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PZC Chatometry

A standard system to measure wood chatoyance

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  • What is Chatoyance?
    • Curl
    • Ribbon Stripe
    • Other Figures
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  • The PZC method
    • Scale example 1
    • Scale example 2
    • Scale example 3
    • Scale example 4
  • Woods
    • Summary Table
    • Africa
      • Abura
      • Afrormosia
      • Afzelia
      • Aniegre
      • Avodire
      • Azobe
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      • Cola
      • Bubinga
      • Ebiara
      • Ebony, Gaboon
      • Etimoe
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      • Limba, Black
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      • Rosewood, Madagascar
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      • Zebrawood
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      • Alder
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      • Ash, European
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      • London Plane
      • Lime, European
      • Madrone
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      • Pine, Maritime
      • Pine, Swiss Stone
      • Pine, unspecified
      • Pear
      • Poplar
      • Spruce, Fiemme (Ciresa tonewood)
      • Walnut, European
      • Yew
    • North America
      • Ash, American White
      • Alder, Red
      • Boxelder
      • Butternut
      • Catalpa
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      • Cedar, Western Red
      • Cherry, Black
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      • Giant Sequoia
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      • Juniperus misc.
      • Koa
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      • Maple, Hard
      • Oak, Red
      • Oak, White
      • Osage Orange
      • Osage Orange, Green
      • Red Gum
      • Redwood
      • Sassafras
      • Service Tree
      • Walnut, Black
      • Willow
    • Oceania
      • Agathis
      • Australian Blackwood
      • Cedar, Australian Red
      • Eucalyptus
      • Eucalyptus Regnans
      • Eucalyptus (River Red Gum)
      • Eucalyptus (Tasmanian Oak)
      • Maple, Queensland
      • Oak, Northern Silky
      • Spotted Gum
      • Tasmanian Myrtle
      • Walnut, Queensland
    • South and Central America
      • Angelim
      • Araucaria
      • Bloodwood
      • Bocote
      • Canarywood
      • Carapa
      • Cedar, Spanish
      • Cerejeira
      • Chechen
      • Cumaru
      • Garapa
      • Goncalo Alves
      • Granadillo
      • Imbuia
      • Ipe
      • Jacareuba
      • Jatoba
      • Jequitiba
      • Katalox
      • Louro Faia
      • Louro Preto
      • Mahogany, Cuban
      • Mahogany, Honduras
      • Massaranduba
      • Osage Orange, Argentine
      • Pao Rosa
      • Peroba Rosa
      • Podocarpus
      • Primavera
      • Rosewood, Cocobolo
      • Rosewood, Honduras
      • Rosewood, Kingwood
      • Rosewood, Santos
      • Timbauba
      • Tineo
      • Ziricote
  • Case studies
    • Roasting Curly Maple
    • Epoxy resin
    • Bleaching Sapele
    • Sapwood vs Heartwood
    • Different Materials
    • Sunlight & Weather
      • Sunlight exposure on purpleheart
      • Sunlight & Weather exposure on sweet cherry
      • Sunlight exposure on field maple
      • UV light exposure
    • Finishing
      • Finishing Maple
      • Finishing Curly Maple
      • Finishing Curly Maple – part 2
      • Surface preparation on Curly Maple
      • Incremental grit and finishing on Curly Maple
      • Finishing Okoume
      • Finishing London Plane
      • Finishing Blonde European Walnut
      • Finishing European Ash
      • Finishing European Elm
    • Progressive grit sanding
    • Ultra-fine sanding
    • Raw Veneer vs fine sanded
    • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on London plane
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on Red Oak
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on European Beech
    • Mud Curing on Osage Orange
    • No. 1 – Hawaiian Koa
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      • Large GIFs 7
      • Large GIFs 8
      • Australian species
    • Wood samples
    • Fresh-cut wood
    • From firewood to PZC results
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Finishing London Plane

This set of tests is aimed at understanding the effect of different finishes on London Plane.

A set of 10 consecutive veneer sheets (from “1” to “10”) were employed, each split into two samples (“A” and “B”); therefore, all samples ending with “A” are just consecutive layers of the initial log and start from very similar PZC values; the same applies for samples “B”.

We tested these finishes:
Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO)
Blonde Dewaxed Shellac “Light” (1 part in 13 parts of Alcohol)
Blonde Dewaxed Shellac “Medium” (2 parts in 13 parts of Alcohol)
Blonde Dewaxed Shellac “Dense” (4 part in 13 parts of Alcohol)
Light dark brown dye (1 part out of 10, the remainder is Alcohol), followed by Medium Shellac.
Medium dark brown dye (1 part out of 5, the remainder is Alcohol), followed by Medium Shellac.
Dense dark brown dye (1 part out of 2, the remainder is Alcohol), followed by Medium Shellac.
Furniture restoring oil
Transparent epoxy resin
Nitrocellulose lacquer (NCL)

It was concluded that:
1) chatoyance remains quite low with clear finishes
2) chatoyance can be increased using dyes (darkening the surface)
3) sanding this veneer (even at high grit) had a negative effect on chatoyance

Tables below summarize the results:

Pictures below show the results on as-received surfaces:

As received + 3 BLO coats – PZC = 14.1
As received + 3 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 18.2
As received + 1:10 dark brown dye, then 2 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 23.7
As received + 1:5 dark brown dye, then 2 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 25.8
As received + 1:2 dark brown dye, then 2 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 24.6
As received + 2 Furniture restoring oil coats – PZC = 16.6
As received + Epoxy – PZC = 11.2
As received + 2 Nitrocellulose Lacquer (spray) coats – PZC = 16.8

Pictures below show the results on fine-sanded surfaces:

1500-grit sanding + 3 BLO coats – PZC = 13.4
1500-grit sanding + 3 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 16.9

1500-grit sanding + 1:10 dark brown dye, then 2 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 21.2

1500-grit sanding + 1:5 dark brown dye, then 2 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 22.2
1500-grit sanding + 1:2 dark brown dye, then 2 Medium Shellac coats – PZC = 20
1500-grit sanding + 2 Furniture restoring oil coats – PZC = 14.9

1500-grit sanding + Epoxy – PZC = 15.2

1500-grit sanding + 2 Nitrocellulose Lacquer (spray) coats – PZC = 17.3

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