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| There's not much value in a perfect finish if your piece is suffering advanced structural problems. The bottom line: Is it worth the effort to save a pig in a poke? |
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Chances are, there are some pieces around your house whose finish could benefit from some attention. You'll need to decide first whether or not they are worth salvaging at all, and then choose between two options: saving and restoring the finish, or stripping it off and refinishing.
Rejected
In most cases, it is not an abysmal finish that will deter you, but rather advanced structural problems. Peeled veneer, missing parts or poorly repaired joinery make some pieces not worth the effort to save, even if they were refinished.
While refinishing is always an option, it is wise to remember that thick, multiple layers of paint are messy and time-consuming to remove. Before you start, carefully scrape the finish off a small area to see if beautiful wood hides below, then wet the scraped area with water or mineral spirits to see the wood's true color and figure.
Almost all finishes will come off, though not necessarily easily. Watch out for thick, plastic-looking clear coats, like those used for decoupage and some bar tops. They will resist most chemical strippers, and sanding them off may result in more damage than the job is worth. Milk paint, a durable, traditional coating, is also impervious to most strippers, but can be removed with either lye or special milk paint strippers. The bottom line is often "Is it really worth that much effort to save a pig in a poke?" If it is, Real Milk Paint Company (800-339-9748) has a stripper, as does Behlen (PDE Paint Remover), available at Rockler or Woodcraft.
Restore It
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| White rings from water marks often will disappear when you clean the surface and remove the old wax. If they don't, dampen a cotton cloth with denatured alcohol and gently wipe the area. |
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| If your finish is in pretty good shape, try some 0000 steel wool dipped into paste wax, and rub back and forth in the direction of the grain. |
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Many pieces, including most kitchen cabinets, are clear finishes over stain. If the finish is intact and not peeling, and there are no huge bare areas, you can usually restore what is there. That can include cleaning, removing white rings, rubbing out minor scratches, touching up serious ones, filling dings or even adding extra finish. You may have to do some or all of these steps, pretty much in that order.
- Cleaning Up: Clean the finish first. Use mild soap and water for gentle cleaning, or graduate to TSP in water or mineral spirits to remove old wax and greasy or heavy dirt. In tough cases, use fine (0000) steel wool to help dislodge the dirt. You'd be surprised at how often a good cleaning is all that is needed, in which case you can go directly to rub (below) to restore the sheen.
- White Rings: White rings caused by water marks often come out when you clean the surface and remove old wax. If they don't, simply wipe them with a cotton cloth dampened with denatured alcohol. The cloth should be damp, not soaked. Damp means "about as wet as a healthy dog's nose." Alcohol may degloss the finish, in which case, move on to the next step.
- Rub: If the finish is in good shape, but has merely lost some of its sheen to minor surface scratches, rub it. For a satin luster, use 0000 steel wool dipped into paste wax and rub back and forth in the direction of the grain to impart a series of fine, uniform scratches. Wipe off the excess wax immediately, or let it dry and buff it off for a slightly shinier surface. For gloss finishes, use rubbing and polishing compounds from the automotive store.
- Touchup: Now that it's clean, you'll see all the little nicks and scratches where color is missing. Your local woodworking specialty or hardware store will stock several different brands of touchup markers in a range of wood colors. They look like normal felt-tip markers, and work the same way. Simply color in the light sections of scratches or edges where the finish has rubbed through. It's a good idea to buy several colors close to what you think you will need, and use whatever matches best, including combinations.
In the same section, you'll also find wax fill sticks that look like crayons in woodtone colors. Use them to fill in small dings and nicks. Rub the crayon over the defect until it fills up, then scrape off the excess with the edge of a credit card to leave a smooth, flat surface.
French Polish
The classic way to rejuvenate a clear finish on a fine antique is with French polish. Describing both the finish and the method of applying it, French polish involves applying thin coats of shellac with a cloth pad. Behlen (sold in many wood specialty stores) and Mohawk (sold online and through distributors) offer several versions of pre-mixed, ready-to-use French polish under names like Qualasole™, Rapid Pad, Lacover®, and Lac French. This beautiful shellac finish is great for fairly gentle wear, but on the down side, it is neither heat nor alcohol resistant. Additionally, it it does take some skill and practice to get a nice surface.
Overcoat
Finishes that are wearing thin can be recoated to add another layer (or two) of protection and many more years of wear. Almost any finish can be recoated with more of the same, but if you don't know what is on already, there are still several safe options.
After cleaning, lightly sand the surface with 320 grit paper. Avoid sanding through the color, or you'll have extra touchup to do. Zinsser SealCoat™ is a good first step, as it will bond to any finish, and any coating, including waterbased ones, can go over it. Apply one coat as a clear primer, or add several to give you a classic shellac finish. Oil-based polyurethane can also go over any finish, including SealCoat, and is more durable. Painting is another option.
Refinish
When all else fails, refinish, but first, make sure it's appropriate. If you suspect you have a valuable antique, have a conservator or appraiser look at it. Stripping very old pieces can detract substantially from their value. But painted yard sale windfalls and battered, but sturdy, household pieces have a new life awaiting them once the stripper does its job.
I find it easiest to remove many layers of old paint by using a combination of methods. Start with a heat gun to get the bulk of the gunk off quickly and easily, then graduate to a semi-paste paint remover to get the remainders out of the corners and moldings. For thin, single coats of paint or clear finishes, go straight to the chemical stripper. Either method is easier, and safer, than trying to sand off a finish, which will destroy patina, leave previously stained wood mottled and may cause you to abrade through thin veneers.
One word of warning is in order, and that word is "lead." Until 1978, lead was commonly used in house paint. If you suspect the piece is old enough to have lead-based paint on it, DO NOT sand the finish, and DO NOT use a heat gun on it. Chemical stripping is safer, but make sure the stripping gunk is allowed to harden and dry before disposing of it. For guidelines on removing lead paint safely, contact HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control at 202-755-1785.
Sometimes, removing layers of old paint reveals beautiful wood underneath. Then again, you might find a chair made from mismatched lumber never meant to sport a clear finish, and even staining won't hide its piebald appearance. Don't worry; you can always resort to repainting it, and this time you get to choose a color you like.