float restoring

Neneman Nick · Feb 21, 2005

heres one for all you float makers/restorers....whats the best method for stripping old,thick stubborn paint and varnish from porcupine/goose and crow quill.so i can re paint and varnish etc....
would paint stripper damage the quills???

Baz · Feb 21, 2005

Wont it peel off Nick?

Neneman Nick · Feb 21, 2005

on some of the floats i`ve got,i`ve managed to pick away at the stuff with me finger nails and i`ve used a pen knife as well but i cant help thinking there is a much better/simpler way of doing it,without damaging the quills themselves...

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one) · Feb 21, 2005

fine glasspaper

david bruce 1 · Feb 23, 2005

Solvent based stripper should be OK (if it hasn't all been banned) but avoid the sodium hydroxide (Caustic Soda)type as they will attack the quills

Joskin · Feb 25, 2005

Why dont you buy some new quills they cost ?5-6 for 25.

Alan Tyler · Feb 26, 2005

Quills should keep their flexibility, while varnish dries out and becomes more rigid and flaky, so bending,`rolling and twisting the quills should loosen it. A blunt knife held vertical to the quill makes a reasonable scraper, but the best sort, like a cabinet-maker's scraper, has a "sharp" right angle - the back of a scalpel blade is ideal.
Half the charm of old floats is the colour of the old varnish, so if it doesn't come off easily, you might consider just giving them a couple of coats of thinned-down (so it penetrates) varnish over the old stuff!

float restoring

Neneman Nick

Well-known member

Baz

Banned

Neneman Nick

Well-known member

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)

Guest

david bruce 1

Guest

Joskin

New member

Alan Tyler

Well-known member