Unusual refinishing problem
 

About 30 years ago, my father-in-law had a table professionally
refinished. It's a large solid oak dining room table, with a 54" round
top and massive center legs.

The job was beautifully done. To protect the newly refinished top, my
mother-in-law immediately covered it with a tablecloth. But the
tablecloth she chose had a light foam rubber backing, black color. It
reacted with the new finish somehow, because when the tablecloth was
removed, the foam remained.

Everyone was just sick about it, because this table has been around for
a very long time, and is considered a family heirloom. From then on,
the table was always kept covered.

Fast forward to today. My wife and I have become the owners of the
table. I would like to remove the old foam. Any advice on how to do
it? I'm hoping to find a method that's gentle but effective. Even
though the foam has been stuck on for a long time, it's still possible
to remove a small area of it with a fingernail. I'm thinking about
warming it slightly with a heat gun and gently scraping. Maybe there
are better alternatives, though.

Unfortunately, I don't know what type of finish was used. I'm assuming
it was varnish of some kind, but I can't be sure. It does not look
like an oil finish (I've used Waterlox on some past projects, and this
finish doesn't seem comparable). And also, I can't try it on an
inconspicuous place first, because only the very top of the table was
affected. The rest of it is still beautiful.

It would be worth stripping and refinishing completely if there's no
other way, but I'd like to avoid that if possible. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

On 23 Sep 2005 12:06:00 -0700, wrote:

About 30 years ago, my father-in-law had a table professionally
refinished. It's a large solid oak dining room table, with a 54" round
top and massive center legs.

The job was beautifully done. To protect the newly refinished top, my
mother-in-law immediately covered it with a tablecloth. But the
tablecloth she chose had a light foam rubber backing, black color. It
reacted with the new finish somehow, because when the tablecloth was
removed, the foam remained.

Everyone was just sick about it, because this table has been around for
a very long time, and is considered a family heirloom. From then on,
the table was always kept covered.

Fast forward to today. My wife and I have become the owners of the
table. I would like to remove the old foam. Any advice on how to do
it? I'm hoping to find a method that's gentle but effective. Even
though the foam has been stuck on for a long time, it's still possible
to remove a small area of it with a fingernail. I'm thinking about
warming it slightly with a heat gun and gently scraping. Maybe there
are better alternatives, though.

Unfortunately, I don't know what type of finish was used. I'm assuming
it was varnish of some kind, but I can't be sure. It does not look
like an oil finish (I've used Waterlox on some past projects, and this
finish doesn't seem comparable). And also, I can't try it on an
inconspicuous place first, because only the very top of the table was
affected. The rest of it is still beautiful.

It would be worth stripping and refinishing completely if there's no
other way, but I'd like to avoid that if possible. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
____________________
Bill Waller
New Eagle, PA

On 23 Sep 2005 12:06:00 -0700, wrote:

About 30 years ago, my father-in-law had a table professionally
refinished. It's a large solid oak dining room table, with a 54" round
top and massive center legs.

The job was beautifully done. To protect the newly refinished top, my
mother-in-law immediately covered it with a tablecloth. But the
tablecloth she chose had a light foam rubber backing, black color. It
reacted with the new finish somehow, because when the tablecloth was
removed, the foam remained.

Everyone was just sick about it, because this table has been around for
a very long time, and is considered a family heirloom. From then on,
the table was always kept covered.

Fast forward to today. My wife and I have become the owners of the
table. I would like to remove the old foam. Any advice on how to do
it? I'm hoping to find a method that's gentle but effective. Even
though the foam has been stuck on for a long time, it's still possible
to remove a small area of it with a fingernail. I'm thinking about
warming it slightly with a heat gun and gently scraping. Maybe there
are better alternatives, though.

Unfortunately, I don't know what type of finish was used. I'm assuming
it was varnish of some kind, but I can't be sure. It does not look
like an oil finish (I've used Waterlox on some past projects, and this
finish doesn't seem comparable). And also, I can't try it on an
inconspicuous place first, because only the very top of the table was
affected. The rest of it is still beautiful.

It would be worth stripping and refinishing completely if there's no
other way, but I'd like to avoid that if possible. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

If the finish is not shellac or lacquer based, you could try lacquer thinner
(acetone) or (with a respirator and out doors) MEK. I would try a test spot on
the underside. .
____________________
Bill Waller
New Eagle, PA

This is likely a lacquer or ployurethane finish.I would try to find a
solvent that will remove the foam and would not scrape. If it's poly,
any solvenet is pretty much safe. If it's lacquer you need to be more
careful.

Here is what I would do:

On an inconspicious place where you have the same finish try rubbing it
with lacquer thinner. If it doesn't wipe off the finish, then try using
the lacquer thinner to remove the foam backing.

If that doesn't remove the foam, try acetone and ammonia in the same
fashion.

If you find that it is lacquer, ie the lacquer thinner does begin to
make the finish tacky and ultimately wipes it off, and the acetone or
ammonia don't remove the foam, then you could use lacquer thinner and
get the foam off without scarping up the table and just recoat and
smooth out with some more lacquer and sanding, etc.

Since you don't know what kind of finish was used, try the
gentle solutions before you try solvents. I'd see what
"Goo Gone" or some other citrus based remover will do first.

wrote:

Unfortunately, I don't know what type of finish was used. I'm assuming
it was varnish of some kind, but I can't be sure. It does not look
like an oil finish (I've used Waterlox on some past projects, and this
finish doesn't seem comparable). And also, I can't try it on an
inconspicuous place first, because only the very top of the table was
affected. The rest of it is still beautiful.

It would be worth stripping and refinishing completely if there's no
other way, but I'd like to avoid that if possible. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

wrote:
About 30 years ago, my father-in-law had a table professionally
refinished.

OK, early days of waterborne polyurethanes. if it turns out to be that,
strip all of that **** off and start over.




It's a large solid oak dining room table, with a 54" round
top and massive center legs.

The job was beautifully done. To protect the newly refinished top, my
mother-in-law immediately covered it with a tablecloth. But the
tablecloth she chose had a light foam rubber backing, black color. It
reacted with the new finish somehow, because when the tablecloth was
removed, the foam remained.


if the backing was latex foam (likely), you have a clue here. latex
breaks down in the presence of hydrocarbons, like what would be
offgassing from most oil base varnishes and polyurethanes, laquers and
such.






Everyone was just sick about it, because this table has been around for
a very long time, and is considered a family heirloom. From then on,
the table was always kept covered.

Fast forward to today. My wife and I have become the owners of the
table. I would like to remove the old foam. Any advice on how to do
it? I'm hoping to find a method that's gentle but effective. Even
though the foam has been stuck on for a long time, it's still possible
to remove a small area of it with a fingernail.

mechanical abrasion works, at least partly, so use that first. go to
the grocery store and buy a box of nylon pot scrubbers, the least
abrasive ones they have. use that to remove as much of the crud as you
can.





I'm thinking about
warming it slightly with a heat gun and gently scraping. Maybe there
are better alternatives, though.


without knowing what the finish is, be very careful with heat and
chemicals.







Unfortunately, I don't know what type of finish was used. I'm assuming
it was varnish of some kind, but I can't be sure. It does not look
like an oil finish (I've used Waterlox on some past projects, and this
finish doesn't seem comparable). And also, I can't try it on an
inconspicuous place first, because only the very top of the table was
affected. The rest of it is still beautiful.


definitely do the least destructive tests first.





It would be worth stripping and refinishing completely if there's no
other way, but I'd like to avoid that if possible. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.



an opinion from a restorer (in person) is worth a gazillion times more
than all of the advice we can give you here.

wrote:
About 30 years ago, my father-in-law had a table professionally
refinished. It's a large solid oak dining room table, with a 54"
round top and massive center legs.

The job was beautifully done. To protect the newly refinished top, my
mother-in-law immediately covered it with a tablecloth. But the
tablecloth she chose had a light foam rubber backing, black color. It
reacted with the new finish somehow, because when the tablecloth was
removed, the foam remained.

Everyone was just sick about it, because this table has been around
for a very long time, and is considered a family heirloom. From then
on, the table was always kept covered.

Fast forward to today. My wife and I have become the owners of the
table. I would like to remove the old foam. Any advice on how to do
it?

Lots of foam turns to mush in about 10 years. Did yours?

The finish is undoubtedly varnish or lacquer. Guess it *could* be
shellac but doubt it. Regardless, I would procede by...

1. Try paint thinner.
2. Try naptha

Neither will hurt the finish itself. If those don't work try the more
extreme solvents suggested elsewhere.

--
dadiOH
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