Veneer topped furniture with painted edges under the finish

[Starchaser]

I acquired a fairly nice table finished in mahogony, but with nicks in the edges revealing a yellow "sub-finish."

 

Since the damage was significant enough that a re-finish appeared necessary, as I began stripping, I found that the edges, rounded, or beveled, or with other multi-faceted cuts, which did not have a veneer, were painted yellow prior to the final finish being applied.

 

I am guessing this was to faciltate a uniform look when the final finish was appplied, but I am only guessing.

 

Can anyone tell me why this is and, if I remove this yellow, what do you suggest in the refinish?

[wtnhighlander]

Painting edges with a yellow or gold color is sometimes used to enhance the artificial 'aging' effect of sanding through the top coat on edges and corners. Done properly, often with 600+ grit wet/dry paper, this treatment can emulate the natural wear a piece receives after many years of use. The contrasting undercoat makes this effect appear more even and natural that bare wood, since the 'wear' is artificially induced with sandpaper.

Refinishing is another matter. If you can post some photos, and give us an idea of your goal for the piece, there are some very experienced furniture finishers hanging around that can give some help.

[dwacker]

Is this a MDF top with a veneer field surface and routed edges with a faux finish on the edges. If so the yellow is a primer.

[Starchaser]

Both replies were right on target, and thank you.

 

The top and bottom are MDF with a veneer, and were the only pieces with the yellow primer.

 

The solid pieces (legs, feet) are a wood I cannot identify (not dense; fairly light).  I am attaching photos showing the top (it has a decorative metal insert, as it is a pedestal glass top table), one of the legs, stripped, and the bottom, which is still the original finish.

 

 

The finish did not include a stain,  The finish itself is pigmented.  I am curious about what finish to use for the same effect, although I need to go a shade or two lighter.

 

Your suggestion to post photos was helpful, and maybe someone can give me guidance on the finishing steps, including whether or not I will need to prime the MDF again.

[Bob Rozaieski]

The MDF was painted and faux grained to look like wood. You will have to follow the same process to restore the original look. It's a complex, multi-layer process that starts with a particular colored base coat (in your case yellow) with subsequent darker layers of paint and glaze that are applied to give the illusion of depth and wood grain. There's no way to know what combination will work for your piece but to experiment on scrap. It can get very costly to do so as the process typically requires various colors of artist oils (probably at least yellow ochre, burnt umber, Vandyke brown, and azo red to start, but other shades of brown could be required too in order to match the color). You'll also need linseed oil and paint thinner and some fine artist brushes. Then lots of practice on scrap mixing different colors and layering them. Write down what you do for each one so you can recreate and scale up you recipe when you find one that works. Whatever you do, DO NOT, use a water based product. The MDF won't like it. Use oil based only.

The top coat is almost definitely sprayed on lacquer with a toner added. Almost all commercial furniture manufactured since the 50s uses it. Again, you'll have to experiment to hit the color right. This might be tough if you don't have the same veneer. Try it on a hidden part before doing the show surfaces. You can always restrip the hidden area to try a different color combination.

[Starchaser]

Thanks, Bob.  This helps a lot.  Where do you suggest I look for the toner for the lacquer?  I expect acrylic is the best option.  And when I get the edges where I want them, do I finish them with a lacquer as well?

[Bob Rozaieski]

You can tint clear lacquer with liquid Trans Tint dyes. You can also buy aerosol lacquer based toners from Tools For Working Wood if you don't have the spray equipment to spray nitrocellulose lacquer.

Note, acrylic and lacquer are not the same thing. Lacquer is almost always sprayed because it dries so fast.

Personally, I don't use lacquer often myself because I don't have the spray equipment. I'll use aerosol when necessary, but this is usually for touch ups. It can get very expensive to rattle can an entire piece of furniture, though it can certainly be done.

And yes, you would spray the toner and clear coats over the painted and grained areas too.

You could also try using the Trans Tint in shellac instead of lacquer. This could be brushed on but the base would be a bit yellower than lacquer which is much "whiter". So you'd have to adjust the colors to account for the Amber tone of the shellac base. Still, this is likely how I would personally lean since I lack the equipment to work with lacquers. The shellac could be topcoated with any clear coat you like, including lacquer, varnish or more shellac.