Doomwolf Posted July 4, 2018 Report Share Posted July 4, 2018 I recently got an old chest of drawers off of my aunt. The finish is old and I was thinking of stripping it off and restaining it (or painting it - I like the colors you get from milk paint). The drawer fronts have this....interesting finish that is basically 3D at this point. I've been told it's called an "alligator finish" and is what happens when the lacquer(?) they used back in the 20's and 30's gets repeatedly exposed to cycles of heat and humidity. Is that the case, or would someone have finished it this way on purpose. Other than some veneer peeling off the top, the piece seems to be in a good state construction-wise, and is solid with great proportions. NB-piece is currently in a dimly lit garage, so the light spot is caused by me photographing the part that was being illuminated with a flashlight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 4, 2018 Report Share Posted July 4, 2018 The fact that you stated that “ you just got this chest of drawers off of your aunt” , makes me question how stable it is. Hope she’s ok. Sorry, couldn’t resist. I’d like to see the whole thing in good light. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 4, 2018 Report Share Posted July 4, 2018 I've seen finish do that before, always as a result of poor storage conditions. Pretty certain that wouldn't be "on purpose". I would try a mild chemical stripper, maybe even some denatured alcohol. I've always assumed (perhaps incorrectly), that shellac was the finish most likely to react that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 4, 2018 Report Share Posted July 4, 2018 I've seen shellac do that. We stripped an old curio cabinet using denatured alcohol, Scotch Brite pads and cabinet scrapers. Made a hell of a mess and went through about a gallon of alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chestnut Posted July 5, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 11 hours ago, wdwerker said: I've seen shellac do that. We stripped an old curio cabinet using denatured alcohol, Scotch Brite pads and cabinet scrapers. Made a hell of a mess and went through about a gallon of alcohol. Your not supposed to drink it! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 1 minute ago, Chestnut said: Your not supposed to drink it! We think alike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 That's why the tax happy #%€£¥#%s make them denature it ! But if you spray shellac & then thinner it sure smells nice in the shop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 7 minutes ago, wdwerker said: That's why the tax happy #%€£¥#%s make them denature it ! But if you spray shellac & then thinner it sure smells nice in the shop. IIRC there are people that use pure grain alcohol on their shellac. Best part about mixing it that way is you don't have to worry about VOCs inhaling ethyl alcohol isn't any different than drinking it from my research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Chestnut said: IIRC there are people that use pure grain alcohol on their shellac. Best part about mixing it that way is you don't have to worry about VOCs inhaling ethyl alcohol isn't any different than drinking it from my research. And I've read that it's the best kind of solvent for shellac, though a little pricey.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomwolf Posted July 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 Hi all, thank you for the advice. Looks like I will spend some time this summer stripping old shellac on the back deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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