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A Question For Our Wood Craftsmen


Calamity Kris

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This weekend, I purchased a dining room hutch that was built around 1915.  I appears to be quarter sawn oak.  The previous owner must have used Pledge for years because the top was caked with waxy buildup.  I stopped trying to clean it off after 3 applications of Murphy's Oil Soap because I didn't want to strip the varnish off of it.

 

My questions are, am I at risk of stripping the finish off?  The top is still somewhat sticky to the touch which tells me there is still some waxy residue on it.  Is there something better for cleaning the hutch than Murphy's?  If so, where would I find it?

 

It's very pretty and I look forward to it's appearance once it's clean.  I want to make sure what I'm doing is good for the wood.

 

Thanks,

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Equal parts white vinegar and water may work, if that doesn’t mineral spirits will probably do the job but may take some of the original finish with it.

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Something I have used to get that waxy feeling off finished wood is Old English furniture polish. For oak try the golden colored one. They make a dark one that is great on old dark wood furniture that has scratches. 

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7 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Something I have used to get that waxy feeling off finished wood is Old English furniture polish. For oak try the golden colored one. They make a dark one that is great on old dark wood furniture that has scratches. 

An antique dealer that I know said she uses Old English all the time on her old stuff. It restores the original look of the wood and does fill in any scratches.

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Here are a couple of pictures. 

 

IMG_1253.thumb.jpg.0d12b7ec3a242419d2734012d124ab0d.jpg

 

IMG_1255.thumb.jpg.6c3e3b9d30b988d33d9273c5e0cf2d3f.jpg

 

The dark area on the right, closest to me, is where it's still sticky.  It has a lot of potential but I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

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That’s white oak alright, not quarter sawn but nice none the less. Try the vinegar water method. From your picture it doesn’t look as bad as I thought it was. At sometime in the past it had something sitting on it for a long time and the wood underneath has discolored. That may over time fade away.

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First of all, just a note about Pledge.  It contains silicone and IF you try and refinish wood which has been doused in Pledge, you will get "fish eye"--areas where the new finish does not stick--unless you add a fish eye eliminator to your new finish material.

 

As a piano tuner for over 50 years, I have been detailing older pianos for piano dealers for many years.  An old real estate agent showed me this trick.  However this only works on wood with a real finish on it, not the photo finishes of cheap particle board furniture.

 

He would use equal parts of vinegar, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits mixed together.  You apply it liberally with 0000 steel wool.  Rub gently in the direction of the grain.  Do only a section (on pianos there are more 'sections then on a table) at a time before beginning to wipe it off.  The chemicals will clean residue, moisturise the finish and fill in scratches using a minute amount of the finish itself.

 

Begin to wipe off the mixture after about 10 minutes time with paper towels.  Keep wiping till the surface is has no more wet solution.  Note: the residue on the towels can have a spontaneous combustion if you leave them wadded up.  I have a bucket with some water in it to drop the used paper towels in to 'defuse' the chemical reaction.

 

Continue with the other sections as described above.

 

When finished, let the wood absorb any remaining chemicals. You will notice that the finish has a dull appearance but most of the blemishes and minor scratches will be gone.  

 

Let the finish dry for several hours.  It will still have a tackiness to it and still be dull.

 

At this time you can apply a coat of Liquid Gold to the finish which will 'lock down' the finish and give it a beautiful shine.  Reapply the LG  after about 4 hours if you did not get enough on the first time.

 

Your piece of furniture will be clean, dewaxed, and have a nice shine to it just like the many pianos I have done over the years.

 

Post script---

 

After seeing the pictures, I would agree with the water and vinegar for this particular piece of furniture.  My suggestions are for a really grungy, dirty finish.

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I purchased this piece with the hutch.  $450.00 for the pair.  This dry sink is dated late 1880s to 1890s Germany.  Those are real marble slabs and quite heavy. 

 

600364522.thumb.jpg.0c0a8ff8ebeb877281e8a634ef3b9782.jpg

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You did very well Kris, congratulations.

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5 hours ago, Dr. O. R. Vet said:

First of all, just a note about Pledge.  It contains silicone and IF you try and refinish wood which has been doused in Pledge, you will get "fish eye"--areas where the new finish does not stick--unless you add a fish eye eliminator to your new finish material.

 

As a piano tuner for over 50 years, I have been detailing older pianos for piano dealers for many years.  An old real estate agent showed me this trick.  However this only works on wood with a real finish on it, not the photo finishes of cheap particle board furniture.

 

He would use equal parts of vinegar, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits mixed together.  You apply it liberally with 0000 steel wool.  Rub gently in the direction of the grain.  Do only a section (on pianos there are more 'sections then on a table) at a time before beginning to wipe it off.  The chemicals will clean residue, moisturise the finish and fill in scratches using a minute amount of the finish itself.

 

Begin to wipe off the mixture after about 10 minutes time with paper towels.  Keep wiping till the surface is has no more wet solution.  Note: the residue on the towels can have a spontaneous combustion if you leave them wadded up.  I have a bucket with some water in it to drop the used paper towels in to 'defuse' the chemical reaction.

 

Continue with the other sections as described above.

 

When finished, let the wood absorb any remaining chemicals. You will notice that the finish has a dull appearance but most of the blemishes and minor scratches will be gone.  

 

Let the finish dry for several hours.  It will still have a tackiness to it and still be dull.

 

At this time you can apply a coat of Liquid Gold to the finish which will 'lock down' the finish and give it a beautiful shine.  Reapply the LG  after about 4 hours if you did not get enough on the first time.

 

Your piece of furniture will be clean, dewaxed, and have a nice shine to it just like the many pianos I have done over the years.

 

Post script---

 

After seeing the pictures, I would agree with the water and vinegar for this particular piece of furniture.  My suggestions are for a really grungy, dirty finish.

I’ll be darned another piano tuner!! I thought I was the only one in SASS! I’ve been tuning and repairing pianos for 35 years, never did any work with the cabinets though. ;)

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