Replies

1. 
   SgianDubh | Dec 02, 2002 07:37am | #1

   Without being there to examine and try to determine exactly what the finish is, it would be my first instinct to guess that you have either a shellac or a nitrocellulose finish, or another finish easily damaged by a little steam, if a little steam is the correct description of the steam irons emission, such as perhaps a wax not fully buffed off over a film finish-- and it might just be a natural time induced dirty waxy build up able to trap moisture.

   Anyway, whatever, water is trapped in the polish showing as a white haze, and the least aggresive trick is to simply burnish the damaged area with a cloth to generate a little heat and evaporate the moisture out. This might be enough. If this fails, next would be to just slightly dampen a cloth with alcohol and barely touch the damaged surface with the cloth-- sort of swinging the wadded cloth like a pendulum to just brush the surface. This would barely re-dissolve a finish soluble in alcohol, or affected by alcohol, and should allow the water vapor to escape, thus pretty much restoring the finish.

   I also use a product called Restore-A-Finish (I forget now who makes it. Howard's maybe?) often available at hardware shops-- I've even seen it at Home Despot from time to time, and if you carefully follow the instructions on the can, ~$11 for ~12 oz., this is often very good at improving problems such as yours. Slainte.

   Some stuff I've made.
1. 
   Gretchen | Dec 02, 2002 03:20pm | #3

   The Howard's will absolutely do it--it is a miracle worker (and is a bit less expensive than that). There is one more possibility before you do that--put a layer of mayonnaise on the spot and leave it overnight.  It might also do the trick.Gretchen

2. 
   Splintie | Dec 02, 2002 08:31am | #2

   The alcohol works on shellac, but won't do much to re-dissolve a nitrocellulose lacquer, though for which the solvent is lacquer thinner. I don't have the "touch" with lacquer thinner to do that which SD recommends, so these days i begin by assuming i would work the surface too much and end up mucking it up anyway. If i just plan on respraying the whole area, i actually save time and frustration and get a better job out of it. Mask off the table base, though.  

   When i have to repair a blemish in a lacquer finish that doesn't have to be sanded clear back to wood, i lightly sand the finish to level it, then spray on a new coat of lacquer, which does a good job of dissolving/bonding to the old finish. Heaven help you if the table top is contaminated with silcone, however.

   This will give a more even sheen than spot-refinishing. Rub out the new surface with a Scotch-Brite pad and you probably won't be able to tell where the accident happened.