Comments on: A countertop made out of a bowling alley http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/13/a-countertop-made-out-of-a-bowling-alley/ Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:16:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/13/a-countertop-made-out-of-a-bowling-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-47142 Dan Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:34:13 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=3857#comment-47142 Kelley, Where did you get your wood? I too am looking for some b.a. lane to re-admire! Kelley, Where did you get your wood? I too am looking for some b.a. lane to re-admire!

]]> By: Kelley http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/13/a-countertop-made-out-of-a-bowling-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-34142 Kelley Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:06:44 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=3857#comment-34142 Yikes, I think I will phone my friend who owns a guitar business. Very interesting. He may know the story. Thank you! Yikes, I think I will phone my friend who owns a guitar business. Very interesting. He may know the story. Thank you!

]]> By: atomicbowler http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/13/a-countertop-made-out-of-a-bowling-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-34112 atomicbowler Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:58:43 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=3857#comment-34112 If you are looking for a more aged (darkened) look to compliment your stained pine, you might want to surf your way to Stewart-MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply or Luthier's Mercantile International. Both offer liquid stain concentrates in many colors. You would want what is referred to as "amber" or "vintage Amber". These stains will mix with solvent alcohol and will not raise the grain. YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE A WATER-BASED STAIN. You can mix the stain to any strength you want by varying the amount of alcohol. Do not use rubbing alcohol, of course. Solvent alcohol will do well, or you can buy a gagillion bottles of NAPA part #7100 'Thermo Aid' which is a fuel drier containing 99% isopropanol. The Cadillac of alcohols for mixing stains and shellacs is Everclear, if you can find it. You will of course want to test and practice on scrap or on a reverse side that will be obscured. It's best (and recommended) if you practice on wood of identical age and grain to the actual part...hence the suggestion to prep and utilize the backside of the part. It's best to use a lighter color than you think you will need by a fair bit...you can make additional passes as needed, but it's awfully hard to 'un-stain'! Let the alcohol evaporate completely and then wipe off excess with your virgin t-shirt rags (white only!) until they come away clean. Another very nice vintage stain is one you can make for yourself with alcohol, coffee grounds, cigarettes and a percolator. I cannot stress enough that alcohol vapor is EXPLOSIVE and the fumes NOXIOUS...so the 100-foot extension cord is indicated. In other words, do this only OUTDOORS and WELL AWAY from anything you would not want to set afire. DO NOT approach the percolator until it has had adequate time to cool. In a large, urn-type percolator combine 1 to 1-1/2 gallons alcohol with one week's worth (or so) of saved coffee grounds and 3 packs nonfiltered cigarettes, crumbled. Brew away. Let cool, check to see how much alcohol you need to add to keep the fluid level from going too low, brew again. Repeat until you have something close to the color you want once it has been reduced/stretched with more alcohol. You're making your own stain concentrate, here. Gibson guitars come in a color called 'tobacco sunburst'...it was originally created in the early 1900's by a Gibson designer named Lloyd Loar, who made it in a percolator with cigarettes, coffee and alcohol. The stain was ragged onto the wood and repeated more and more towards the outside periphery of the guitar's top to get the "sunburst". Have fun, be careful, and good luck! Dave If you are looking for a more aged (darkened) look to compliment your stained pine, you might want to surf your way to Stewart-MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply or Luthier’s Mercantile International. Both offer liquid stain concentrates in many colors. You would want what is referred to as “amber” or “vintage Amber”. These stains will mix with solvent alcohol and will not raise the grain. YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE A WATER-BASED STAIN.
You can mix the stain to any strength you want by varying the amount of alcohol. Do not use rubbing alcohol, of course. Solvent alcohol will do well, or you can buy a gagillion bottles of NAPA part #7100 ‘Thermo Aid’ which is a fuel drier containing 99% isopropanol. The Cadillac of alcohols for mixing stains and shellacs is Everclear, if you can find it.
You will of course want to test and practice on scrap or on a reverse side that will be obscured. It’s best (and recommended) if you practice on wood of identical age and grain to the actual part…hence the suggestion to prep and utilize the backside of the part. It’s best to use a lighter color than you think you will need by a fair bit…you can make additional passes as needed, but it’s awfully hard to ‘un-stain’! Let the alcohol evaporate completely and then wipe off excess with your virgin t-shirt rags (white only!) until they come away clean.
Another very nice vintage stain is one you can make for yourself with alcohol, coffee grounds, cigarettes and a percolator. I cannot stress enough that alcohol vapor is EXPLOSIVE and the fumes NOXIOUS…so the 100-foot extension cord is indicated. In other words, do this only OUTDOORS and WELL AWAY from anything you would not want to set afire. DO NOT approach the percolator until it has had adequate time to cool.
In a large, urn-type percolator combine 1 to 1-1/2 gallons alcohol with one week’s worth (or so) of saved coffee grounds and 3 packs nonfiltered cigarettes, crumbled. Brew away. Let cool, check to see how much alcohol you need to add to keep the fluid level from going too low, brew again. Repeat until you have something close to the color you want once it has been reduced/stretched with more alcohol. You’re making your own stain concentrate, here.
Gibson guitars come in a color called ‘tobacco sunburst’…it was originally created in the early 1900′s by a Gibson designer named Lloyd Loar, who made it in a percolator with cigarettes, coffee and alcohol. The stain was ragged onto the wood and repeated more and more towards the outside periphery of the guitar’s top to get the “sunburst”.
Have fun, be careful, and good luck!
Dave

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