Tool Tip: fine wire wool and a bottle of cheap turps

This week's tool tip is two of the cheapest things in the workshop: very fine wire wool and a bottle of garden-variety turps. I only came across this technique this week, tried it straight away, and I'm sold. The piece I tested it on was rough. Oil and gunk all over it, weathered, a bit of paint, and a horrible residue on the top that sanding alone wasn't shifting. What I did: Sand off the bulk. This one was bad enough that I started at 80 grit, then went over it at 220. Wire wool and turps. Very fine wire wool, a splash of turps, small circular motions to work it into the grain. Let it dry. I left it about 12 hours before touching it again. Oil. Natural linseed oil straight on. Why I like it: the turps lifts the residue the sander leaves behind, and while it's wet it shows you the colour the timber will be once it's finished. After oiling, the colour held almost exactly: no staining, no residue, no blotchy patches, and the grain really pops. It's what I used on the Art Deco telephone table in Wednesday's restoration video, and it's why I skipped the stain on that one. The caveat: I've only tried this on oak, and oak is very forgiving. So test it on a spare piece or somewhere hidden first, then go for your piece. Safety: turps is flammable and the fumes aren't friendly, so keep the doors open. And lay your linseed-oil rags out flat to dry, or soak them in water, before binning them. Oily rags can catch fire on their own. If you try it on something other than oak, let me know how it goes in the comments. I'd love to know.

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