Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Finish fix needed
John Hoffman
>Hi guys/gal, a friend spilled nail polish remover on an end table and then wiped it. Yes, it melted the finish and left an unpleasent wipe mark. I am reading Jewitt and since most solvents will melt a finish how should I proceed to attempt to fix this problem? I think the finish on the table is not a varnish.
Thanks
John Hoffman
Ready to experiment on someone else's furniture!
guesses
bill tindall
>Nail polish remover is a mix of acetone and water. It will dissolve (that's dissolve, not melt) lacquer readily so I will guess that the finish is lacquer. Only shellac and lacquer will redissolve after curing. Other finishes will at most soften with this exposure. Not everything sticks to lacquer, so it will be best to recoat with more lacquer, which can be had in spray can form from a great number of sources.
Step one will be to level what finish is left, if the nail polish remover episode left the finish irregular/lumpy. Then spray on a coat of lacquer, let dry and buff out to match original finish. It will be easiest to recoat the entire top. If the top was ever polished, then any oils, silicone and/or wax MUST be removed before recoating. If the top has ever seen a silicone molecule then fish eye remover may be necessary to add to the lacquer.
If this all sounds complicated then enlist the services of a knowledgable refinisher.
PS
bill tindall
>there are a number of professional refinishers on the power tool side. Suggest posting there for further advice.
Re: Finish fix needed
Howard Pollack
>I would check with Jeff himself at his site, homesteadfinish.com- he's a real nice guy who has helped me with some very odd finishing problems. -Howard
NM
John Hoffman
>Thanks for the help