What old finish is smoothed by damp cloth (water)?
I am repairing an old gate-leg table. The top has a smooth, dark stained finish. The two drop leaves appear to have the same finish, but those surfaces have rough or crinkled finishes. I used a damp cloth to begin testing what the finish is, and damp (with water) gentle rubbing cleans off the rough surface and leaves the smooth dark finish. Is this likely from layers of old wax? And what would be the best cleaning approach to clean both drop leaves?
Thanks!
Replies
old shellac can get pretty crinkled if not maintained, especially in humid places.
7591560: this could certainly be shellac. Thank you for that information. Might the grainy surface - the material that seem to clean off with a water damp cloth - be accumulated furniture wax?
I suspect the material coming off with water may just be accumulated dirt. Wood finishes and waxes are usually intended to protect wood from water so they usually don't come off with just water. If it will come off with just water I would either use just water or water with a mild soap added to it. I would start with a little dishwashing liquid of whatever you have on hand. Just a few drops in some water (maybe a couple of cups or 1/2 liter depending on your preferred units) to begin with. Dawn dishwashing liquid does a great job of cleaning and removing oily or greasy soils if you have that. If it is shellac, don't let water sit on the surface for any length of time or it may damage the finish. Clean it and wipe it dry. As always start in an inconspicuous place and see what happens.
Shellac is soluble in denatured alcohol so don't use that unless you want to strip the old finish or you have worked with shellac enough to know what you are doing.