Topic: any woodworkers? how do you moisturize an old oak armiore?

[grumpy]

got this old (no sure exactly how old) oak armoire..
it's drying out pretty badly - parts have shrunk, split, and cracked.
what can I do to stabilize it?
I've heard walnut oil might be a good treatment as it eventually cures like tung & BLO but w/out the toxic drying agents.
any suggestions?

no idea what the finish is, BTW. whatever it is, it was sloped on with a brush decades ago.

..
.

[ekpent]

Hey Grumpy, I used to own a furniture repair/refinishing business. To be honest though with those pics posted I can not really tell what the piece really is.  With what looks like pine secondary wood on maybe the back it looks like it could be an English or euro import.

[Stev-o]

Front doesn't look bad?

[grumpy]

actually, that pic above ^^^^^^ is one of the sides. and yeah, it's in good shape

ekpent: yeah, it's pine. and that's where the shrinkage is the worst.
these pics are of the top & bottom and you can see where someone screwed on cross braces to keep the panels from separating.
.

this is one of the front panels & you can see the cracking - they're deeper than just finish cracks.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/tmge/arm/photo4_zpsb39a4bb1.jpg



I'll get better pics...

[ekpent]

Being that the pine looks to have no finish maybe on either side it would be more susceptible to shrinking etc thus forming the cracks.

[azuredesign]

It gets pretty dry during a Michigan winter, doesn't it?
We have that problem in New England as well.
I can only see finish checks in you photos, but any cracks in the wood itself can be stabilized with an aliphatic synthetic glue, like Tite Bond. If there are any open cracks, steam can be used on the unfinished side of the wood to try and close the crack first. Using oil to humidify wood is not effective from what I have read.

The most important thing I can think of to maintain the integrity of wood, is to use a humidifier, with a hygrometer to set it during the winter.

I think there are plenty of online references for further info.

[grumpy]

I've had a better look at it... the top & bottom of the carcass are (were) single pieces of 1" pine. They shrank significantly and the top cupped as well. Someone took a saw & cut them right down the middle to relieve the tension (I assume) then screwed in the 1x2 bracing to keep it from racking. If I clamp it (as if to glue the top) then the whole carcass comes out of square & the door won't close. I think I might fill the gap created by the saw kerf with a pine splint and some Tite Bond. Then I can loose the janky braces.

The internet tells me I could apply some raw linseed oil to the top & bottom to add some moisture & stabilize the damage from over drying...


Humidifiers are not practical. The temp & humidity varies greatly here, everyday. It is foggy & 50 overnight then 90 with 30% humidity by 2PM.

It was built with hide glue so steam could make the whole thing fall apart.

[Duke McDukiedook]

You could probably use some REAL linseed or Tung oil (Very few manufacturers make real of either, be careful what you buy).
From what I understand if you use either it is an unreversible finish, meaning you are stuck with it when you apply it, like it or not.

[TwoTired]

Put whatever you want to gain water content in a plastic bag with and open tray of water.  This raises the humidity inside the bag and allows the wood to absorb it.    You do NOT want to raise the moisture level quickly.  It must be slow to permeate the wood completely.
I assume you have a wood moisture meter to measure the wood's water content?

One you have the wood at the desired water density, then you repair the cracks.
Do you know what the present finish is on the wood?
Are you trying to match it, or replace it?

You will need to oil or seal the surface.  But, note this will only delay the wood from drying out or gaining moisture quickly.  It won't stop it.

Where is the finished piece going to go?  Will it be a moisture stable environment?  You will want to take the wood you have to the humidity level average the piece will reside within.

This will help with the basics:
http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2010/09/03/moisture-content-wood-movement/

[faux fiddy]

You could use a room humidifier in close quarters. I know they make a gadget that goes in the sound hole of a guitar that you fill with water and it helps maintain humidity.  A tray with sponges or fabric to wick away moisture into the air inside it.  Put it in a basement somewhere.

Lemon oil is what I used on my cabinets to shine them up.

[grumpy]

The inductive moisture meter says 1-8% (typically 3-4%) taken at various random points w/ relative humidity ~ 40%
It's shellac with lacquer toner over (on the outside) but the big structural cracks & cuts are on the top & bottom so matching isn't a big deal. The front finish has some finish cracks & crazing but I'm not worried about those.
The main concern is to stabilize it so it doesn't disintegrate.   

I found a guy who sells real linseed oil
http://www.solventfreepaint.com/

[ekpent]

Read up a little on linseed oil both raw and boiled. I personally would not use it on indoor furniture, better products available.