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Posted: 2/20/2024 3:35:13 PM EDT
Attached File
Attached File I believe this ole table is teak. It was made in Indonesia and wife bought it about 30 years ago in Austin. I have no idea what the finish is. Loaned it to our daughter for about 10 years and wife wanted it back. Looks like it has some water damage on the surface. Without removing the finish, is there some way to help diminish the look of the water damage? It does not have to be perfect, just better. The table base is tongue and groove and held together with wood pins. I have no idea how the top is attached. The fish on the top was added by the antique store where the wife bought it. Attached File |
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The pictures make that top seem rough! It looks like there is a lacquer type finish on it that has yellowed. From the look of the pictures, it would be hard to improve the finish without a real strip and refinish.
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That table has character. I’d leave it alone.
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Benefactor NRA Member
Team Ranstad TIBTLS |
Try rubbing it with mayonnaise. Might help some.
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Benefactor NRA Member
Team Ranstad TIBTLS |
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I was thinking about oil but did not know what type.
Yep, this table has character and she is pretty. |
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Have you tried using Murphy's Soap to clean it? Wax finish after?
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Originally Posted By ajroyer: Have you tried using Murphy's Soap to clean it? Wax finish after? View Quote Have not tried anything. Looking for advice here. Attached File Here is a photo of the entire table. |
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Nice table.
Interesting inlay. Short of stripping or sanding the finish off to prep for new/fresh finish, cleaning is your only answer. Murphy's Oil Soap - as already mentioned. Don't use Mayonnaise... Lots of stuff that isn't real great for the wood. Rubbing with veg oil would be better (but still a crappy idea). Rubbing with Lemon Pledge might work. ETA - As a woodworker, I'd either go full refinish - OR - cleaning with products that are made for finished wood. There aren't many (any?) other options. hbruns.com |
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There are many situations in life where there are valid arguments for different courses of action.
Choose the course of action that preserves (or restores!) the most individual freedom and Liberty. |
Originally Posted By HBruns: Nice table. Interesting inlay. Short of stripping or sanding the finish off to prep for new/fresh finish, cleaning is your only answer. Murphy's Oil Soap - as already mentioned. Don't use Mayonnaise... Lots of stuff that isn't real great for the wood. Rubbing with veg oil would be better (but still a crappy idea). Rubbing with Lemon Pledge might work. ETA - As a woodworker, I'd either go full refinish - OR - cleaning with products that are made for finished wood. There aren't many (any?) other options. hbruns.com View Quote You ain't doing anything to the wood, the water stains are 90% the old finish. "Nourishing" finished wood is a crock, and while oil *is* great stuff for wood, it ain't as picky about it as finish marketers want you to think. Yeah, there are differences in hardness and curing time and whatnot, but you you could probably "finish" a coffee table with bacon grease and get great results. Before the dog ate it. The oils in the mayo are a quick and easy way to see if further attention is warranted. |
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EgPk1vcuA_I
I have used the wax with great results. Never used the restore before. They sell the wax at Home Depot. Make sure to dispose of conbustable oil rags properly afterwards. Nice looking table. |
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Originally Posted By midmo: SNIP.... you could probably "finish" a coffee table with bacon grease and get great results. Before the dog ate it. The oils in the mayo are a quick and easy way to see if further attention is warranted. View Quote Not just no, we're talking HELL NO. Vegetable oil and/or bacon grease on wood will go rancid LONG before they polymerize (harden or 'dry'). Plus, they give about ZERO protection to the wood. Boiled Linseed Oil gives "some" protection. And that stuff will actually polymerize. It just takes a few months. (BLO with 'drying' agents will harden a lot faster.) Used over old finish, they'll just dissolve some of the dirt & gunk built up over the years. Wipe it off and you're left with a residue that will smell and attract new dirt & gunk. Much better to use a wood-oriented cleaner or dressing. The stuff in Mayo you're talking about will be veg oil and vinegar. The rest (egg yolk, spices, etc) is stuff that you'd want to clean off the table vs. using as a cleaning agent. - use it if it's the only thing you have. A table like that deserves better. |
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There are many situations in life where there are valid arguments for different courses of action.
Choose the course of action that preserves (or restores!) the most individual freedom and Liberty. |
if it's a varnish based finish. A soft cloth lightly dampened with denatured alcohol wiped in the direction of the grain over the water stain can soften and remove the staining. Be very careful not to rub to hard or vigorously. Try it on a non visible part first.
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Originally Posted By HBruns: SNIP.... - use it if it's the only thing you have. A table like that deserves better. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By HBruns: Originally Posted By midmo: SNIP.... - use it if it's the only thing you have. A table like that deserves better. Yeah, agreed, and no I don't finish my stuff with bacon grease. And I never meant to argue that that there weren't better solutions. The value in forums like these is hearing different options... I chose the low road. |
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I am thinking about using Murphy’s Oil and a very fine steel wool and giving the finish a light buffing. Good or bad idea?
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Its not water damage - the 'fish' is an inlay. The best you can do is to darken it to blend in.
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Sand it. It's not a high dollar item.
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Originally Posted By n0zzle: Doesn't Murphy's Wood oil do the same thing? View Quote If it were me, and I have done such things, I would buy Formbys furniture refinisher and strip the finish, then do orbital sand paper work, finish sanding, and then apply a finish of your choosing. I prefer using Varathane stains and their water based polyurethane is a hard-as-nails finish that is durable enough to use on floors. Nothing half-assed. Only go full-assed. |
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Preferred pronoun: MARINE
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Originally Posted By 1saxman: Its not water damage - the 'fish' is an inlay. The best you can do is to darken it to blend in. View Quote Yes, I know the fish is an inlay. That is not the problem. Photo #2 shows water damage to the left of the inlay. Pretty sure I cannot get rid of the damage totally, so I am just trying to diminish the its appearance. |
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Preferred pronoun: MARINE
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Originally Posted By HBruns: Nice table. Interesting inlay. Short of stripping or sanding the finish off to prep for new/fresh finish, cleaning is your only answer. Murphy's Oil Soap - as already mentioned. Don't use Mayonnaise... Lots of stuff that isn't real great for the wood. Rubbing with veg oil would be better (but still a crappy idea). Rubbing with Lemon Pledge might work. ETA - As a woodworker, I'd either go full refinish - OR - cleaning with products that are made for finished wood. There aren't many (any?) other options. hbruns.com View Quote Winner, winner. I took your suggestion and used Lemon Pledge and really cleaned the top. Sometimes less is more! Most of the visible damage is gone or barely visible. Thanks for the help. Looked at your website and you make beautiful wood products. Attached File This is what the Pledge stripped off. Attached File |
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As long as I am here, this is a mesquite table I made. Bought the base in Mexico.
I wanted a hobby for when I retired and picked wood work. Bought a lot of good tools and was self taught. This table was my first project. An interior designer saw my table and offered to sell my work out of her store front. Since it was a hobby I told her I would not take orders and would only make what ever I dreamed up. Sold several items. Had a stroke and had to stop my wood work. Later, after lots of recuperation mentally and physically I started again. I fought myself falling into my bandsaw one day, and turned it off. I looked at my hands and told myself that God gave me 10 talented fingers and I was going to die with ten. Sold all of my tools and I miss it bigly. Attached File So I will quit here and keep all of your talented fingers.Thanks again for your help. |
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Originally Posted By EDDIECRUM: Winner, winner. I took your suggestion and used Lemon Pledge and really cleaned the top. Sometimes less is more! ...snip... View Quote Glad to hear you got your problem solved. Even better when it's quick & easy. wildearp suggested Formby's Furniture Refinisher to strip the finish. This is my preferred way to strip a finish. On a large/flat object like your table, I'd sand the finish off as it's faster and less messy. |
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There are many situations in life where there are valid arguments for different courses of action.
Choose the course of action that preserves (or restores!) the most individual freedom and Liberty. |
Originally Posted By HBruns: I like simple Glad to hear you got your problem solved. Even better when it's quick & easy. wildearp suggested Formby's Furniture Refinisher to strip the finish. This is my preferred way to strip a finish. On a large/flat object like your table, I'd sand the finish off as it's faster and less messy. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By HBruns: Originally Posted By EDDIECRUM: Winner, winner. I took your suggestion and used Lemon Pledge and really cleaned the top. Sometimes less is more! ...snip... Glad to hear you got your problem solved. Even better when it's quick & easy. wildearp suggested Formby's Furniture Refinisher to strip the finish. This is my preferred way to strip a finish. On a large/flat object like your table, I'd sand the finish off as it's faster and less messy. I kept my Festool sander and vac. Good stuff. |
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Originally Posted By EDDIECRUM: I kept my Festool sander and vac. Good stuff. View Quote Awesome sander. The ETS-EC 150/3 is the one tool in the shop that spends the most time in my hand. Unlike most other sanders, I can use it for hours and my hand will not go numb. With that much use, the vacuum feature is absolutely essential. No brown lung from the fine sawdust. ....when you're done with sanding, you're almost halfway done. never enough sanding. |
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There are many situations in life where there are valid arguments for different courses of action.
Choose the course of action that preserves (or restores!) the most individual freedom and Liberty. |
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