Blotchy wood type face

highlands print...
on 4 Jul 20 (14:47)

I cleaned up some old wood type recently and the face of some letters was smooth but blotchy. It was like a solution had dried on the face and now does not come off. Any idea how to remove it would be appreciated. I am thinking of running the letters through a planer to remove a couple thou?? Good or bad idea??

typenut
on 4 Jul 20 (15:16)

Just paste paper to the bottom of the Type to bring it back up to 0918 and your good to go

rmiller021
on 4 Jul 20 (23:21)

Your type is likely end grain, a plainer will destroy it.

The correct tool if it comes to it is a drum sander.

What did you clean it with?

Let’s try try to chemically remove you bumps before we attack it power tools.

platenprinter
on 8 Jul 20 (01:52)

Planer bad idea, sander bad idea. You are going to print with them not decorate your work space. If they print ok leave well alone.

rmiller021
on 8 Jul 20 (15:53)

I agree power tools are a bad idea.

But a planer will destroy end grain type, a sander will reduce its height, also not a great plan but it would be the correct mechanical tool to remove material that’s all I’m saying.

I was trying to work out what happened chemically to it to make it bumpy before even considering the sander.

Audax
on 8 Jul 20 (16:34)

It depends what it is, of course. Can you tell at all? Try some different solvents. I had some that I think had been used to print with acrylic paint and the lumpy residue responded well to Citristrip paint stripper. You can always re-shellac if needed. I would not advise a mechanical method such as sanding or planing.