Don't lose that patina. I have the same trim in most of our home, after cleaning we refinished it with oil base poly.

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