Padauk Chess Pieces Oxidation Solutions
The banner image above shows the bases of a few bud rosewood chess pieces. Notice the white buildup on the right-most piece. This is an oxidation problem – and it looks horrible! Without constant polishing, the oxidation will grow worse and worse – getting whiter and whiter with time. Oh … it rubs off easy enough with a soft cloth – leaving a brilliant shine; but it’s annoying to have to polish pieces with this residue before each use. The hardest pieces to polish are the Knights – especially around detailed carved notches in the mane areas. House of Staunton recommends using a thin coat of paste-wax to place a barrier layer between the surface and the air to stop the oxidation. This worked for a while, but eventually the paste wares off or gets too thin – and the problem returns. Besides that, the paste, unless buffed, can destroy the original shine.
What Causes Oxidation?
I have scoured the internet for information on why that happens. I’ve found nothing. I only have admittance that it’s being studied by CB, and has been seen in sets at HOS. This is my theory: Padauk is a wood that has a high amount of oil in it. Chess artisians make sets from purchased lots of this exotic wood. (Here’s a video demonstrating how they make these sets if you’re interested.) I believe Padauk wood should not be used until it cures. By “cures” I mean, it should be given enough time to set up that it no longer leaks oils from the pores of the wood. Perhaps there are different sections of the tree where the wood has more oil in it than other parts. There are people complaining on the internet, {not chess applications, but wood workers} that this particular type of wood can stain neighboring woods with orange or red colors – or various applied coatings – that should be clear – become stained to a red or orange color, etc … This is probably because the oils in the wood has not finished seeping out of the pores. Therefore, sometimes a chess artisan will work with a piece of wood that has not cured.
Once the piece is made, it goes though a final stage where the surface is finished to give it a shine. (BTW, seemingly, the oxidation is only seen in chess sets – and chess pieces are fairly unique with this finishing method.) The shine is obtained by burnishing the surface with a buffing compounds and wax. A buffing wheel is placed on a lathe, which has 50% cotton, and 50% polyester fibers. The wheel is loaded or primed with the compound. It comes in the form of blocks which are pressed against the spinning pad where the cotton and polyester strings pick up the compound. Next the pieces are buffed against the spinning pad; friction causes the pores of the wood to absorb the final wax. A shiny seal is formed. I believe that the oils from a non-cured piece of wood leaks through the compound, and causes the oxidation – perhaps the oils dry, evaporate, and the oxidation is the compound powder itself ???
In forums on Chess.com, some people report that “eventually the oxidation will stop after a while.” I never experience that for the larger part of a year. I suppose however long it takes for the problem to “eventually stop” may be directly related to how much oil is in the wood. But all this is all speculation on my part.
To back up this theory. I have two chess sets with Padauk wood pieces. Before I lacquered the problem set (outlined below), I used to polish the pieces with a cloth. The cloth would have red on it when I finished. If I polish the non-problem set (or even a non-problem piece) with a different cloth – no red on the cloth when I finish. I think that red is from the oils that are continuously seeping from the non-cured wood.
I do know that with my first set … I only had the problem with 8 pieces. Not all the Padauk pieces. The Knights, the Queens, the King and three particular pawns. The remaining five pawns never had the problem, as well as the bishops, and the castles. So, the problem pieces were probably made from a lot of wood that had the problem.
Stopping Oxidation
I have found a nice solution: I am using Rust-Oleum Triple Thick Glaze which you can get at a local Lowes or Home Depot store, and it will fix the issue permanently. (Krylon makes a similar product but I have not tested it yet.) This product is not a paint, and therefore should not be sprayed onto the pieces as a paint. Thinking that you should back up and use a fine-spray-mist-with-several-coats is the wrong idea. Doing that will not deliver pleasing results with a smooth finish. Think of this product as being a type of shellac, lacquer or varnish – just applied from an aerosol can. Spray it on just thick enough to see a smooth wet coat as if it were applied with a brush, but not so thick that a run or drip could form. The right amount will allow a “wetting action” to happen; basically it will self-level from redistributing itself with a slow flow. You can achieve very professional perfect finishes from this product; it’s not that hard either.
Other tips:
(1) Use a piece of paper (cardboard or whatever) to form a wall between the piece you are spraying, and pieces close to it. If the spray is able to float over to a neighboring piece, it will dry with small droplets on the surface, and will cause THAT piece to have a rough-to-the touch texture – not the smooth finish you are wanting.
(2) [This applies to the white boxwood pieces only] … If you do happen to get a slight non-uniform bump on the surface of a piece, you may opt to use 1200 grit sand paper to smooth that out and respray for touching up. However, if you sand all the way to the wood, then you will have removed the buffing compound that was used on the piece’s original finish. Triple Thick Gloss, if applied DIRECTLY TO RAW BOXWOOD without that compound layer, will dry ever-so-slightly darker … and your piece will not have a uniform color to it. Just letting you know. So, don’t sand all the way to the wood for Boxwood white pieces. It will not matter at all if you go all the way down to the wood for the dark Padauk pieces. You will not be able to tell ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL in color by reapplying directly to the wood or original surface buffed area for those pieces.
As luxury as the set was before, it now feels even more so … and there’s no more oxidation to have to clean. Permanently fixed !
Hello Richard,
I was wondering if your solution of using paste wax on the paduak pieces is still working. I am especially interested to know about the knights. I have been unable to get the oxidation out of their manes and out of the crevices of the other pieces. (It rubs off fine from the the main body of the pieces.) It seems like you would have to get it out of the manes before applying the wax. Otherwise, it would just show through the wax. I would appreciate any help/suggestions you may give.
Many thanks,
Fred
Good question… it seemed to work fine for about 2 weeks, then it stopped working. I’m now using a soft toothbrush on the Knights … best suggestion I have at the moment. I’m hopping the oxidation will become less over time (as someone said it would) but I have not noticed it being any less or more. It accumulates heavier the longer I wait to brush them with the toothbrush. Let me know.
I have revised this residue article on padaulk chess pieces with a better solution, since the paste wax solution proved to be somewhat a temporary fix. You may want to revisit the last paragraph of the article now.
thanks,
Hi Richard, I was searching for this problem as I opened a ziplock bag of budrosewood pieces put away for 3 years and some pieces were covered in this white powder. For the most part, I looked it up and they refer to it as crystallization. What got me worried as I handled a couple pieces and then started to sneeze like a mad man. That powder cannot be good. I like your method of sealing it up forever and your pieces look sharp. Problem with me is my ugs are compromised so I never play with this set. WHy I opened the bag is beyond me since anything hurts my lungs. I would spat the set as you did but cannot breathe that in in the slightest. Wish there was an easier solution as a liquid wax that could be applied with a rag. But thanks for the Rustoleum Triple tip you gave on chess.com. One of my pieces is completely covered, a pawn, as white as snow.
Sorry I just now noticed your comment. Hope this helps and that you’ll be able to enjoy your set without breathing problems.
Hello,
I was wondering if your pieces are actually padauk, and not bud rosewood?
I had a set in the past made of bud rosewood and most red pieces had oxidation problem. No I have a set made of padauk and it doesn’t have such problem.
Regards,
Andre
Andre, From what I understand, “bud rosewood”, and “blood rosewood” are both not actually rosewood at all. They both are really Padauk. This is because rosewood was becoming more and more rare, and it’s not allowed to be exported anymore. Therefore Padauk has been used for the last 10 years or so. Also, this oxidation problem only occurs with Padauk – which has a very high amount of oil in it if it’s note cured properly.
At least that’s what I believe from what I’ve been able to find out in my research. Please share anything you’ve found to the contrary. I’m quite interested.
Richard.
I’m having the same problem with my padauk sets. The easiest solution I’ve found is to buff the pieces with a used toothbrush as needed, which gets into all the crevices.
Thanks for commenting on this problem. I have been having the same problem with many of my “blood rosewood” pieces. I had noticed one of the boxes they were shipped in was labeled “padauk”. When I called HOS about this, they stated it was indeed padauk and that they simply liked to call it blood rosewood due to its deep reddish color, so I believe it is correct what was previously stated, that the pieces sold as bud rosewood or blood rosewood are actually padauk.
I had been polishing the problem pieces with a thin handkerchief. The cloth was thin enough that I could insert my thumbnail into it and reach back into the crevices and run my thumb around them to remove the white residue since those hard-to-reach places still left the pieces unsightly if not completely cleaned, even after polishing the more accessible areas. This seemed to work effectively, so I didn’t get to the toothbrush solution, which was going to be my next try if that didn’t work. With several sets of these pieces, and the residue starting to visibly accumulate again within as little as two or three weeks, it has been a painstaking and time-consuming process to keep up with it all. After three years, I still see no sign of the oxidation slowing down. I had contacted HOS about this problem. They simply asked what the humidity levels were and said that a white dust could sometimes form on padauk. I’m not sure what effect humidity levels would have (they are kept out of direct sunlight and in an air conditioned environment, though outdoors is generally a quite warm and humid environment). I replied but after several days have not yet gotten any further response back and this is the first place I’ve even been able to find this problem addressed. However, I’m somewhat reluctant to try the solution suggested, since I don’t have enough confidence in my skills to try spraying something onto these expensive pieces and chance ruining them. I wouldn’t want to have to try sanding them down and re-finishing them unless they were already in horrible shape, so I will probably just keep on with the tortuous polishing to see if the oxidation eventually slows down, unless another solution turns up. I’ve also been reluctant to try polishing them with an oil such as linseed oil, for fear of darkening or changing the color. If anyone comes up with successful solutions aside from spraying the pieces, please post them. It was at least comforting to know that others have run into this same problem (misery loves company).
Greeting Ken , Thanks for sharing. You’re confirming this is a popular problem. I understand your reluctance in trying to spray on just the right amount evenly on such numerous small items.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
Hello Richard,
I got a response back from HoS, though they just sent an attachment from their website giving general advice for care of their new wooden chess pieces, rather than addressing the unique problems of the padauk pieces that I was asking about. It contained the same paste wax recommendation that you had mentioned. I may eventually try your solution if the oxidation doesn’t slow down, as at least half my padauk pieces have this problem to a greater or lesser extent, some very severely affected. I’m guessing that the reddish color that comes off on the cloth from some of the pieces when cleaned may simultaneously be causing the pieces themselves to gradually darken and lose some of the “blood red” color over time, while the oxidation is occurring.
One possible solution I had been considering trying is one I read about many years ago in an outdoors magazine, for fixing a leaky fishing lure that absorbed water: coat it with clear fingernail polish, which is waterproof. I’m wondering if simply brushing on a waterproof varnish or clear lacquer (rather than spraying) might work as well. However, I haven’t yet had the courage to experiment with trying that either.
Regards,
Ken
Ken … if you do decide the fingernail polish ( or even my solution ) … I would suggest practice first on something else than your set. Get a feel for how it will go. The spray method is pretty quick … you can do 1/2 the pieces at a time. Space them about 5 or 6 inches apart. Go down the front … then the back. Let dry in a dust free environment. The fingernail polish idea will take a long time. One piece at a time. Be patient.
Thank you. Yes, the spray method sounds like it will be much faster and easier if done correctly.
Great writeup, thank you! How far away from the piece did you spray the glaze? Can you give a quick explanation of the method you used? i.e. did you make a “pass” and spray a piece back and forth a couple of times or just hold it in front of the piece and spray, etc.
Hi Richard, I was all set to pull the trigger on a padauk set when I came across your excellent video and now this page. Thanks for the info! Though your set looks amazing, I’m not a big fan of high gloss particularly for the set I have in mind. So unless the House of Staunton can give guarantees, I’ll be choosing the ebony version instead.
Sounds good. You can’t go wrong with that decision. Thanks for the comment.
As a further follow-up, I now seem to gradually be experiencing less of an oxidation problem with the earlier padauk pieces. I have just kept cleaning them off with a soft cloth. I have read that some lacquers can darken over time or can eventually turn brownish over years, so didn’t want to chance using a wrong lacquer, or my untested spraying skills. I’ve purchased padauk sets subsequently from certain sellers from whom I haven’t experienced this problem (they either must use cured wood or it’s been sealed properly). I’ve also gotten some sets from artisans who offer a lacquered option at extra expense. They do indeed look glossier, but to me even more luxurious. I haven’t yet had any problem with these sets. I also often get the same sets in ebony, but find the padauk to be much more beautiful and attractive, showing the unique grains of the wood, and so well worth the possible inconvenience of a few pieces that might exhibit this problem for awhile. Getting the padauk pieces lacquered up front seems very worthwhile. I don’t find them to be too shiny. Even the buffed and polished ebony pieces are somewhat shiny. Though I don’t get those lacquered, the lacquer on the padauk just makes them somewhat more shiny. Well worth it to eliminate the possible oxidation hassle on a few pieces. Playing only with ebony pieces would just become too boring and uninteresting after awhile. I haven’t found anything that can compete with the beauty, rarity and allure of the reddish colored padauk.
Can any of you who have owned or still own a set of blood rosewood pieces tell me if they naturally darkened over time? I read somewhere that blood rosewood (Paduak) will darken over a few years time, and in some cases to the point of being very dark in color, losing the red tone.
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Mine are red, but dark from the beginning. They are the same shade as when I first purchased them. But I store them in a coffer.
I haven’t noticed any change in color yet, though it’s still no more than 4 or 5 years on the oldest sets. They already seemed somewhat dark initially, especially at night under overhead artificial lighting. They looked more reddish when turned sideways so the light would reflect directly from the sides. It’s also possible that lacquering them might make them appear slightly darker, though shinier at the same time. I’m still not 100% sure about that, though I subsequently read the same remark made by someone else who had gotten a lacquered set. I have gotten sets buff polished only that never had the oxidation problem. No padauk sets from Staunton Castle ever had this problem, though I’m not sure what process they use, whether sealed somehow or not, as some from them seem to have somewhat a shinier, more lacquered look, even on the boxwood pieces. Perhaps I was just lucky or maybe they used cured wood. I think I’ve read in articles by expert woodworkers that padauk might take 10 years or more to cure properly. I’ve experienced the oxidation problem in some padauk sets received from Chess Bazaar and House of Staunton. I started ordering the lacquered option when offered (about $30 extra), which is probably well worth it if you’re not sure how well you can do it yourself. Most don’t offer this option, though. I’ve not yet experienced an oxidation problem on any lacquered sets, though I also have a couple buff polish sets that never developed the problem. Sometimes it is only a few pieces so affected, but my worst experience with oxidation was a Monza set from HOS that had 70-90% of the padauk pieces affected, some worse than others, and it would come back every 2-3 weeks after being wiped off. I’m still not sure if it is a haze left from the buff polish after oils from the wood emerge and dry, but I have sometimes noticed a bit of a reddish stain on the cloth being used to clean them, so suspect this may actually cause the wood to darken over time if the red color continues to leach out, though it’s not noticeable to me yet. I’ve also noticed the same strange powder-like white oxidation form on some old fishing lures in a tackle box over a period of time. Those were made of plastic I think, so I’m not sure if it is something similar, maybe a kind of mildew (though white instead of black) caused simply by the humidity on certain things or is something coming out of the plastic. Again, it only seems to be on certain lures, but can become a very thick white layer and rubs off the same way. Very strange. With the chess pieces I have only experienced it on the padauk pieces, but strangely never on a chessboard made with padauk, even when seemingly not lacquered or laminated. Padauk is also called Blood Rosewood, Bud Rosewood, Red Bud Rosewood, etc. by different sellers. It is nice to have some sets not lacquered, as some do not like the pieces so shiny, but it will be a gamble as to whether there will be an oxidation problem. The lacquer does make the set appear shinier and more luxurious, though I prefer sometimes to have the buff polish option. I got the Indian Chetak set and CB Blackburne sets from Chess Bazaar in padauk in buff polish only, without ever having oxidation, but do notice it on a Dubrovnik set. It is starting to possibly lessen over time on some sets. I also usually keep them in coffers or wood storage boxes. Oxidation seemed to possibly happen more quickly when the pieces were left out on a board, though I never leave them in direct sunlight. I’m sure I’ve gotten too many sets – that’s probably why I haven’t gotten another car in over 22 years – but don’t regret since I think I get more pleasure from playing with and admiring the sets than I would from driving a newer car. Richard, that was a nice Dubrovnik set you got as a bonus that I saw in a pic on your website – that style was Bobby Fischer’s favorite set. I don’t think anyone often gives such nice free bonuses anymore (probably worth at least $200 in itself nowadays), and you’re right, the cost of wooden chess sets and boards has gone way up in the last 20-30 years.
It just occurred to me that possibly the oxidation is some type of mold (since white) that thrives on the moisture from oils coming out of uncured padauk. I wish some chemist would analyze it and give a definitive answer.
I believe too it comes from uncured padauk. It would be great to see someone analyze the white powder. The last time I had my set out two wipe clean the white powder I had an upper respiratory iritation for the following couple of days.
Not one manufacturer in india will say where it comes from. If all Padauk did it naturally then all the pieces would have it,and we know that is not true.
What did you do to protect the bottom soft felt from getting the laquer on them?
Much thanks
It really doesn’t run … the pieces slide smoothly … there’s no scratchy sliding during moves. I really didn’t do anything. Spraying from an aerosol can just puts a small glaze on the pieces. See my YouTube video for a little more detail covered there.
Actually, looking at my pieces, the base is tapered back smaller. So the felt on my pieces are somewhat hidden naturally from the sprayed midst a little. I did spray straight on, but with respect to the base, the spray was at a slight downward angle – therefore the spray never hit the felt.