We went to a Xmas party yesterday at our SIL’s parents condo and I got roped into diagnosing their problems with the finish on his saltwater aquarium stand. It has whitish “blotches” on it that look like the residue from evaporated water.
He built it himself from pine and she did the stain/finish work. According to him, everything looked great for about two weeks then the blotches began to appear. Apparently, they’ve tried all kinds of “fixes” including some kind of scratch remover, some “Liquid Gold” polish, etc. It looks fine for a while, but then the blotches come back.
I told him that I suspected a moisture problem and that the best solution would be to use a good wood cleaner (e.g. Formby’s), followed by a good rubdown with a fine grit sanding sponge, followed by some restaining to get everything blended evenly, followed by refinishing with ……………….something.
So, what would be a good “something”? I’m thinking a good Marine grade varnish might do the trick, but can’t swear that it’s the best solution. I suspect that the heat (it’s a tropical aquarium) and moisture will always be a problem.
Any good ideas out there?
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What did she finish with?
Water drips and condensation that don't get wiped up because they happen when you are not around happen all the time with aquariums. There are finished that resist water better. There are ways to limit water from dripping in many instances, but wood and water are tough to deal with. A marine varnish of some sort would be the best bet.
What did she finish with?
Oops, I forgot to include that part. She used an oil-based polyurethane. Minwax, I think.
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