Posted: 6/14/2024 2:55:15 PM EDT
Hello, this is my late mother's maple coffee table that got wet at some point and damaged the top. What can I do to repair it? is there a simple way to sand down the trouble spots and then recoat the top to match the existing finish?  |
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General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
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If it were mine - I'd get a random orbital sander, sand down the whole top, and refinish it. I doubt you would ever be able to simply fix the trouble spots and get the re-finish to match what has been there for many years. |
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"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
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Originally Posted By MRW: Thanks, What kind of finish does it currently have? It doesn't appear to penetrate. Is it shellac? Either way, once you have it all sanded down to base wood you could most certainly use a shellac finish or shellac combination for the finish, but shellac is not a very durable finish. |
“There is no sound, no voice, no cry in all the world that can be heard... until someone listens.”
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
|
Originally Posted By AZ_Sky: Really hard to tell by the pics - but by the looks of it, it most certainly could be some sort of shellac finish. Either way, once you have it all sanded down to base wood you could most certainly use a shellac finish or shellac combination for the finish, but shellac is not a very durable finish. This. Big box stores have cans of wax free shellac. I have used the clear and tinted varieties. Test both out, see which one works. Use CITRISTRIP Paint & Varnish Stripping & Removing Gel (again available at big box stores). Use that to remove the old finish. Sand with a random orbit sander with 120 then 220 grit sandpaper. Once sanded, use a clean rage and mineral spirits to wipe all of the dust off of it. Apply the first coat of shellac with a foam brush. Add at least 2 coats shellac, maybe more since its coffee table. |
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Transcend Furniture link This lady restores old furniture. Heavy sanding is often not the best option. I’ve been a woodworker for years and learn new techniques from her videos |
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thanks everyone. I may take action on it this weekend. I think I'll try just sanding down the top, and only enough to smooth out the damage and remove the crinkles from the existing finish, then put a layer or two of basic shellac on it. Again, just the top, leaving the rest of the table alone. I'm sure it will still show the spots, but the surface will be functionally "repaired" if I don't like that, I can always escalate the action. |
Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
|
Originally Posted By Curmudgeon762: Transcend Furniture link This lady restores old furniture. Heavy sanding is often not the best option. I've been a woodworker for years and learn new techniques from her videos I sanded the whole top down lightly with 220 grit and wiped the dust clean. Then I masked off one little section that had the worst wear and put on 3 coats of amber shellac, waiting an hour and sanding between each coat. It covered the bare spots pretty well, and the color closely matches the rest of the table. I do think it's on a little too thick though, the finish is slightly ripple-y.   But when I pulled off the masking tape, I saw that it took off some of the finish from the surrounding wood. Investigation showed that the finish that was lifted off with the tape was the damaged finish that sanding did not lift off. It was the part of the finish that had separated from the wood underneath, and it looked a bit gray compared to the rest of the undamaged wood, like a flat bubble. The blue circle below highlights a damaged part where half of the damaged finish was lifted off by the tape (the bottom half) and the rest (on the top) was untouched by the tape. You can see the finish flakes on the used tape.  Here is the same area after multiple passes with the masking tape. It pulls the loose finish off just like a lint roller. This is good because I don't want any new finish going on top of un-adhered original finish.  I'll start on the whole table top tomorrow. |
Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
|
Done. I thinned the shellac down to a 1/3 cut with denatured alcohol and put it on with a little pad made of a t-shirt section filled with a handfull of cotton balls and held together with a rubber band. Good enough for my uses  |
Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
General education should not be mere job training, but training in how to be fully human.
|
Originally Posted By MRW: Done. I thinned the shellac down to a 1/3 cut with denatured alcohol and put it on with a little pad made of a t-shirt section filled with a handfull of cotton balls and held together with a rubber band. Good enough for my uses https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/5205/Refinished_moms_maple_coffee_table_with_-3258872.jpg definitely an improvement, good job |