Sandersonbuilt Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 What brought me to this site is I just bought a table yesterday, I think it was a pretty good find, but it has obvious iron marks that really look like lacquer blush in the finish. My guess is they ironed their clothes and let the iron steam the table. Its an old rough table, nothing you want to sand down. Any ideas? I really know nothing about the table or the finish that is on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Can you post a picture? Not sure what your question is? You would like to refinish it, however don't want to sand? Your thinking this piece has possible valuable and refinishing may disturb that value? Only interested in determining what the finish is? Sorry for so many questions. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandersonbuilt Posted January 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 Can you post a picture? Not sure what your question is? You would like to refinish it, however don't want to sand? Your thinking this piece has possible valuable and refinishing may disturb that value? Only interested in determining what the finish is? Sorry for so many questions. -Ace- sorry. I would like to get the fog or blush out of the finish without sanding the piece down. It is a rustic antique and sanding would destroy the charm. I have read that you can use socks to cigar ashes to try to buff the blush out without getting into the stain. I thought I would ask on here to see if anyone had any other ideas or came across this problem before. It is definitely a mark left by an iron, not a burn though. Looks like the table got steamed. Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 What I think you are describing sounds more like a water or alcohol fade common on shellac, which is a fairly simple fix. Although, if the patina is old, I don't know if you can fix a spot without refinishing the entire top. I have a friend who has a fade on his table also. The responses to this will be of interest to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 My opinion is to re-finish. Sorry not what you want to hear. The finish is damaged, shellac or lacquer, either one perhaps. By repairing, as Vic mentioned, you will have a noticeable repair, then spend a ton of time to make it “not” noticeable. I wish it were that easy. Since this is not going to be a Museum piece, (which I no nothing about ) but something you want to enjoy, I know you like the “old feel” or charter it provides. I like to look at it as restoring an old car. Fix it up nice and clean with a new paint job. Sorry, that just me....... -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bennett Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 The real question is why would you want to do this? A piece that has obvious charm has that charm only because it is old. probably dirty, rough and blemished. The beauty of the piece is in knowing it is old dirty, used and roughed up by countless people over a very long period. It's why you bought it Isn't it? However if you really do feel it would look 'better' tarted up then this may be useful. Firstly you have to accept that you are not going to remove this blemish invisibly. Your idea of ash in a sock would work but, if your table is as rough as you say, it won't. and you'll spend days trying to get the tiny fragments of fluff out of the grain. The best thing to do is to re-finish, but, if you want a rough aged finish. Try this. carefully rub down the whole surface until the fade marks are gone then use a little water to roughen the surface. Coat with shellac and rub in a little dirt, rub most of this off re-shellac and repeat until you have the finish you want. This is normally a process requiring a great deal of careful judgement and some experience to achieve a false patina and not go too far and make it just a grubby mess. To be perfectly honest I think you're trying to achieve the un-achievable. Restoring antiques is one thing retaining an aged and obviously used finish on what you admit is a rustic table is quite something else. The real secret with restoring antiques is what you don't touch rather than what you attempt to re-new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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