Getting the Musty Smell out of reclaimed VG Fir

[John Michaels]

The base for my table is reclaimed douglas fir from a paper mill and has a pretty strong musty smell, kind of like an old Victorian house. No offense to those who live in one, I love those old homes, but the smell is enough to notice when you enter the room. Probably even enough to stink up the whole house if the windows were closed up all day.

Any ideas for for getting rid of the smell. I dont have any finish on the base yet. I was thinking maybe a wash coat of shellac to somewhat seal the wood, then apply the finish. I'd like to use Tung Oil (Daly's Ben Matte) which is what I'm using on the maple top. I assume if I went with a water based polyurethane it would seal the wood so well I couldn't detect that musty odor anymore.

Any ideas?



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[Steve Kohn]

Not a clue on the smell issue, but that table is absolutely gorgeous. What are the plans for chairs?

[Cody Colston]

Shellac will seal in the smell.

[george wilson]

Agreed,shellac is a very old method for sealing in the musty smell in antiques.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Won't a layer of shelac interfere with the tung oil finish that is to be applied next?

[Jim Foster]

I've noticed that when the offending piece is moved into a fresh space, the smell goes away in a few weeks. So it may be a non-issue in the longterm.

[John Michaels]

What are the plans for chairs?

For now I'll use my old chairs, but metal chairs with wooden seats and backs are in the works.

[John Michaels]

Won't a layer of shelac interfere with the tung oil finish that is to be applied next?

I think a couple thin coats of dewaxed shellac then a little light sanding will help seal the smell and still allow the tung oil to stick.

[David Keller NC]

"I'd like to use Tung Oil (Daly's Ben Matte) which is what I'm using on the maple top. I assume if I went with a water based polyurethane it would seal the wood so well I couldn't detect that musty odor anymore."

What you're smelling is the sulfurous smell of "black liquor" that is part of the lignin waste from the paper production process. Most modern paper plants have controlled this emission to the point that it won't knock you down a few miles downwind of the plant, but the odor is usually very strong inside the plant.

The concern I might have is that the wood is still out-gassing, which -might- bubble a film finish like shellac, laquer or polyurethane.

I'd suggest setting the base outside in the sun for a few hours a day for about a week. The increased temperature may drive off a lot of any remaining volatiles, and probably reduce the smell, though it will probably be stronger while it's still warm when you bring it back into the shop each day.

Regarding the finish, if what you're using is really a tung oil mixture rather than just a thinned varnish (a lot of products that say "tung oil" don't contain any tung oil - they're just a thinned varnish or thinned varnish/polymerized soybean oil mixture), then you might not get what you want out of the oil component of the mix because it will not penetrate a sealed wooden substrate.

If the darkening that results from oil absorption into the wood is something you consider desirable, then you will want to apply the oil finish first, allow it about a week to dry/cure, then apply your shellac. Almost all other film finishes will bind to shellac, so you can then apply an alkyd varnish or a polyurethane over the shellac.

[Tom Hargrove]

I have had luck removing the musty smell by leaving wood/paper/textile items outside in the sun. I realize that sunny days are somewhat rare in the Seattle area . . ..

Another option is to have the item treated with ozone. Smoke or fire restoration contractors can do this work for you.