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Refinishing sewing machine cabinet
I just bought a treadle sewing machine, and I'd like to repair the damaged finish on the cabinet. It isn't one of those Antiques Roadshow treasures where the expert shakes his head reprovingly and says, "It would be worth more if you hadn't restored it." There are plenty of White treadle machines around. This one is from 1906.
The finish on the flat (solid wood?) sections is crackled.
The bent-wood sections are veneered with tiger oak, and the finish is like dark bumps. It's as though the finish beaded up, leaving the wood between bumps without stain or shine.
Should I remove the existing finish completely--or just soften and redistribute it? It dissolves with lacquer thinner (mineral spirits, denatured alcohol, and paint remover had no effect). The veneer is intact, but I don't know if lacquer thinner would cause delamination.
Janet
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If it dissolves with lacquer (post #169695, reply #1 of 14)
If it dissolves with lacquer thinner, the paint remover would have removed it. But your idea of using lacquer thinner (much cheaper than products like Formby's refinisher, is a decent idea. You would be reamalgamating the old finish. If can give a considerably refreshed look. Lacquer thinner would not be likely to delaminate the veneer. It might reveal veneer delaminating from other causes, but shouldn't contribute to the problem. The other alternatives would be more likely to cause damage. Paint stripper usually is OK with veneer, but at least as risky of revealing problems as the lacquer thinner, and sanding (a horrible idea) has a high probablity of sanding through veneer.
Test your finish on scrap, FIRST, or risk having to scrap your finish.
"Paint remover" was a (post #169695, reply #5 of 14)
"Paint remover" was a mistake; I should have written "paint thinner."
While carting the sewing machine home, I stopped at Woodcraft and asked their advice. One employee thought using chemicals on the finish was a bad idea and recommended sanding it down to the veneer. I bought the sandpaper but haven't used it.
Janet
Refresh (post #169695, reply #2 of 14)
I would completely refinish - that's me. However you can clean and refresh. Amalgamation may be ok if only the finish is crazed but you might be dealing with soil, dirt, stains, faded areas, moisture cracks, etc. If that's the case - I would clean, lightly sand and wipe on padding shellac to bring back the luster,
SA
I am tempted to refinish it, (post #169695, reply #3 of 14)
I am tempted to refinish it, just to have the experience. For the same reason, I would like to try creating a French polish--but I guess a sewing machine cabinet is too large and has too many crevices for that.
"Padding shellac" is new to me. Is that like a simpler version of French polish?
Since the existing finish appears to be lacquer, couldn't I use that?--or lacquer a less desirable finish that lent itself to mass production?
Janet
Finishing (post #169695, reply #4 of 14)
When you refinish - you're done. If the finish on there is 25 years old or more which I guess it is - it's time for a new finish anyway.
Why spend hours refreshing when the result is marginal.
As far as shellac polish goes ........ yes it is french polish but I used the term shellac polish to be simple. You can use a store bought padding lacquer or shellac on a rag. To brighten up the finish you would pad all the large easy open surfaces - don't worry about getting into the crevices; that takes a lot of practice. Once you brighten up the old finish every where you can reach easily without stopping the rag - you won't see differences in the tight corners when you take a step back and view the whole object. You can always wax following a good dry time and the wax will help brighten the crevices you by passed
SA
Stripping the old finish left (post #169695, reply #6 of 14)
Stripping the old finish left the veneer lighter, but the grain lines are still nearly black from dark stain stuck in the pores. I was hoping to use a lighter-colored finish, but not if the grain is so dark.
Is there any way to remove the dark stain? I don't want to risk damaging the veneer by sanding.
Will pore filler cover the stain?
Janet
Pores (post #169695, reply #8 of 14)
Oak has course open grain - try to apply a light liquid coat of paint remover and scrub the dark grains with a brass brush.
Than do it with lacquer thinner - same way - and see if that helps.
Hold off with the pore filler for now,
SA
Scrubbing got out more of the (post #169695, reply #9 of 14)
Scrubbing got out more of the stain, but the grain is still too dark to go with the color I had chosen. I think I must compromise on the color.
Janet
Sorry to come so late to this (post #169695, reply #10 of 14)
Sorry to come so late to this but I would suspect the finish on this was shellac in the first place, and removing shellac with denatured alcohol is pretty easy. BUT if you used paint remover, it is fine. At this point, I would be VERY sure you have removed ALL the paint remover by pretty repeated washing/rubbing with paint thinner.
For the black in the pores, you are going to need a brass brush to remove it with more remover. However, it may not be as unsightly as you think--and it is VERY tedious to get it out. Truth be told, the pores were black with the original finish probably.
You say the veneer is much lighter. Yes, but if you wipe your piece with some mineral spirits you will probably have a good bit of darkening, and you will see what your piece will look like with a clear finish. At this point you could decide whether the pores need to totally cleaned out. And denatured alcohol and the brush is much easier to do than more paint remover.
Personally I would refinish your piece using a wiping varnish. it is easy to apply, requires basically no learning curve (as either padding shellac or applying with a brush).
Sorry to be an echo to what Howie posted!!
Not late at all. The weather (post #169695, reply #11 of 14)
Not late at all. The weather got too cold for working outdoors, so removing the old finish is on hold.
In the meantime, I watched a FWW dvd on refinishing, and I'm puzzled. Denatured alcohol had hardly any effect on the finish, while lacquer thinner cuts right through. Yet everybody says that lacquer wasn't used in 1906. It could have been refinished with lacquer before I bought it; no way to tell.
Janet
So you are saying that you (post #169695, reply #12 of 14)
So you are saying that you already tried denatured alcohol on this cabinet and it didn't do anything--didn't make it sticky/gummy at all? Then it probably has been refinished previously. But I have to say your description of the crackling and the beading sounds EXACTLY like a shellac finish. I would flood a section with DA and rub it with steel wool and see if it will come off. I trust that you are laying your piece down in such a way that you are working on a horizontal surface as much as possible so your reagents have a chance to really stay in contact with the surfaces.
I would use a paint/varnish stripper which will remove anything. As you work, get into the pores of the oak using a small brass brush and wiping stripper off quickly. You can also use 00 steel wool to remove the stripper, and it will get into the grooves somewhat. Open the pads out into a long strip so you get maximum use of the pad.
My bet would be that the (post #169695, reply #7 of 14)
My bet would be that the original finish was shellac. Lacquer was not used for finishes until after WWI. Using a Q-tip wetted with denatured alcohol, touch a spot, let it set for a minute as see if the spot gets soft and sticky. If it is shellac you can remove it by using denatured alcohol.
It couldn't make up its mind (post #169695, reply #13 of 14)
It couldn't make up its mind whether or not to dissolve. Denatured alcohol made it soften a little, but not what I'd call sticky. It didn't grab at the cloth being rubbed on the surface, although a little color (which could be grime) transferred to the cloth.
Janet
P.S.
Just remembered that the top looked different from the drawer fronts. The top was crackled; the drawers had the beaded-up finish. Perhaps it was only partially refinished, in the most worn areas? I need to test the denatured alcohol in more places.
Load a pad of steel wool with (post #169695, reply #14 of 14)
Load a pad of steel wool with DA and wipe it firmly across the wood surface. You are basically "scrubbing" the softened finish off with the steel wool. If it is coming off, keep working until that steel wool is "full" and then get a fresh pad. As I said, open it out to maximize the use of the whole thing.