Please help me score much needed points with future mother-in-law.
While she was out of town, heavy rains flooded the apartment above hers. Water leaked through the drywall ceiling and landed on her mahagony venered antique dining room table, then dried. It’s an area about 8” X 24”. The stains consist of dried (something I would call) calcium. And a whiteish blemish. Luckily, the veneer did not lift. I do not believe the finish is original to the piece and need some advise as to determine what the existing finish is and how to proceed with refinishing.
I do a fair amount of finishing on pieces I build. Oil/Varnish, Shellac, Etc. Not much of a re-finisher (read not at all).
What do you think? Call in a pro. She has seen my work and thinks I can do anything with wood. Hate to disappoint her.
Thanks
Ed
Replies
Not black, I take it. Have you wiped it with mineral spirits yet. If it is white mark you may be able to remove it by rubbing with mayonnaise and covering with Saran.
If that doesn't work then just wisping it with a cloth with denatured alcohol may release the moisture.
Ed, as alluded to by Gretchen, white is good. A black ring is the worst news!
The white is probably not calcium, but rather just a sign of the moisture trapped in the finish. Has the humidity in the apartment dropped down to normal yet? You want to get that table into a dry area to see how much of the moisture will simply evaporate on its own. Clean it with mineral spirits to make sure there's no dirt or wax on there that's facilitating the trapping of the moisture.
Gretchen's suggestion of alcohol is another method of evaporating the moisture out of the finish. I've also heard of using mineral spirits to clean, and then putting a bit of rottenstone on the area and rubbing (easy does it!) with a cloth with mineral oil on it. I've not tried this, but have used the alcohol method. Never on an area as big as you describe though. :-(
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yes, the amount of area is a bit daunting. I think the rottenstone needs to be put to the back of the remedies right now but I have never done it.
Really, do the mayo. It sounds stupid. Could work.
Agree with all of FG's other suggestions.Gretchen
Go to a paint store or big box and buy some "Water ring and Stain Removal Cloths." They have oil and a light abrasive in them. I have taken out some really nasty water marks including the one pictured that was left in a leaky moving van for two weeks.
That's interesting. They sound much like what ForestGirl suggested (mineral spirits and rottenstone), so if you have to buy rottenstone, you might as well buy the cloths. Those are prodigious marks!!Gretchen
I wonder if toothpaste would work??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Probably, but it might have too much water. What will work is Wright's Silver polish--the kind that is semi-solid. Probably baking soda and mineral spirits would also work.
Gretchen
Edited 7/29/2006 2:35 pm ET by Gretchen
Just wanted to say thanks for that post, I was visiting my broker the other day & she had a round table with a glass top on it. Someone had "over-watered" the plant and the water had crept between the glass & the pretty mahogany tabletop. A real mess. We took the glass off & wiped the 'white' tabletop. I told her to let it dry over the week-end & I'd do some research to see if it could be saved. Maybe I'll get a deal on my next stock transaction ;-)
This may work for you and for Grampsy. If the finish is Lacquer there is a spot remover made by Konig Aerosols that works like a miracle. You just spray it on and the white dissapears right in front of your eyes. Now that is if the moisture is only in the finish and has not penatrated into the wood. It should be worth a try if the finish is lacquer. You can find them at http://www.woodfinishingsupplies.com/konig_aero.htm.
Good luck with your broker.
Thanks, I'll pass that on. I really don't think the water has penetrated the surface, the top was still smooth. I think I'll have her try a little bit of mineral oil on a rag first, if that doesn't do it, then we'll get complicated.
Tell her to try mayonnaise. Apply it and put Saran over it.Gretchen
"I really don't think the water has penetrated the surface" Probably not if the mark is white. Generally, when the water has gotten into the wood, the blemish is dark, yea even black. So sad.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Grampsy,
I've had good luck removing white water rings by just coating the area thicky with Vasoline and letting it sit -- similar to the mayo trick.
Good luck.
Eric
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