This is that good stuff! Well done. I'd love to see if you can figure out a cold-cure method or see if it can be sprayed on some how. I have been messing around with those ideas a bit, but not enough to give up yet.
Thank you! I appreciated having your video to aid in my research. When I made this video, I shied away from cold-curing because I think too many variables (dust, temperature, etc) can intervene and alter the finish during the long amount of time it takes for the finish to dry and harden. Even the recipes that use varnish seem to take a week or two to fully cure. If not already using a varnish in the mixture, I think a conjugated oil, such as tung oil, would be more effectively used in a cold-cure recipe because such oils will dry a lot more quickly than an unconjugated oil like linseed oil. Adding a resin (essentially, creating a varnish) to the mixture might also speed up the drying time. Spraying should definitely be possible and might be a good option for eliminating the problem of seeing brush strokes in between coats due to incomplete cures. I might try that!
You can add Japan Drier to the 40/40/20 mix to cure without heat but this is intended for use on wood. Driers on cast iron promote blistering of the japanning. Heat curing is really the best for japanning metal.
I know what happened with Recipe F. In aPlaneLife's two PDF instructions docs, he said not to measure the 40/40/20% mixture by weight because you'll end up with too much asphaltum.
I have not experienced the congealing issue during initial mixing demonstrated in this video. There may be subtle differences in the turpentine affecting how the turpentine/asphaltum mix behaves. I use off the shelf turpentine vs. the pine based turpentine used in the video. While not mentioned, application of multiple thin coats with partial curing between coats is important to prevent sagging of the japanning on vertical surfaces. Generally a minimum of 3 coats is necessary for a quality finish. A very good video for those interested in learning to japan antique hand planes.
Greg, you're probably right. Had I paid closer attention to your recipe, I would have tested it with the Klean-Strip turpentine you used. Thank you for all of your contributions in this area. I will say that after having tested these recipes, if the user wants to go with powered asphaltum, turpentine and BLO, a 40/40/20 mix such as yours is likely to create the easiest recipe to work with. Thanks again!
What an amazing video, full of just the right amount of detail, including perfect level of explanation. This channel certainly deserves more subscriptions. I’ve subscribed, turned the bell on, and can’t wait to devour additional content. Thank you ! 👍👍😎👍👍
I'm not an artist and I always wondered what Japan Dryer was used for. Even my artist friends didn't know. The only place I'd actually seen it mentioned was is a WWII Army sabotage manual, for lighting fires.
Awesome video - I love how thorough it is and I love that you can actually see the results better than some other videos. Some variation between a mild hammer from A/B and the smoothness of C/D would look spot on for handplanes, imo. I'm thinking about trying a first coat of the hammer and following up with 1 or 2 smooth ones. Thanks so much man!
Seriously. Another top level video that looks and sounds like it was created by a large production studio. Incredible narration. Very few people can do this. By now this channel would be generating thousands per month residual income. Why on earth did you stop after 4 videos?
Thank you for your compliment! Content creation was an experiment: I wanted to see if I could do it, and whether it would fit into the limited time slots I have apart from my job and my family. But, good video editing takes a TON of time, and it's time I can't spend in the shop....which is what I really enjoy. I don't need an extra income stream, nor is that guaranteed.....at all. Enjoyment first! You may see more videos down the road if anything changes. Best wishes.
That is so interesting! I have an antique Singer 15 (made in the German Singer factory) and it has some chipped paint just at the front edge. The "Tiffany" decoration is still near perfect, so I want to make sure I preserve that. I do not have the possibility of baking the machine, and I would not for fear of destroying the gold decals (I also have a thatched roof old cottage and I have great respect of fire). So, do you have any suggestions on how I could fix the chipped paint, apart from the baking process?
UK sourced BLO contains no driers. It is heated under vacuum, which makes it polymerize more readily. It sets off more slowly than the chemically treated formulations, but is marginally less toxic.
Hey very very good and informative video. I have the feeling I cant get any of the stuff over here in germany. Is there any possibility I can get my hands on your personal mixture C?
Enjoyed the video and appreciate the effort to compare and contrast. Clearly, not an exacting process...unless you are Stanley, Singer or Ford. Thanks.
raw shoul be used, if cobalt is added,and heated, polymerization has already begun. Raw adheres better to the iron, (Just like seasoning a cast iron skillet), and forms a more elastic, longer lasting, shinier finish. Also carbon black should be added to facilitate the incorporation of monomers, and short chain polymers onto the longer chains, in addition to connecting the longer chains. after the solution is fully prepared, and cooled to RT, then the catylists ar added, the part is coated and then baked to result in polymer formation and adhesion to the metal, and to itself
This japanning is some serious stuff. What do they use on modern hand planes? I would think a 2 part epoxy or polyester resin with pigment would be a really durable coating. And you can make cool colors.
Great video, super well made. I've been repairing sewing machines for 40 years and have always wondered about the japanning process. I noticed your clips of the Birth of a Sewing Machine film and it appears that the machines went around the carousel from dipping to drying then the film jumps to the hand polishing. Are you certain that they baked them or perhaps had some other japanning recipe or process?
Excellent! Thank you for posting. I can second your mention of mold with the big-box store Boiled Linseed Oil; I also observed the mold growth with that finish when mixed 50/50 with the turpentine (not for Japanning but simply as a wood treatment). This mold growth occurred only on exterior wood; it seemed okay on interiors. Regarding solvents; did you consider using ethyl alcohol instead of turpentine or mineral spirits? I believe it has the advantage of being safe for human consumption - So something like 190 proof grain alcohol such as Everclear sold at liquor stores?
Thank you for your compliment. I had not considered ethyl alcohol, but I suppose it might work as long as it can completely dissolve everything. I did not use it for my purposes, because I don't believe it was used as a solvent in the era in which a lot of Japanned tools I'm interested in were made. But, I could be mistaken.
Do you have a recommendation for the screening mesh of the Gilsonite? I see most is screened to 200 mexh, but one supplier screens to 350 mesh. Thanks. Fantastic bit of researching, loved it!
Brilliant video 👍 Question: what to do if added to much turpentine? Had a brain fart whilst mixing up first batch and poured in to much. I have no more asphaltum at this time to add more. Any ideas?
wow awsome video, i have a full original stanley type 1 circular plane pat.1877,but the jappaning is for 90% lost,i would like to keep it as original as i can , so my question, can mixture c be done with powder asphaltum from gilsonite, i cant buy liquid asphaltum and let it shipped to the netherlands unfortunatly. this vid was exactly what i needed, big thank you for your time and affort on this item
Wow that's an old plane! I don't see why not. The Senefelder's in Recipe C is in liquid form, but you can make your own. Senefelder's MSDS says it is 50% xylol (or mineral spirits) and 50% powdered asphaltum (each by volume), so you could make your own liquid asphaltum then mix it with the BLO. Good luck!
I believe the issue you experienced with recipe F is due to measurement of ingredients. My recipe is based on volumetric measures not weight. Using weights for the ratio would result in too much Gilsonite in the mix leaving the mixture much too thick. A nice piece of research here and I will amend my table guides to clarify volumetric measures. The comment about about waiting too long to add BLO did not make sense. I believe you said, “waiting 72 hours to add the BLO allowed the turpentine to dissipate leaving the mixture too thick,” however earlier you showed each mixture of asphaltum and turpentine after sitting 72 hours to allow the mixtures to thicken. I appears you allowed each mixture to sit for 72 hours prior to adding the BLO. Unless you waited additional time for recipe F, I don’t understand the “allowing recipe F to sit longer” analysis. Thank you for careful analysis and the old film of Singer sewing machine japanning.
What was the odor like when you baked them? Did any produce noticeably less odor? I’d like to give this a try but I’m hesitant to try it in my kitchen oven.
Very instructive & educational video. Thanks a lot. I'll definitely will give this a go. Given that I'm unable to find liquid asphaltum in my country, I'm wondering if I can substitute the liquid asphaltum in recipe 3 with gilsonite powder? Any thought? Cheers
I don't see why not! It really is a matter of trial and error with this stuff, and seems to be forgiving if you make it too thin or too thick....you can just add more of another ingredient to compensate.
I tried this with a couple of the recipes. It's an extremely hard finish, but also shiny. In order to get lumps out of it, you'd have to apply a lot of pressure, and therefore ruin the finished look you'd want. Personally, I think the lumps are part of japanning's charm and would not change it.
Have you tested or tracked durability? Also, when restoring planes, can the new coat of jappaning be applied directly over the old coat? How should the older surface be prepared? Finally, are these formulas toxic? Will the off gasing in the oven be toxic? Thanks!
1) no, not enough time has passed yet since I began these experiments 2) I have not tried this, but I wouldn't. Paint stripper + wire wheel works just fine. Wouldn't want to waste product for something to look "off" because I didn't take the metal back to bare 3) Yes they are. While I don't believe them to be carcinogenic, the fumes certainly aren't good for you and are definitely an irritant. Don't use indoors, and remove yourself from the area while baking if you can't wear a mask.
Certainly worth a shot; my guess is that it would behave similarly to the many other turpentine substitutes you find in stores today. I used real turpentine in my recipes only because I wanted to mimic the "authentic" recipes as closely as I could during restorations
Thank you! Side note: It is also the TAR (and other additives) in tobacco products that causes heart disease and cancer, NOT the nicotine! I finally quit smoking by switching to vaping (nicotine, veg. glycerin, propylene glycol, flavoring). Nicotine, while being addictive (like caffeine) is a relatively benign substance.
This is that good stuff! Well done. I'd love to see if you can figure out a cold-cure method or see if it can be sprayed on some how. I have been messing around with those ideas a bit, but not enough to give up yet.
Thank you! I appreciated having your video to aid in my research. When I made this video, I shied away from cold-curing because I think too many variables (dust, temperature, etc) can intervene and alter the finish during the long amount of time it takes for the finish to dry and harden. Even the recipes that use varnish seem to take a week or two to fully cure.
If not already using a varnish in the mixture, I think a conjugated oil, such as tung oil, would be more effectively used in a cold-cure recipe because such oils will dry a lot more quickly than an unconjugated oil like linseed oil. Adding a resin (essentially, creating a varnish) to the mixture might also speed up the drying time.
Spraying should definitely be possible and might be a good option for eliminating the problem of seeing brush strokes in between coats due to incomplete cures. I might try that!
You can add Japan Drier to the 40/40/20 mix to cure without heat but this is intended for use on wood. Driers on cast iron promote blistering of the japanning. Heat curing is really the best for japanning metal.
I know what happened with Recipe F. In aPlaneLife's two PDF instructions docs, he said not to measure the 40/40/20% mixture by weight because you'll end up with too much asphaltum.
I really appreciate the systematic approach you have taken to this analysis. Very well done. Thanks!
What a hidden gem! Thank you! Just what i needed.
Now this is the content I've been looking for!
Great and informative video. Thanks! I also love the involvement of your young people. They are lucky kids to get this experience. Well done!
Dude, this video is great! Interesting history and facts. Also I like that you include where I can buy it!
I have not experienced the congealing issue during initial mixing demonstrated in this video. There may be subtle differences in the turpentine affecting how the turpentine/asphaltum mix behaves. I use off the shelf turpentine vs. the pine based turpentine used in the video. While not mentioned, application of multiple thin coats with partial curing between coats is important to prevent sagging of the japanning on vertical surfaces. Generally a minimum of 3 coats is necessary for a quality finish. A very good video for those interested in learning to japan antique hand planes.
Greg, you're probably right. Had I paid closer attention to your recipe, I would have tested it with the Klean-Strip turpentine you used. Thank you for all of your contributions in this area. I will say that after having tested these recipes, if the user wants to go with powered asphaltum, turpentine and BLO, a 40/40/20 mix such as yours is likely to create the easiest recipe to work with. Thanks again!
What an amazing video, full of just the right amount of detail, including perfect level of explanation. This channel certainly deserves more subscriptions. I’ve subscribed, turned the bell on, and can’t wait to devour additional content. Thank you ! 👍👍😎👍👍
Wow, thank you!
Excellent video, I really needed this in my head at this moment, I am definitely going to give those a go on some steel i de rusted
Good testing and experimenting. Looking forward to what you restore in the future...
I'm not an artist and I always wondered what Japan Dryer was used for. Even my artist friends didn't know.
The only place I'd actually seen it mentioned was is a WWII Army sabotage manual, for lighting fires.
Awesome video - I love how thorough it is and I love that you can actually see the results better than some other videos. Some variation between a mild hammer from A/B and the smoothness of C/D would look spot on for handplanes, imo. I'm thinking about trying a first coat of the hammer and following up with 1 or 2 smooth ones. Thanks so much man!
Seriously. Another top level video that looks and sounds like it was created by a large production studio. Incredible narration. Very few people can do this. By now this channel would be generating thousands per month residual income. Why on earth did you stop after 4 videos?
Thank you for your compliment! Content creation was an experiment: I wanted to see if I could do it, and whether it would fit into the limited time slots I have apart from my job and my family. But, good video editing takes a TON of time, and it's time I can't spend in the shop....which is what I really enjoy. I don't need an extra income stream, nor is that guaranteed.....at all. Enjoyment first! You may see more videos down the road if anything changes. Best wishes.
Thank you! Thank you! A thousand times, Thank you!
Thank you! This is the exact type of content i crave. Question, what about colors, any chance we have a recipe for 50 oem/50% green?
That is so interesting! I have an antique Singer 15 (made in the German Singer factory) and it has some chipped paint just at the front edge. The "Tiffany" decoration is still near perfect, so I want to make sure I preserve that. I do not have the possibility of baking the machine, and I would not for fear of destroying the gold decals (I also have a thatched roof old cottage and I have great respect of fire). So, do you have any suggestions on how I could fix the chipped paint, apart from the baking process?
UK sourced BLO contains no driers. It is heated under vacuum, which makes it polymerize more readily. It sets off more slowly than the chemically treated formulations, but is marginally less toxic.
Great video thanks. Would you happen to know when Singer switched from Japanning to paint
Hey very very good and informative video. I have the feeling I cant get any of the stuff over here in germany. Is there any possibility I can get my hands on your personal mixture C?
Enjoyed the video and appreciate the effort to compare and contrast. Clearly, not an exacting process...unless you are Stanley, Singer or Ford. Thanks.
Great information. Thanks!
Thank you! Super helpful!
raw shoul be used, if cobalt is added,and heated, polymerization has already begun. Raw adheres better to the iron, (Just like seasoning a cast iron skillet), and forms a more elastic, longer lasting, shinier finish. Also carbon black should be added to facilitate the incorporation of monomers, and short chain polymers onto the longer chains, in addition to connecting the longer chains. after the solution is fully prepared, and cooled to RT, then the catylists ar added, the part is coated and then baked to result in polymer formation and adhesion to the metal, and to itself
Hi - thanks for this useful video! When baking in an electric oven does it matter if you use the top, bottom or both heating elements?
This japanning is some serious stuff. What do they use on modern hand planes? I would think a 2 part epoxy or polyester resin with pigment would be a really durable coating. And you can make cool colors.
Great video, super well made. I've been repairing sewing machines for 40 years and have always wondered about the japanning process. I noticed your clips of the Birth of a Sewing Machine film and it appears that the machines went around the carousel from dipping to drying then the film jumps to the hand polishing. Are you certain that they baked them or perhaps had some other japanning recipe or process?
Excellent! Thank you for posting. I can second your mention of mold with the big-box store Boiled Linseed Oil; I also observed the mold growth with that finish when mixed 50/50 with the turpentine (not for Japanning but simply as a wood treatment). This mold growth occurred only on exterior wood; it seemed okay on interiors.
Regarding solvents; did you consider using ethyl alcohol instead of turpentine or mineral spirits? I believe it has the advantage of being safe for human consumption - So something like 190 proof grain alcohol such as Everclear sold at liquor stores?
Thank you for your compliment. I had not considered ethyl alcohol, but I suppose it might work as long as it can completely dissolve everything.
I did not use it for my purposes, because I don't believe it was used as a solvent in the era in which a lot of Japanned tools I'm interested in were made. But, I could be mistaken.
Great information! I have a question about recipe D, the Ford recipe. Are the ounces listed weight or liquid ounces? Thank you!
Do you have a recommendation for the screening mesh of the Gilsonite? I see most is screened to 200 mexh, but one supplier screens to 350 mesh. Thanks. Fantastic bit of researching, loved it!
Brilliant video 👍
Question: what to do if added to much turpentine? Had a brain fart whilst mixing up first batch and poured in to much. I have no more asphaltum at this time to add more. Any ideas?
wow awsome video, i have a full original stanley type 1 circular plane pat.1877,but the jappaning is for 90% lost,i would like to keep it as original as i can , so my question, can mixture c be done with powder asphaltum from gilsonite, i cant buy liquid asphaltum and let it shipped to the netherlands unfortunatly. this vid was exactly what i needed, big thank you for your time and affort on this item
Wow that's an old plane! I don't see why not. The Senefelder's in Recipe C is in liquid form, but you can make your own. Senefelder's MSDS says it is 50% xylol (or mineral spirits) and 50% powdered asphaltum (each by volume), so you could make your own liquid asphaltum then mix it with the BLO. Good luck!
@@threesonsrestorations4043 thanks for response, i will give it a try when i have the time to restore it. thank you
How do you convert percentages into parts by weight?
I believe the issue you experienced with recipe F is due to measurement of ingredients. My recipe is based on volumetric measures not weight. Using weights for the ratio would result in too much Gilsonite in the mix leaving the mixture much too thick. A nice piece of research here and I will amend my table guides to clarify volumetric measures. The comment about about waiting too long to add BLO did not make sense. I believe you said, “waiting 72 hours to add the BLO allowed the turpentine to dissipate leaving the mixture too thick,” however earlier you showed each mixture of asphaltum and turpentine after sitting 72 hours to allow the mixtures to thicken. I appears you allowed each mixture to sit for 72 hours prior to adding the BLO. Unless you waited additional time for recipe F, I don’t understand the “allowing recipe F to sit longer” analysis. Thank you for careful analysis and the old film of Singer sewing machine japanning.
What is your recipe based on volumetric measures?
@@rogierius 40% asphaltum 40% turpentine 20% BLO. You can find a video of how to mix on RUclips at aPlaneLife
What was the odor like when you baked them? Did any produce noticeably less odor? I’d like to give this a try but I’m hesitant to try it in my kitchen oven.
Are the parts measurments by weight or volume?
Very instructive & educational video. Thanks a lot. I'll definitely will give this a go. Given that I'm unable to find liquid asphaltum in my country, I'm wondering if I can substitute the liquid asphaltum in recipe 3 with gilsonite powder? Any thought? Cheers
I don't see why not! It really is a matter of trial and error with this stuff, and seems to be forgiving if you make it too thin or too thick....you can just add more of another ingredient to compensate.
Can you color sand this finish after it's cured to take out the lumps and specks?
I tried this with a couple of the recipes. It's an extremely hard finish, but also shiny. In order to get lumps out of it, you'd have to apply a lot of pressure, and therefore ruin the finished look you'd want. Personally, I think the lumps are part of japanning's charm and would not change it.
Have you tested or tracked durability? Also, when restoring planes, can the new coat of jappaning be applied directly over the old coat? How should the older surface be prepared?
Finally, are these formulas toxic? Will the off gasing in the oven be toxic?
Thanks!
1) no, not enough time has passed yet since I began these experiments
2) I have not tried this, but I wouldn't. Paint stripper + wire wheel works just fine. Wouldn't want to waste product for something to look "off" because I didn't take the metal back to bare
3) Yes they are. While I don't believe them to be carcinogenic, the fumes certainly aren't good for you and are definitely an irritant. Don't use indoors, and remove yourself from the area while baking if you can't wear a mask.
The AK47 uses this finish as well and still use this finish in 2022
can you use white spirit instead of turpentine?
Certainly worth a shot; my guess is that it would behave similarly to the many other turpentine substitutes you find in stores today. I used real turpentine in my recipes only because I wanted to mimic the "authentic" recipes as closely as I could during restorations
Items from smoking households have tar on them not nicotine.
Thank you!
Side note: It is also the TAR (and other additives) in tobacco products that causes heart disease and cancer, NOT the nicotine! I finally quit smoking by switching to vaping (nicotine, veg. glycerin, propylene glycol, flavoring). Nicotine, while being addictive (like caffeine) is a relatively benign substance.
big F for recipe F
Fantastic!! Thank you!