Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

How are you preparing
grenfell
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Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by grenfell »

I was in restoration for decades and lime putty was the go to product for the masons. I have seen fresh lime delivered to jobs to be slaked on site. I've seen it used for limewash by the decorators and by the plasterers using sharp sand for base coats and soft playpit sand for the finish. I've used hot lime water to age and bring out the colours on green and semi green oak. I've worked with an architect called Stafford Holmes who at least at one time was dubbed the countries leading expert on lime ( although we may just have said something else). . Very versatile material. I built up well over a hundred lime putty tubs which have served well for storage once washed out although they do suffer from eventual degradation if left outside or in the sun.
One thing that has a shelf life is mastic .Only yesterday i came to use an unopened tube , cut off the end and it seemed solid. Got it home and cut it open and now have a pale brown rubber sausage and that hasn't been the first time i've encountered that
ForgeCorvus
Posts: 3035
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by ForgeCorvus »

Grenfell: Here is an egg, let me show you how to suck it :oops:

I've now got to look up "Hot lime water for ageing oak"..... Every day's a school day ;)
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
"All Things Strive" Gd Tak 'Gar
grenfell
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Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by grenfell »

Weeeeeellllllll i've always wondered whether i should suck at the sharp end , the blunt end or even in the middle .
Perhaps i should describe the hot lime water a little more not that there's really a lot to it. Starting with a couple of lumps of unslaked lime in a bucket to which water is added gently. It being an exothermic reaction heat is released and the water will boil. Stir it about to break the lumps up and then simply brush the water onto the timber which of course reacts with the tannins in the oak producing anything from a rusty red to deep brown . I suppose it depends on how much lime is in suspension and how much tannin is in the oak. In truth it's probably nearer pot luck than science.
ForgeCorvus
Posts: 3035
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by ForgeCorvus »

Stepping back to mastic...... Could you use linseed putty as a replacement?
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
"All Things Strive" Gd Tak 'Gar
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by jansman »

Monofilament fishing line.Useful for many things,especially fishing! Cheap now...
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
grenfell
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Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by grenfell »

ForgeCorvus wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:38 am Stepping back to mastic...... Could you use linseed putty as a replacement?
Mastic seems to be one of those ubiquitous materials of our age , l have silicon mastic , polysulphide mastic , glazing mastic , mastic for lead joints and some for caulking and gluing in the van at most times. It's all very useful and the use of gunnable adhesives to fix skirting boards is taught in colleges nowadays. However , we survived for a long time before modern mastics and putty is found in old buildings so in answer to the question i'd say yes in a lot of cases although it may involve a bit of extra time and work.
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by jansman »

grenfell wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:26 pm
ForgeCorvus wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:38 am Stepping back to mastic...... Could you use linseed putty as a replacement?
Mastic seems to be one of those ubiquitous materials of our age , l have silicon mastic , polysulphide mastic , glazing mastic , mastic for lead joints and some for caulking and gluing in the van at most times. It's all very useful and the use of gunnable adhesives to fix skirting boards is taught in colleges nowadays. However , we survived for a long time before modern mastics and putty is found in old buildings so in answer to the question i'd say yes in a lot of cases although it may involve a bit of extra time and work.
My friend is a window fitter. He calls anything in a mastic gun , “ F### - up paste”!!😂
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
grenfell
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Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Difficult to make, useful, but currently very cheap

Post by grenfell »

jansman wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:19 pm
My friend is a window fitter. He calls anything in a mastic gun , “ F### - up paste”!!😂
I like that and there's a certain irony with the term coming from a window fitter. I've seen numerous windows with gaps around them gobbed up with mastic. Great until you try to decorate and nothing sticks to the silicon.
Years ago i worked at the playhouse theatre in oxford . There were some mirrors to go up in the dressing rooms , the ones with the bulbs around them. Some bright spark ( not me thankfully) had the idea of using silicon to fix them to the walls. Looked great to begin with but regular silicon attacks the silvering on the back of a mirror which was made worse by the heat from the lights and it wasn't long before they started to drop off.