Mucking out tongues and grooves

[akuaku]

I've just purchased some nice reclaimed beech floorboards which have a fair bit of muck caked into the tongue and groove that's accumulated in the gaps over the years. It's rock solid and doesn't readily scrape off with a scraper or chisel and I'm a bit lost for ideas on how to remove it. I want the boards to sit as tight as possible as they're only 2.75 inch strips. I could perhaps leave it but fear it will look messy once I've sanded the tops down. I've got about 180m in total length so needs to be a relatively straightforward solution. Any tips received with thanks, Tom

 

[AndyT]

I'd use a plough plane. Have a look at eBay or a second hand tool dealer for a Stanley or Record 50 or 050 or similar. They are fairly easily available as they sold well to diyers in the 40s and 50s who later abandoned them to power tools.
You could use a powered router if you have one but for this job where it would help to be able to feel the difference between dirt and wood I think a hand tool would be better.

 

[Benchwayze]

I'd use a plough plane. Have a look at eBay or a second hand tool dealer for a Stanley or Record 50 or 050 or similar. They are fairly easily available as they sold well to diyers in the 40s and 50s who later abandoned them to power tools.
You could use a powered router if you have one but for this job where it would help to be able to feel the difference between dirt and wood I think a hand tool would be better.

+1
It won't do any harm if you deepen the grooves a fraction, to get back to timber. It would give the tongues room to breathe in fact.

Best of luck.

John

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you have to do both sides which it seems you have to, at one minute per foot it will take you half a working week. Get yourself some bearings, shims, slot cutters and an arbor and use a router (in a bench, easier and better) and save your sanity, maybe? Don't forget much of the dirt is fine grit and will blunt your iron every few minutes if you go the hand route. It'll make you wish you hadn't seen them either way.
Good luck with it.

 

[memzey]

Stiff wire brush perhaps?

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I'm normally one for hand tools, but here I think I reluctantly have to agree with Phil. That is most likely a mix of varnish and floor grit which would quickly ruin a hand plane. Mind you, it will probably also fairly quickly ruin router cutters too !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Stiff wire brush perhaps?

Try a little. Why not? every little helps even if you have to do something else afterwards. A brass one might be good.

 

[AndyT]

Perhaps I'm being too optimistic but I was assuming that it would be possible to split the crud out of the grooves in one go, without having to gradually cut down through it. The grooves can't be full of it though - the tongues must have filled up some of the space.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, setting whatever you're using to cut fractionally deeper than the existing groove would save some wear and tear.

 

[ColeyS1]

Sharp chisel, scrape/drag it from the tongue

Coley

 

[Bm101]

Think I'd clamp a few together and try a brass brush wheel (flat type) on an electric drill. Clean up what's left by hand if it worked using Coleys way.

 

[transatlantic]

I think the router table idea would be the easiest as you can cut both the side and top at the same time using a straight edge bit. If you have a table saw, perhaps use that to cut a very thin slither off the length for the last pic.

 

[Benchwayze]

Were I to use a router, I think I would use those old fashioned rolled steel cutters. I still have a set. A simple straight cutter would do the job, and you could dispose of the cutter without pain, if it suffered. They would do the job quickly for sure.

 

[No skills]

Have a good go with some of the ideas here, if it's looking like a nightmare job just cut the groove off and machine a new one. Lifes too short sometimes...

 

[YorkshireMartin]

I'd use a TCT blade in my track saw for this, using just the kerf of the blade to trim it very slightly. Would have to be an accurate setup though.

 

[akuaku]

Thanks all for your tips and good advice.

I do have a powered handheld router so perhaps I can create a suitable jig that will allow me to quickly take a very very thin slither off each side. That said, with 170m times two ahead of me and the need for mm accuracy, I can't help thinking it might be worth investing in a router table for this or seeing if I can borrow my neighbour's flipover saw and use a TCT blade as Martin suggests.

I'm reluctant to use a powered brush in case I damage the edges and I think a hand brush would take too long if I could get it off at all.

Thanks again, I'll report back on how I get on.

 

[ED65]

Here's a thought: try softening it with paint stripper or perhaps even better, brush cleaner. Brush cleaners usually have a range of solvents and something in the mix is likely to soften whatever is bonding the gunk together.

If it was just dirt and floor wax white spirit would be enough, but from how hard you say it is it seems it could be stuck together with varnish, or an acrylic floor finish. Anyway I'd bet the right solvent will soften this right up, making brushing or scraping it away by hand a much more feasible proposition.

 

[memzey]

Agree with Ed above. I still think a stiff wire brush is your least problematic solution. If the crud is cached on too hard for the brush to lift it off, your best tactic should be a solvent to soften it adequately before going at it with the brush.