Forum Message
| From | Message |
| Robert Oct 14, 2004 15:21:34 | Dining room table I recently used some Circa 1850 furniture cleaner to remove some wax called Briwax that I applied to my ash dining room table to protect it. The wax left a cloudy look not the satin gloss finish I have on my hutch which I did not wax with Briwax. The cleaner was applied as to instuctions on the can, hand rubbed with a soft cloth well moistened with the cleaner, then wiped off with another cloth slightly moistened to pick up any remaining buildup.The result was a blotchy dull finish with some areas still shiny. I added the Circa 1850 lemon oil after hoping the lemon oil would leave a even shine but the result was basicly the same. The table is about seventeen years old and I think the finish is lacquer but not sure. I had some water marks from a hot object placed on it and removed this by med steel wool and oil rubbed until the mark disappeared. Despertly need help. |
| Mark Oct 14, 2004 15:22:43 | RE: Dining room table What I believe has happened is that the solvents from the Briwax have partially dissolved the underlying lacquer finish. Briwax contains some very aggressive solvents and should not be used on certain types of finishes. If the finish is damaged to the point where even a coat of Lemon Oil does not leave a uniform shine, you will probably have to remove the finish. The lacquer can be completely removed by using Circa 1850 Furniture Stripper. An alternative method to stripping is to try to reconstititute the finish using Circa 1850 Furniture Refinisher. The refinisher will dissolve the old lacquer and reapply it uniformly the surface. It requires a bit more patience than the furniture stripper to achieve a nice finish. Please let me know which method you prefer and then I can run through your finishing alternatives for you. In the future, you may want to switch waxes to a higher quality, lower solvent wax such as Antiquax. It will not damage any finishes and it is also the wax that most museums in Britain use on their furniture. |
| Robert Oct 14, 2004 15:35:42 | RE: Dining room table Mark, Thank you for your immediate reply concerning the problem with the dull, blotchy finish on my dining room table that you felt was caused by the Briwax I applied.I found the Briwax was very hard to buff up after application and had to use a automotive buffer.The result was not the shine I was told I would get by the merchant that sold me the wax. Anyway, I used the Circa 1850 cleaner one more time but the result was a overall dull finish except for some shiny spots around the perimiter of the table only visable with light shining from a window. After using the cleaner, is the finnish supposed to be dull? Would using the cleaner with steel wool matter at this stage or is my only recourse refinishing or stripping? How can I tell if the finish is lacquer? I was told that most finishes on furniture over the last twenty years were sprayed on lacquer. I would prefer to refinnish the table rather than a full stripping of the finnish as I am not sure with my limmited skills on the outcome of matching colour and a nice smooth lacquer finish free of brush strokes. Sorry for all the questions at this time but my skills concerning finishing furniture are quite limmited.Thanking you in advance Robert |
| Mark Oct 14, 2004 15:36:32 | RE: Dining room table Furniture Cleaner will remove the wax, polish, dirt and grime from the table. However, since the Briwax affected the underlying finish that is what will be left when the cleaner is done its work. Using steel wool, with or without the cleaner, will remove some of the finish. With coarse steel wool (or sandpaper) you are achieving the same as you would with stripping - that is, removing the finish. You can test the finish to see if it is a lacquer by applying some acetone (nail polish remover) or Furniture Refinisher to the surface. If the finish softens you have a lacquer. If not, it may still be a lacquer but one that is catalyzed and will need to be stripped. |
| Robert Oct 14, 2004 15:37:26 | RE: Dining room table Dear Mark, Sorry for the delay in replying to your last E- Mail. I was in contact with the manufacturer of my dining room table and found out that the finish on the table was done with a wiping stain, shaded, sanded and final finished with a catalyzed laquer. I am confused as to what a wiping stain "shaded" means and could you explain also what a catalyzed laquer is and if stripping it also removes the stain or colour? Can I refinish the table myself, and if so could you guide me on the process? Robert |
| Mark Oct 14, 2004 15:38:37 | RE: Dining room table The manufacturers applied a wiping stain as the first step. This gave them a base colour. The shading probably refers to a spray lacquer stain that was applied on top of the original stain to obtain the final colour. Most modern lacquers are catalyzed to provide a tougher finish. Pre-catalyzed (the catalyst is in the can) lacquers are not as durable as post-catalyzed (the catalyst is added right before application) lacquers. Stripping will remove the lacquer finish as well as the lacquer stain. Depending on the type of wiping stain that was used, as the amount of scrubbing that you do while stipping, some the the underlying stain will also be removed. I think the directions for the strippers on the site do a good job of detailing the procedure. If you have any specific questions, please ask. |
| Kai Oct 14, 2004 15:39:04 | RE: Dining room table We have an ash dining table circa 1950. I damaged it by not protecting it well enough from the heat of an iron I was using to press pants. Apparently the finish softened and picked up some of the threads of the lowest cloth in the padding. As well, an area around the embedded threads was whitened and roughened. We called a 'refinisher' who recommended stripping the surface, sanding, and re-lacquering it. On stripping and sanding the suface was beautiful. The grain colors came out very well with great variation. He then re-lacquered the surface with at least 3-5 coats which he sprayed on. When he delivered the top the surface appeared slightly curdled and unsmooth. He wants to restrip it and spray lacquer it again. At this point we are loathe to allow him to do this and would like some advice on how to proceed. Having had experience refinishing teak and mahogany aboard yachts using varnishes, sealers, penitrants, and oils I wonder if the ash should have finishes brushed on, or whether spray application is a good way to go. The original finish was a semi-matte that did not get in the way of the natural color or grain. We would like it restored to its original luster and smoothness. We'd appreciate any advice you have. Thank you. Kai |
| Mark Oct 14, 2004 15:40:19 | RE: Dining room table It sounds as though the REFINISHER did not apply the lacquer properly. Why would he deliver the table to you if it was not done correctly? I would not use that person if he does not take pride in his work. Can you get you money back from him? You may want to have him restrip the lacquer only. Some finishes can be brushed, some sprayed and some both. True lacquers must be sprayed because they dry too quickly to apply by brush. Most professionals spray on lacquers because they dry quickly - you can apply 5 coats in an hour or two. A conventional lacquer is not a very good finish for a dining room table as it can be affected by certain chemicals and can chick easily. A catalyzed lacquer would be a better choice if spraying. The lacquer finish can easily be removed using Circa 1850 Furniture Stripper. You can then use a good quality varnish to protect the table. For dining room tables I would recommend either Antique Paste Varnish (applied with a rag) or Bowling Alley Polyurethane (applied with a brush). |
| Kai Oct 14, 2004 15:40:46 | RE: Dining room table Mark, Thanks for your advice. We called another refinisher who came out to look at the piece without charge. Bottom line: he advised us to give the original guy another chance. The original guy is coming tomorrow to pick up the piece and redo it, all without cost to us. He did try to blame the bad job on our distraction of him during his first spray coat. I attribute that to an attempt to save face, more than anything. We'll see how it comes out. |
| Gary Feb 28, 2005 21:24:00 | RE: Dining room table I have a table top made of a plank of zebra wood. There is a white stain (probably from water damage) and a black stain caused by a penny left on the table top. I want to strip the finish which is on the wood now and start over. Which of your products would you suggest? |
| A Mar 11, 2005 09:37:23 | Oak Table I have recently purchased a damaged oak table that I would like to restore. It has strips of wood over it like a mini hard wood floor...I don''t know if that is a veneer or not? Anyway, the finish is flaky and worn off all over, as well there are paint spots on it etc. I would like to sand it and refinish...what do you suggest I do? Should I sand first? |
| Natalie Apr 09, 2005 21:31:15 | RE: Dining room table I have just used the Circa 1850 Furniture Refinisher on a 1915 Oak tabletop. The table is much cleaner but has a dull finish. I would like to know what steps I should take to even out the colour and increase the shine. can I use the stain and varnish over top of the existing finish??? |
| Mark Apr 11, 2005 09:35:25 | RE: Dining room table You can certainly use another finish over that which you have just refinished. |
| Leigh Killen May 04, 2005 17:51:04 | RE: Dining room table I have inherited a dining room table that has a high gloss finish on top. I really like the table but would prefer a more matte finish. Can you let me know how to remove a high gloss sheen and replace it with a more matte finish. Thanks Leigh |
| Mark May 04, 2005 17:56:46 | RE: Dining room table You have two options. 1. Buff the surface lightly with steel wool or sandpaper until the finish is less glossy. 2. Buff the surface lightly with steel wool or sandpaper and apply fresh coat of a satin or matte finish |
| leslie Sep 04, 2012 01:57:16 | RE: Dining room table we have a beautiful light oak kitchen table it shows scratches and is dulling. anything to use to shine it again? |
| Mark Sep 04, 2012 08:59:08 | RE: Dining room table If you are just looking for something quick, you can clean the surface with Circa 1850 Furniture Cleaner and apply a coat of Antiquax Original Wax Polish. For something more permament, you might want to give Circa 1850 Antique Past Varnish a try. It will give a low lustre finish, fill in your scratches, and protect against water, alcohol and heat. |
| Carolyn Apr 27, 2014 16:11:02 | What an amazing and helpful guy! Hi I am reading these posts now in 2014 (they are from 2004) as I am trying to polish-up a lovely 1928 Mummenthaler and Meier "desk in a Box" that I found beat up in a 2cd hand store. I don't know if you still give advice, but I loved reading your answers. You know everything and have been so kind to help everyone! I used lemon oil that I bought from TKMax and now am worried that I have absorbed toxins, I didn't know about the solvents! I should have just used a wax I guess. Anyway it looks nice, but could use a bit more shine in my opinion, and the wood has bits of damage. It has that beautiful zebra wood on the front, I wanted to make that really shiny (not too glossy, but bring out the fantastic wood grain). Sorry to bother you, I thought you were great. thanks, Carolyn |
| Mark Apr 27, 2014 17:36:37 | RE: Dining room table Carolyn, It sounds like a great find. You have many different choices, depending on how much work you are willing to do. The full treatment, which is what I would do, would be to remove all the polish, dirt and finish, repair the damage, and apply a new finish. That will give you a piece that will look like new (if that makes sense for an antique). The first step would be to use Circa 1850 Furniture Stripper to gently remove all the old finish. If the full treatment is too much trouble, you can give it a good cleaning and spruce up the finish. You would start by using Circa 1850 Furniture Cleaner to remove the lemon oil, as well as any buildup of dirt or wax. After cleaning, a hand-rubbed coat of Antique Danish Oil would give you a beautiful, rich finish. You could then apply some Antiquax as the finish step for added protection and shine. |
| Clare Jul 13, 2014 08:20:42 | chest of drawers Hi I have an antique mahogany chest of drawers. It has been in the garage for a few years and has got some slight water damage to the top. I used boiled linseed oil with wire woool to clean the wood an this removes the blemishes. Overall the chest of drawers look uniform and the danish oil brought out the patina. However it looked dull. I have used briwax but it still looks dull. Am I just being too impatient and need to give the wood another buff or do you think the briwax may have reacted with the original finish? Not sure what the original finish was. I did try a bit of colron french polish in a corner but this also seemed to just make the wood dull |
| Mark Jul 13, 2014 09:30:45 | RE: Dining room table If I understand, you used Boiled Linseed Oil to hide some water damage. Did you also use Danish Oil? If so, what Danish Oil and how did you apply it? Do not apply Briwax or French Polish. |
| Heather Nov 18, 2022 23:03:22 | Re: Dining room table Hi there, Mark! I fell in love with this dining table…well everything except the color :) So I stripped, sanded, bleached using my own 2 part concoction, neutralized, and applied liming wax. It was a massive undertaking but I am so so happy with how it’s turning out. I have no idea how old this table is or what kind of wood it’s made of (this is one of my very first projects of this type). Anyhow, everything looks and feels fantastic, but I’m stuck on my last step for how to seal it. I’ve read not to use polyurethane over wax, but also found a couple of online DIYers who used a similar process to mine and said it was fine. Or do I top it off with clear briwax…Any advice on sealing this table is welcomed and appreciated. I’m hoping for a matte finish that is durable enough to use daily. I am a smidge embarrassed to post this question because, as I said, I’m so inexperienced and feel like I may have already messed up! Thanks! |
| Mark Nov 19, 2022 10:43:08 | Re: Dining room table It sounds like you put a lot of work into this project. Congratulations! Using wax as a finish is problematic though. Wax is protective against ambient temperature water, but that is about it. It will be damaged by many liquids as well as warm temperatures. It can even be degraded from the oils on your skin. Unfortunately, wax will also prevent most finishes from properly curing, so you must remove the wax prior to applying any varnish, including polyurethane. You can use use Circa 1850 Furniture Cleaner (or similar) to completely remove the wax. For a durable finish, I recommend a water, alcohol and heat resistant finish such as Circa 1850 Antique Paste Varnish, or Circa 1850 Bowling Alley Polyurethane. |