| | View Thread | Return to Index | Read Prev Msg | Read Next Msg | |
|---|
ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORATION DISCUSSION BOARD
Posted By: Greg Scholl <beatkat@adelphia.net> (67-22-200-210.albyny.adelphia.net)
In Response To: To Sand or not to Sand, that is the Question. (Mark)
Date: 5/26/5 12:19
Hey Mark, I like to sand after stripping....strippers can contain wax, and the act of stripping can leave a dried film on the wood that will inhibit staining and adhesion of the new finish. Sometimes a light sanding is all that it needs, sometimes it needs a lot more sanding to even out the color differences, raised grain, etc. Furniture of that era could be varnish, shellac, or lacquer...if the stripper slurry was really sticky, dark and gooey when removing, it was probably varnish...lacquers and shellacs usually liquify and come off easily.Is the piece veneered? I would opt for a stain coat..it always tends to even out the look and give a richer color under the finish. If it was varnish, I would be inclined to revarnish...NOT poly..but an Alkyd Varnish or Tung oil varnish...but lacquer would also give a nice finish..spray cans can give you great results, but as Roger said, can get fairly expensive..but you shouldn't need more than 4-5 cans, and I would suggest using a sanding sealer because it's a fairly open grained wood. I would also suggest Behlen or Star lacquer aerosols over Deft...Deft is softer...more forgiving when using..but yields a softer film when dry...IMHO..also getting a good lacquer finish is all about spraying technique...you have to lay on a wet film evenly and fairly quickly, and there is a fine line between enough finish to flo out a good film and too much that will run and sag, and too little that will leave a sandy feeling finish and not flo out...practice makes perfect..if it is mahagony then pick a stain that is a brown or reddish mahagony...Minwax's Special Walnut is also a good choice...although I don't really care for Minwax stains...there are many pigmented wiping stains that you can get..all pretty good...the Minwax will not have as much pigment as some...sometimes that's desirable...sometimes it isn't....experimentation is the key...also don't be afraid to do two coats of stain...with the right dry time between coats for a richer color ...or mix two colors together to yield a different color...hope this helps and doesn't confuse you even more!...we're here to help....hopefully
| | View Thread | Return to Index | Read Prev Msg | Read Next Msg | |
|---|
ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORATION DISCUSSION BOARD is maintained by Administrator with WebBBS 3.21.