Cleaning & restoring old cabinet
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southern California & New Mexico
Posts: 153
Cleaning & restoring old cabinet
I've been reading the tutorials from "Glenn" and figured out that the finish on my old cabinet is shellac. Now, I
'm confused about what constitutes "cleaning" and what constitutes "refinishing" . Do I use his cleaning solutions #1 and #2 to REMOVE the shellac and get down to the "original" or is there some step I'm missing? Once the shellac is gone and I'm down to the "original" wood, then what? I have Howard's Restore-a-Finish and the Feed & Wax. I tried the Restore a Finish but it doesn't look like it removes the "damaged" shellac. Does that come into the process AFTER the cleaning solutions?
Thank you for your help!
'm confused about what constitutes "cleaning" and what constitutes "refinishing" . Do I use his cleaning solutions #1 and #2 to REMOVE the shellac and get down to the "original" or is there some step I'm missing? Once the shellac is gone and I'm down to the "original" wood, then what? I have Howard's Restore-a-Finish and the Feed & Wax. I tried the Restore a Finish but it doesn't look like it removes the "damaged" shellac. Does that come into the process AFTER the cleaning solutions?
Thank you for your help!
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Springfield Oregon
Posts: 1,481
IMO, Restore a Finish is more of a bandaid for antique stores to flip furniture. It's not a long term quality solution. Refinishing with shellac is authentic, or if you go to a Woodcraft store or online, (or other places) you can find old style varnishes that aren't polyurethane. (Poly is hard, but hard to remove also). Clear lacquer is also another option, harder than shellac, and a little more resistant to water and alcohol rings, but still easy to remove. Any waxes, will have to be removed before any other finish is applied. Glenn or Rodney, probably knows more about this stuff than I do, I refer to an OLD book I have, "The Furniture Doctor" which gives great info on all of the old refinishing arts.
#4
Junior Member
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southern California & New Mexico
Posts: 153
I guess I need to step back and start at the beginning. How do I remove the shellac? Can I just use denatured alcohol and 0000steel wool or do I mix up Glenn's recipes? Will removing the shellac damage/remove the "Singer" decal on the front of the case? How can I preserve the decal?
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 200
I guess I need to step back and start at the beginning. How do I remove the shellac? Can I just use denatured alcohol and 0000steel wool or do I mix up Glenn's recipes? Will removing the shellac damage/remove the "Singer" decal on the front of the case? How can I preserve the decal?
show us a pic of the cabinet you're trying to rehab/refinish. that way we can tell you exactly what to use and how to do it. for one, never use minwax polyshades. it's so unforgiving. i learned this the hard way. it's ok to use on smaller project but for bigger one, like cabinet refinishing, it's not the best.
what i always do is to strip it with paint stripper (i use Citristrip), lots of sanding, wipe it clean with mineral spirits, use minwax stain and Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish.
Last edited by singerguy; 07-24-2014 at 05:24 PM.
#7
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 13
My cabinet lid was splitting on both sides when I got it. Right or wrong, I steamed with it with a wet towel and my iron. With a thin putty knife and a small hammer, I worked loose the veneer, stripping it all off. Then I sanded the wood smooth underneath the veneer and finally applied with a cloth brown paste shoe polish to both sides. It blends with the rest of the cabinet. I am very pleased with it.
#8
Power Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Citrus County, Florida
Posts: 10,849
I refinished my grandma's treadle years ago. Took it down to the bare wood and replaced a piece of veneer as well. The veneer application was a job. I like dwoods fix but think I would have used a stain/sealer.... But if it worked that's what counts
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southern California & New Mexico
Posts: 153
Thank you for the advice about covering the decal up! I don't have the thumb drive with me with the photos of the case but I'll post them next week. I posted a lot of photos in an earlier thread: the case is in pretty good shape (veneer OK on the bentwood top, bottom intact) but the finish has dried and flaked off in places and there is what looks like some water marks -- it just looks kinda ratty. I started by just using Denatured alcohol and steel wool on a spot on the heavy wooden base the machine sets in and on one place on the lid: the old coats of shellac are coming off and the wood underneath looks great. I just want to do the simplest sort of protective finish after getting the old shellac off and cleaning it up since this machine is for my personal use as a backup at my "country place" in New Mexico. In my case, "less" is good!
Thanks again for everyone's continuing interest in this project.....you folks are terrific!
Thanks again for everyone's continuing interest in this project.....you folks are terrific!
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
You shouldn't need to get the old shellac off. Just sand lightly to "feather" the old finish in. Basically you don't want any ridges where the old finish ends. After that just cover with more shellac.
Rodney
Rodney
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