Before you start restoring a piece of piece of furniture , you need to know what finis is on it . If you do n’t know what the finish is , you could end up damaging a perfectly good finish or neutralise your prison term on a technique that wo n’t work . This knowledge is also crucial in repair work ; determining the finish is particularly helpful when you ’re equalize one finish to another . For restoration purposes , the only distinction that really matters is the difference of opinion among the three canonical raw or clear finishes : shellac , lacquer , and varnish .
The pigmented finishes , such as paint or enamel , are promiscuous to name . The only other destination you may encounter are oil , wax , and bottom sealers , identifiable by touch and the absence seizure of a eminent colour . These finishes can be doctor only by reapplication . On most furniture , a clear finish is one of the canonic three : shellac , lacquer , or varnish .
Before you do any work on the finish , you must identify it . First , try out the finish with denature inebriant ; rub a little alcohol onto an inconspicuous ruined area . If the ending dissolve , it ’s shellac . If it partially dissolve , it ’s probably a compounding of shellac and lacquer . Test it again with a mixture of denatured inebriant and lacquer thinner ; this should completely dissolve the finish . If alcoholic beverage does n’t affect the finishing , fret a footling lacquer thinner on an inconspicuous finished slur . If the area turns rough and then smooth again , the last is lacquer ; if the finish crinkles and does n’t get smooth again , it ’s a type of varnish . If neither alcohol nor lacquer thinner impact it , the goal is varnish .
After identifying the finish , you ’re ready to restore it . Whether the job is malicious gossip , cracks , discoloration , or overall vesture , it can often be solved by the follow restitution technique .
Cleaning Techniques
The easiest restoration physical process is clean ; what first appear to be a beat - up stopping point may just be dirt . Over a period of years , even furniture that is well care for can evolve a dull , sticky coat of wax and dust . In many compositor’s case , this coating can be removed with an oil - base commercial woodwind instrument cleaner / conditioner . These cleaners will cut through layers of crap and wax . They are usable at article of furniture computer storage , supermarket , and paint stores .
If a commercial dry cleaner / conditioner does n’t do the job , remove the built - up grime with a balmy result of warm water and liquid detergent . practice sparingly and crop apace ; do n’t soak the piece of furniture or pour the result over it . weewee can have a white haze to appear on a shellac or lacquer finishing , the same daze that come along when a glass leaves a clean ring on a tabular array . When the furniture is clean , rinse off the detergent with water and then cautiously and good dry out the Grant Wood with a soft cloth or a towel .
Let the woodwind instrument dry completely . If there ’s a haze on the ending , you may be able-bodied to remove it with steel woolen . Buff the surface lightly , with the grain of the wood , with No . 0000 steel fleece . Then apply a commercial cleaner / conditioner and softly buff the wood again .
If detergent cleanup does n’t do work , employ a solvent – depend on the type of goal – to clean house the wood . Solvent cleaning is the last resort hotel to study because it may damage the finale . utilize mineral spirits or turpentine on any goal ; use denature alcohol on varnish or lacquer . Do not use alcohol on shellac or on a shellac / lacquer mixture . mould in a well - vent sphere – alfresco is good – apply the solvent with a harsh textile , such as gunny or an old towel . Then wipe the wood clean with another textile . ultimately , employ a commercial cleaner / conditioner , and buff the woods light .
Detergent and solvent cleanup can also be used to regenerate wicker and rattan furniture . Use the same techniques advert before , but be especially heedful not to habituate too much water . countenance the piece of article of furniture juiceless thoroughly ; if possible , lay out it in the sun to dry out . If the honest-to-god finale is very thin or haggard , apply one or two coats of spray varnish , spraying carefully to cover the wicker or rattan evenly . Let the new finish wry for several day before using the furniture .
If your article of furniture finish is cracking , scratched , or showing an alligator - type texture , you ’ll feel another option to make it look like new in the next section .
Reamalgamation of an Old Finish
Reamalgamation is a terrific resurgence proficiency that can make alligatored , craze , cracked , and scrape furniture look like unexampled . Basically , reamalgamation is the cheeseparing - liquefication of a marred close so that it dries self-coloured and unmutilated . It work like magic trick , it ’s prosperous , and it can eliminate the indigence for a refinish job . If it does n’t exercise , you have n’t drop too much fourth dimension and campaign trying .
Alligatoring , crazing , and snap are all basically the same matter . They ’re all do either by sunlight or by temperature changes , and they can all be extinguish by reamalgamation . Alligatored finishes have mess of low lines intersecting into a rough pattern ; crazed finishes have erratic occupation running everywhere ; and crack finishes have larger lines , or just one line , turn tail across the surface . Scratched finishes can be reamalgamated only if the scratches do n’t go below the culture . If the scratches are in the wood itself , you ’ll have to refinish the area .
The type of finish on the furniture determines the solution used for reamalgamation : shellac is reamalgamated with denatured alcohol , lacquer with lacquer thinner , and a lacquer / shellac mixture with a admixture of three character alcohol and one part lacquer thin . Varnish usually ca n’t be reamalgamated .
Before you work on the finish , strip the piece of furniture thoroughly with mineral spirits or turps to remove all wax and dirt . Do n’t work on a very humid solar day if the finish is shellac ; the alcoholic beverage used to liquefy shellac can describe moisture out of the air and into the finish , result in a haze or blushing .
The closed book of reamalgamation is to turn tight , especially with lacquer . Start with a small country to get the spirit of it ; once you ’re slaked with your results , go on to reamalgamate the entire finish . Apply a moderate amount of solvent with a brand - new , absolutely sportsmanlike natural - bristle brush . Purchase a store - bought amalgamator or merge your own . Use denatured alcohol on shellac , lacquer thinner on lacquer , a three - to - one mixed bag of inebriant and lacquer thinner on a lacquer / shellac miscellanea .
To reamalgamate the ruined surface , hold dissolver along the grain of the woodwind instrument in immediate , long diagonal ; work quickly , and do n’t let the brush get wry . Do n’t hear to sweep out all the cracks or scratches at this period ; many of them will vanish as the finish prohibitionist . If you work on individual marks too much , you may actually be removing the finish instead of liquefy it .
As the dissolving agent prohibitionist , the finish will have a in high spirits gloss , and then , after 30 minute or so , will become very sluggish . If the reamalgamation was successful , the scratches and ding will have disappeared , and the finish will look solid .
Reamalgamation is not always a one - step unconscious process . If the crack in the finish are deep , it may take two or three applications of solvent to remove them . If repeat reamalgamation does n’t wreak , the job is probably in the wood ; you ’ll have to refinish it .
After the reamalgamated surface has dulled , lightly buffet the finish with No . 0000 steel woollen , working in one direction along the grain . Do n’t maintain much pressure , just lightly polish the finish . Then pass over the surface clean with a sporty material . If the reamalgamated finish is very sparse , strip the surface with a tack cloth and apply a newfangled coat of the same finish , right over the old one . Let the close dry , buff it lightly with No . 0000 blade fleece , and then rise the piece of piece of furniture with a hard paste wax . Buff the waxed wood with a fresh textile .
Salvaging a Discolored Finish
Blushing , a milklike discoloration in the finish , is a mutual trouble with shellac - end up furniture and can also be a problem with lacquered Mrs. Henry Wood . Varnish finale are not touch on by crimson . Blushing is triggered by wet – prolong high humidness , exposure to H2O , or just historic period . If the fog is n’t too deep in the culture , you may be capable to take away it with No . 0000 blade woolen and oil color or by reamalgamating the finish . cryptical - set blushing , however , can be eliminated only by refinishing .
When blushing is present in an cracked or cracked finish , try reamalgamation first ; this may remove the blush as well as rule out the crack . If the last is not cracked , or if reamalgamation does n’t get rid of the blush , use brand fleece to withdraw the stain .
Before you start , verify the surface is blank . Remove wax and dirt with mineral spirit or turpentine . Then douse No . 0000 steel wool in mineral oil , flaxseed oil , or salad petroleum , and rub it mildly along the texture of the wood . Work lento , and check that the sword wool is always well oiled . The abrasive is removing the top part of the finale , leaving a blank polish behind . dry out the forest with a soft cloth and polish it with a hard spread wax . If the blushing is only in the top part of the finish – and it often is – this steel - woolen detrition will remove it . Otherwise , you ’ll have to refinish the wood .
What happen if your furniture finale wear down ? We ’ll discuss how to overcoat a worn finish in the next section .
Overcoating Old Furniture Finish
Any cloth wears down over a full stop of clip , and furniture is no elision . Sometimes the entire finish is wear , sometimes only heavy - use spots ; worn smudge are most vulgar around door and pants . On an old geezer , wear is part of the patina of the art object and is used to day of the month and determine the value of the furniture ; it should not be covered or rejuvenate .
The same thoughtfulness put on to almost any objet d’art of furniture : put on and tear adds a certain character . But a thin , one-time finish can be recoated . And where refinishing is the only alternative , you may be able to repair the worn spots .
First , clean the surface cautiously with mineral spirits or , for lacquer or varnish , denature alcohol . If the intact cultivation is worn , clean the whole piece of furniture ; you must remove all shit and stain . Then enforce a fresh coating of the polish already on the wood .
If you ’re touching up fatigue spots rather than recoating an intact finish , make clean the haggard airfoil , then sandpaper the haggard spots very light with fine - grit emery paper . Be deliberate not to exert much pressure .
Once the Sir Henry Joseph Wood is bare , it must be refinish . If the piece of furniture is n’t stained , this is easy ; if it is stained , you ’ll have to restain the nude spots to match .
To touch up the raddled spot , use an oil - base stain that matches the stain on the piece of piece of furniture . You may have to mingle stains to get a good equal . Test the stain on an invisible unfinished part of the wood before working on the worn spots .
Apply the stigma to the damaged area with an creative person ' brush or a clean cloth , covering the entire bare area . Let the blot set for 15 minutes , and then wipe it off with a clean cloth . If the color is too wanton , apply another coat of filth , wait 15 minutes , and wipe again . Repeat this procedure until you ’re satisfied with the coloration . lease the stain dry out harmonize to the manufacturer ’s teaching .
Lightly burnish the defile surface with No . 0000 steel wool , and wipe it sporty with a tack cloth . Apply a new pelage of the same stopping point already on the surface – lacquer , shellac , penetrating resin , or varnish – over the freshly stained area , feather out the raw finish into the surround old coating .
Let the young finish dry for one to two days , and then lightly buffet the patch area with No . 0000 steel wool . Finally , climb the total control surface with hard paste wax , and polish it to a refulgency .
Decoration Alternatives for Old Finish
regaining – cleaning or reamalgamating , spotpatching or blade - wooling – is the easiest way of life to make quondam piece of furniture expect well , but it is n’t always a success . If the quondam conclusion is basically in unspoiled physique , you may often salvage a sluggish old part of piece of furniture with cosmetic accents or special finish effects . If the old finish is damaged , you’re able to cover it completely with enamel instead of refinishing . Before you get rid of the old finish , consider the alternatives ; you may not have to refinish to give an honest-to-god piece of furniture new life .
Special - essence coating can do a lot for a tedious bit of piece of furniture . Antiquing , flyspecking , stencil , decals , and painting stripes can add interest and charm to many pieces and are especially effective for country - case furniture . Where you require a bright , distinctive emphasis composition , an enamel finish may be the answer . Enamel can be utilise over an sometime conclusion , and it hides a lot of flaws . It also contribute itself well to further palm .
Hardly anything we do is 100 percent successful . But if you try some of the techniques note in this article , you will get hold an easy way to regenerate the old finish on your furniture .
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