How do I keep iroko looking good

[Mister S]

About 10 years ago I made a couple of external doors using reclaimed iroko, and they looked really good. At first I tried oil as protection - I can't remember which one, but it did claim to have uv protection.

With time the iroko faded ( on the side that faces the sun) to a rather unattractive pale yellow. Since that time I have been experimenting with other finishes to try to regain the deeper brown colour I want, without much success.

I have sanded back to unfaded wood once, which took the wood back to it's nice brown colour. But I don't want to do this again as 1. it a hell of a job to do it all and 2. I don't want to take any more off the thickness of the boards.

I have looked in vain for coloured external varnishes. I've tried mixing pigments with clear external varnish without success. At the moment I'm experimenting with Sikkens cetol, but because I'm not putting it onto untreated wood, the colour isn't taking very well.

Any suggestions? I don't mind doing some work every couple of years or so, but I can't seem to find a finish that will keep the colour I want.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Jacob]

Linseed oil (raw half n half with turps). Splash it on once a year or two. It goes a rich dark brown (slowly, eventually), but not if you keep scraping it back!

 

[Mister S]

Thanks for the tip Jacob. I might try it in future with anything else I make from the iroko I have left. Unfortunately, the doors I made now have varnish on, and it's next to impossible to get it off in the difficult to access areas around the frame, etc.

Interestingly, the side that never sees the sun directly, stayed good shade of brown. When I applied some more oil last year, it changed colour and went an even deeper shade, something I didn't really want! So oil can work.

Steve

 

[nicguthrie]

Just a thought, but some microcrystalline waxes are formulated to protect from UV, and they go on top of varnish very very well. You'd get both a gleaming finish, and save it from fading so quickly. I suspect you'd have to wash it down (to remove grit and dust) and rewax it occasionally to keep it looking really nice, but if you care about the looks that much - well microcrystalline wax is even fingerprint proof!

 

[Mister S]

I hadn't thought of a wax finish. I might try some on the reverse side and see how it looks. The reverse side is also under a carport so gets no water on it, as well as no direct sun, so it might work.

My experiment with Sikkens cetol has worked rather well. It has given a decent colour back to the iroko without it loking too artificial.

Steve

 

[Phil Pascoe]

See your bank manager before using microcrystaline.

 

[nicguthrie]

Microcrystalline can be bought at a reasonable price, depending on the brand etc of course, but it's also deceptive as it takes *far* less wax to get a finish than with other waxes.

I have a can of Fiddes Supreme wax that I've used on about 3 projects and it's maybe 20% used up, whereas my renaissance wax has lost about a teaspoonful in the last year. OK I tend to use it on smaller projects, but it really does seem to last. I love the lovely deep and tough shine it gives too. looks utterly gorgeous over a varnish as a final layer.

 

[Mister S]

I have some microcrystalline wax left from a previous project, so might try some and see how it looks.

Thanks for the ideas.

Steve