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dadiOH[_3_] dadiOH[_3_] is offline
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Default Refinishing tips for a 70-year-old mahogany dining room set

wrote:
I was just given the go-head to refinish my wife's parent's old
dining room set. It was purchased in 1940 (my wife still has the
receipt!) and it is in dire need of refinishing. There are 70 years
worth of fingerprints all over the backs of the chairs and there are
several nice gouges in the top of the buffet. The finish on the top
of the backs of chairs is really coming off, too, and you can see
different colored wood starting to show up on all four of the chairs.
Of course, there are a lot of scratches on the table top from cats
and kids and whatever over the years. And you can see all the cracks
and discoloration of the old varnish--at least I think it is varnish.

That is the first question: how do I figure out what they used to
finish the dining set? Varnish, shellac, what else would they have
used seventy years ago?


A. lacquer - lacquer thinner will dissolve it

B. shellac - alcohol will dissolve it

C. varnish - it is relatively impervious to alcohol or lacquer thinner
though the latter may effect it slowly.

There is such a thing as a varnish amalgamator to repair crazed varnish
finishes. I've never used it, no idea how effective it might be.

Next question is what should I use to finish it again? I assume I
would want to use the same thing. I certainly don't want to use any
sort of poly.


Why not? It is the most scratch resistant thing.

The chairs are getting a little wobbly but I don't think they are
anywhere near the point of having to take them apart. Would it be
worth it to look into that glue that is applied using a needle; the
kind of needle like a doctor uses? It seems like these can get into
really small places, obviously, but I don't know if the stuff works.


Of course it works. So will cyanoacralate (super) glue...it wicks into
small areas well. Should you use either? No idea, can't see your chairs.

One last thing: how do I get my wife to understand that the entire
set is going to be much, much lighter than it is now? She was born
20 years after this set was purchased, so she has only known it to be
on the dark side. I am sure she is going to scream at first. I
guess the only thing I can say is wait another 70 years and it will
be just as dark as it is now, except she will be 120+ years old by
then and the last thing she will be thinking about is what the set
looked like in 2012.


The dark color of the set is most likely from stain, not age. For some
reason much of the mahogany furniture from that era and earlier was stained
a very dark cordovan color. Look at the underside structure for color
differences..

The table top and possibly other areas are most likely veneer rather than
solid wood. It was also common to use woods other than mahogany for trim
pieces. Veneer was thicker then but it is still veneer.

Others have suggested you would be better off having the work done by a
professional. +1 to that.


--

dadiOH
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