Sandblasting

[takeaflight]

Hi wonder if someone can help, my wife wants to change the look of some old French furniture we have.
The look is stripped back, almost like it's been bleached, but with the grain slightly raised. Seen some examples and told they had sandblasted it.

However when I did some research found basically, sandblastes are either low power, really aimed at spot cleaning, or higher power which would probably tear a piece to bits, then I looked at pressure washer atachments and I think this may be the answer, I have a small Karcher but it's not much better than an hosepipe, so before buying attachment for that, or buying a more powerful washer that apart from sandblasting I don't need, wondered if any of you guys had any thoughts or experiences.

Roy

 

[woodpig]

I can't comment on pressure washing attachments but I have a small sandblasting cabinet and its effectiveness is down to air pressure and media, both of which can be changed. Be interesting to see how you get on with the pressure washer.

 

[takeaflight]

I have heard of jet washing to achieve a drift wood look, but this is more a bleached look, I have seen furniture with this effect and upon inspection there is fine sand particuls inside, and the grain is raised. But it's the equipment I am not sure about.

 

[ED65]

or higher power which would probably tear a piece to bits

High-power units can always be used from further away. Combined with softer blasting media (e.g. powdered walnut shells) you can mediate the effect very controllably apparently.

The effect you're looking for, that can definitely be achieved with a pressure washer too. You can even use the right kind of abrading to do it, a thorough wire brushing followed by rubbing down with a nylon scrubbing pad and you'll soon get a corduroy surface on the right wood.

It's entirely down to species whether you can get this effect and the most pronounced results are achieved on softwoods.

The bleached colouring, that's a separate job. Oddly you don't often see it done by actually bleaching the wood. Liming wax can give the effect, and a few of the commercial woodstains, but you can even use thinned emulsion to achieve a similar look.

 

[takeaflight]

or higher power which would probably tear a piece to bits

High-power units can always be used from further away. Combined with softer blasting media (e.g. powdered walnut shells) you can mediate the effect very controllably apparently.

The effect you're looking for, that can definitely be achieved with a pressure washer too. You can even use the right kind of abrading to do it, a thorough wire brushing followed by rubbing down with a nylon scrubbing pad and you'll soon get a corduroy surface on the right wood.

It's entirely down to species whether you can get this effect and the most pronounced results are achieved on softwoods.

The bleached colouring, that's a separate job. Oddly you don't often see it done by actually bleaching the wood. Liming wax can give the effect, and a few of the commercial woodstains, but you can even use thinned emulsion to achieve a similar look.

Thanks, talking to a guy to day who said its the water that raises the grain, however he's never sandblasted and uses a wire brush.
So before I do anything I am going to try stripping and wire brushing a small French pot cupboard.

 

[ED65]

Thanks, talking to a guy to day who said its the water that raises the grain

I don't know if he meant raises the grain as that is normally meant but that can't be the effect, if you think about it. It wouldn't account for how sandblasting creates the very same texture since this is a dry technique

The pieces you're working on, are they softwood or hardwood?

 

[takeaflight]

The furniture normally French can be both but mainly soft, however I am now researching soda blasting,

 

[takeaflight]

Think I have sorted it, ordered a soda blaster and compressor, not going down the water route.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Roll on the photos!! It'll be interesting to see.

 

[takeaflight]

Will post some photos when it all arrives.