Q: I’ve looking at a restoration issue in some of the old Chicago bungalows where what I assume is varnish has almost coagulated on the surface of the wood trim. On most of the woodwork it’s acquired a nice patina and I’m trying to figure out how we could smooth the surface without removing the [...]
Q: I just obtained two small table lamps made of burl and the lampshades are of what appears to be birdseye maple veneer. The veneer is fabric backed and very brittle. As a result there are some small voids and cracks in each shade. I plan to back the voids with wood putty and then [...]
Q: My painter sprayed lacquer recently on a hot and humid day and trapped moisture under the finish. Having had experience with this I told him to re-spray with lacquer retarder added to the lacquer and to remove the humidity from the room before re-spraying. This worked to a certain extent but still did not [...]
Q: When using pumice stone and linseed oil to rub out slight discoloration in an inlaid dining table I encounter little spots forming. The discolorations do disappear.
A: First, if you must use pumice (and there are far better alternatives), pair it with a non-drying oil such as mineral oil, not linseed oil. As for the [...]
Q: Short of sanding it off, is there any way to remove a polyester finish from guitar sides?
A: Yes, but it might be faster and easier to sand or scrape it off. For guitars with solid sides, you can make the job easier by working it off with a heat gun. When heated, polyester tends [...]
Q: What product can you suggest to remove hempseed oil and beeswax from a table top?
A: That depends on how long the hempseed oil was on, and whether or not it was mixed with beeswax or merely applied prior to it. If it was not on long, or if it was mixed with wax, you [...]
Q: I have a piano with what Kawai tells me is a polyurethane finish that was severely gouged. While I am a professional refinisher, I am at a loss as to how to burn-in the gouges and rub them out without having to re-coat. Is there a method to avoid the re-coating?
A: Probably not. I [...]
Q: My oak moldings and baseboards were varnished in 1988 and have yellowed. We would like to paint over them. What paint can I use without having to sand the vanish on all the trim boards?
A: Clean the baseboards by scrubbing with mineral spirits on gray nylon abrasive pads and wiping with paper shop towels. [...]
Q: I have a solid teak dinning table that has a very bad and large dark water stain and I would like to get it out. How do I go about doing that?
A: Be aware that not all black water stains will come out. However, those that do usually respond to oxalic acid, but that [...]
Q: Is there any barrier coat that will allow me to seal waterbased finish on a guitar that has been plagued with fisheye problems, then spray with waterbased over it?
A: I won’t say it is guaranteed, but spraying coat of Zinsser SealCoat usually does an excellent job of creating a waterbased friendly barrier coat. Incidentally, [...]
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