How to use a new board?
horace ho
Hello,
This is the second time I ask this question. (The answer I got
months ago is lost, sorry.)
I have a new Go board, which is covered with a layer of wax-like
material. How could I remove it? Or should I leave it as is?
Thanks very much
horace
Jeffrey Newmiller
horace ho (hora...@geocities.com) wrote:
[...]
: I have a new Go board, which is covered with a layer of wax-like
Leave as-is. Take it off, and the wood may start to dry out.
If the board is portable, I would recommend making a soft cloth
cover/carrying case to help keep dirt from getting ground into the wax.
--
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the Robot Vegetable
horace ho <hora...@geocities.com> wrote:
: I have a new Go board, which is covered with a layer of wax-like
: material. How could I remove it? Or should I leave it as is?
I say remove it. Take the board to Togo and place it in full
sunlight. Every other day, gently rub it with a cloth that has
been soaked in hot water for several minutes. It is important
not to rush the process or you may damage the board.
veg
David Bogie
Horace,
Dude, print it this time, eh?
That molten wax was likely put on with a brush at the board factory. It
can be very thick. In theory, it helps to protect the wood from all
evils while the board is in storage or transit.
Removing it requires several furniture-quality polishing cloths and
plenty of care, augmented with a lot of elbow grease. Because it has
been applied so thickly, the wax must be melted with friction before it
will be absorbed into a soft cloth. Do this *carefully* because if you
get any grit between your cloth and the board you will scratch the holy
crap out of your beautiful new board.
On my katsura (maybe hiba? — can’t read the Japanese!) board I used an
electric buffer (the kind one might use on a fine automobile to wax the
finish), with the most expensive and softest wool pad I could find, set
on slow speed. Took about fifteen minutes and the results were lovely.
There seems to be a very thin layer of wax left or it was absorbed by
the wood.
Ishi Press once sold a “go board oil” product. I’ve never used this
stuff so I don’t know if the oil could have been used to remove the
protective wax coating. Some furniture care products will cut wax but
they’re not recommended for go boards. If I remember correctly, Ishi’s
catalogs said that the little bottle of go board oil would care for two
or three hundred boards for decades.
Since you haven’t removed the wax from your board yet, you’ve probably
noticed that your stones are covered with a dirty wax film. Washing and
caring for stones is another rant.
yers,
David Bogie
(The Boise Go Club meets at Borders Books, Monday evenings. Come early
and steal a table from the cheess club!)
horace ho wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> This is the second time I ask this question. (The answer I got
> months ago is lost, sorry.)
>
> I have a new Go board, which is covered with a layer of wax-like
> material. How could I remove it? Or should I leave it as is?
>
> Thanks very much
> horace
Roy Schmidt
Bogie-san wrote:
> horace ho wrote:
> > I have a new Go board, which is covered with a layer of wax-like
> > material. How could I remove it? Or should I leave it as is?
> That molten wax was likely put on with a brush at the board factory. It
> can be very thick. In theory, it helps to protect the wood from all
> evils while the board is in storage or transit.
> Removing it requires several furniture-quality polishing cloths and
> plenty of care, augmented with a lot of elbow grease. Because it has
> been applied so thickly, the wax must be melted with friction before it
> will be absorbed into a soft cloth. Do this *carefully* because if you
> get any grit between your cloth and the board you will scratch the holy
> crap out of your beautiful new board.
> On my katsura (maybe hiba? — can’t read the Japanese!) board I used an
> electric buffer (the kind one might use on a fine automobile to wax the
> finish), with the most expensive and softest wool pad I could find, set
> on slow speed. Took about fifteen minutes and the results were lovely.
> There seems to be a very thin layer of wax left or it was absorbed by
> the wood.
This is great technique. This should be in the FAQ.
> Ishi Press once sold a “go board oil” product. I’ve never used this
> stuff so I don’t know if the oil could have been used to remove the
> protective wax coating. Some furniture care products will cut wax but
> they’re not recommended for go boards. If I remember correctly, Ishi’s
> catalogs said that the little bottle of go board oil would care for two
> or three hundred boards for decades.
No, that oil won't take off the wax. For go boards, remember to use
vegetable-based oils only. The oil should be used sparingly, and only
about
once a year. Once you have the wax off, keep the board away from direct
sunlight
and any heat sources, like radiators and such. In dry weather (like
winter in Canada)
keep the board in a small closet with an open container of water
nearby. Keep it
wrapped or covered when not in use.
> Since you haven’t removed the wax from your board yet, you’ve probably
> noticed that your stones are covered with a dirty wax film. Washing and
> caring for stones is another rant.
There are two camps: the washees and the no-washees :)
==========================================================
Roy Schmidt, PhD | Go
Assistant Professor | for
University of Science & Technology | Go!
Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong |
http://www.bi.ust.hk/~schmidt/index.html
Roy Schmidt
the Robot Vegetable wrote:
>
> horace ho <hora...@geocities.com> wrote:
> : I have a new Go board, which is covered with a layer of wax-like
> : material. How could I remove it? Or should I leave it as is?
>
> sunlight. Every other day, gently rub it with a cloth that has
> been soaked in hot water for several minutes. It is important
> not to rush the process or you may damage the board.
Argh!! I hope this stuff about sunlight and wet cloth is all a joke!
Richard Smith
David Bogie wrote:
>
> ----snip----
> Ishi Press once sold a “go board oil” product.
> If I remember correctly, Ishi’s
> catalogs said that the little bottle of go board oil would care for two
> or three hundred boards for decades.
I guess they stopped selling it when the go oil market became saturated :)
Richard Smith